Is Buying a Peloton Bike Worth It?
Is buying a Peloton Bike worth it? Read my thoughts in this post!
Between holiday gifting and cyber week discounts, this is a great time of year to think about investing in workout equipment. And what does everyone think of when they think of workout equipment now? That’s right – a Peloton Bike! Truthfully, I resisted getting one for a really long time. I wasn’t sure if I really loved indoor cycling enough to justify the price or if everyone was going to get bored of it within a year. In fact, I even bought a Peloton spin bike alternative during COVID so I could still take their classes and get some cardio in without the price tag. But over time, I started to fall in love with Peloton’s teachers and realized I was ready for an upgrade.
So was buying a Peloton bike worth it?! Well, that’s what this whole post is going to dive into! While I don’t think it’s worth it for everyone (you want to make sure you’ll actually use it!), I do think that it’s an incredible investment for most people. The ride is SO much smoother on the real thing, having real time stats on your screen is super motivating, and it’s really empowering to have a high quality piece of equipment right in your home.
Is Buying A Peloton Bike Worth It?
What Is A Peloton Bike?
The Peloton Bike is a stationary indoor cycling bike with an attached touchscreen tablet that connects to Wi-Fi to stream live classes and on demand Peloton classes. The tablet also shows you a variety of real time stats, including output which you can use to see how you rank against other riders on their leaderboard. You can get the bike with toe cages so you can wear them with regular shoes, but I HIGHLY recommend getting Peloton shoes and clipping in for rides. It makes the experience so much better!
Peloton Bike Benefits
There are a lot of benefits to movement in any way that suits you, but here are a few benefits of the Peloton bike specifically!
Overall Health
This one is pretty obvious, but worth mentioning regardless! Regular movement is KEY for our health and cycling is a great way to help you build strength, gain endurance, and improve your heart health.
Convenience
Convenience is the biggest benefit for me. Before the pandemic, I would have to factor in getting to a spin class, the class itself, and then coming home afterwards into my schedule. Now, whenever I see a quick 30 minute break in my day, I can sneak over to my bike and get a workout in! It helps eliminate the excuse of “having no time” because it’s right in your home and there are always tons of classes to choose from. Even a 15 or 20 minute ride is great if that’s all you have time for!
Motivation
If you are a competitive person, the leaderboard aspect of Peloton classes can be super motivating. Instead of wondering how you stack up against others in the class, you can actually see exactly where you are compared to everyone else in the class. If that stresses you out – don’t worry! You don’t have to pay attention to anyone but yourself. That being said, it will show you your personal record for that type of class while you ride, so you can do your best to try to beat that score before the class ends. So cool!
Community
The Peloton community runs DEEP. Not only can you send a receive high-fives during classes, but there are also TONS of online communities where users connect to talk about classes, create workout plans, and more.
Additional classes
Don’t want to cycle every day? Me neither! Luckily, along with regular cycling classes, you also get access to bike bootcamp classes (my favorite!), their huge category of strength classes, yoga, and more.
How Much Is A Peloton Bike?
Peloton Bike – $1445
I have the Peloton Bike, which is the older model now and I love it. It costs $1445 and comes with a 22″ HD touchscreen that shows you in-workout metrics like heart rate, output, cadence and resistance. You can also pair it with your heart rate monitor or Apple Watch to track and sync metrics from your workouts. The footprint of the bike is 4′ x 2′ which is really compact and works for small spaces. The screen does not rotate, but I purchased this swivel attachment that works great so I can move the screen during bike bootcamp classes or for strength classes on the mat!
Peloton Bike+ – $2495
The Peloton Bike+ is the latest model the touchscreen on this one rotates, so you’ll be able to swivel it over for classes on the mat as soon as you get it. The other big improvement is that the resistance knob automatically adjusts to match the instructor’s recommendation. I didn’t feel like that perk was worth the price difference, but I know many people who love this updated version of the bike!
Peloton Subscriptions
Peloton App Membership – $12.99 per month
When it comes to Peloton subscriptions, you actually don’t need to own one of their bikes to take their classes – in fact, you don’t even need to own a bike at all to access Peloton workouts. For $12.99, you’ll be able to stream all of their classes from their app – ranging from cycling to strength training to pilates to outdoor running and more. You can read my full Peloton App Review to learn more!
All Access Peloton Membership – $44 per month
If you get a Bike, Bike+, Tread, or Row, you will get the All Access Membership. This will give your entire household access to Peloton’s entire library of live and on-demand classes, in-app metrics, and more.
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Is Buying A Peloton Bike Worth It?
I think the answer to is a Peloton Bike worth it or not varies greatly depending on who is asking it. First of all, take a look at your budget. How much do you currently spend on a gym membership, personal trainer, workout classes, etc. Or if you’ve never spent money on that kind of stuff, how much are you willing/able to spend? Second, how much are you going to use the bike?
If you love working out but dread cycling, then maybe it’s NOT worth it. Just get the app for $12.99 for their strength classes and call it a day! But if you’ve been struggling to figure out a way to get more cardio in but you’re busy and not sure how to stay motivated – I HIGHLY recommend getting a Peloton Bike. The convenience of having fitness equipment right in your home is unparalleled. In addition, the stats, leaderboard, and teachers are all extremely encouraging. I’ve personally realized that I love themed classes and playlists with really fun pop music – which Peloton has PLENTY of! Knowing that about myself has made selecting and taking classes so much more fun than dragging myself to a spin class outside of the house.
And lastly, let’s talk cost. I was hesitant to spend so much money on one thing only to also pay a monthly fee – but I’ve been able to justify the cost pretty easily. Since upgrading to the Peloton bike last year, I have taken 220 cycling and strength classes. That’s roughly 18 classes a month, which means each class was roughly $2.44. I mean, do you know any other fitness classes that cheap?!
Even now that I am trying to cycle sync my workouts (meaning less intense workouts in my luteal and menstrual phases), I’m still glad I have it, especially for my follicular and ovulation phases. There are just SO many classes you can take. I can choose a crazy hard 45 minute cycle class, a 15 minute low impact cycle class, or do something completely off the bike like yoga classes if that’s what you’re feeling. So many options!
Do you have a Peloton bike? What do you think of it?
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PS. If you liked Is Buying A Peloton Bike Worth It, you also might like The Best Peloton Theme Classes, Peloton App Review, and Walking Pad Treadmill – Worth It or Not?.
