My husband and I got a Peloton bike in January 2020, and after five years, we still LOVE it. (So much that we bought a second one for our mountain condo.) It was a game-changer when gyms shut down during the pandemic, and it’s remained a staple in my workout routine ever since, including working out during both of my pregnancies.
In this post, I’m sharing why it’s been worth it, the real cost, and my favorite instructors and classes—plus how I fit it into my weekly workouts.
Before we bought the Peloton bike, I used the Peloton app on my iPhone for three months. And before we had the bike, I just propped my phone up on the stationary spin bike at my gym, opened the Peloton Digital App, popped in my AirPods and took classes that way (sometimes live, but usually just a replay). I really enjoyed the classes – they flew by and left me in a sweaty, happy mess. I also started doing their core and stretching classes and loved them too.
Then, at Christmas, we went to Pinehurst with my in-laws, and the gym in their neighborhood had two Peloton bikes, so that’s where I tried out the actual Peloton bike for the first time. I LOVED it and I made my husband go take a class on the other bike at the same time with me the next day. He loved it, too. (I knew he would.)
We used the bikes again for a few days, and on our way back home, we chatted and decided that we’d give each other the Peloton bike as an early Valentine’s Day gift.
Fast forward five years, and I still use the bike weekly. Sometimes I use it 2- 3 times a week and other times just once a week, but rarely a week goes by where I don’t use it. My husband doesn’t use it as often, but during the winter months, he uses it a few times per month.
So the bottom line is, we’re happy we have it! Here’s why.
If you’re unfamiliar with Peloton, it’s an online workout class subscription. They first started with a stationary bike only but have expanded into floor workouts (like yoga, strength training, and boot camp) and even have a treadmill. They’re most known for incredible cycling classes but are quickly gaining popularity for all types of workouts.
We purchased the bike directly from Peloton for $1445, and we added a 39-month service plan (in case anything broke). Our total was $2225.
On top of that, we got two pairs of shoes ($125 each), a mat for the bike to go on ($59 at the time, now it’s $75), and 3 lb weights that fit into a rack built onto the bike ($25).
The subtotal for all of that was $2559.
The home delivery fee was $250 (but you don’t have any other option for delivery or shipping). Again, this was from Peloton directly.
I had a referral code from a friend for $100 that went toward the shoes, mat, and weights.
Our tax was $182.86. (Each state’s tax will vary.)
So, our grand total was $2891.86.
Then, after you get your bike, there is a $39 monthly charge, kind of like a gym membership fee, to access all the classes.
Not. Cheap.
For us, absolutely. But this is hard for me to answer for anyone else because what’s worth it for us may not be the same factors that make it worth it for you. Here’s why it’s worth it for us:
We both work a lot. While my schedule is more flexible than my husband’s (I work from home – see my home office essentials here), if I drove to the gym, got all my stuff in the locker room, and then drove home, that’s an extra 20-30 minutes tacked onto my workout time. (Never mind how often I get interrupted by people at the gym who want to chit-chat; it’s such a pet peeve.) With young kids and working full-time, that time adds up.
My husband used to do CrossFit, but his work schedule made it hard to get to a class at a set time. He loves that he can hop on the bike anytime and get a great workout.
I never expected or thought about this when we bought the bike, but I oddly find joy in wearing my slippers to the bike and then putting them back on afterward. It feels so luxurious!
I have NEVER liked working out at home. If I go to the gym, I can definitely take myself through a killer workout, no problem. But I struggle with motivation at home to work hard. With the Peloton bike (or app), having someone tell me what to do helps a LOT with a home workout.
I don’t care about this as much, but my husband loves the leaderboards, badges, and interactions with other riders. He likes seeing where he ranks in a live class or against anyone who has taken the class at any time. He likes the badges you can get, e.g., 25 rides, 50 rides, riding with a friend, first XYZ type of class, etc. And he likes comparing his output to previous classes. I guess he likes that aspect of Peloton the same way I like all of that in Strava (explained here)! And yes, the Peloton does sync with Strava!
Unlike gym memberships, where you have to pay per person, with the Peloton bike, your monthly subscription allows you to add others as you like as long as they have an existing Peloton account. Your membership comes with free access to the app, too.
