The MYX II is one of many home streaming cycles we have to choose from these days, and like pretty much all the other bikes, it too comes with a large touchscreen designed for viewing instructor-led workouts.
But unlike the other comps, the workouts on the MYX II aren’t based on cadences, resistance levels, and watt outputs.
Nope, with the MYX II it’s all about heart rate.
All the workouts on this cycle are designed around your heart rate and cycling you through 3 different zones based on your individual performance.
The result is a unique workout experience which also happens to be quite effective.
And when it comes to the hardware, the MYX II bike itself is no slouch either – with a commercial grade Star Trac cycle as its base, the MYX II can hang with any indoor cycle on the market.
Overall, if you’re looking for a streaming cycle, I think the MYX II could be a great choice, but you have to know what to expect – and that’s where I come in.
In this review, I’ll go over everything this bike has to offer, including what to expect from these heart rate based workouts.
After reading, you’ll know whether or not this is the right bike for your home.
Alright, let’s do this.
The MYX II Bike
As the “II” might indicate, this is the second version of this cycle and there are just a few upgrades over the original MYX Bike.
The most notable difference is that the MYX II comes with a built-in sensor to track cadence, speed, and distance during workouts – metrics the original MYX Bike didn’t track.
I know it sounds surprising that an exercise bike wouldn’t track this stuff, but keep in mind the workouts on this bike are all about your heart rate.
Which makes sense, considering our heart rate is the most accurate measurement of our exertion.
Which is really what those other metrics are geared around measuring anyway.
When an instructor tells you what cadence or resistance level to be at (or what watt output to aim for), they’re indirectly telling you how hard to exert yourself.
Well, we’re all at different fitness levels, so those instructions will be more difficult for some than others.
When working with heart rate zones, it’s up to you to adjust the resistance and your cadence to get your heart rate where it needs to be.
You could do this by going heavier and pedaling slower, or going with lighter resistance and pedaling faster – it doesn’t really matter as long as your heart rate is where it should be.
Designing workouts like this makes it harder for you to cheat yourself, especially considering the zones are designed around your personal performance to begin with.
Sorry, I got off on a bit of a tangent there – we’ll talk about the workouts more a little later, but let’s go over the bike itself first.
Pros
- 21.5″ HD touchscreen console
- 41 lb flywheel
- Heavy-duty frame
- 350 lb weight limit
- Fits riders 4’11” – 6’8″ tall
- Access to thousands of instructor-led workouts
- Heart rate strap included
- Fully adjustable seat
- Fully adjustable handlebars
- Dual-compatible pedals
- Great price
Cons
- Friction brake resistance
- Warranty could be longer
Resistance
Even though the MYX II is a streaming cycle, I still think it makes sense to consider the performance specs first and foremost.
Because let’s be real, if the bike can’t provide great workouts, it doesn’t matter how awesome the touchscreen is.
Luckily, I don’t think that’ll be an issue with the MYX.
The folks behind MYX made a smart choice when they chose Star Trac to supply the bikes for ’em because Star Trac happen to be one of the premiere fitness brands around.
If you aren’t familiar with them, they’re a commercial fitness brand with a great reputation and you may’ve seen some of their cardio machines in your local gym.
Long-story-short, they’re a great brand.
But back to the MYX.
This cycle comes with a 41 lb flywheel, which is large enough to be considered “heavy” by anyone’s standards.
And most cycles are designed so that having a heavy flywheel is a good thing because the extra weight builds more momentum as it spins, which in turn helps the pedals keep moving a little between pedal strokes, which results in a smoother feel.
So when it comes to flywheel weight, the MYX scores highly.
This bike utilizes a friction brake resistance system though, which I have to admit I’m not a big fan of.
I realize friction brakes have their advantages, notably that you can make micro adjustments to the resistance without having to be limited to a set number of levels, but I prefer magnetic systems because they feel smoother to me.
And yes, I also realize that a lot of great, commercial spin bikes still utilize friction brakes and that they can work very well.
And users seem to agree that the MYX II does provide a very smooth feel during rides.
Friction brakes also require a little more maintenance than magnetic bikes because that friction brake, regardless of how nice the bike is, will eventually break down and have to be replaced.
Again, not a big deal, but something to consider.
But again, as a friction brake bike, the MYX II doesn’t have any way of measuring which resistance level you’re on during your workouts – there are no resistance levels to begin with.
This means you have to determine resistance based on feel (which the instructors will help you with during your workouts).
This is nice in the fact that you don’t have to feel pressured to keep up with what ever level the instructor tells you to be on, but it could also take a little getting used to.
Overall, the MYX scores highly with its heavy flywheel, but the fact that it uses a friction brake system could be a concern for some users.
Frame
A quality indoor cycle should feel stable during workouts and be secure enough to stay put when you stand and push against harder resistances.
In other words, it should be heavy-duty.
It can be hard to determine how heavy-duty a bike is from looks alone and no manufacturer will ever admit when their bike is lightweight, so your best bet is to check the assembled weight spec for yourself.
