It’s no secret that I am a ride or die Soul Cycle gal – and I have been ever since I moved to Austin in 2018. My love for spin came long before that – I took classes at our local gym growing up, and even got certified as a spin instructor and taught classes at a boutique gym when I lived in Nashville, TN! At the time, I had heard of Soul Cycle – but had never personally experienced one of these famous classes. There weren’t any Soul Cycle studios near my hometown, and surprisingly there wasn’t one in Nashville…so I never had the opportunity to! I took classes at other studios like Cycle Bar, and obviously taught as well.

Long story short, about a year into teaching spin classes I got burnt out. I didn’t love it – it stressed me out. I just chalked it up as not being the right fit for me as fitness instructor, I stopped teaching spin – and thought I was done with it forever. Until…I moved to Austin & attended my very first Soul Cycle class!

From there, everything changed & everything made sense. This was the kind of spin that I had been looking for! Previous studios I rode at, and even the style/technique I was taught in certification, and had to teach – was all numbers driven. Before each class I taught, I had to know & remember all of the RPMS & watts. That’s the part that stressed me out. I found myself not enjoying the workout & movement because I was stressed about hitting a certain RPM or wattage. For me, workouts are a time to be away from screens and thinking…so I didn’t like that the spin classes I was teaching & attending required you to be constantly looking at a screen with your stats.

Now, here’s where Soul Cycle comes in. There are no screens or monitors. No numbers. No stress – just riding. The entire Soul Cycle philosophy & style is to ride to the beat of the music. The dancer in me caught on quickly and it truly felt so natural and easy to me. Now, I’ve brought friends to classes and talked to people who do not understand the whole “riding to the beat” style – and I can tell ya right now if that’s you, chances are you won’t connect or love a Soul Cycle class as much as someone who does. I truly think some people have it, and some people don’t – just like anything in life, not everyone is going to love it! But dang, I DO!

I spent years riding in studio here in ATX – it was conveniently located when we lived downtown and even when we pushed north a bit. But when we made our last move out into the country about 45 minutes outside of Austin, I found it more difficult to get into studio as much as I wanted to. I always *wished* that Soul Cycle would come out with an at-home option like Peloton, but I truly thought they never would because Soul Cycle is all about the “pack mentality” and studio experience. But I was wrong! In March of 2020, they dropped the news that they were launching at at-home bike option, and I was THRILLED! I wasn’t sure about pulling the trigger on the investment right away – so I waited a few months, and then my husband actually surprised me with one in the early Fall! I was *so* excited and couldn’t wait for my first at-home ride. And let me tell ya, from that first ride to this day – I am OBSESSED. The quality, the classes, the bike itself – truly unmatched. I will say, nothing beats an in-studio experience…and I love to drop into the studio as much as I can, but this has truly been such a blessing in my life when it comes to my physical & mental health. Y’all have heard me rave about it nonstop, and today I am so excited to breakdown the features, my favorite parts & your questions in an honest review of the Soul Cycle At Home Bike. Let’s get rollin’!

How Much Does It Cost?

The Soul Cycle At Home Bike itself is $2500. That includes just the bike – and there are financing options available! It includes free shipping & white glove delivery, they get it all setup & running for you. In order to get access to the classes, you do have to pay $40 a month for Equinox+. To put it in perspective, a normal in-studio class is $30 – and you unlimited classes per month for $40. SUCH A DEAL & SO WORTH IT! At checkout, they also have bundles available where you can purchase a mat for your bike, shoes, weights, socks, the *famous* candles & more.

Is the At-Home Bike The Same As The In-Studio Bike?

YES! This was my biggest fear. If you are a regular spin class go-er, you know how uncomfortable & annoying it is to ride a different type of bike after getting used to your usual one. But, I’m happy to report that the at-home bike is the exact same as the in-studio one, with the exception of the tablet screen in the front. The seat, handlebars, clips & controls are all the exact same. Even the weights are the same studio weights, too!

What Does The $40/month Equinox+ Membership Include?

The $40 membership fee gets you SO much more than spin classes! You not only get unlimited access to spin classes, but you also get access to all of their other fitness classes as well like yoga, treadmill, boxing, barre, meditation, pilates, strength & more. There are seriously thousands of classes to choose from that can all be streamed from the Equinox+ app.

What Type Of Soul Cycle Classes Are Available?

There are actually way more diverse options when it comes to classes on the at-home bike than in-studio. There are 20 minute, 30 minute, 45 minute, 60 minute & the occasional 75-90 minute spin class lengths available. There are also themed & holiday rides, arms-series only classes that are great add-ons, and every class is labeled “beginner”, “intermediate” or “advanced” so you know exactly what you are getting into. There are new classes added every week!

Are There Any Live Classes?

YES! These have become my favorite type of classes more recently. Everyday there are live rides, live from the instructors studio during a real class – with their real students in their city! You can see how many riders are riding virtually, and the quality is GREAT. It truly feels like you are in-studio!

How Is The Quality Of The Classes?

This is what truly blew my mind. The quality is unmatched (I’ll give my Peloton comparison in the next question!) – in more ways than one. The quality of the bike itself is amazing – it’s sturdy, strong & exactly like the in-studio ones. The quality of the tablet/picture/sound is incredible – I can’t believe how loud the tablet can play music, it’s like your at a concert! You can also connect bluetooth headphones so you don’t disturb your family/roommates. The quality of the classes is unreal – you can truly tell much production, time and effort they put into the filming of these classes. The picture quality, the sound, the music, the angles, the lighting…wow. Truly A+!

Peloton vs. Soul Cycle Bike – Which is Better?

From a style standpoint – it’s all about preference. I would say, if you are motivated by music, the beat & choreography – Soul Cycle is your perfect match. But if you are more of a numbers, performance, competitive-driven rider….Peloton might be better for you. They are two completely different spin styles, it’s hard to compare the two. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. If you are familiar with popular spin studios, I would compare Cycle Bar classes to Peloton classes – more numbers driven. Your Soul Cycle in-studio experience is identical to the at-home bike experience. If you are unsure of which style is your perfect fit, maybe try to hop in a studio with each style of riding before making your decision!

Now, when it comes down to the quality of the bike, the features & the instructors…I have to say that Soul Cycle takes the cake every single time. My parents have a Peloton bike and I have taken many classes – so I can speak from experience! In my opinion, the Soul Cycle at-home bike itself is much higher quality, heavy duty & higher-end and the class production is WAY higher. The Equinox+ app has just as many off-bike classes that Peloton can offer, too.

What’s Your Favorite Feature Of The Soul Cycle Bike?

I love that you can see the playlist prior to riding! And, you can connect classes to Spotify – so at the end of each class you have the option to save songs that you love riding to, to a Spotify playlist.

Who Are Your Favorite At-Home Instructors?

Karyn, Chris Chandler (ATX represent!), Conor, Claire J, Jenny Gaither, Kathleen, Ross & Victoria!