Every time that I post something about my Peloton bike on Instagram I get an influx of questions – “is it worth the money” “is it as good as everyone says” “do I really like it?” Well yes, yes it is and yes I do! So I thought I’d give the blog a little love and write a post about my Peloton which is arguably my best purchase of 2021!
I really do love my Peloton bike and it has fundamentally changed my approach to exercise and as a result my fitness levels and the enjoyment I get from exercising. It helps me make time for me and my fitness and far more frequently than I would otherwise manage.
The 5 things that stand out for me compared to any other exercise that I have done before:
- Easy – it is right there, ready to go, all the time. No need to find a slot between rain storms to go for a run (or to blame the rain for not being able to go out). No need to find the time to drive to and from the gym, or to go out for a particular fitness class. There are no excuses – with Peloton, all you need is the time to get onto the bike (or any of their app classes) and (if need be) have a shower afterwards.
- Motivational – the instructors are excellent and there is such choice that there is somebody for everyone. Alongside the instructors, the music choices are fantastic, the high fiving between riders is fun and the shout outs at milestones are cute. The system records weekly and daily streaks of training and I find that I’m always ‘racing’ my personal bests and the other riders which is all up on screen!
- Fast – 15 minutes of HIIT or Tabata is enough, the class lengths are designed to make exercising fit into a busy day and for that I will be eternally grateful. I always thought I needed to run for over 30 minutes or do an hour in the gym to do enough (to be fair I probably do if I’m left to manage my own effort levels). But hitting the numbers in a HIIT class helps me work hard in even snatched bits of time.
- Choice – so this week I’ve taken up barre and I’m hooked! The class list is endless. There are live classes and the on demand back catalogue of every previous class. There is always a new class to do and lengths are from 5 minutes to 60. And that’s just the spinning. There’s also road running, meditation, yoga, dance, aerobics, pilates… Basically every fitness discipline you can think of, and all excellent quality.
- Addictive – in the right way. I get bored easily and start with great intentions that tail away pretty quickly. Not with Peloton, it’s always sitting there reminding me on a slow day that my day will be better with a quick spin. I’ve had 4 weeks off in November and December due to pneumonia and covid and I was actually excited after each illness to get back on the bike and start my fitness recovery!
The bike
I bought the original bike with an accessories package including bike mat, weights, shoes, heart rate monitor and head phones. It’s a big sturdy bike and whilst it is elegant, it does take up a bit more space than the type of spinning bike you see in the gym. It is really simple to set up: seat height, seat position and handle height, then plug it in, connect it to your WIFI and you are away! The bike has the standard knob under the handle bars to adjust the resistance, there’s storage for water bottles and the weights slot in behind the seat.
I’m really impressed with the quality and sturdiness and the handles are comfortable to hold and high quality. The screen is big, it doesn’t move on the original bike, and the sound output is pretty good with or without headphones.
The cost
The original bike entry price is £1,350, with a monthly £35 fee for membership and use of the online classes. I bought the bike works package which is currently £1,595 for the bike and £41/month membership. It felt like a lot of money at the time (paid for by the pennies I’ve not been spending on commuting), but my husband and I use the bike or take another class almost every day – much like our fancy coffee machine, it’s paying for itself time and again.
I personally don’t think that you need the Bike+, the price difference of the bike itself is high for the notable differences – movable screen and resistance buttons rather than a knob. Everyone that buys a bike gets a £100 discount code to share with a friend which gives the friend (and them) a discount on their purchase. Make sure you find one, and let me know if you want mine!
The brand
I’ll be honest, I hadn’t really heard of Peloton before I decided I needed to do something about my fitness in spring 2021 after the 3rd lockdown (the winter one when biscuits were eaten and wine was drunk). I wish that I’d known and bought one in March 2020. There are other bike and home exercise options out there which are cheaper, but I’m really into this brand. Everything is really high quality – the bike, the instructors, the studios, accessories, clothing. It’s a bit of a lifestyle choice and one that I get.
When you hit the 100 mile ride milestone, you join the century club and Peloton send you a century club t-shirt, simple stuff done well nails the customer experience! Some of their instructors have been with them from the early days and that says a lot about the company too!
