Peloton - worth it?

@JonHammisMyJamm

Sounds like that works for you. But setting up the app with various monitors is still not the same experience as having the full peloton set up. I think there's a misconception that the app is what peloton users see on their integrated screen. It really isnt. I use the app on my TV and phone for non bike classes and it is very different. That's why the app subscription and bike subscription are different.

Even with full output monitors on your bike, without the integrated package there is no live interaction with the class, leaderboard, community, or power zone classes.

That might be totally fine for you, but spending twice is more expensive than spending once so people should really think about what they want out of it.

Thanks - good to know

I have heavy gym equipment (spin bike, treadmill and heavy concept 2 rower) upstairs, @westr. The only one that isn’t ideal is the treadmill. We are having an outbuilding built in the new year to house all of the gym equipment but certainly the bike and rower are fine.

Can I just ask where people have put their peloton or other spin bike? I'm thinking spare room but maybe it is too heavy to get up the stairs. Thanks

@Ramblingwords, my bike has an electronic widget for cadence and whatnot. DH bought a separate iPad holder for ours as it didn’t come with a factory fitted one. We also have a smart TV in the room, so can do spin classes on there.

I have a good quality spin bike. It was half the price of a Peloton bike and is really sturdy and quiet to use (as I imagine a Peloton is). As PP have said, you can do the app subscription without buying their bike, so I’d do that. It’s better value.

This thread has been so informative. Thank you.
My dad has ordered a Pelton, it's due mid December and I'd like to ask if anyone can suggest any Peleton related Christmas gifts that I could get him to go with it? Thank you

Thank you @EmmaStone. Still undecided - went out on my real bike today!

@KathG I've checked my bike, it's a Life Fitness one. 😀

Right, I'm going to completely copy you and do the same! As I can no longer do a HIIT class at the gym once a week and play tennis a couple of times, the Peloton is going to be ridden hard.

@PatienceVirtue

I think there's balance to be had...this is what i try to do:

Have a basic goal of regularly exercising as the minimum - for me that's 4-5 times a week.

Enjoy myself -for me, that's picking most rides on the basis of music

Progress - for me that's aiming for a PR every so often, once a week or once a fortnight. Doing a power zone ride once a week.

Getting feedback -repeating the FTP test to update my zones every 6-8 weeks.

In that order of priority!

@Aspergallus - you've explained that so much better than either Peloton or my husband. I'm sold. I'm going to have a go starting today. I think after seven months of the bike (we got it the week before lockdown), I'm probably getting a bit stale and this could be exactly what I need to push myself a bit.

I sometimes find one of the Peloton's great strengths - the abundance of metrics and the way it encourages you to notch up more of an output - can also be a weakness. I get hung up on trying to get a PR to the detriment of pushing myself into sprints or doing an arms and intervals class or groove etc.

[quote KathG]@EmmaStone can I ask which spin bike you have? Thx[/quote]
@KathG I'm so sorry, I've no idea, DH bought it secondhand from eBay. I can't see any obvious branding on it, but next time I'm on it, I'll have a proper look.

@PatienceVirtue I should add that you can simply use the power zone test to measure your progress, if nothing else.

@PatienceVirtue

The power zone program explains it all step by step. I guess it essentially prevents you stagnating or sitting at a plateau.

The zones (1-7) equate to levels of effort from free wheeling (1) to active recovery on a flat road (2) to your easy tempo ride (3, it's like a long comfortable jog you could do all day) working up to more anaerobic efforts (beyond your max aerobic effort, so strength based) at 6 and 7.

The first time you do the test, it finishes up giving you a little rainbow widget on your screen so you can always tell which zone you are working at in whatever ride you are in.

Over time you'll realise, particularly if you repeat rides, that what once took a zone 4 effort, now only feels like zone 2 at the same resistance and cadence etc...so by keeping an eye on your zones you push yourself to progress. You can repeat the test as often as you like to keep updating your zones.

Effectively it's like having a personal trainer pushing you to make your own individual gains rather than just following an instruction to, for example, push 90 cadence at distance 40. That might be my zone 4 and someone elses zone 2. (If we both worked out at our own zone 4, we'd be working as hard but not necessarily doing the same thing).

I wasnt sure it was for me as I'm not much of an athlete...but I was curious enough to do the program which incorporates all the instructions and the test...and i just had to click yes to add the zone indicator to the screen after my test. I went with it, and wouldn't be without it. For me, its a huge part of what makes the monthly cost worth it -its actually a fantastically cheap personal trainer.

You can use your zones to make progress in any rides you like, but there are also power zone rides specifically targeted at making progress.

Hope that helps!

@Aspergallus I don't really get the power zone thingie. Is it worth doing the test etc? What's the point of it?

I've done a fair few rides, coming up for a hundred, and I'm always v sweaty by the end of them and not sure what doing the power zone would bring to it.

Thanks

@EmmaStone can I ask which spin bike you have? Thx

I think it depends on so many factors. I've got the app. We already had a spin bike (and a treadmill), so weren't really interested in the equipment. Our bike has RPM (which seems to reflect cadence), and resistance which although not the same as Peloton, I can make it work (so 5 points on the Peloton is 1 point on my spin bike). I can only guess at replicating total output , but as long as I'm working hard, it seems to work for me! I can see that I'm not getting the full experience, but I don't feel I'm missing out too much either. The main draw for me is on demand workouts with good instructors. If all I did was Peloton, and my family were using it too, I could definitely justify the cost, but it's just me, I also pay for a yoga membership and see a PT fortnightly (as well as outdoor running and walking), so it just doesn't make financial sense for me.

thanks both - I looked into one of the showrooms today at the peleton, it does look amazing!

@KathG

I agree with the above poster.

I initially went for a cheaper bike. A few months later I realised my mistake and bought a peloton.

If you have the money, go for it.

@KathG

I don’t want to make you feel bad, but if you can cancel your order and go for the Peloton (and you can afford it) I really would consider it...

Everyone I know who has done it with a non peloton bike has upgraded. So there’s the spending twice factor.

I have a peloton, my sister has a non peloton bike with the peloton app on a smart tv...the issues that come up when we talk about it:

She doesn’t have all the metric information -speed, resistance, power output. She’s basically watching a video on the app without any interaction with it -can’t see her stats, where she is on the leaderboard (which is useful even if you only want to try and beat yourself from the last time you took a ride).

To have all this info, she has to set up a whole bunch of extra equipment, whereas I just get on my bike and start, it’s all set up for me.

The app is a basic catalogue of rides -it is not the same as the full peloton experience with the touchscreen on the bike. The touchscreen with the bike is not just bringing the app to the bike, it’s completely different which is why the subscription with the bike is more than the app subscription. I have programs and challenges to follow, collections of music/themes to select from. So, for her to follow a specific program, I have to look it up for her and tell her the rides she should take.

After getting used to the bike, most people opt for the power zone program. On the bike this means following a program, taking a fitness test and getting a new output monitor on your display to give you zones to work at....you can retake the test every so often, to adjust your zones and check your progress. You don’t get the full experience of this with the app, because you aren’t interacting with it -there are lots of get arounds, but much more hassle than just having it all integrated.

There is a peloton app users Facebook page which is worth looking at or lurking on to get a sense of how people are working around not having the peloton bike, what matters, what doesn’t. I lurked there a bit first and decided that I’d go for the full experience.

Hi Thanks tor the detailed response. I opted for an apex.. but now having second thoughts ?

Yes. Got mine about a month ago.

They’re phenomenal. Well worth the money (if you have the money).

If you’re getting one, I can give you my referral code. £100 off for you, and a £100 voucher for me!