If you have a Peloton Bike or the Peloton Tread you may have purchased one of their "works" packages which includes the Peloton heart rate monitor.
I have seen a few people post questions on the internet asking about their Peloton Heart Rate Monitor not working.
When I bought my Peloton bike I got the works package with it which included a bike mat, shoes, heart rate monitor, weights, and headphones.
I do think the package was worth it because I got a special on it at the time (hint, this special comes around black Friday and the holidays).
One piece of the package - the heart rate monitor, is something I previously used with the bike all the time.
I got my bike in early 2017 and back then the Peloton heart rate monitor was the best way for me to monitor my heart rate.
The bike now pairs with the Apple watch so this is how I monitor my heart rate currently.
I will write a seperate post on pairing the Peloton and Apple watch soon.
But the original Peloton heart rate monitor can lose connection sometimes. Back when it was my main monitor I had to troubleshoot it and call support a few times.
If you are trying to get the original Peloton heart rate monitor connected, read on below.
Peloton uses ANT+ or bluetooth to connect heart rate monitors
A little more about ANT+
ANT+ is a wireless protocol for monitoring sensor data such as a person's heart rate or a car's tire pressure. ANT+ is designed and maintained by the ANT+ Alliance which is owned by Garmin. It is based on the ANT protocol.
Source - Wikipedia.
How to use the Peloton heart rate monitor
Make sure you have the heart rate monitor positioned on your body and ready to go.
There is a heart rate monitor connection on the bike.
It is found by joining a class, or by tapping on the time in the top right corner of the touchscreen and choosing "heart rate monitor".
Troubleshooting a Peloton heart rate monitor that stops working
- First check the bluetooth connection to your bike. Even though the Peloton heart rate monitor uses ANT+ to display your heart rate, it still needs to be connected by bluetooth as well.
- This was not intuitive to me and ended up being my problem. Even though they were connected originally, I had an update run and they then became disconnected. So, try connecting bluetooth again as this seems to be the most common issue.
- If your bluetooth connection is still showing but your heart rate monitor is not working, I would still try disconnecting and connecting again to completely rule it out.
- The next obvious item to check is the battery. I replaced my batteries while troubleshooting but they did not end up being my issue. Still, they run out at some point.
- To save battery life unsnap the plastic piece from the band when not riding. When the battery is starting to run out I notice extremely inaccurate heart rate information on the bike so this will give you some idea when it's about to happen.
- The next item to check is the connection on your chest. Knowing how to wear the Peloton heart rate monitor is key. I found as a woman right under my chest was best. Wet the connection pads, this is important, or it won't work. Adjust the monitor around on you till you see it show up connected. The less it moves during a ride the better so I make mine pretty snug.
These are the most common issues I see come up with the Peloton heart rate monitor. If it's still not working for you then it may be faulty and you can call Peloton support. They were ready to send me a new one if I could not get mine working.
Peloton heart rate monitor battery
If you need to check the batteries or replace the battery you can remove it from the back of the heart rate monitor.
The Peloton heart rate monitor uses a 3V Lithium batteries number CR2032.
How to turn the Peloton heart rate monitor on or off
The monitor does not actually turn on and off, but when connected to the strap it is using the battery.
Peloton recommends removing the monitor from the strap when not in use to preserve the battery.
Alternatives to the Peloton Heart Rate Monitor
If you decide you are done with chest straps and would rather have an arm band this one from Schosche has rave reviews and does work with the Peloton bike.
Scosche Rhythm+ Heart Rate Monitor Armband - Optical Heart Rate Armband Monitor with Dual Band Radio ANT+ and Bluetooth Smart
It seems to be one of the most popular heart rate monitors to use with the bike according to the many Peloton groups where I participate.
Wahoo TICKR X Heart Rate Monitor with Memory, Bluetooth/ANT+
This is another popular alternative to the peloton monitor.
My husband has this one for his outdoor cycle and also uses it with the Peloton and loves it.
I have heard Garmin heart rate monitors also work well with the Peloton Bike.