I’ve found the Peloton bike is much more stable than the regular spin bikes I was using at the gym. I also think the pedal stroke is smoother. My husband agrees that the Peloton bike is much more comfortable to ride than other bikes he’s used (he did CycleBar for a year), and he said, “It feels very high quality.” Since I’m using it multiple times a week, I like the ease and more immersive experience of having the built-in screen vs. propping my iPhone or iPad up somewhere. It also has a nice, sleek design…as far as workout equipment in a home goes!
If you use a regular spin bike and the app, you don’t get the output numbers or know if you’re matching what the instructors tell you to do. When I used the app only, I definitely got a feel for how much resistance to add on the bike at the gym, but I never quite knew if I was matching what the instructors were saying. And since I’m a data person, I like seeing my numbers and comparing my progress.
When we bought our bike, they only had one option. Now, they have two bike options: the Peloton and the Peloton+. The biggest difference is that the screen on the Peloton+ turns so you can do floor workouts more easily. I honestly wish mine did that, but the Plus wasn’t an option when I bought mine. The Peloton+ bike also has better sound, a bigger screen and is supposedly more stable. But it costs a bit more.
Peloton also has a treadmill – the Peloton Tread – that I’ve heard GREAT things about.
I actually like this better. Even though I haven’t taught in about 8 years, I’ve taken a few RPM classes in the last year at my gym and while I liked them, I didn’t like them enough to go regularly. And RPM is always the same structure. Yes, there’s variety in each class with different songs and exact choreography, but it’s the same seven-track structure in every class. I like the wide variety of types of classes with the Peloton.
I also like that Peloton never has you go above 120 RPM vs. RPM has you doing a much higher cadence at times.
No. At least, not as far as I can tell. You could certainly get on the bike and ride and adjust the tension, but you won’t be able to see any stats like your resistance level, RPMs, or output.
Yes.
Think through if you’ll use the bike regularly. If you primarily want to do other types of workouts (bootcamp, HIIT, yoga, strength), I would stick to the app only and then just put your phone on a bike at the gym for the times you do want to cycle.
I like Olivia Amato best overall – her personality is fun and her classes are VERY hard. I also really like Ally Love and sometimes Robin Arzon, but I have to be in the mood for Robin since she’s a bit more crass. Ally is so sweet, but sometimes her classes are so hard I get discouraged because I’m like, “There is no way I can hit these numbers.” That’s probably why I should keep taking them!
I like Hannah Marie Corbin’s and Cody Rigsby’s classes for a more low-key ride. They’re still challenging, but they don’t DESTROY me like Olivia or Robin. Cody does the best arms section of anyone I’ve tried and he’s just HILARIOUS.
I shared more details about my favorite instructors in this post about the best Peloton classes for cycling, strength, running, boot camp, and yoga.
My husband’s favorite is Alex Toussaint. I’ve taken a few of Kendall Toole’s classes and likes her too.
For class types, I like Pop Rides, Interval & Arms, and HIIT ride. The Low Impact rides have been great while I’m recovering from an injury – don’t let “Low Impact” trick you into thinking it’s not hard!
Not yet. I’ve been using it for 5 years and am still not bored. And that’s impressive because I NEVER liked cycle classes in the past, other than RPM. I didn’t like Cyclebar, I didn’t like Flywheel, you name it, I was meh on cycle ever since I stopped teaching RPM. And even then, I like this MUCH better than RPM, and that’s saying something since I used to teach RPM!
Maybe. When I bought it directly from Peloton, they delivered it, mostly put together. When I bought it from Amazon for our Boone condo, I had to do some assembly.
I am happy we got all the accessories we did!
It’s nice to have the mat to go under the bike to protect our hardwood floors since we both sweat a lot. A regular yoga mat would probably work too, but I knew I would want to use my yoga mat. The three pound weights are great for the intervals and arms classes. I wish they sold five-pound weights, but three pounds really does get heavy with the way they do workouts. If you have other weights, you could certainly use those, but it’s nice that theirs fit on the bike to keep things neat and organized.
