Review of Peloton

Review of Peloton Digital and my Peloton Journey

Being someone who is experienced in the world of fitness and nutrition has its advantages and disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is being super picky when it comes to classes and instructors. It can be very difficult for me to find classes that I enjoy taking that make it worth the effort to get out of the house and drive to a gym.

In addition to being high maintenance when it comes to classes (yes I admit it), being a busy working mom also makes it difficult to find the time to drive to a gym. I am a mom of 2 kids, a wife (who’s husband travels a lot for work), a full time physician assistant, and I created and run Refine YOU (an online fitness and nutrition company). I just don’t have a lot of extra time in my schedule to get to a class which can add up to an hour of extra driving, depending on which class I choose to attend.

Enter Peloton.

After trying a few other workout apps, I found out about Peloton Digital. Initially, I really had no idea that you could enjoy on demand and live classes of all types WITHOUT the bike. I ended up purchasing an old rusty spin bike from a local gym and started using the Peloton Digital App with this bike. Even though the bike was not the best, I truly enjoyed all the classes on the App. Being the picky person that I am, I was surprised that I liked most of the instructors and classes I was taking. I liked the fact that there is such a huge variety of class length, music selection, and difficulty levels. Meditation, yoga, strength, boot camp, outdoor running, cycling, stretching, and more. With everything I try, I find something new that I enjoy! In addition to the cycling classes, I enjoy the boot camp (part treadmill and part strength) classes, outdoor running, and strength classes. I even do the meditation in the evenings right before bed. I have found that it improves my sleep.

With the Peoton Digital App, you can first choose your class by type (cycling, running outdoors, treadmill, etc.), then you can filter the classes by length, class type (intervals, rhythm, theme classes, etc.), instructor (you will find your favorites as you take classes), music genre, and you can sort these results (by difficulty level, top rated, trending, etc.). This allows you to find a class you are in the mood for, and will enjoy!

One of the great things about Peloton is that you are a part of a HUGE community! You don’t have to be in the studio to feel like you are a part of the Peloton family. In the Peloton App you can make friends, see them in classes with you and compete with them. On social media, there are group pages, challenges, and similar interest groups you can also be a part of. If you need accountability, there are Peloton Challenges which are set group challenges of taking certain classes to keep you accountable and push your performance.

However, if you do not have the bike or the treadmill, there are some things that you are missing out on. You do not have the connectivity with the bike or treadmill to the class that you are taking. This connectivity allows you to see your pace, resistance, and how hard you are working. The bike and treadmill gives you the leader board. This is what connects you to everyone who is taking the class with you (or who has taken it in the past). You can see where you rank with your effort in comparison to others. This connectivity allows you to compete with others or compete against yourself which keep you focused on your workout, and pushes you to improve.

I tried the Peloton bike for some rides and really enjoyed the bike and the connectivity to the leader board. I found that the bike compared to the Keiser M3i spin bike that I had be using at the gym. It was time.

For my 200th ride and 250th workout with Peloton Digital, I scheduled a time in my local Peloton showroom to take my 200th class on a Peloton bike in the store to celebrate. (You can schedule times to take a class on the treadmill or the bike in a showroom near you to try the actual product before buying) I was greeted in the store with open arms and balloons for my 200th ride and was given chocolate covered strawberries after my ride. What a great experience! To top that off, I purchased my bike that day!

When I tried out the bike with the Peloton shoes I realized that those shoes would not work well with my feet. I ended up purchasing the floor mat and a set of 5 lb hand weights that would fit on the back of the bike with my $100 credit. I used a referral code to get this $100 credit for accessories. Here is the code YEP8HW. You can use this code if you plan on purchasing the bike to get $100 credit in accessories. I can’t wait for the bike to be delivered and to start taking classes on my own bike. I will keep you posted on the delivery process and how it goes after the first few months on my bike!

If you are part of the Peloton Family, feel free to follow me on the app (RefineYOULetzGo)! If you need help with nutrition to get the best bang for your effort with your workouts, check out The Refine YOU Program. We would love to help you reach your health and fitness goals!

Update- 8 months later…

After I ordered my bike I was contacted by a local delivery service that Peloton uses for delivery and set up. We set up delivery about 2 weeks after I ordered the bike. They showed up with the bike mostly assembled and only needed to connect the screen to the bike and ensured that the bike was connected.

I ended up using my old spin shoes and just changing the clip the the Delta Clip needed for the Peloton bike and I was off an running. I have used the Peloton bike for 8 months now and… I LOVE IT! It was definitely worth the investment to get the Peloton bike vs. another off brand nicer bike. Trust me, I was riding on other bikes with no problem with the Peloton App and was afraid that the cost of the bike would not be worth it. The connectivity that the Peloton bike gives you is what makes it worth it. The ability to compete against myself gives me that extra motivation. I honestly don’t look at the leader board all that much other than to connect with people who I am following and taking the class with me. I don’t need to compete with others but some people really find that motivating.

Another surprise is that my husband, who isn’t into working out and said he would never get on the bike, is riding and enjoying classes on the bike as well as the strength classes offered on the App. My daughter also uses the bike and enjoys the scenic rides. You can have multiple users on one Peloton bike.

Since I initially wrote this, I have completed over 500 rides with Peloton. Peloton has also opened up a new studio in NYC and is now offering connectivity with televisions and the Apple watch. They have also added dance cardio classes and family classes so the whole family can get involved.

Update: The new Bike+

I am 1k rides in on the origional Peloton bike which has now decreased in price and they have added the Bike+. I will not be upgrading at this time to the Bike+, nor do I forsee an upgrade. The features offered on the Bike+ are not desireable to me at the present time. The Bike+ offers an upgraded sound system, I use my headphones at all times. The Bike+ offers Apple Watch connectivity, I just look at my watch, I don’t need to see my heart rate on the screen. The Bike+ offers automatic resistance adjustments (the bike adjusts resistance on it’s own according to the instruction in the class), I tend to ride heavier than what is recommended so this would not be beneficial. The Bike+ offers the swivel for the screen, I use my TV or phone for strength classes and you can stream the class on a TV as well. That being said, if I was a first time buyer of the Peloton bike, I would probably buy the Bike+.

I couldn’t be happier with my Peloton bike purchase and the whole family is now enjoying classes on the bike and using the App. If you cannot afford the bike at this time, I would recommend just using the awesome Peloton App and all it has to offer. I also started a Facebook Community Page… Peloton Food Fitness and Fitspiration. Feel free to join us for recipes, food hacks, inspiration, and fitness tips.