fredlord

I’m sure it’s good for fitness, but:
1. Does it muck up the good pedaling action you’ve developed over years of riding standard bikes?
2. Can the "distances" you ride on it be registered on Strava?
3. Can you do Zwift on it? Is it a hassle-free experience?

unterhausen

You can set up the position however you want, but I suppose the handlebars could be a challenge. My brother thinks he is having problems due to the peloton saddle, and I figure that's probably true for most everyone.

As far as your other questions, they are mostly answered in this dcrainmaker article. Doesn't sound particularly hassle-free to set up.
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/06/...eks-guide.html


Strava says how to link your peloton account: https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/...ton-and-Strava

Ed Wiser

Better off buying a smart bike instead of a peloton bike. I have a Kickr bike and use Rouvy to ride real roads and gps.

unterhausen

The thing about a peloton bike is that there may be less resistance from the rest of the household to buying a peloton. Maybe we'll all have one if they have a clearance sale.

Ed Wiser

Had one and bought the Kickr bike more fun and better to keep in shape for outdoor riding

Shotgumwillie

Bought one used at the start of this Ontario winter, as my wife wanted to get into it! Overall, I think it's fine. I use it less for the classes and more like I would a trainer while watching sports.

1. No. I didn't really find any sort of tough transition between the two. I think it did keep my legs in good enough shape during the winter months, so the transition back outside once clear of the polar vortex was easier. I was also riding outside in the winter on a beater, so tough to say.

2. Yes, you can sync this activity to strava.

3. Unsure. i feel as though this might be a 'no' though.

id probably prefer a wahoo kickr, but as a solution to keep the family happy, this has been good!

Pacelineg

You might want to read this;
https://247wallst.com/consumer-produ...ton-is-broken/

Last line reads....
"Eventually, Peloton, the company, will go away. People and companies with used equipment will be all that is left."

fredlord

That’s a very informative link, thanks.

The whole “classes” thing leaves me cold. I’ve already got a KickR with a bike permanently set up on it but I’m spending a lot of time at my girlfriend’s place nowadays and I’m looking for an alternative to KickR that may eventually get her into proper cycling. She’s currently quite sedentary, but not fat, unlike a lot of the people who are apparently breaking Peloton saddles

fredlord

I just discovered that you can’t coast on a Peloton, so I’m not interested.

himespau 

The whole having a recall on 2.2 million devices (even if it just means sending out a new seatpost) has to hurt.

unterhausen

Will the laundry that's hanging off the saddle catch fire? Asking for 1 1/2 million people

mattcalifornia

I like the Peloton and find that it has helped by outdoor riding. If I were the only one in the house using it, I might get a KICKR instead, but I'm not sure. I found that I actually like the classes a lot. They are fun and get you to add more variety to your training. Also, I use the Peloton weight, yoga, Pilates and other classes, too. The riding position is not an exact replica of my road bike, but I don't mind it and don't think it hinders my riding. I also think the fact that you can't coast is an advantage. I'm not trying to replicate outdoor riding. I'm trying to get the maximum effective workout in the minimum amount of time. I've had mine for 4 years now (my wife bought it for me for my birthday one year), and I've become a fan. Synching with Strava is automatic. There are side-hacks for using Rouvy and Zwift, I think, but if that's what you want to do, you should just get a smart trainer instead.

PeteHski

There's a lot of negativity toward Peloton in the cycling world, but DC Rainmaker actually gave it a good review, especially the plus version. So it's good to hear about the pros for a change. I actually have a Kickr Bike, which is obviously more suited to Zwift, Rouvy etc. But I certainly wouldn't turn my nose up at using a Peloton.

fredlord

I've tried a Peleton and I've changed my mind. It feels fine. I've also discovered that I can use it effectively and enjoyably without doing the expensive subscription thing. Win win.

Atlas Shrugged

I ended up with both in my house. The Kickr bike is for me and is infinitely more complex than the Peloton.

My wife and daughters use the peloton frequently and it’s used probably every day. Easy to adjust and numerous users on the same account makes it unbeatable. Plus the other app features such as stretching, strength and meditation are great.

The Kickr bike is perfect for me but much more complex for disinterested users. For Zwift, start companion app, open app in Apple TV, Turn on Tv, sound bar, pair devices ext. Plus one account per user is a bummer.

