Today I’m here to talk about the Peloton bike! I became a certified cycling instructor during college and taught 3-5 classes a week for over 10 years, so I know a thing or two about cycling.
I taught at a few different studios, but mostly at Equinox while living in NYC and SF. And actually, in 2013 I auditioned at Peloton. This was before they even had their bike finalized and were still ideating the business. I had a good audition but then the hiring team changed and I was supposed to go back for another round of auditions and I just din’t go. If I’m remembering correctly, I think it’s because I was busy teaching at Equinox (which I was very loyal to) while also working a full time job, and honestly I didn’t know if Peloton would ever launch and I doubted it would be successful (joke’s on me, right?).
I’ve always loved group fitness classes and spin. Up until recently I never would have considered getting a Peloton, especially while I lived in NYC and SF where there are so many gyms, usually within walking distance. Also, I like the energy and feeling of being in a studio and in a group setting and couldn’t imagine spending over $2,000 on a bike to use in my living room.
Then I moved to Portland, had a baby, and changed my tune. After thinking about it for a few months, I decided I wanted a Peloton. Everyone who had one seemed obsessed and getting to the gym with a newborn was really hard. Peloton allows for a 30 day trial so I figured I’d give it a try and if I wasn’t fully obsessed with it, I’d return it. It took me one class to see how much I loved it.
I haven’t paid for a gym membership ever in my adult life. I’ve always taught at studios and therefore got free memberships. I’d occasionally try a class or two at boutique studios, or would do a very low cost ClassPass plan. Since I was pretty much spending less than $20 a month on fitness, a $2,000+ bike was a big deal to me, and not a purchase I made lightly.
I know a lot of people are considering buying a Peloton, especially now with gyms closed and fear around returning to the gym even when they reopen. As a certified cycling instructor, lover of group fitness, and budget conscious person, I thought I’d answer your Peloton questions (that I received from Instagram) and share why buying a Peloton was a great decision for me.
Here we go! If you have any questions that I didn’t answer, drop them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Is the big price tag worth it?
As a budget-conscious shopper I can personally say that I do think the bike is worth the price. It is expensive and sure, I wish it was cheaper, but I don’t regret spending the money. I do think you get what you pay for and so far, I’ve been extremely happy with my purchase. I had a really great set up experience and haven’t had any tech issues since getting the bike in December. The bike is well-made, totally silent, and has all the bells and whistles you’d expect from a pricey bike.
If it seems expensive upfront, think about how much you spend on group fitness classes and if you’re going to use the Peloton in place of some or all of those classes (when group fitness resumes). If you’re not willing to part with your boutique fitness or gym routine, it would be hard to justify the cost of the Peloton. But if you plan to switch primarily to Peloton with a couple of special group fitness classes here and there, then the price tag isn’t so crazy. This is even more justifiable if you have a partner or roommate who will also be using it.
If you’re hung up on the price, the main question to ask yourself (after, can I afford it?) is, “will I use it?” If you use it a lot, it makes your life better, makes you healthier and happier—and you can afford it—then the cost is worth it.
Do you need the Peloton bike or can you use another bike and create a similar experience?
All of the above being said, I have heard from people that they’ve put together their own Peloton of sorts and have also been very happy with their set up. Instead of buying the Peloton, people will buy a different and much less expensive bike and will use the Peloton app (which you can sign up for without buying the bike). You can watch classes on an iPad or on your TV, paired with your bike.
This is a personal preference and you need to think about what is important to you. If you want to be on the leaderboard and get shout outs and have your data recorded, you need the Peloton bike. If that isn’t important to you, you can pull all the pieces together yourself and save a lot of money.
I didn’t really care about the leaderboard or shoutouts but I felt like if I was going to cycle at home, I wanted to go all in. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of person. I am pretty competitive, mostly with myself, and I’ve loved seeing my numbers improve and when I ride I’m motivated to get PRs. I don’t care that much about taking live classes and getting shoutouts, but I really like the entire interface and how it records all of my data. You won’t get the same experience if you buy a different bike. I like the cohesive and streamlined experience with the Peloton bike.
