About considering buying a Peloton bike?

[chatenoire]

So I think we can afford it (I'll do some maths in the next hour of so) BUT I've never done spinning. I'm a runner but a) the peloton tread is super expensive b) I do struggle to find the time to go and run 10k
So I'm looking for something I can do in bursts of 10-20 between meetings

My sister has one and it's a v expensive clothes horse. Unless you are really serious about a fitness regime and / or can easily afford it, just get a decent normal treadmill or bike and use one if the hundreds of free or much cheaper workout apps

I love my Peloton. Well worth the money. You can do all sorts of different cycling exercises on them.

If you’re only going to use it in short bursts though maybe get a more conventional exercise bike. It seems like a waste of money to buy something so expensive and only use it minimally.

I've got one and love it. Used it consistently for three years but you need to commit to it not hope motivation will strike. I wouldn't bother jumping on for ten minutes tho. You should do a proper plan like one 30 min ride a week, one 45 min, one 60. Obviously work up to that starting with 3x 20, then 3x 30...

It's fantastic but it's a tool not magic.

Can't you just buy a bike that actually moves you from a to b?
I admit to being completely flummoxed by the whole concept of riding a stationary bike in front of other people and a person telling you to pedal faster
Why is it so impossible to get outside and cycle?

Do it. It's way more than a bike!

Why is it so impossible to get outside and cycle?
Because not everyone live in an area that makes it easy to cycle fast, including hills. Because it's much less dangerous especially when you are only free when it's dark outside. Because going out involves more preparation, cleaning your bike afterwards, maintenance etc... Because it's not dependent on the weather. Because you can do it when you have children at home. So many obvious reasons!

With the way people drive round here and how a lot of the area is incredibly wet due to the rain - I’ll stick to my spin class. In 45 minutes my heart rate is increased, I meet others and listen to good music whilst not worrying about dangerous drivers.
In answer to the OP question - is such an expensive exercise bike really needed?

I wouldn’t bother personally. No experience of them but I joined the gym at work a few months ago to fit running into my daily routine more easily, particularly with the dark mornings and evenings and I hate running on a treadmill. It just isn’t the same as running outdoors, it takes me longer to get the distance and calorie burn than running outside and I have to constantly run at the same pace which isn’t natural. Also hate running on the spot, staring at the same thing for an hour. You can’t beat the real thing.

My sister has one and really uses it a lot.

But she tends to do longer than 20 minute sessions so I don't know how shorter ones work. She's also dripping with sweat when she's done so I'm not sure you could jump back into an online meeting immediately afterwards.
If you just want to pedal for 20 minutes between meetings then just buy a normal exercise bike.

I love mine and it's more than just a bike - I do a lot of strength work and yoga through the app. The range of classes and teachers is great. Lots of FB etc groups to join challenges etc. I was on the fence but have never regretted it!

You could start with a cheap spin bike and just the app, I use that as I can’t afford the bike but would be a good way to see whether you like spin

I love mine. Denis, Robyn and Leanne are my favourite instructors. Here’s my referral
code, should get you a discount x

WX2XX2

I love mine, would definitely recommend it. But you have to be disciplined and committed - motivation is fine, but it fades after a while.

I got mine from their eBay store where they sell refurbished bikes, cheaper than brand new, but come with a 12 month guarantee. I try to use it every day for 20-30 minute rides.

I usually ride first thing on a weekend, or late afternoon during the week. I’ve not yet tried to do one during a WFH day. I’m usually dripping with sweat and it takes me a good two hours to return to a normal colour 😂

Yeah cycling family here. We do get on the proper bikes but it’s a lot of hassle getting the bike and your gear on and this time of year you end up very wet and muddy. Also it’s dark which doesn’t make it terribly safe, where we are anyway. If we had beautifully lit segregated cycle routes it would be much better, but we don’t.
its actually quite difficult to get a proper serious workout with a bike round here. Lots of traffic and traffic lights etc

I'm fine for discipline. As mentioned I'm used to marathon training + 40mins 5x a week of strength training.

BUT I don't like running in the dark/rain/wind and what something that will motivate me to do something every day.

I considered one. That was as far as it got.

Peloton is dreadful. Get a proper bike and an indoor trainer such as the Zwift Hub One or Garmin Tacx. Set up with Zwift (£12.99/month) and cycle the world. Great fun and highly addictive.

The cheapest way to get the bike is to do it through cycle to work, use the savings and buy the Hub One or Tacx. Then you have a bike for outdoor use as well as indoor use. Unlike the Peloton, it is multifunctional and not overly expensive once the initial outlay is paid.

Sorry x post!

Personally, i d buy a new Smart Trainer like a wahoo or Zwift, a 2nd hand bike to go on it, both come with one year free subscription to the training app Zwift.

Then when the weather is better, you can take the bike off the trainer and ride outside?

If you get bored and its not for you, theses things are easy to sell on.

I wouldn't get one as Jurgen Klopp advertises them and he is a nobhead <helpful>

My FIL has a bike on a turbo trainer and exercises every day via wahoo / Zwift and finds it great, as per PP advice

I love my peloton. Do the power zone challenges, strength stuff, stretching etc etc
Doubled my FTP and went from 10 min classes to 90 mins
It's been the best thing I've ever bought, and no I don't want to cycle outside in the rain and dark taking my life in my hands!

I got mine in the first lockdown and it's been the best thing for me. But I'm not a gym person and not training for anything in particular. I just want to achieve a reasonable fitness level as I get older. I use it loads and love the range of classes. I also use an outdoor bike several times a week on a commute to the office but the exertion level is far, far less than when I'm using the Peloton. The indoor bike is a much better workout.

However, much as I love it and would recommend, with your requirements I wonder whether it's right for you. Why would you not just buy a good quality treadmill? Is it a space issue?

In all honesty, you are a runner . Use the space to put a running machine /treadmill in instead. Save money, train as you would but inside on the treadmill on inclement days.

I have had my peloton for 3 years and I still use it regularly- 3-4 times a week for cycling and almost every day if you count yoga and stretching.
Of course it's not for everyone - for some it will end up as an expensive clothes horse. But for me, this is the only way I've been able to exercise consistently and really increase my fitness. I have young kids so getting outside for a bike ride / run or going to a gym isn't practical or possible a lot of the time, but with peloton I can fit in a ride any time. I tend to do a 30 min ride followed by 20 mins of strength or yoga, but if I only have 20 minutes free then I will just do a 20 min class.
There is no way I'd have the motivation to do this with an ordinary exercise bike - the instructors make the classes fun, plus there's a social aspect to it roo if you join the Facebook groups for favorite instructors. I also like that there are so many classes to choose from, so I can pick something easy if I feel like I can't be bothered, or tough if I'm feeling motivated.
My husband likes cycling on a 'proper' bike. He used to use zwift and a turbo trainer for his indoor training, but now he uses the peloton too, even though he was initially against it!
If you are thinking of getting a peloton I'd recommend getting the app first (I think there is a 30 day free trial of the app) to see if you enjoy the classes and get a feel of what's on offer. It's a lot of money to spend if you aren't going to like it!

On another note (just seen the comments about a treadmill) why not get a regular treadmill and use the peloton app for classes on it? You don't need the peloton treadmill to do the classes, any treadmill will do. You wont be on the leaderboard but that's not really a big deal unless you are super competitive and like to race.

My neighbour had one delivered yesterday in a big branded transit. They were there several hours setting it up, if you don't mind the whole street knowing then go ahead, anythung but discrete. I saw a thread in America and they can't give them away.