This Peloton alternative is free with your monthly iFit membership

Here’s the thing about a Peloton bike, an Echelon bike or the like: You have to buy not only the very pricey hardware, but also the fitness-class membership. A Peloton, for example, costs a hefty $2,245, and then you’re on the hook for $39 monthly. Echelon offers bikes for less (including a few under $1,000), but the accompanying class plan runs $40 monthly.

Ah, but what if you could pay that same rate and get a bike effectively for free? You can: For a limited time, the ProForm Studio Pro indoor exercise bike is $39 per month for three years — iFit membership included.

Read more: The best at-home fitness equipment for 2020

OK, so this is basically a 0%-interest financing plan, one that totals out to $1,403 after three years. But there’s up-front cost — even shipping is free — and when you’re done, you own the bike. Yes, you’ll have to continue paying $39 per month if you still want iFit classes, though there are discounts available if you prepay for a year or more.

I haven’t tried the Studio Pro myself, but it resembles the very good NordicTrack S15i I reviewed in my roundup of Peloton alternatives that cost less. No surprise there: Parent company Icon Health & Fitness owns both NordicTrack and ProForm, as well as iFit, among other brands.

The bike features a silent flywheel, height-adjustable seat and handlebars, digital resistance settings, 3-pound hand weights and a 10-inch touchscreen that can turn 180 degrees in either direction — helpful for any off-bike classes you want to take.

Speaking of classes, iFit serves up a wide variety of on-demand ones — not just biking, but also HIIT, strength training, yoga and so on. Two things I particularly like: The virtual rides (in which you follow your instructor on gorgeous real-world trails) and the “live” resistance control, meaning the instructor changes your bike’s resistance settings during your class or ride.

Obviously at-home fitness is more important than ever right now. If you’ve considered an indoor bike but balked at the high price of the equipment, here’s your chance to get that equipment at a very low monthly cost — provided you’re willing to pay it for three years.

Your thoughts?

Read more: How to build your own smart bike on the cheap

Lara Croft Go, Monument Valley 2 and more are now free for Android and iOS

The freebies are coming fast and furious. I just added several new free PC games to my roundup of free entertainment, and this morning I encountered three gems for mobile.

First up: Lara Croft Go is currently free for Android and iOS. Regularly $6, it’s a top-rated, award-winning puzzle game and a definite departure from the typical Tomb Raider fare. No running and gunning; instead, just figuring out how to get from here to there (and sometimes back again). You don’t need to be a fan of the series to enjoy this excellent outing.

Next, Monument Valley 2 is currently free for Android and iOS. Regularly $5, it’s a top-rated, award-winning sequel to the top-rated, award-winning original. It’s actually kind of similar to Lara Croft Go, except here you have two heroines: a mother and daughter. Lovely game, truly.

Finally, there’s Earth Atlantis for iOS. (This one isn’t available for Android, I’m afraid.) It’s a side-scrolling shooter with wholly original visuals. It normally runs $5.

Have you found any other great gone-free games for mobile? Shout ’em out in the comments!

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Peloton Bike makes spinning at home much smoother

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