My Insta friend Molly went the hack route and is really happy with her set up. She shared some of the products she got to make it happen:
How necessary are all of the accessories (shoes, weights, mat, etc)?
Some of the accessories are important, but you don’t necessarily need to buy the Peloton brand. For example, if you have light weights (1, 2 or 3 lbs), you can use those instead of buying the Peloton weights. You could use a yoga mat or other grippy mat under the bike, and you can use whatever brand of cycling shoes you’d like, as long as they are compliant with the LOOK Delta clips since that’s the bike comes with.
I bought my Peloton bike during their Black Friday deal so I got “the works” package for free, which includes weights, shoes, the mat, heart rate monitor and headphones. I ended up selling the shoes because I already had cycling shoes (I had to swap out the clips though and bought these from Amazon) and I don’t use the heart rate monitor (but maybe I’ll start someday) or headphones.
If you’re going to buy a bike, you can use my referral code and get $100 off of accessories when you purchase a bike! I will also get $100 towards accessories if you use it, so thank you! Code: MSQ6AS
I’m planning to buy a Peloton, should I do the monthly payments or buy it outright?
At first I justified the cost because I planned to pay it in monthly installments, which makes it seem like much less of an investment and basically like spending money on a gym membership (spending $100-ish a month is easier to justify than $2,000+). But then I realized I’d miss out on all of the credit card points (since monthly payments would go through my bank, not my credit card). Also, I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which means you get an extra year of warranty on the bike. So for those reasons, I recommend buying the bike in full up front.
Obviously if that isn’t in your budget and monthly installments are, that’s a totally reasonable route to go.
Is it a good replacement for group fitness classes?
As a group fitness instructor, nothing can take the place of the energy you find in a really good group class. However, I have to admit that there is a really nice sense of community with Peloton, even if you aren’t in the room together. It seems cheesy to feel community even though we aren’t riding together, but I make plans to “meet” with friends for class and it does hold me more accountable. And right now, even when gyms do open up, I’m not sure how comfortable I’ll feel in a group setting.
As a mom balancing caring for a baby and working part-time from home, Peloton has been a great stand-in for group fitness. In Portland I have to drive to the gym and that’s a pretty big barrier for me to get to classes. So for me, it’s amazing. If I was still living in NYC and I could walk 3 blocks to my favorite gym and tons of studio options, I wouldn’t even think of buying a Peloton. But in a more suburban style city with fewer group classes, it does the trick.
Do you get bored or tired of it?
This was definitely my biggest concern. I was worried I’d spend so much money on the bike and then after a few months wouldn’t want to use it. I am happy to report that has not been the case at all! There are different types of classes that keep it interesting. I also don’t allow myself to ride every single day because then I do think I’d get bored of it. It’s important to mix it up.
Is it a good workout?
Yes! Even when I take a 20 minute ride, I am so sweaty after class. I’ve always thought cycling was a great workout and that definitely holds true with the Peloton.
That being said, I think it’s really important to vary your workouts, so I wouldn’t suggest cycling as your only workout. And this is why the Peloton app is really great. They have every type of class beyond just cycling, including strength, yoga, running, etc.
If you’re looking at the Peloton instructors and assume they have their incredibly fit and toned bodies from only cycling, you are probably wrong. I don’t know them personally so I can’t say for certain, but it’s important to do strength work in addition to cardio and I assume the instructors do that as well.
After riding I’ll do a quick 10-minute arms toning class right on the bike or on days I don’t ride I’ll do a strength or yoga class (via the Peloton app or other online workout options).
Who are your favorite instructors and types of classes?
I still need to try more instructors but I always find myself wanting to take class with Cody, Robin, Emma, and Ally. They are my go-to people and I am always pretty confident I’ll enjoy the class. I’ve taken a few classes with other instructors and some lack the same energy, but overall I haven’t taken a bad class.
I will always opt for a pop music ride and also love the theme classes (like the Lady Gaga or The Greatest Showman rides). You can also take rock, EDM, house, etc themed rides, which I probably never will (just not my taste!).
