MYX II Plus review: The bike that got me hooked on connected fitness

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Meet the MYX II Plus, the workout system that got me hooked on connected fitness.

Working out plays a huge role in my physical and mental health. I know I'm not the only one that works out to stay sane. Connected fitness enables you to work out in your own space, on your own time.

We watched connected fitness explode out of necessity throughout the pandemic, and now that post-pandemic life has many of us operating from home more often, connected fitness has found its stronghold. The trend has ebbed and flowed over the years since lockdown, but one thing is certain — it's here to stay. Since emerging on the scene in 2018, MYX quickly made a splash and became a top competitor amongst fitness giants because of its focus on total-body fitness and competitive price point. I've had the opportunity to try and review all kinds of connected fitness equipment over the course of my career, but MYX is the workout system that got me hooked initially, and the system that I continue to sweat with to this day. This is the 411 on the MYX II Plus, and why it's carved a name for itself amongst the top dogs in connected fitness.

MYX II Plus review: More than just a bike!

This fitness system offers a large variety of classes in tons of fitness modalities. It comes with all the add-ons you need to create your own modest home gym at a great value.

Pros:

Great value
Swiveling, tilting touchscreen
Total body fitness/versatile BODi app
Cadence sensor + On-screen metrics
Camera

Cons:

Monthly membership required
Centered around cycling

MYX II Plus review: The hardware

The MYX II Plus is so much more than just a bike, it functions as your own little home gym. The bike itself is a Star Trac cycle equipped with a 21.5-inch swiveling, tilting touchscreen, adjustable resistance, and 41-pound flywheel. It comes in two colors: Natural White and Deep Charcoal. It's commercial-grade, and one of the sturdiest indoor bikes I've ever cycled on. I love the swiveling, tilting touchscreen, because it makes for seamless transitions from the bike to the floor for off-bike workouts.

The 21.5-inch swiveling, tilting touchscreen makes for seamless transitions on and off bike, and the 41 pound flywheel provides an ultra-smooth, quiet ride.

The flywheel provides an ultra-smooth, quiet ride. To give you an idea — I frequently work out in the room next to my napping 4-year-old, and she never hears a thing. Upgrades from MYX II's predecessor, "The MYX," include a cadence sensor, Sony 8-megapixel camera, sleeker screen, and faster downloading power.

MYX II has dual-sided pedals with SPD clips on one side and shoe cages for your sneakers on the other. Pro tip from a cycling instructor: if you're an avid-indoor cyclist, get yourself some SPD-compatible cycling shoes. Clipping in makes each pedal stroke more efficient and helps you get the most out of every rotation.

The bike has dual water bottle holders to serve as your hydration station while you sweat, and four-way adjustments for a comfortable ride that accommodates users of all sizes up to 350 pounds. It has a nice, compact footprint of 3-foot, 4-inches long by 1-foot, 7-inches wide. I keep mine in my bedroom and don't feel crammed for space at all. Plus, it has built-in wheels for mobility. It weighs 150 pounds, but with the wheels, one person can move it.

The MYX II Plus comes with everything you need for your own modest, home gym.

The MYX II Plus package includes a variety of great add-ons including a Polar OH1 heart rate monitor, six-piece weight set with kettlebell, bike stabilizer mat, extra-large exercise mat, EVA foam roller, resistance band, and a 12-month manufacturer's warranty. You get the bike and all these extras for $1599 which is an excellent value. To give you a side-by-side comparison, the MYX II Plus package is most like the Peloton Bike+ Ultimate Package, except it'll cost you close to $1k less. The high-quality hardware and the competitive price point is what put MYX on the map and makes it one of the best Peloton bike alternatives.

Connectivity-wise, MYX II Plus requires a standard outlet to power on the bike, and a WiFi connection to utilize the tablet. You can sync the included Polar OH1 heart rate monitor to get your on-screen performance metrics, or your Apple Watch. You also have the option of connecting your Bluetooth headphones for audio or listening out loud with MYX II's built-in 20W speakers.

MYX II Plus review: The app: BODi

MYX Fitness started as its own app, then merged with Openfit, then all were acquired by Beachbody in 2021. That said, now the official MYX Fitness companion app is Beachbody on Demand Interactive (BODi). A BODi monthly membership of $35 is required to utilize the tablet on your MYX II bike. In all honesty, I wasn't crazy about the merge with BODi at first (I was resistant to change), but I have grown to appreciate it because it offers so much more than MYX Fitness and Openfit did.

BODi members have access to thousands of workouts in tons of fitness modalities with new classes added every week.

Members have access to thousands of workouts in various fitness modalities. You can choose from cycling, strength, cardio, bootcamp, Pilates, barre, core, yoga, meditation, dance, and recovery classes. Members also have the opportunity of joining BODi Blocks, workout programs that are sustainable and designed to help users effectively reach their goals. A BODi Block consists of five workouts a week for three weeks, followed by an optional UP Week to recover and reset.

