Should You Buy A Peloton?
Almost a year into this pandemic and by now you have probably baked one too many banana breads and muted yourself on zoom more often than not. The most popular pandemic purchases range everywhere from matching sweat suits and puppy dogs to the infamous Peloton. Almost every week I get asked about whether the investment is worth is. As a Peloton owner for the past two years now, I decided to write this post to share my unsponsored mini review in case you are looking to purchase one as this pandemic continues.
What To Know Before You Buy
In full transparency, I NEVER loved cycling. I have always been a weights kind of girl. However, I was given a free trial of the bike through a local PR agency and it did take me some time to get into a routine. When my trial was over and it was time to return my bike. it was around that time that I discovered all that Peloton has to offer (and what it doesn’t). Keep reading to learn why I decided to pay full price to keep the bike and I have to say, I am happy I did.
The Real Deal
If you are someone who has struggled with home workouts, this might be your saving grace. Although most people know the Peloton for its cycling classes, there is actually a whole lot more. Becoming a member of the community also gives you access to strength workouts, meditation sessions, yoga classes, running routines and treadmill bootcamps! There is a lot of variety and every day you can take a different class with a different instructor, all while selecting the music you love and the length of time you want to sweat.
The cost of all this is probably the toughest pill to swallow. It’s roughly $3k Canadian after you’ve added in the delivery, shoes, weights, bike mat (highly recommend) and ear phones followed by approximately $50 Canadian each month for the membership. Note that you can opt for a more digestible payment plan if paying it all up front isn’t feasible. Because let’s be honest, it’s a hefty price tag. However, for someone who had previously been spending $25-$30 a class 3-5 classes a week then this might make more financial sense. It’s true that the going rate for on-demand and zoom classes might fall slightly less than $25 per class, but you might be surprised at just how many different on-demand classes you can take on the Peloton app. I have spent some time reviewing various online platforms while we have been in lockdown and I have to say the overall experience with the Peloton app has been pretty incredible. Side note: I do wish they offered more specific strength challenges over the year that can accommodate different goals. With all this said, I think it’s hard to put a price tag on its convenience; having it in my home has been my saving grace because I can literally jump on the bike for a quick 15-minute session.
I should also briefly touch on the quality of the bike - it’s sturdy and appears to be strong enough to last the test of time. There is a limited warranty which covers the bike frame for 5 years and much more in the first year. The thing I don’t really like is its size does take up quite a bit of space in my small city home! FYI: it’s located in my bedroom right beside my bed because it couldn’t fit anywhere else! Not the best situation, but I’m dealing with it.
Competition and Community
Did you know that you can subscribe to the app alone for $10-$15 without the bike? For some, this might be a good place to start. I would definitely recommend doing this to see how you like it before taking the leap. However, remember that it doesn’t give you all the access you might get when its associated to the bike. For example, you may not get access to ALL the metrics, but you can see cadence and heart rate.
One of the cool things about the Peloton is having access to the full leaderboard especially during a live workout. You can see who you’re cycling with at that moment in time and have the ability to give them a virtual high five if you please. If you get the bike and don’t want the monthly membership, then I personally think it’s pointless. You would only be getting the very basic three rides and outside of that, you would just have to cycle to your own beat. No leaderboard either. Essentially, if you get the bike you should also get the membership.
Psst … if you do decide to take the Peloton plunge, the delivery time is around 8 weeks! Be sure to keep an eye out for the Peloton Tread coming next month too!
Classes and Instructors
Every week more and more classes are added. If you miss a live class, you can always catch it on-demand. What’s more, you can find a good variety of classes to meet your needs on any given day. It has worked well for me when Noa is napping and I have a small window. All the instructors are high energy and are super motivating - you are bound to find someone you love. My faves include: Alex Toussaint, Ally Love, Emma Lovewell and Robin Arzon.
WHAT ELSE IS OUT THERE - THE BOTTOM LINE!
Yes, there are other options out there and from speaking with friends, they have been having a good experience on their Bowflex C6 and Varriis, to name a few. I personally haven’t tried them, but I think the most important message here is that you find a routine that works for you and one that you will actually do consistently. In a recent blog post, I shared some other great fitness platforms that offer virtual fitness classes and you can read that here. As we are still in the middle of the pandemic, I think we all need to prioritize our mental health and I believe focusing on our physical health is a big part of that. I hope that this mini review helps clarify any questions you might have, but always feel free to reach out personally if you have any other questions.