Peloton made the news this week, as it was revealed that our new president starts his day with a pedal on the stationary bike that revolutionized home workouts with its streaming spin classes. Though Biden may love his work out; security experts aren’t so sure. They’re worried that the interactive technology on the bike could make the White House vulnerable to cyber snoops, or worse.
Having a fan in the highest office in the land is a boon for Peloton, which has always had haters and the doubters. Early on some sneered at the expensive bike that allows people to work out in their home versus going to the sweaty gym where they have to mix with…uh…other people. But now, when no one can mix with anyone, it seems like Peloton was on to something (and indeed the stock has been rising lately).
Still, even now, or especially now with the economy in shambles, you have to look at the price tag and ask, is Peloton worth it?
Kicking and Screaming
Well, consider this. Pre-2016 you had to drag me kicking and screaming to a spin class. Why? I needed earplugs and a Xanax to get through cycling because of the loud music and migraine-inducing lights that my 20-something spin instructor favored.
Now, when no one can mix with anyone, it seems like Peloton was on to something all along.
And my husband, Bill? Well, his workout mantra was always “I only run when chased.” That always got a laugh at cocktail parties, but he wasn’t laughing when his doctor ordered him to get more exercise and lose weight if he wanted to avoid diabetes. Nearly every single adult in his family has Type 2 diabetes. It was like his doctor was Darth Vader saying, “Bill, it is your destiny.”
So for a pair of empty nesters who hate the gym yet needed help with their health, what option did we have? Well, a Peloton bike.
Even though the Peloton price—$2,000 plus a monthly $39 membership—gave me pause, we decided it would be our holiday gift to ourselves a couple of years ago. Now, when I think about whether the Peloton is worth it, two years in I can answer a resounding, “Yes.” But before I explain why it’s a yes from me, let’s get you up to speed on exactly what Peloton is and what it can do for you.
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Stream Your Spin Class At Home
Never heard of Peloton? You might have seen their commercials with impossibly fit and sweaty people riding a spin bike at home. Or maybe you’ve seen one of their mall showrooms.
What sets Peloton apart from other bikes is the fact that each comes with a 24-inch monitor—or tablet, as it’s called—mounted in front of the handlebars and that streams live spin classes from the Peloton studios in New York City. You can also do classes On Demand.
You also get a free pair of spin shoes when you buy a Peloton bike. Great, if there is just one of you. But since Bill and I both ride, he took the free pair, and I ended up getting a pair of my own. Because I have wide feet, I bought what are technically mountain biking shoes on Amazon.com. Mountain bike shoes tend to be wider, they were way cheaper than the shoes I saw at my local cycling shop.
When you boot up the Peloton tablet, you’ll see a screen of in-progress or upcoming live classes, with audition-worthy headshots of the instructors. (Many are former actors and dancers.) You can also choose from popular On Demand classes sorted by class length (20-60 minutes), instructor, or musical genre. Recently, Peloton added new user-friendly features, such as allowing you to search for classes based on your favorite music. Like Mumford and Sons or Madonna? Your search results will show the classes that have that music played in them. Peloton has also added themed training programs, such as Climb Rides and Tabata (short bursts of activity followed by even shorter rest periods—ouch) for people looking for a more structured workout.
My Love Hate Relationship with Instructors

The author getting a work out in her living room.
I ride two or three times a week, sometimes four. Bill rides two to three times a week as well. At this point I’ve spun with nearly every Peloton instructor—there are about a dozen. Then in Fall 2018, Peloton expanded to add British spinning instructors, but I haven’t tried any yet. In 2018, Peloton introduced the Peloton Tread, a high-tech treadmill version of the Peloton bike. With it came more instructors offering boot-camp classes as well as running and walking instruction that you can do on your Peloton Tread or outside using the Peloton Digital app.
Want to hack the whole Peloton thing? Pay for the Peloton Digital app only (under $20 per month) and use it on your phone with your own gym equipment. Peloton owners like myself, who’ve had the equipment prior to the app’s release in summer 2018, access it as part of our monthly subscription fee. It’s a great option for when you’re traveling and want to get in your workout but your hotel doesn’t have a Peloton bike.