And I am REALLY glad we got the Peloton cycle shoes. If you don’t want to clip in, you can buy a shoe cage to attach and then wear regular sneakers, but cycling shoes make such a difference if you’re riding regularly.
Yes, it’s a GREAT supplement to running! It’s a low-impact way to recover from a run, and it’s great cross-training to help improve your running. (Read more about the importance cross-training here.) It’s also been a nice option as I recover from an injury. And, even if running isn’t your primary sport, cycling is a great workout in and of itself. If you want it to be your main workout, it certainly could be. And I know for many people it is.
My favorite Peloton workout gear
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25 responses to “Peloton Bike Review (after owning one for 5 years)”
I ordered my bike this morning and can’t wait to get it. I took notes on your favorite instructors and workouts, thank you for sharing.
yay! I hope you love it!!
Here’s the thing…I live in a city with a Peloton studio. I’ve only been on ClassPass, but their monthly memberships for the gym look PRICEY. And for two people? Yikes! Buying the bike and sharing the membership would pay for itself within 6 months! Congrats and stay healthy!
How much is the gym membership for live classes?? I’m so curious now!
Agree with you that Olivia’s classes are the best! I’ve tried a lot of the instructors and thought they were difficult, but then I took one of Olivia’s classes and realized how wrong I was.
Right??!?! THEY ARE SO INSANE. But she’s so sweet you can’t hate her!
I just bought a bike on Monday and it is set to come next week so this is perfect timing (though I wish I had the accessories code sooner!). I’m a cycle instructor part-time, so I’m also excited for this to help inspire my own classes whenever I can get back to a bike to teach. I kept hoping you would write about the bike so this could not have come at a more perfect time!
Maybe email or call them to see if they’ll honor it retroactively or at least let you apply it to the Peloton apparel store? I hope you love it when you get it!
Update: I received the bike on Monday and have already rode three times. I’m obsessed! I took a class with Cody this morning and you were right: arms were hard and he was SO FUNNY! Thank you!
yay!!!! I am so happy you love it!!!! Cody is seriously so good!!!
FYI – you can ride in ride mode without a membership and get your RPM’s and miles and basic stats. Works just like a regular spin bike.
Oh really?? How do you get past the main login, where you click your Peloton profile photo?
I’ve had mine for over a year and love it. Especially now! Feel free to add me #AlyssaRidesTX
The app is free for 3 months right now too!
My favorite classes are power zone! (I should really branch out and do more variety but I just love them!) Denis Morton is my fav instructor and I’m a big fan of his music! Thanks for sharing your review!
I’ve been intrigued by the Power Zone classes. I have to do some baseline class first, right?? That’s why I haven’t done them since I thought I read that somewhere and was confused. I need to try Dennis again – he looks like this guy I can’t stand which is why I never take his classes hahahaha
Hahahah I hate when that happens! They do have a class that helps you establish a baseline but I don’t think it’s necessary at least to start (I never even took one ha!). The class is based off perceived exertion on a scale from 1-6 which is associated with an output number. I would say give a class a shot and see if you like it and then if you feel like you want to take the baseline class later you can!
Awesome! That’s so helpful – thank you!!!
For cycling only, unlimited, it’s $205 a month! More if you want the strength classes and such! Is that bad? For somebody who just uses ClassPass for crosstraining and runs for free…seems high! Downtown Chicago, though
https://studiothree.com/buy/
That seems SUPER expensive to me!! Way more than our CrossFit gym but granted, we’re a much smaller city!!!
Ok I am so close to pulling the trigger on this! I want one so badly.
I seriously love – even more than I thought I would!!!
I am using the app right now while in stay at home mandate. I have a rented spin bike from a local gym and the peloton app has been a godsend! Been talking about a bike with my boyfriend and this article was super helpful. I will have to try Olivia – but my favorite do far was Matt Wilpers.
Glad this was helpful! And that’s awesome you were able to rent a spin bike!!! I haven’t tried Matt’s classes – now I’ll have to!!
[…] the bank and will elevate your workout experience since we can’t use gyms right now. Tommy and I bought ourselves a Peloton this past January and have LOVED it, but that was a huge purchase that took considerable thought. […]