Because this spec tells you exactly how heavy (or light) weight it really is.
The MYX II comes with an assembled weight of 150 lb, which is very impressive for an indoor cycle.
For the sake of comparison, the Peloton (which feels rock solid during workouts) only weighs about 135 lb assembled.
And Schwinn’s awesome IC4 only weighs in at around 106 lb.
So, you shouldn’t have to worry about this bike wobbling around or feeling shaky during workouts.
The MYX II also comes with a weight limit of 350 lb, which is very high for a spin bike – another indicator of superior frame strength.
And according to MYX, this cycle can comfortably hold folks between 4’11” and 6’8″ tall, making it accessible to the majority of the population.
In terms of dimensions, the MYX is pretty standard when compared to other cycles and only takes up a footprint of roughly 4.5′ x 2′.
Overall, when it comes to the frame the MYX II is heavy-duty and able to comfortably hold folks of all sizes.
Warranty
The MYX II Bike comes with the following residential warranty:
- 5 year frame
- 1 year parts
- 1 year labor
I’m not sure who told indoor cycle providers that 5 years is good enough for the frame, but most brands offer the same 5 year warranty.
Some brands (like Sole) still offer lifetime frame guarantees, but there aren’t that many out there.
A year on parts is pretty average too, although for this price range it would be nice to see a 2 year parts guarantee (the console is also covered under the parts warranty).
And a year on labor is pretty standard stuff too.
Overall, not a great warranty here, but not that bad either when compared to other bikes in this price range.
Features
The MYX II Bike comes with the following included features:
21.5″ touchscreen- the large touchscreen console is what gives you access to all your workouts and it can swivel too, making it easier to see the screen when doing off the bike workouts (which MYX offers plenty of). This console also comes with a built-in camera and upgraded speakers when compared to the previous MYX model. And as mentioned earlier, the MYX II does track cadence, speed, and distance now.
OpenFit & Bodi workouts- MYX has partnered with OpenFit, the streaming workout service, meaning you get access to all the MYX and OpenFit trainers through this bike. There are thousands of workouts to choose from, including plenty of non-cycling workouts of all kinds too. The monthly fee to access all these streaming goodies is $39/month. I think I forgot to mention it earlier, but MYX merged with the parent company of Beach Body a while ago, so you can also access the new Bodi program through the MYX II. I think you have to have a BOD (Beach Body On demand) account to use Bodi and each comes with their own subscription plan, but the Bodi program uses the console’s camera to put you in live studio classes with the instructors. They can see you on their screen and even give you cues about your form and whatnot. It’s an interesting idea, but long story short, the MYX II gives you access to more workout options then probably any other platform out there.
Heart rate monitoring- all of the MYX’s cycling workouts are centered around your heart rate and keeping you in different zones based on your percentage of heart rate max. In order to do this, a strap heart rate monitor is included with purchase, ensuring you can keep an accurate account of your heart rate throughout your workouts.
Dual-compatible pedals- this bike comes with dual-compatible pedals, meaning there’s a toe cage that can be used with sneakers on one side and SPD compatible clips on the other. This is nice because it gives you the option to use cleats if you want to, but doesn’t force you to.
Fully adjustable seat- you can adjust the height and fore/aft position of the seat, so finding a comfortable position shouldn’t be an issue.
Fully adjustable handlebars- you can adjust the height and fore/aft position of the handlebars too for even more customization.
Water bottle holders- you can even store 2 water bottles on this bike, so there’s no excuse for not staying hydrated.
Price
Prices can vary, so by the time you read this my quoted numbers here might not be 100% accurate (and I apologize if that’s the case), but at the time of writing this the MYX II is going for $1399.
MYX also offers a MYX II Plus package, which includes a 6 piece weight set, a mat, a foam roller, and a resistance band.
At about $1400, the MYX II is one of the more affordable streaming cycles out there.
The biggest competitors are the Peloton of course, which goes for $1495 (bike only), and the NordicTrack Commercial S22i which goes for around $1899.
There’s also the Stryde Bike, another popular Peloton alternative, that goes for around $1600, give or take depending on promotions.
So, based on these other bikes, I think it’s fair to say the MYX II is well-priced.
But is it really worth investing in?
Final Thoughts
Well, that’s really a personal question, but objectively speaking, I think the MYX II is a very nice exercise bike.
The bike itself is high-end from top to bottom – I mean Star Trac is a no-joke brand.
I like that this cycle comes with such a heavy flywheel and I also appreciate how heavy-duty the frame is.
I also like the idea of users getting access to so many different types of workouts through OpenFit (and Bodi if you wanted to).
And again, I think the price of the MYX II is pretty awesome considering everything it comes with.
My only real hesitation is the fact that this bike uses a friction brake resistance system – as a fan of magnetic systems, I would have to think 2x about investing in a bike that uses a friction pad.
But if you’re cool with friction brakes and looking for an affordable Peloton alternative, I think the MYX II is a great option.
