Peloton Cross Training Bike+ review: A better connected bike that still demands a premium price

The new bikes do more to warrant the space they take up in your home.

After a lot of tough choices and contraction, Peloton launched its most advanced fitness equipment yet, bringing together the AI-infused movement detection of its Guide cameras and its high-end exercise bikes and treadmills. The new Cross Training Bike+ costs $2,695, plus the mandatory $50 monthly All-Access Membership fee. I spent roughly four months training on and living with Peloton's most premium bike to see if the company added enough to warrant the price.

The Cross Training Bike+'s advances can be split into two categories. There are the software upgrades centered on AI-infused training programs and movement tracking. And there are the hardware upgrades, including an adjustable fan, a smartphone tray (!) and a tracking camera built into the console.

Peloton's updated Bike+ has a 23.8-inch screen that rotates away from the bike. This is so you can use the screen for floor workouts, strength exercises and stretch classes, expanding what you can do with the very much not portable exercise bike.

This was the big draw for me: I've been anti-cardio ever since I was aged 7 and terrible at soccer, so any exercise bike would have to go beyond to warrant taking up space in my one-bedroom apartment. I already work from home, so there is no room for gym equipment.

The new Cross Training models don't shake up the core structure of the exercise bike. There are multiple improvements, though, several of which might seem like easy wins if you've never stepped foot into the world of Peloton. Particularly, the smartphone tray. It's an innocuous tray with a rubberized surface and several cut-out notches to prop your phone into. Sure, you're probably paying most attention to that huge built-in screen (you can stream Disney+ and Netflix directly through the bike), but if you're waiting on a call or a message, you'd like to keep your phone somewhere. Until now, that had to be your pocket or a surface nearby — and if you're already wearing cycling shoes, it's a pain.

The 23.8-inch console display has its own upgrades too, featuring Sonos-tuned speakers, that include, for the first time, a built-in woofer. When I've briefly tested previous Peloton bikes, I was often underwhelmed by the sound, especially when I needed music or podcasts to keep my mind occupied during exercise. The new Cross Training Bike+ sounds richer and more premium.

Another addition is a USB-C plug-in fan unit that sits (and locks into) the top of the display. It has three different speeds and a directional slider to aim it directly at your face, perfect when you're getting in and out of the saddle on a hill climb workout. It makes more intensive rides substantially more comfortable, as does the redesigned saddle, which is wider and more cushioned.