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What I Thought of the Equinox+ and SoulCycle Collaboration

Latifah Al-Hazza
By

It took us all sweat (no tears) to write this review of SoulCycle’s at-home bike powered by Equinox+. If you or anyone you know is part of SoulCycle’s cult spin workout following, read on.

Spin enthusiasts can now bring the SoulCycle experience home with a SoulCycle at-home bike. With a simple tap, riders will be immersed in on-demand and live classes with inspiring instructors — or you can move to your own beat with Free Ride.

SoulCycle and Equinox's at-home bike side profile.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Focusing on movement over metrics, SoulCycle’s at-home bikes (and even their classes) inspire us to let go of expectations and give in to the rhythm, pushing us harder than we ever thought possible.

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From deadlifts workouts to downward-facing dogs, Rooster Rides to restorative meditations, and more — riders will have immediate access to Equinox+ with the purchase of a SoulCycle at-home bike. It’s also available on your phone, laptop, and TV.

Testing out the SoulCycle At-Home Bike

SoulCycle’s at-home bike costs $1,950 (nothing out of the ordinary for LUX at-home spin bikes) and can be paid in installments. The catch is, you’ll need to purchase an Equinox+ membership which is $40 a month with a 12-month membership requirement to access all SoulCycle content. They offer a 30-day free trial but only a 1-year warranty plan.

We know you’re anxious to pull out that tape measure to secure a spot that will be the bike’s new home, so here are the specs: The bike is 62.2 inches in length, 22.2 inches in width, and 53.5 inches in height. The bike weighs 142 lbs. with the touchscreen and can handle up to 350 pounds of  weight. The height range for riders is between 4’10” and 6’10”.

As far as the design of the bike, it’s a perfect fit and resembles the in-person SoulCycle studio bikes to a ‘t’. We love the look of the bike and how smooth and compact it is. With this being said, we’ve been quite curious as to what the camera on the monitor is for since there’s no way to stream classes with friends in the way that you can on the Peloton. The camera seems to have no function.

My First Impression

The delivery was seamless! The deliverymen arrived right on time and were in and out setting up the bike within 15 minutes. We appreciated how quickly they were able to set everything up and show us some basics on getting the bike operating.

The quality of the bike itself is amazing. There are two water bottle holders at the front of the bike; the handlebar is large enough to hold a sweat towel; and the hand weights tuck away in a secure, easily-accessible spot under the saddle.

My Take on the At-Home Bike

Unlike Peloton at-home bikes, where you can see what your resistance is and what it should be, with SoulCycle you see power and distance (but not resistance) at the end of the class, similar to in-person classes. SoulCycle is not focused on numbers or competitiveness.

The program is very user-friendly. It took us a few classes to realize you can swipe the stats onto the screen (which we loved). Something we really appreciated with SoulCycle is how real the instructors are — they’re sweaty, they’re out of breath, and they’re not covered in makeup and lipstick like they are in Peloton classes.

SoulCycle and Equinox's at-home bike at a slightly different angle.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Who’s It For?

We think this bike is great for the work-from-home employee or stay-at-home mom or dad. Being able to quickly jump on for a class at sporadic times has been a lifesaver during busy workdays when we haven’t had the chance to make it to a scheduled workout class. It will take someone who is disciplined and can stay motivated working out on their own.

What I Like About the SoulCycle

  1. It’s very comfortable! The bike is so sleek and adjusting the bike is extremely easy.
  2. We love how realistic the instructors are in the classes. The choreography and arm workouts seamlessly fit into the rides, making the classes go by super quickly. We also like being able to see how on beat/rhythm we were at the end of each class.
  3. We love that we can connect to watch Netflix movies and stream Disney+ movies during the free ride.
  4. Something that kept us motivated with the bike was the various awards mentioned when it was your 5th ride or if you did a double day or were on a 3-day streak, etc. It’s fun to get more and more ‘awards’ for hitting different accomplishments.

What I Didn’t Like About the SoulCycle

  1. One of the things we like about Peloton is that they have so many fun-themed rides, whereas the SoulCycle bike classes are all motivational titles that don’t give too much insight into the vibe of the class.
  2. Sometimes during the classes, the video quality diminishes or blurs but it’s nothing too noticeable. We want to mention that on two occasions, the bike decided to do an update in the middle of class, which was pretty inconvenient as it took about 15 minutes and forced us to stop the workout.
  3. We also wish there was a way to filter for specific classes based on music artists rather than genre.
SoulCycle and Equinox's at-home bike on a white background.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Should You Buy a SoulCycle?

Buying the SoulCycle bike is something we would definitely consider. We wish the bikes were a bit more affordable, knowing that you also need to pay for the SoulCycle program through the Equinox App. If you’re looking for a convenient sweat-inducing workout, though, you can clip in and enjoy a heart-pounding playlist and ride with a motivating SoulCycle instructor from your very own home.

Topics
Latifah Al-Hazza
Latifah Al-Hazza
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Latifah is an Emmy Award-Winning travel journalist and documentary filmmaker, as well as the Cofounder of Femscape Sojourns…
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