General Peloton

[Edd]

I’ve been using a Peloton for a couple of months and shocked by how much I like it. Combined with drinking Ka’chava shakes for occasional meal replacement I’ve dropped 8 pounds. I’m legit skinny; haven’t weighed this much in many years.

The bike is in the common gym in the building I live in so I was fortunate not to have to pay for it. A friend put me on her account so that’s luckily free too. I don’t think I would have coughed up the $ since I’ve never been into cycling. However, now that I’ve tried it I’d easily pay if the need arises.

Anyone else using this?

 

[Joe]

I have one. I was going to get the tread until they recalled it.

 

[DT]

We use the Peloton App, with a non-Peloton bike, it's a nice Sunny (lots of adjustments, massive flywheel, tablet stand), with an Apple Watch and Wahoo cadence sensors, we get good workout feedback, and we use the app in another room via an AppleTV for other workouts (their yoga programs are really outstanding).

 

[Edd]

We use the Peloton App, with a non-Peloton bike, it's a nice Sunny (lots of adjustments, massive flywheel, tablet stand), with an Apple Watch and Wahoo cadence sensors, we get good workout feedback, and we use the app in another room via an AppleTV for other workouts (their yoga programs are really outstanding).

Yeah, I also use the Peloton app on Apple TV for non-bike stuff. Digging the HIIT workouts. It’s been good enough to make up for cancelling Apple Fitness+ but I think I may have to subscribe again. They supposedly have new workouts for snow sports so I have to see what that’s about.

 

[fooferdoggie]

can't imagine sitting there in one place riding a bike. the road is right out there and a bike and you can actually go places for realzies

 

[tobefirst]

Seemingly everyone who has one of these loves them. I can't afford the bike or the subscription, otherwise I would probably have one, too. I know I can get a cheaper bike and use the iOS app, but I imagine the integration isn't quite the same.

 

[Edd]

can't imagine sitting there in one place riding a bike. the road is right out there and a bike and you can actually go places for realzies

So, I think the value is in how easy it is to get a good workout with a good trainer where the bike and trainer come from the same place. Large selection of trainers and there are several that I like. And the weather is irrelevant.

Another critical thing is that the workout is very music forward. It sounds good and the trainers often comment on the songs. The cadence of your workout is often timed to the beat. So they’ll say “The sweet spot for this song is 75 cadence”, but you’ll have a range of perhaps 70 to 80. The screen holds you to account for your cadence and resistance. The numbers grey out if you’re not in the proper range. Very motivating to me.

 

[Joe]

can't imagine sitting there in one place riding a bike. the road is right out there and a bike and you can actually go places for realzies

It allows you to get in a quick workout without leaving the house. I would guess most people that buy these bikes aren't hardcore cyclist, but just people looking to get in a workout when they can.

Plus, Houston isn't a very bike friendly city. People who choose to bike outside in this city are brave AF in my opinion.

I have a peloton and I like it. Sometimes I squeeze in a workout at 930pm at night.

 

[Yoused]

can't imagine sitting there in one place riding a bike. the road is right out there and a bike and you can actually go places for realzies

I can't afford the bike

You cannot afford my road bike. 14 years ago it cost me significantly more than a max-specced M1 iMac, and it is not even high-end, or carbon fiber or any of that. Not even electric. In fact, it even weighs over thirty pounds. But it is well worth it. Best ride I have ever had.

 

[fooferdoggie]

It allows you to get in a quick workout without leaving the house. I would guess most people that buy these bikes aren't hardcore cyclist, but just people looking to get in a workout when they can.

Plus, Houston isn't a very bike friendly city. People who choose to bike outside in this city are brave AF in my opinion.

I have a peloton and I like it. Sometimes I squeeze in a workout at 930pm at night.

you don't have a hard time getting to sleep? I had to give up riding the tandem late in the evening as I could not get to sleep.