As for class format, at first my favorites were 45 or 30 minute classes that mixed cycling with arm work (like intervals & arms), but now my preference tends to be a 30 minute cycle followed by 10 minutes of arms toning.
Does your husband use it? And is there a height limit on it?
My husband does use the bike and that was part of how I justified the cost. He doesn’t use it nearly as much as me (he’s not as into working out in general), but he’ll use it 1-2x a week. He likes it but isn’t obsessed like me, but he’ll ride it! I don’t think the bike is worth it for someone to use 1-2x a week, but combined with how much I use it (4-ish times a week, that’s worth it! I looked up the bike heights and it seems that it accommodates riders 4’11-6’4.
I have a Peloton and struggle to keep up with the numbers they say to hit, do you recommend trying to match cadence or resistance?
So if you have a bike, you know that there are two main target numbers instructors will give during class. One is resistance (how light or heavy the road feels), and cadence (your speed, or how fast or slow you are moving). Instructors will reference these numbers throughout class and your own numbers will be shown on the screen. I absolutely love this for accountability and for pushing myself. If you’re taking a pre-recorded class, these ranges will actually be shown on the screen and your own number under it will change colors depending on if you’re hitting the range (one of my favorite features!).
Ok, so it’s pretty common to not be able to hit the numbers they guide you with. It depends on the class but some are REALLY hard and I find myself asking, how is it possible anyone is hitting this!? I will note that in the short few months I’ve had the bike, I can more often stay within the given ranges whereas at the beginning I could barely do it. It’s okay if you don’t hit the numbers, think of these more as a guide and not something you MUST hit exactly. It’s up to you, but my recommendation if you can’t hit the numbers is to focus on the cadence number and hit this even if it means not hitting the recommended resistance. This way you’re more closely sticking to the ride in terms of hills and sprints and you’re matching the beat (if it’s a beat based ride). Then as you get stronger over time, you can gradually bring your resistance up while maintaining your cadence.
And now that I’ve answered your questions, I’m also going to share the main reasons that I love the Peloton bike and stand behind my purchase.
6 Reasons I Love the Peloton Bike
1. The cost is actually very good compared with group fitness or gym memberships. While it seems really expensive, compared with most gyms and boutique studios, the cost is comparable and overtime could save you money. I mentioned that I’ve never really paid for gym memberships, but if you are paying, I think the cost is actually pretty good in comparison. Most people say a $2,000 bike is insane. And it kind of is. But if you compare it to people who pay $30+ for every 45 minute workout they do, I think that’s more insane.
2. There is no commute time. When I could walk to a gym a couple of blocks away, commute time wasn’t an issue. The time it takes driving to the gym (even though it’s a short drive) really does add up and makes a quick workout session a much bigger time commitment. My gym is 1.5 miles away but even that drive adds about 30 minutes to my total workout time.
3. I can do it during nap time. If you’ve got a baby napping, you can’t just head out for a jog or to the gym. But you can hop on the bike. I do most of my workouts during Millie’s naps or before she wakes up in the morning. If there is any market that Peloton is made for, it’s the mom market.
4. Even short classes are impactful. I would never drive to the gym to do a 20 minute workout. The effort doesn’t seem worth it. If I have 20 minutes free and I hop on the bike, it’s a a great workout.
5. The classes are great. After teaching for so many years, I am very particular and picky about my cycling classes. I’ve been to a lot of studios and have attended many cycling classes that were not for me. Peloton is just my style. While the rides do vary by instructor, I’ve found that the bulk of them focus on metrics and is more similar to outdoor cycling than a dance party on a bike (I know a lot of people love that dance-y style but it is just not my preference!). The classes are fun, the music is usually really good, and the workouts are challenging and make you work.
6. It fits in my living room. While not a tiny piece of equipment, I think the Peloton is a really sleek and streamlined bike and I don’t mind that it’s in the corner of my living room!
I’m not trying to sell anyone on a Peloton, but if you were on the fence or looking for more information, I hope you found this post helpful. If there are any other questions, drop them below. And if you have a Peloton, I’d love to hear your thoughts on it! Do you love it? And also share your username below and we can “ride together” Mine is shapinup 🙂