In addition, BODi offers eating plans as well as nutrition products, supplements, and recipes. If you're someone who gets a lot out interacting with your fit fam, you'll love BODGroups. This is where your support buddies, gym, and nutrition center are all stored in one place. When you opt for joining a BodGroup, BODi immediately assigns you with an accountability partner to motivate and hold you accountable while you simultaneously work towards your fitness goals.

Another unique feature on the MYX II Bike is the built-in Sony 8-megapixel camera. This is located at the top of your tablet and is a tool to live broadcast your workouts. You can join live community classes and view trainers on a split screen with BODcast for personalized attention.

Sometimes I'm not feeling an in-studio class, but still want to ride, so I hope into a Scenic ride. These rides have no instructors and feature trails and roads through beautiful locations around the world. For example, I just took a lovely trail ride through Cap de la Chevre, France. New Zealand, Ireland, New Mexico, Arizona, Hawaii, and the Grand Tetons are just a few examples of the other scenic locales you can cruise through while listening to chill electronic playlists.

You can stream BODi on your MYX bike, TV, laptop, or mobile app. This makes it easy to take your workouts with you on vacation too! It's compatible with iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, fireTV, and Google TV.

MYX II Plus review: The workout

The MYX workout focuses on heart-based training, which is why the Plus package comes with a heart rate monitor. You'll want to wear it or connect your Apple Watch for every workout to track your heart rate. To get the most out of your workouts in the time you have, the app will encourage you to personalize your heart rate zones in a MYX Zone Calibration Ride. This ride uses a patented algorithm to determine your personal fitness level and target heart rate zones.

MYX Fitness workouts are centered around heart-based training.

MYX recommends testing first thing in the morning, following the trainer's directions, and completing this workout uninterrupted for best results. Your cardiovascular health should improve with regular exercise over time, so they suggest taking this calibration ride every six weeks to track your progress.

Many training programs rely on speed, cadence, and distance alone. While MYX tracks these metrics as well, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the most effective method of training is to work out through varying levels of heart rate intensity to achieve your goals. That's why personalizing your heart rate zones is so important and the foundation of this system — so you can effectively and efficiently, condition your aerobic system.

When you take a class, you'll see a variety of pertinent on-screen metrics. For cycling classes, you'll see your time, calories burned, cadence, distance, current heart rate, and your heart rate zones. For a yoga or barre class, you'll see all these metrics except for cadence and distance as they don't apply etc. I do like seeing my real-time performance metrics, but sometimes I hyper-fixate on them and would rather just tune out and enjoy the workout. If you're anything like me in this regard, you do have the option of hiding them.

Your pertitnent performance metrics are displayed in real time on-screen while you workout.

The one metric that's always displayed no matter what in the upper left-hand corner is: time. While I appreciate seeing where I am in the workout sometimes, I do wish I had the option of hiding the time along with the other metrics. As I'm sure you've experienced, the clock can move at a snail's pace when you're focusing on it.

When considering upgrades from the 1st gen OG MYX bike, my favorite addition is the cadence sensor. I'm a rhythmic girl. I find it so much easier to ride to the rhythm and follow along with cadence cues because it's the easiest way to ensure everyone's on the same page. This is one of the main reasons I didn't like the initial transition from MYX Fitness and Openfit to BODi. The majority of BODi cycling classes are not rhythm based. However, within the last couple of months, they've added rhythm classes that I'm thrilled about. If you're a rhythmic rider, I highly recommend you start with these.

MYX II Plus review: Who it's for

The MYX II Plus is for anyone looking for a high-quality, total-body fitness system that's a great value. The Plus package comes with the additional equipment necessary to serve as your own home gym, and MYX's heart-based workout philosophy is an effective way to train and reach your fitness goals.

If you love indoor cycling, you'll love this bike. It's sturdy, durable, and has everything you need for a smooth, comfortable ride.

The companion app BODi provides thousands of live and on-demand classes in just about every fitness modality you could ask for, with new classes added every week. Plus, you can stream the app on any compatible device, making it easy to take your workouts with you when you're on vacation or traveling for work.

MYX II Plus review: Who it's not for

If you're not into indoor cycling, the MYX II Plus isn't for you. Although the app offers a multitude of classes in other fitness modalities, the main piece of hardware you're paying for is the bike. If you don't plan on riding it, you'd be better off getting a connected fitness system that's centered around a workout that you do enjoy.

A monthly subscription to BODi is required to utilize the tablet on the bike. If you don't see yourself subscribing, you'd be better off choosing something different. Paying the full sticker price for the MYX II Plus without utilizing the tablet isn't worth it. If the monthly membership is psyching you out, you can save on your BODi subscription if you opt for a multi-month or annual membership.

MYX II Plus review: Bottom line

The MYX II Plus got me hooked on connected fitness, and the versatility and convenience of this system is why I'm still working out with it today. I love the ability to work out in my own space, on my own time, without adhering to rigid studio schedules. I'm partial to indoor cycling, it's easily my favorite cardio workout, but I love that BODi offers so many other cross-training options to choose from. I've regularly used the bike and Plus package add-ons for the past two years, and they're still in excellent condition, making the MYX II Plus a worthy investment that you can count on for years to come.