Two Months On – Is The Peloton Bike Worth It?

Up until about a 12-18 months ago, I’d never really heard of Peloton. Or if I did it was only from pretty well-off influencers who mentioned it on occasion. Sometimes people would ask is the peloton bike worth it, but generally, I didn’t hear many questions about it.

What is Peloton?

Back in 2o12 the team behind Peloton decided to bring together the best talent in technology, hardware, and production to accomplish a pretty ambitious goal. They wanted to bring the community and excitement of boutique fitness into the home. The idea came about after struggling to find workout classes they loved and balancing it between demanding jobs and busy families.

And that’s where Peloton came from. They offer an app where you can get access to all of the live and on-demand classes including cycling, running, yoga, meditation, strength and so much more. But they also offer their own technologically advanced bikes and treads which can connect directly into the heart of everything Peloton. Of course, technology comes with a price, but if you want to know ‘is the peloton bike worth it?’, you’ll need to read on.

How I ended up with a Peloton bike

I’ve always enjoyed spin classes, and before COVID messed things up I’d finally got myself into quite a good routine with working out. While I was still at my old job I’d do classes 3-4 times a week before work and it was great for me. I started to enjoy working out and felt good about myself and the progress I was making. But then lockdown hit and my exercise routine disappeared. When it got to the summertime and I knew things weren’t going to be going back to normal anytime soon I realised I had to look into an alternative as it wasn’t healthy.

For me, the thing that seemed best was a bike so I could get into spin classes again. I thought about ‘is the peloton bike worth it?’ but I decided against investing the money right away. I bought a £200 bike from Amazon and paid for the Peloton app to see what the fuss was about. I loved the classes and really got into a rhythm with the workouts and this carried on for a few months. The main thing I was struggling with was not knowing how hard I was working and whether I was hitting the markers I should have been doing. Plus as a larger person, I didn’t feel like my bike was robust and sturdy enough for me. After a lot of debate, I decided to bite the bullet and get a Peloton bike.

Starting off with Peloton and the bike

Firstly the feel and design of the bike is top-notch. I actually tried one at a local John Lewis store before ordering and it felt so sturdy and well designed. Compared to the bike I had before it was amazing. Each bike comes with slots at the back for weights which you can buy through Peloton or use your own. This makes it super easy to grab out if you’re doing an arms class.

Now the main reason I went for the Peloton in the first place was for the classes. There are thousands of different ones to choose from across different abilities, styles, instructors, and musical tastes. Plus every day there are 10+ different live classes happening which you can ride live, or playback afterward. This means you’ll find someone who fits your workout type. I’m a big fan of Sam Yo, Cody Rigsby and Allie Love. But one thing I love is how important music is. There are rock classes, hip hop classes, country classes and so much more. And there are plenty of artist rides. I did the Bon Jovi one which was great but I also have Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Backstreet Boys, and Britney Spears on my list to do.

If you’re short on time there are super quick 10/15 minute classes. If you’re struggling there are low impact or recovery rides. Or if you want to push yourself there are HIIT, Tabata, and longer rides. Plus it’s not just cycling classes, you can make use of all of the classes. I’m a big fan of the 10-minute arm strengthening classes using weights.

Functions of the Peloton bike

When you have an actual Peloton bike you can tell you cadence (your leg speed), your resistance level, and then your output (a combination of the two). So when the instructors are telling me the areas to aim for I can tell if I’m working hard enough or not. That was something I could not determine on my old bike. And after swapping to the Peloton I realised I certainly hadn’t been working hard enough as it got instantly tougher!

There are loads of ways to build the community such as leaderboards where you get points for your output. So if you’re competitive or doing classes against friends you can use this. But you can high-five people, join groups of Peloton users and build that feeling you get in a real live class which is really nice. I’m part of the Peloton Facebook Group and everyone is so supportive there.

The bike can tell you so much about how you’ve worked, comparing your output score for the ride against previous ones to see if you can beat yourself. There are challenges you can take part in and earn badges. And so much more to make it feel like more than just a cycle or a spin class.

How much is it?

Now one of the most important questions when thinking about is the Peloton bike worth it is how much it costs. To begin with there’s the bike itself. Now I have the basic bike as opposed to the Bike+ which has some additional features like a swivel screen etc. But the standalone bike is £1,750. You can pay it on 0% finance over 12, 24 or 39 months starting at just £45. But this is a quality, long lasting piece of kit that is yours.

Then there’s the actual app itself. If you want just the app without the bike it’s £12 a month, but it jumps to £39 a month if you own the bike/ tread. Personally, I think this is a big jump between the two but you are getting a lot more bang for your buck.

You do get a 30 day home trial where if it’s not for you they will come and collect the bike and refund you anything you’ve paid which is good. Plus you can use the app for free between ordering and your bike arriving to get a feel for it/ the classes.

If you are tempted by a Peloton bike you can use my refer a friend code for £100 off (I also get a voucher to spend). The code is VNXKC6

Is the Peloton bike worth it?

Now the main question ‘Is the Peloton bike worth it?’ In short, my answer is yes!

For a good gym with really good instructors and top equipment, you’d be paying £60+ a month for it. But you’ll also be spending a lot of time getting to and from classes. But having the Peloton bike at home means you can fit it easily (and safely) into your everyday routine.

I genuinely look forward to my classes, and I was never like that. So that alone makes it worthwhile for me. It’s a form of exercise where I can track my progress and push myself over time.

Have you heard of or looked into Peloton before?

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