Why is Peloton so great?
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Anonymous
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I know the concept—spin bike with virtual teachers/rides. I know the app has other workouts.
What about the bike itself is so wonderful that people are waiting months for one and paying such a high price? Not trying to be snarky, just trying to understand. |
Anonymous
| My sister loves hers. She has a rent to own Peloton. |
Anonymous
| I bought one in September in anticipation of the winter. Spinning has never been my thing. I love the dam thing. I'm also an extravert in a household that has chosen to have very limited contact with people outside of our household indoors. I can't say that I would have felt the same way if we were not in the midst of a pandemic, but this thing has come close to being lifesaving to me. I long for the days when I can go back to my trainer and meet my college girlfriends for lunch, but for now, I can get all of the cardio I need to boost my mood during this time, a good solid selection of classes, and I can meet my college friends one day on the bike, my extended family the next day. I can wallow on my couch until 9pm and then say Ef It, I AM going to do a workout today, and put together a high quality series of classes, get 45 mins of spinning, 5 min of abs, and 10 min of stretching in. I've tried yoga and found an instructor that is not too woo woo for me. None of this would have been quite the same if we did not have a pandemic, but I can see it being part of my life as we return to a new normal where I WFH 3 days a week. Oh, can I tell you about the outdoor runs? I could go on and on. |
Anonymous
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I have one and love it.
1) it is legitimately a very nice bike, way way better than any bike I’ve ridden in a spin class which were always usually broken in some way. 2) it’s sitting in my living room, no commute, i I can ride in a bra, no excuses cause it’s just there. No one will see me turn into a tomato or huff and puff or anything at all. 3) classes of a huge variety of lengths and intensities means I can customize workouts super easily. Yesterday I did a class similar to an in person class, with intervals. Today I will probably do a longer (45/hour) endurance class at a lower intensity. Tomorrow maybe I only have 20 minutes so I’ll do a 15 minute HIIT ride and 5 minute core workout. It’s just very versatile in that way so I don’t get bored 4) probably the biggest thing... the gamification really really really worked on me. The constant looking at your stats, seeing how you compare to other people who have taken or are taking the class really drive me to push myself very hard. I’ve had mine three months. I looked at my first 30 minute ride’s output yesterday and it was 211. My 30 minutes ride output yesterday was 317. So I have this tangible thing to look at and if you are competitive it is just very motivating. 5) the classes are fun and I can pick ones that align with my musical taste |
Anonymous
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It’s just so much fun and the instructors are excellent at motivating you.
They also have a range of classes — it’s way more than just spin classes (though there’s a real range of types of spin classes, from music-based ones to climbs, HIIT, etc.) They also have: Strength Stretching Yoga Outdoor running Meditation Cardio (which is mat-based cardio workouts) Then they have special programs focused on things like your core, what they call “bike bootcamps” (which combine a lot of different types of exercises), etc. |
Anonymous
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It takes away all the excuses to exercise and once you're working out, it's really fun. I've started so many workouts reluctantly and then ended up having a really good time and feeling great.
The instructors are very good and they track everything so you can easily see gains in short time. There are so many motivation points... you can race against people in the class, or your friends, or only people your age/gender, or yourself. It's just well thought out. |
Anonymous
| Has anybody bought one and not used it? |
Anonymous
Of course, the facebook marketplace can tell you that. I'm one of the PPs. It is still just a machine, you have to be the one who turns it on and gets on it every day. But for me, I've never stuck with an exercise program as well as I have this. |
Anonymous
| I had wanted a piece of home exercise equipment for 11 years and I just finally got it with the peloton. It’s a nice complement to my running which is my main way to exercise. I like the range of other classes offered in addition to biking as well. YMMV. |
Anonymous
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I gotta ask - is it really the software that is the big seller? And not so much the bike itself (although it seems that is a pretty decent exercise bike).
There are a ton of options out there for an exercise bike, no? BUt paying a premium for Peloton gets you all the fancy bells & whistles of the software for your stats, videos, access to a variety of instructors, and other options, no? A home exercise bike is nothing new. We all agree on the pros of having it in our room/basement/wherever for anytime exercise. So that in itself is nothing novel, but the software capabilities are a new trend and that has become a huge selling point. |
Anonymous
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I’m a convert. I’ve been using the app to do workouts with my non-Peloton treadmill and enjoyed it so much that I ordered a Peloton bike. Couldn’t bring myself to buy another treadmill when mine is relatively new.
Love the content and the gamification is what drew me to buying the bike. I track my mileage but would love to track more metrics. |
Anonymous
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I've had one for a few days.
I am not a spinner and don't really bike. It's more for my husband who uses it for like an hour a day so far. What I find helpful about it is that the classes are varied, good music, and the instructors really do help. I work way harder than I would on my own or on an elliptical. I have also made the commitment to do it every day, and even if that means just a 10 minute class, it is at least something. I feel like I can do *something* even if I'm not up for a full 45-60 minute workout. It is really hard, by the way. I've only done 20 minute classes so far and they are tough!! My husband claims it's because I just am not a biker, but I"m not so sure....I thought I was in pretty good shape but these are really challenging. |
Anonymous
| We bought a cheap bike and I used the app on my phone with it. |
Anonymous
It’s not only the software capabilities. It’s the fact that the bike allows you to track cadence and resistance. My understanding is most exercise bikes have a resistance knob, but there’s no way to precisely measure what your resistance is. During a Peloton spin class, the instructor will give you cadence and resistance instructions. They’ll say something like “we’re going to warm up with a cadence of 80-100 and a resistance of 25-35.” Of course you can deviate from those markers, but it allows there to actually be structure to the class, as opposed to guessing as to where you’re supposed to be. Then the cadence and resistance are combined to form output, which is what tracks you on the leaderboard. More cadence + resistance = more output. A higher output = a higher place on the leaderboard. So while you can use the bike with just the app, you can’t really get the most out of the classes unless you can actually control your cadence and resistance precisely. |
Anonymous
| Another convert who didn't use to spin. It's the instructors, the variety, the community, the feeling it inspires. I know it sounds cultish but it's hard to explain until you get into it. |