My thoughts on the Peloton bike. Product review.

As of the last year or so my training at the gym has felt quite lackluster. I didn’t want to shell out a ton of cash for a trainer. I know how and what to do there. Running is off the table and I had added yoga back in. I wouldn’t say I hated it but I would say I’ve become quite complacent.

The last few months I mentioned to Bill that I may want the Mirror or something that would allow me to workout from home. Now, with that being said, we do have a full gym in our home. Elliptical, TRX, weights, Bowflex, Bosu etc. I just wasn’t engaged. What was I missing?

So a few weeks ago my iPhone died. I was off on the weekend and we headed to King of Prussia for lunch and decided to stop at Apple and pick up a new phone. While traipsing through the mall, we found ourselves in the Peloton store talking to a lovely woman. We got all the info and left. We would think about it. They are running a 30 day trial. If you love it- you keep it. If you hate it- they come and get it no questions asked.

Bill had mentioned to me earlier in that week that he spoke to a woman wearing a Peloton shirt at work. She raved about it! So after eating, walking, talking… we headed back to the store and bought one. The eariest delivery was on that Thursday, 5 days later. I was excited and fearful… I’m not a cyclist. In fact, I hated it.

The days leading up to the delivery were filled with the logistics. Where are we putting this thing? I didn’t want it in our basement where our gym is…. the guest room? Sure but if we wanted to take a yoga class or strength – there wasn’t enough floor space. Sydney’s room is huge and she isn’t there so that would work. That was our decision. Plus she has a tv in her room we could use to connect the app for bootcamp/yoga classes etc.

The delivery was fast and smooth. The bike is just under 200 lbs. We put a mat underneath that Bill already had from when he did his bike in the trainer. The mat merely protects the floor from the sweat and is very necessary. The only other must haves are cycling shoes to clip in with ($125 from Peloton) or Bill was using his road cycling shoes. The mat. And small hand weights. We bought ours at Target. They recommend 1, 2 or 3lbs. I know this seems too light but trust me, it is more than enough.

When signing up they ask if anyone referred you. Bill used the lady from work. When you do, the referring party and YOU both get $100 credit! Bonus. This can be used on equipment, apparel etc. My user is runner4 if you wish to use me as a referral. I used the $100 towards my shoes.

Q & A’s

I asked followers of my Instagram for questions that they have about the Peloton. Let’d dig in…

If I have a road bike/trainer, is it worth the digital membership? From what I understand its good but not the same without the bike itself. The app has so many workouts from running, cycling, yoga, HIIT, outdoor (audio run), strength, meditation, stretching, bootcamp, walking and cardio.

What types of workouts come with the bike/subscription and cost? The general categories are listed above. The cycling classes run from beginner, intermediate to advanced, metrics-based, cardio and strength… literally so many live and pre-recorded classes. Bike cost $2499 or you can do 0% financing for the life of the loan. The monthly $39.

Do you really feel that riding with heavy resistance doesn’t bulk up your legs? This was one of my fears. But after 2 weeks my legs have gotten stronger but smaller. I think lifting heavy at the gym bulked them up where now they’ve slimmed down in just 2 weeks. I’m sure if you do a lot of climbing it can add bulk but I haven’t had that issue.

What’s involved in getting started? Sign up. The bike arrives. You create a user with the delivery guys/they connect WiFi etc. Then you select your class and ride.

How much guidance do the instructors give? First they make recommendations on cadence and resistance (many classes show the range on the screen. These instructors are beyond motivating! I haven’t finished a class yet that I’m not soaked and completely fatigued.

Can people follow each other? My user is runner4 and you can follow people you know. You can see when they’re in a class you’re considering.

How do you do floor exercise classes? If you have a smart tv you can connect it through the app and use the tv to view the instructor etc. If you don’t, you can use the app on an iPhone, laptop or iPad. Some simple, short classes I use the bike tv and set my mat up right next to the bike so I can see it.

Its really remarkable to see my progress in such a short amount of time. My cadence and resistance has grown. I’ve exceeded 110 miles. The classes vary in time and work great with my crazy work schedule. From 5 min classes to 45 – I’ve loved stacking them. The strength classes alone are great and combined with cycling are exceptionally challenging.

You can pick a class by music genre, ability, cycling/weights, by instructor… so many choices.

I’m far from testing out all of the classes but I also know that holiday gift giving and delivery, if you choose to buy one, is quickly approaching. My honest review is that I’m leaving the gym and embracing this bike/classes and everything digital with Peloton. It has humbled and exhilarated me equally. It has been truly amazing.

And finally, some days you just wish to ride through Italy or France… yep, you can do that too! I am barely scratching the surface on what this bike (and they also have a treadmill) can do. If I missed any questions that you have… please leave me a comment and I’ll try to answer it as best as I can.

*This product review has not been sponsored. We purchased this bike outright.

— Knead to Cook