Amazon takes on Peloton with its new $499 connected Echelon Prime Bike. Is the Peloton $2000 bike still worth the money?

Peloton is now under assault from multiple fronts. Last week, we wrote about Peloton after Apple unveiled a new Apple Fitness+ app that reportedly intends for its virtual classes to compete with Peloton and Nike in the virtual workout market. Unlike the Peloton workout app, the new Apple Fitness+ intelligently incorporates metrics from Apple Watch for users to visualize right on their iPhone, iPad, and even Apple TV, offering a first-of-its-kind personalized workout experience.

Just as Peloton was trying to digest the news, Amazon announced Tuesday its Prime Bike called Echelon Smart. Amazon teamed up with Echelon to build and sell the Prime Bike. The $500 exercise bike is a virtual clone of the $1900 Peloton bike minus the …

The bike is Amazon’s very first connected fitness equipment. Unlike Peloton’s Bike which currently ranges between $2,150 and $4,300, the Amazon Prime Bike costs only $499. The Prime Bike was developed in partnership with the fitness company Echelon. The $500 exercise bike is a virtual clone of the $1900 Peloton bike minus the screen.

The new EX-Prime Smart Connect Bike, also known as the Prime Bike, made its debut as Amazon’s first-ever connected fitness product. The Amazon-exclusive bike, which will give customers access to hundreds of live and on-demand classes, will retail for $499.

“The Prime Bike was developed in collaboration with Amazon, aiming to create an amazing, connected bike for less than $500 and it’s proven to be a phenomenal match. Amazon looking to us to partner on their first-ever connected fitness product is recognition of our commitment to deliver quality at a reasonable price-point as reflected in our explosive growth over the last year,” said Lou Lentine, President, and CEO of Echelon Fitness.

Just like Peloton, you still have to pay more for a membership service to get access to Prime Bike video classes on demand to get the most of your stationary bike experience.

For now, the Peloton Bike is priced at $2,150, while the new Bike+ goes for $2,500. Peloton also unveiled two levels of connected treadmills, the Tread and Tread+, that will retail for $2,500 and $4,300, respectively.

However, unlike Peloton, the Prime Bike does not come with an attached screen. The good news is that you can just use your phone or tablet as a screen. According to media reports, the Prime Bike was built at the request of Amazon and is exclusive to the eCommerce giant. The Prime Bike is similar in design to several other Echelon connected fitness bikes, but without some of the extras to keep the price low.

According to the information on the product page on Amazon, the Echelon One membership works for all machines, including our Connect Bikes, Row, Reflect mirrors, and future machines. You also get access to our Fitpass programs which include yoga, strength, pilates, boxing, and more.

The Prime Bike comes with a free 30-day trial. However, to get the full Echelon connected experience, you have to activate your 30-day risk-free trial membership at member.echelonfit.com/amazon/register.

Like Peloton, the new Prime Bike comes with music from the top artists. Amazon has partnered with the top record labels to bring you the latest music for the best fitness experience, including Dance, EDM, Folk, and Funk. Hip Hop to K-Pop. Metal, Latin, R&B, or whatever your ears want.

It is not all gloom and doom for Peloton. The company has been in business since 2012. Peloton has also built a name for itself as a go-to home fitness solution thanks to its popular stationary bike and its new treadmill with a lot of following. It remains to be seen how it will play out.