But back to the instructors, some of whom I love and some of whom I hate. One instructor does this weird jaw thing as she rides, like she’s blowing imaginary smoke rings. She might as well be scraping her perfectly painted nails down a blackboard. Another leads her class while wearing Lady Gaga-esque makeup. I rode with both once and never again.
My husband is terrified of instructor Robin Arzon, tatted and with a kick your ass and take no prisoners attitude. She’s achieved a certain level of celebrity, thanks to this New York Times article. Technically, she’s Peloton’s VP of Fitness Programming; I enjoy her boot camp approach. My two faves are Christine D’Ercole, who plays tons of 1980’s music and knows her shit—she’s a world-class competitive cyclist. Then there’s Jenn Sherman, who has a series of sing-along rides filled with karaoke-worthy tunes. (You can search for “sing along” using the aforementioned, newly introduced search feature.) When you are singing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” or Billy Joel’s “Piano Man” at the top of your lungs, you forget you are exercising. Perhaps I like both Christine and Jenn because they are clearly Gen Xers. I feel like they “get” me and my generation.
I also enjoy Matt Wilpers‘ sweet demeanor and Denis Morton‘s hysterics. There’s nothing like doing a heavy metal ride with Denis and having him take his long hair out of its ponytail and do some head banging and hair swinging while leading class.
Live or On Demand
When you join a class (live or On Demand), a leaderboard appears on the right-hand side of your screen, showing the usernames of everyone else in class. You can follow people on the leaderboard by clicking on their name and tapping “follow.” Peloton awards you badges after a ride based on how many “friends” you’ve ridden with. If you liked gold stickers back in elementary school for a job well done, you’ll love this feature, too. Or at least I do.
You can also high five other riders by double tapping their profile pic on the leaderboard. You’ll see high fives come back to you on your screen when someone sends one out to you. It is literally a tiny hand “slapping” on your screen. These can be great for building camaraderie and getting you through tough classes.
Many people create clever usernames so that instructors will give them a shout-out—instructors also have tablets in front of them. Names that stick out include “Mazel Tough” and “Mom Can’t Hear You.” Your username also includes your age and hometown, or you can replace it with hashtags related to certain instructors, like Sherman’s popular no-excuses phrase “Just fucking do it” or #JFDI.
Speaking of shout-outs, you also get them when you hit milestone rides—50 rides, 100 rides, 150 rides, etc. Getting a shout-out—which will live on in eternity when the live ride goes into the Peloton archives as an On Demand class—has inspired me to hit my milestones on a regular basis. I still remember my first one: It was ride number 50, which I did live during Christine’s New Wave Wednesday class. Sure enough, she congratulated me. I felt like a kid all those years ago watching “Romper Room,” waiting to hear my name. You’ll also get shout-outs on your birthday. Right now, I’m trying to time my 350th ride to coincide with my December birthday so I can get twice as many in a single day.
The Peloton screen also shows your heart rate as you ride. That meant I needed a heart rate monitor if I wanted to take advantage of this metric. My athletic 21-year-old daughter swears by the Polar monitor that you wear on a strap around your torso and right under your bra. So guess what her mother ended up buying and wears with each ride?
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Tapping Into Your Competitive Nature
Because I don’t have to worry about getting to the gym in time, fighting traffic, finding parking, or getting a spot in the spin room, I’m working out more.
The leaderboard, which measures your output throughout the ride—the sum of the resistance on the wheel and your cadence or pedal speed—is also designed to inspire riders’ competitive nature. While I’ve never been in the number one spot, I always strive to be in the top 50 percent of riders. So if there are 218 riders in a class, I don’t let myself fall below 109th. There have been times that I’ve seen a 30-something or 40-something on the leaderboard who seems to be “catching” me, and I end up thinking, damned if I’m gonna let a young un pass me. So I spend the remainder of the class working to stay ahead of them.
It’s good that I’ve started riding at home: I realized that I’m a grunter when I exercise. It sounds somewhere between labor pains and orgasm, which is not great when you’re at the gym. But in the privacy of my own home, it’s not a big deal, at least to me. It’s gotten to the point that whenever I climb on the bike (it’s in the living room), my husband leaves the room. It’s either because of the grunting or the fact that I’m singing while I ride.
