We recently bought a Peloton and are asked often how we like it. The simple answer is that we love it!
We use either the bike, the app, or both everyday. Neither of us had ever been in a spin class prior to buying, so we were a little wary of whether or not we’d enjoy it. Here’s the thing – as with any fitness plan or gym membership – it only works if you want it to and are willing to put in the work. We’ll get into more specifics below, and we’re hoping this may help steer you one way or another if you happened to be on the fence about buying a Peloton bike.
I asked you gals last month to give me your top Peloton questions, so we are answering them here! If you have a question that is not covered here, please reach out!
Cost – Is it worth it?
Let’s get the most asked question dealt with right out of the gate! “Is it worth it” is up to each individual, but for us it absolutely has been. The cost of the bike is no joke – it’s $2,200 (before any accessories), but you have options to pay over time if you’d prefer not to make a big payment up front.
You also need the app for this to all work together – which comes with the bike and costs $39/month for unlimited access. You can try the app separately for free for 30 days if you’d like to check it out before buying anything – which I highly recommend as the classes off the bike, via the app are fantastic. You can also keep the app (without the bike) for $12.99/month.
So – questions we asked ourselves to justify the cost:
- Is this something we both will use?
- How often?
- What were we spending in monthly gym memberships?
- How valuable is the convenience of having this in our home? Especially during weather that makes it more challenging to get out and get to the gym? Also a workout that can be done with one of us home alone and Eloise playing in the same room.
- Are you willing to pay up for ‘coached’ workouts?
There were a few other considerations, but you get the point. At the end of the day, we decided to take the plunge and are so happy we did!
Favorite Instructors/Classes
We talk regularly about how cool it is to have different options as far as instructors go. They each have different personalities, some have specific classes/styles, and you have the ability to choose from a ton of on demand content if you find someone you work well with. I really enjoy riding with Leanne, Ally Love or Cody. Generally 30 minute rides and the workouts that include the arm workout portion are my favorite rides. Bryan really enjoy Ben’s classes. He doesn’t miss his live rides on Monday and Wednesday mornings. There are so many fun instructors so I try to mix it up several times a week just to try something new – keeps it fresh/fun!
Do you need padded shorts/pants?
We didn’t, but our tailbones both hurt like crazy the first week. If you’re concerned about that, I’d recommend a padded short/pant. We both rode with a folded towel on the seat for about 2 days of the first week – no issues since then.
Do you need the weights, mat and shoes?
We bought ‘just the bike’ to start – and regretted it. We wanted to try the bike and see if we enjoyed it before spending any more money. You need the shoes – they clip into the pedals (clearly we had no idea what we were doing as far as spin). You ‘pull’ the pedals just as much as you push. If you aren’t clipped in, you’re essentially getting half a workout and your feet will fly off the pedals if you lose focus. You can buy clips/shoes from Amazon that are Peloton compatible and have good reviews and are slightly cheaper. We bought directly from the Peloton site and have had no issues.
We also ended up buying 3 pound weights from Peloton. There are tons of rides available that have arm workout portions. If you don’t have weights, you’re missing out on these rides. You do have the ability to sort/search rides with or without weights if you want to avoid this issue.
Mat – you also really need a mat unless you do not sweat or have a floor that you don’t mind drenched in a puddle of sweat. We bought one from Amazon. The bike is also heavy (about 130 pounds plus rider weight) so if you don’t have a mat it’s going to leave some pretty big indentions in your carpet.
In retrospect, we both agree the easier (yes, slightly more expensive) way to do this is to spend a bit more up front and get the full package with the bike.
Are the classes/app (outside of the bike) good/worth it?
Yes! The app is amazing! You can take classes in cycling, strength, yoga, cardio, meditation, running, walking, bootcamp, stretching, and more. All of this is on demand whenever you want. I do just as many workouts off the bike as on and really enjoy them.
How to adjust the bike for two riders?
The only adjustment that we have to make between rides is the height of the seat. It takes a few seconds and you’re ready to go. If there is a big discrepancy in size between two users, there may be further adjustments necessary (IE distance back from the handle bars). Either way, it’s manageable in my opinion.
Is the bike loud when you ride?
No – the bike itself makes almost no noise. That said, the playlists are super fun and sometimes you just have to crank up the volume to get through a tough workout. You do have the option to connect headphones (wired or bluetooth – make sure you confirm compatibility) if you’re concerned about loud music.
Are bike shorts necessary for Peloton?
No – as mentioned earlier, if you want to start with a padded short that might not be a bad idea, but it’s not necessary. One of my favorite parts of working out with Peloton is that I can wear anything I want. I’ve even road in my pjs before!
Bike setup/install?
We ordered the bike during quarantine, so it came fully assembled and was placed in our garage. Bryan and I managed to get it down a flight of stairs to the basement. From there, plug in and connect was simple.
Any pain?
You will feel this the first couple of weeks for sure. It is a tough workout, but there are tons of classes specifically for beginners to get you started. We had some tailbone pain the first week or so, but haven’t had any issues since (other than some sore muscles from challenging workouts).
What’s your favorite part of the bike?
I really likes fun playlists and instructors that make the workouts enjoyable and challenging. I also really like the intervals & arms rides that break up 30 minutes of cycling with a few breaks of just arm workouts.
Bryan really likes the feeling of having a ‘coach’ that’s pushing him through a workout. He workouts way harder when he has someone encouraging him – comes from many years of being a swimmer. He’s also really into the numbers. You will set PR’s (based on output, which is a combination of your resistance and cadence) in each duration of workout and these are visible as you ride. For example, let’s say you set a PR in a 20 minute ride of 300 – the next time you take a 20 minute ride it will show you your PR, whether or not you are on pace to set a new one, or if you are exceeding it – talk about motivation! There is also a leaderboard (if you want it) to see how you’re stacking up against everyone who has ever taken that specific ride, or those who are currently on the same ride.
Tapping on a user name via the leaderboard sends out a virtual high five. In the middle of a really tough ride, it’s amazing how inspiring it can be to get a handful of people sending you a “keep going” high five! Pretty cool.
Overall a good investment?
For us – yes. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed it so far and the progress has been clear. We both feel better, stronger, leaner and look forward to our daily workouts. A Peloton might not be for everyone, but we are very glad we made the investment.
I hope this was helpful for you all if you are trying to make the big purchase decision to buy a Peloton bike. We sure are glad we took the plunge!