PeteHski

If you are not going to use a Peloton subscription then why not just buy a normal spin bike with a simple console? I would have thought the whole value of the Peloton is in the subscription service, not the fairly average spin bike.

fredlord

Is the Peloton that “average” when compared to other spin bikes? Keep in mind that it has been discounted (bike 1) in Australia by $600.

PeteHski

I don't believe the hardware is anything special. I expect you would find a better deal elsewhere for the same quality spin bike. What sets Peloton apart is the complete package with subscription service. Without that it's just an average spin bike.

mattcalifornia

This is true. The bike is nothing special. It's the classes and the subscription that differentiate it from less expensive bikes of equal quality. However, I suppose there are 2 advantages of buying the Peloton bike without the subscription: (1) you have the option of changing your mind and adding the subscription later; and (2) you can side-load different apps and use the screen for Rouvy or watching Netflix, etc.

JayC

I dont really get to ride outside a lot anymore but I have been pretty active on my Peloton.

Getting the fit right took a lot of trial and error and the saddle isnt great but my wife likes it so Ive left it on there.

I ride my Peloton usually 4 times a week and have been pretty consistent this year. I dont mind not being able to coast and I think the workouts on the Peloton are pretty intense if you push to your own limit instead of taking the ranges they give you.

msu2001la

Old thread, but I'll add my $0.02.

There's been a Peloton in my house for 3 years. It gets used frequently by others in my household (there's currently a 122 week streak going...) - I've tried it a few times and it's good for what it is (shorter spin classes), but there are a few reasons why I prefer Zwift:

1. I can ride my own bike on Zwift. I can't seem to adjust the Peloton to match my road bike riding position. The adjustments on the Peloton are limited to saddle (height and fore/aft) and handlebar height. That's it. There is no way to adjust the reach, so the riding position is very upright for anyone over 5'-6". This means I'm not doing longer rides on it.

2. Almost all of the spin classes are short and interval focused. Most are 30-45 minutes, which I think is part of Peloton's formula. There are some "endurance" classes but they kind of suck (see #1). The whole spin class experience starts to fall apart once you get much beyond 45 minutes, but this is especially true when you're not in a room with others. Zwift is great for longer rides where the grade changes and scenery/route changes keep things interesting. You can tackle a big climb or hang with a fast group on a long ride and feel a sense of accomplishment.

3. The "group riding" experience on Peloton kind of sucks, IMO. There's a leaderboard and you can compare your stats to others, and you've got amped up instructors trying their best to motivate you, but there's not a cooperative "we're all doing this together" feeling like there is with Zwift group rides. With Peloton, even if you are doing classes "live", it still feels very much like a solo experience.

One thing I love about Peloton that doesn't get mentioned much is all the non-cycling workouts that you have access to. I frequently do the Peloton yoga and bodyweight strength classes at home using the Peloton app. They're pretty solid - again not quite as good as in-person classes, but more convenient than going to a gym at a scheduled time.

msu2001la

Wall street has been predicting the demise of Peloton for a few years now. I wouldn't invest in their stock, but from a user perspective I'm not that concerned about it. There's a chance they just shut down the app and subscription services and walk away, leaving millions of subscribers with dead equipment, but a more likely scenario would be another company buying them and continuing to provide content. The subscriber base is pretty huge - something like 3-5 million active subscriptions.

Correct- Peloton is a fixed gear spin bike. This is pretty typical for spin bikes.

blacknbluebikes 

Their treadmill eats babies. They say they fixed it, but the treadmill still says, "Feed me, Seymour."

PeteHski

They also predicted the demise of Tesla and Apple stock back in the day, so I don't take much notice of what they say. I'm not saying I would invest in Peloton stock, but I wouldn't try to predict the future with any confidence either. It still seems like relatively early days for fitness bikes with connected tech. It's only a few short years ago since we only had the wall or TV to stare at while using a trainer.

mattcalifornia

I haven't taken a deep dive into Peloton's financial issues, but I'm having a hard time understanding why it wouldn't be a complete gold mine. The cost of creating content should be minimal. The subscriptions should be all profit, and every new subscription goes right to the bottom line because there are no marginal costs associated with adding new subscribers. What am I missing?