I recently wrote an article about my love for the Peloton bike.
I bought the bike after an injury forced me to abandon the kind of exercise I was doing. But, I will be honest, when I saw the price tag I balked...at first.
It's not cheap at all. For me it was worth it though. More than worth it. I can say confidently since buying my bike I am in better shape than I was before I had three children in less than four years.
Health and fitness are worth it to me. I have not done any kind of exercise as an adult which I found as motivating, and was consistent with, to see these kinds of results.
Is the Peloton worth it?
The appeal of the Peloton bike for me was the classes. The Peloton has 21" screen which allows you to live stream classes and access thousands of on demand classes. I love classes.
Truth - I probably would not hop on a spin bike sitting in my house without the fun and motivation of group classes. But, I also love group classes in person.
So, is it worth it when the classes are on a screen and you are not actually at the studio? For me, yes. The Peloton community is unique in the fitness world. We make friends, we participate in a Facebook group and sub groups, we form tribes.
I believe this makes it even more social than actually showing up in a studio and this is extremely motivating.
After three years of having my bike I can also say I am not bored of it yet at all, and I have made many in real life friends through the bike.
The Peloton app and membership also give you access to all of the strength, yoga, running, mediation and classes they offer. So not only are you paying to cycle each month but getting tons of other content. This makes it more than worth it for me.
How does the cost compare?
An average gym cost is anywhere between $40 and $50 a month or more and according to this article up to $800 a year including initiation fee.
I know in the area I live, it is much more though.
An average spin class cost can be between $15-$25 per class and Soul Cycle classes can cost up to $39 per class.
Factor in additional costs of gas to and from, and time loss spent commuting to and from the location where you are exercising.
Of course we can go outside and exercise too. I used to believe it was a waste to spend money on gyms and classes when I could just go outside and jog or walk. But, yeah that did not get me in shape like this and when bad weather hits it gets harder.
Now that I have three children my time is money, and there is nothing like being able to hop on a high energy spin class and be done with an amazing workout within an hour.
Here is the Peloton cost breakdown:
Bike $1995.
Monthly class subscription $39 a month.
$250 Delivery fee.
Accessories are optional but you will need shoes, a mat, and probably want additional items so factor about $200.
They do have sales on accessories around black Friday and throughout the holidays so keep this in mind if you can wait.
If you take an average of 200 classes a year (and this is conservative, many riders take a lot more) the cost for your first year averages about $15 a class.
And of course you own this bike now so the cost goes down each year of ownership. I see myself using my bike for years.
If you need a cheaper option, or would to try before you buy, you can download the Peloton app and use it with any spin bike or just check out the other content.
The Peloton app is free for 30 days so it's a great way to check it all out without a commitment.
After that the Peloton app costs $12.99 a month. It's available on many streaming devices now too.
Conclusion
Yes it's worth it! I am biased, I love my bike, but I was looking for this same information back when I bought my bike and now Peloton has changed my life.
That's not an exaggeration. After three babies in less than four years I was desperate to get back in shape and lose some baby weight. I still have a ways to go but this has been a huge help.
Plus, it's tons of fun and I have made many new Peloton friends.
Please let me know if you have any questions at all. And, if you do decide to use the bike please use my referral code and we both get $100 off of accessories.
Code - DKDH9K
Peloton Products at Amazon
Peloton now sells many of my favorite products on Amazon, including the Peloton bike and the new and improved heart rate monitor!
Peloton Guide | Strength Training Device with Built-In Camera Technology, Movement Tracker, and Handheld Remote with Voice Activation
Peloton Heart Rate Band | Arm Band with Rechargeable Battery, Sweatproof Design, and Bluetooth® Compatibility - Small
Peloton Light Weights | Set of Two Sweat-Proof Weights with Nonslip Grip, Designed to Fit in the Back of Peloton Bike and Bike+ - 3 lb
Peloton Altos Cycling Shoes for Bike and Bike+ with Single Hook and Loop Strap and Delta-Compatible Bike Cleats
Peloton Bike Mat | 72” x 36” with 4 mm Thickness, Compatible with Peloton Bike or Bike+
Christina
Sunday 17th of June 2018
Hello,
I found your review super helpful. How much space does the bike need, and how noisy is it? I live in an apartment...
Also is there more than one model? If so which do you prefer and why?
Thank you,
jenbrenan
Sunday 17th of June 2018
Hi, it is not noisy at all, super quiet except for the classes themselves and you can use headphones. I looked up the dimensions of the bike mat, it is 36" x 72" and the bike fits perfectly on it so I would say that is the amount of space needed. There is only one model.
John
Friday 29th of September 2017
Did you consider the Peloton hack where you use the Peloton app on a less expensive bike? There are a couple of blogs out there that explain what to do and I am curious.
http://sippingandshopping.org/my-peloton-bike-alternative/ http://www.mypursestrings.com/peloton-app/
Thanks!
jenbrenan
Thursday 5th of October 2017
Hi, sorry for the delay on responding...I did consider that hack and researched many bikes before getting the Peloton. If you look at my original Peloton review I think I discuss it. After researching I decided to go for it with the Peloton. To get as nice of a bike it would cost similar for the bike alone and with the Peloton cycle you get the large screen and the metrics (heart rate, cadence, resistance, leaderboard, calories) on the screen live during the ride. I knew for me those would be crucial to getting me to work out. I definitely feel I made the right choice but if cost is a factor the app with another bike can work well too. I hope that helps!