 

[DT]

Seemingly everyone who has one of these loves them. I can't afford the bike or the subscription, otherwise I would probably have one, too. I know I can get a cheaper bike and use the iOS app, but I imagine the integration isn't quite the same.

For us, it's terrific using an iPad and our non-Peloton bike , and we could've bought one. I mean, at the end of the day, it's just a workout, the Peloton bikes aren't even calibrated that well, it's not like it's a super precise instrument. Using our existing iPadPro and Apple Watches we already had made so much more sense vs. a tablet that's just for / and permanently stuck on the bike.

At the time we gave it serious consideration, it just seemed like such a commitment for something that just does one thing, and recurring fee is much cheaper at $12.95/month (vs. $39).

Plus, I use a couple of other apps with the bike, like Zwift, Explore the World, it's super flexible that way, and the heart rate / cadence all works great (with Watch and Wahoo sensors).

I'd say a huge part of the "Peloton Experience" is the social angle, the shoutouts, and neither of us really cared - and for that matter, Wife does live rides all the time with friends who have a Peloton, and the experience seems pretty seamless (sometimes they'll even fire up Facetime during the ride).

Don't get me wrong, Peloton works as expected right out of the box, and our solution took a few different products, assumes some existing hardware (like an iPad) and isn't quite the full Peloton experience (if you're into it), but we traded that for less cost, more flexibility, and being able to source whatever cycle we wanted.

YMMW.

 

[Joe]

you don't have a hard time getting to sleep? I had to give up riding the tandem late in the evening as I could not get to sleep.

No, I am a night owl. I'm usually up until midnight, 1am, or 2am lol

 

[Joe]

you don't have a hard time getting to sleep? I had to give up riding the tandem late in the evening as I could not get to sleep.

Also, I have a friend in California who would always do those workout challenges against me on the Apple Watch. She was hard to beat. She would always get mad because I would sometimes ride my peloton at 11pm trying to get my max 600 points for that day before midnight LMAO - I told her I have to make sure I get my 600 points before midnight because you have a 2 hour advantage on me if you see I didn't get enough points with the time difference lol

I'm very competitive. I would ride my bike for an hour or so some days just to get that 600 points. And like I said, sometimes at 11pm. I would be dead on those days.

 

[fooferdoggie]

No, I am a night owl. I'm usually up until midnight, 1am, or 2am lol

my wife too but life gets in the way of that.

 

[thekev]

You cannot afford my road bike. 14 years ago it cost me significantly more than a max-specced M1 iMac, and it is not even high-end, or carbon fiber or any of that. Not even electric. In fact, it even weighs over thirty pounds. But it is well worth it. Best ride I have ever had.

Bikes have gotten really expensive, but I'm wondering, how did it get that expensive for a non-racing model? You wouldn't have expensive suspension parts, since it's a road bike. I guess it could have fenders, nice wheels, mechanical disc brakes, etc. I know it's not specced for racing due to the weight.

 

[fooferdoggie]

I dont know if they are any more my daughter got a track road bike for 600.00 so you can go from 200 on up. my e bike is 3500

 

[thekev]

I dont know if they are any more my daughter got a track road bike for 600.00

Was this either a very old bike or one purchased prior to covid?

 

[Yoused]

Bikes have gotten really expensive, but I'm wondering, how did it get that expensive for a non-racing model? You wouldn't have expensive suspension parts, since it's a road bike. I guess it could have fenders, nice wheels, mechanical disc brakes, etc. I know it's not specced for racing due to the weight.

For starters, it has a Rohloff 14-speed planetary hub, which, at the time, added over a thousand dollars to the base price. The Magura hydraulic brakes did not add that much, but it does indeed have basic suspension front and rear, because it would seriously suck without it. It is a very high quality German bike that started, at the time, at over $2K US.

Spoiler: it looks like this

(but without the fenders)

 

[Edd]

LOL! Reminds me of Apple bragging about a mute button on the Apple TV.