• Fitness equipment juggernaut Technogym has launched its smart bike in Australia, offering at-home riders a premium experience — and a matching price tag.
• For $4,590, plus a monthly subscription, riders can access live-streamed spin classes or one-on-one training routines.
• Technogym Bike’s domestic arrival precedes that of Peloton, whose cult-favourite bike will premiere in Australia later this year.
• Visit Business Insider Australia’s homepage for more stories.

Australia’s exercise equipment arms race has intensified, with fitness titans Technogym launching a new smart bike to compete with industry wunderkind Peloton.

And if the workouts don’t leave consumers sweating, the price tag will.

The Technogym Bike, available in Australia from Monday, promises to connect at-home exercisers to one-on-one training sessions through a 56cm touchscreen.

In addition, users can access virtual training courses and routines, along with Netflix, YouTube, and other social media platforms, providing riders with a bevy of distractions for the most gruelling spin sessions.

Most notably, Technogym Bike will provide access to live-streamed and on-demand classes from fitness studios including London’s 1 Rebel and Milan’s Revolution, with further additions to come.

Access to those specialty classes is available through a monthly subscription fee of $39 a month.

But Technogym is betting its clientele will be more than happy to shell out for the pleasure, given the standalone Technogym Bike costs a luxurious $4,590.

The domestic launch of Technogym Bike comes just weeks after Peloton announced its cult-favourite exercise bikes will pedal onto Australian shores in the second half of 2021.

The arrival of both products, and their associated class-streaming options — to say nothing of other players in Australia’s nascent smart bike sector, like NordicTrack and Echelon — speaks to the growing popularity of premium at-home workouts.

At least some of that rise can be attributed to COVID-19 restrictions shutting gyms worldwide. Sports Australia reported that nearly 38% of existing at-home exercisers reported an increase in domestic sweat sessions due to COVID-19.

But even as gyms reopened and in-person group fitness classes near pre-pandemic capacity, the Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF) late last year predicted virtual fitness will be a key trend through 2021.

“Consumers were forced to go virtual and many discovered they liked it – as did many of the professionals delivering the programs,” said Kate Kraschnefski, AIF’s head of training.

“Mobile apps, online on-demand workout libraries and virtual [personal] training will continue to be massive and broaden our horizons,” she added.

Technogym Bike riders — whose investment could secure an elite road bike, to say nothing of a regular gym membership — would certainly hope virtual training is more than a passing fad.

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