Apple Watch now pairs with the Peloton bike
I will write a new post on how to pair them but it is really easy.
This is what I use now since I always wear my Apple watch anyway.
Please let me know if you have any questions about any of these heart rate monitors.
Vladimir
Wednesday 17th of February 2021
Hi, can you tell me. Can the Peloton Heart rate from 2019 be connected to Garmin Edge devices? This heart rate support ANT+ and Bluetooth. Thanks all :)
Jennifer Brenan
Monday 22nd of February 2021
Hi, I am really not sure. If it has ANT+ and bluetooth I think it should but I have never tried this.
Liz
Monday 11th of January 2021
Has anyone tried to change bands for the Peloton HR monitor? I'm a petite female and the band, at it's tightest (cinched up to the measuring pads), keeps slipping. I would like to find one that comes in a 'small.' It works well for me (bike, tread) when I can get it to stay in place.
Jennifer Brenan
Tuesday 12th of January 2021
Hi, I have not heard of anyone switching out the bands but if you do find one that works let us know!
Leo
Friday 23rd of October 2020
Wondering if anyone has had a slight twist on the "it stopped working" problem. My bike and monitor are less than 30 days old. The monitor worked great right out of the box and I was impressed by how seamless it all was.
However, after about three weeks, a new problem emerged: the monitor is connected (according to the screen on the bike), but for the first several minutes of the ride it is obvious that it is not properly connected as it will display a heart rate in the range of 30 or 40. Then, after several minutes (sometimes as long as 7 minutes) out of nowhere the display on the screen shows a heart rate well over 100. Basically, the signal won't work in the early minutes of the ride, but then suddenly kicks in.
At first I thought maybe it was because the monitor needed to be moistened and perhaps only after I worked up a sweat would it kick in, but that doesn't explain why this problem started after three weeks (it worked from the first minute during the first three weeks). Also, I have tried to dampen the monitor before starting my ride to see if that would help, and it hasn't made a difference.
Has anyone experienced a heartrate monitor not working for several minutes and then suddenly working? If so, have you been able to solve this problem?
Brad
Thursday 28th of January 2021
I too have this issue. The Peloton Heart rate monitor will connect and start as it should but then at random times throughout the ride, it appears that I have died and come back to life. My heart rate will be 130 and then zero and a min later, back to 130 and works the rest of the ride. Peloton replaced my first monitor but the second one continues doing the same thing. I always make sure that the strap is wet before any rides. Any suggestions to stop if from intermittently dropping?
Jennifer Brenan
Tuesday 27th of October 2020
Hi, I do not remember having this particular problem but it does seem like the Peloton heart rate monitor can be a little glitchy. I know others have had experiences like this. I always rewet it when I had issues or paired it again and that usually would take care of any connection problems. It has been awhile though since I have used it so I am not sure if this is a new issue. Hopefully someone else may be able to chime in and help. You might also want to ask on the Peloton official member page on Facebook. There is lots of good advice there. Good luck!
Toth
Thursday 8th of October 2020
I am wondering if the people who are having connection issues are shutting down their bikes (hold power button and then press Shut Down) or putting it to sleep (short click power button, screen turns off). I've been having connection issues since I've just been putting the bike to sleep, and not rebooting it every time. I'm going to try shutdown after every use and report back.
Jennifer Brenan
Friday 9th of October 2020
Hi, it's been awhile since I have used the Peloton heart rate monitor so I don't remember if this helped or not. Let us know! I am currently waiting on the bike+ and will use my Apple watch with it.
Bruce
Saturday 11th of April 2020
Similar questions above. I have a garmin hrm dual. Connected to bike for about 6 months then stopped. Bike can’t find it. I wet the contacts first. I’ve changed the battery. I’ve gone to the Bluetooth section to find it. The hrm is ant+. Is going to the Bluetooth section correct? Bike finds my earbuds.
Jennifer Brenan
Monday 13th of April 2020
Hi,
I have not tried a Garmin with the bike but I do think any of them need to be connected via bluetooth first. I would try rebooting and reconnecting it if possible.