The app
You could spend more time scrolling through the app choosing classes and finding new disciplines than you could spend watching Instagram stories. It is an absolute treasure trove! I have it on my phone and choose a class in advance by bookmarking it. There’s classes for strength, yoga, cardio, meditation, running (for the Peloton tread), outdoor, cycling, stretch, walking… And sub categories in there – e.g. in strength you will find full body, upper, lower, core, arms, running strength, bands, barre, pilates and pre/postnatal. To date I’ve been focussed on my cycling and really enjoy this – sometimes I join a live class but more often than not I’ll use an on demand class of the right type and length for how I’m feeling that day. If you want to join a live class then the schedule is up on the app so that you can plan ahead and get it in your diary. On demand classes can be book-marked so that you can find them easily. I use the app on our iPad Pro to do non-bike classes.
Bike classes
The beginner classes introduce you to the concept of resistance and cadence and how to get the most out of your rides. Then there’s low impact classes which are saddle based and I’ve found particularly useful for recovery – actually right now for me, from pneumonia and covid! Classes like hill climbs, tabata, HIIT type classes for real effort. It’s these classes that I find most valuable – it really is possible to do your daily workout in 15-20 minutes and then go on with the rest of your day feeling good for the effort made. Warm up and cool down rides are also found aplenty. There are also countless different music rides so that you can work out to your favourite tunes! The classes always start with a pre-warm up explanation of the key resistance and cadence concepts followed with a warm up which is typically 1-3 minutes.
During each ride there is a short warm up and the instructor will explain the different efforts (pushes) that will make up the class and how many of them there are. Once you are into the ride they’ll tell you at each mode change what cadence and resistance brackets they want you to ride in. When you do an on-demand class, the ranges will be shown on the screen to help you remember your targets. Across the top of the screen you can see how long there is to go in your class which is great for pacing yourselves.
Down the right hand side of the screen you can see who you are riding with so that you can race them, as well as your own personal best time – I always race myself! Down the left hand side is where high fives come through from other riders, as well as the current music being shown. You can actually like the music, link it to Spotify and then you have a playlist of your favourite riding tunes too! At the bottom of the screen is where you can see the effort – resistance, cadence, output – as well as where your effort is in your personal power zones which can be set in the bike if you do an FTP test ride.
Accessories
I’m always a cynic when it comes to the added extras, but if you are starting from scratch they are worth getting. The mat is essential to protect your floor, prevent any wobble and collect the sweat! The shoes if you don’t already have SPDs are key and my Peloton shoes are better quality than a pair that Mr P bought himself separately. The weights if you don’t already have then are useful – they sit behind the seat and there are a selection of bike classes that use them too. Heat rate monitor and headphones less key, but they’re in the bundles.
Once you’ve started you’ll also be drawn into Peloton Apparel, especially as the instructors are always wearing it. I’d recommend watching out for their sales – I’ve grabbed some great value tops and bras. I definitely find that vest tops and shorts are sufficient – I get so hot and sweaty that sleeves and trousers make me unbearably hot!
Tips
- Start with on demand and get familiar with your bike, your fitness and the different ways to push your effort.
- Schedule time in your diary, I put an hour in every day in advance and it really helps make me hold that time sacred for me!
- Do an FTP test and establish where your fitness is and where your power zones are. This will help you get the most from your rides.
- Try all the instructors and find your favourites. I absolutely love classes with Leanne Hainsby, Emma Lovewell, Olivia Amato, Jenn Sherman and Ben Alldis.
- Be brave and try new disciplines, the bike clearly works your legs and your general cardiac fitness but the variety of classes and disciplines on the app means your full body will be looked after!
Like what you see? When I bought mine it was a toss up between the bike or joining a local gym. I’m so glad I went with this option, it has completely changed my approach to fitness and I enjoy working out. When the bike arrived my husband eyed it suspiciously – it was lots of money, and it was taking up a lot of space. But he’s hooked too, as much as me! My Peloton has definitely been worth the investment and is something I have and can stick to.
My other best purchase of 2021 was an inflatable hot tub, proving that life is about balance – work hard (at work and at exercise) and relax well too!