I’ve since started wearing Insignia Bluetooth headphones during my rides. They sit over my ears, not in my ears; I found that earbuds always fell out so, tip, don’t use the free pair that came with your iPhone. I’m loving these headphones because they hold their charge for weeks on end, are super comfortable, and ensure Bill doesn’t have to listen to class while I ride. I can’t say the same for my singing.
Because I don’t have to worry about getting to the gym in time, fighting traffic, finding parking, or getting a spot in the spin room, I’m working out more. And because I’m not enduring loud music and stupid lights, I’m enjoying it more. That leads to tangible results. In the first year of using the bike, I felt new muscles in my butt and legs, and because many classes include 10 minutes of arm weight lifting while on the bike (the hand weights are mounted on the back of the bike), I saw definition there, too. In year two I’ve noticed my waist getting smaller, not larger. That’s a miracle given all of the other perimenopausal symptoms my body has been throwing at me. My husband has benefitted, as well. He’s gone down two belt sizes and his doctor no longer considers him to be pre-diabetic.
So again, you might ask, is Peloton worth it? Well, with good music, great workouts, and better health—there is only one way to answer that question: yes.
***
Leah Ingram has written 14 books, including Suddenly Frugal: How to Live Happier and Healthier for Less and Toss, Keep, Sell! Her 15th book is The Complete Guide to Paying for College. Leah is a money-saving expert who has shared her unique personal finance approach and advice about getting the most bang for your buck on local and national TV, including The Weather Channel, Good Morning America and ABC News Now. She’s also written on personal finance, travel, business, education and health topics for Good Housekeeping, AARP The Magazine, Delta Sky, Costco Connection and Parade.com.
A version of this article was originally published in September 2017.
Irony58 says
You left out some “versus”s in your article. “An expensive bike so you can work out in your home versus going to the sweaty gym where you have to mix with…uh…other people” … versus an inexpensive bike (like maybe 1/10th the cost, if you can’t find used for 1/100th the cost???) so you can work out from home and maybe a free app to get social, versus a cheap bike and heading outside, versus some sneakers and an app to track your running/walking progress, versus a bunch of other ways to get fit.
I’m obviously a doubter, but definitely not a hater. I can’t hate something that’s not forced onto me. I don’t see the benefit, and doubt I ever will, but to each their own. The $39 per month seems foolish to me, but what do I know?
Mike says
It is really hard to get a peloton where I lived in California. Also, I think they are a bit overpriced. I don’t know if they are intentionally crating a supply issue when demand is up to increase their brand value or there are real issues with their supply chain which I believe should have restored by now. Anyways, I was planning to have one this Christmas not anymore.
Ross says
I got my bike in mid March and have used it almost daily since then. Honestly for someone that was always intimidated by spinning this has been the easiest transition to what I can’t say is one of the best workouts I’ve ever had. I’ve heard of many complain about the cost of the bike but for the caliber of the equipment and the classes offered as well as the community you become apart of I felt that it was money well spent.
TURNER says
This sounds awesome. Thanks so much! Now I understand how it works and how it can work really well for me. (And LOL to the Romper Room reference.)
Marie says
You pay for the convenience and quality of the bike.
Great and thorough post was super helpful when I decided to go for it!!
pedro says
great
Arman Moradhassel says
Lots of folks posting here missing the point…
Yes it’s cheaper to do this and that.
Yes you can drive yourself out to a gym for a few bucks less a month.
We get that. You aren’t exactly posting anything people aren’t aware of. You aren’t breaking any news…
This is for people who want to be pushed in the comfort of their own homes. Why is that such a traumatic thought for you to process?
Don’t like it? Don’t buy one. But taking the time to attack people for their personal choices and to comment about what you think everyone else should be doing with their money and lives is outright pathetic. Clearly you either can’t afford one or are too afraid to break a sweat. Sad.
Rock says
Because a regular exercise bike is the same thing. People are stupid. And, just like all stupid people, they get made fun of.
Rob says
Well said 👍 👏
I’m just looking into the peleton experience & agree with your comment.
Honest Abe says
Peloton is moronic. Pay $2K+ for a stationary bike. Dumb. Oh, you get to attend “classes” with annoying millennials “motivating” while playing crappy music you say? And you have to pay $40 a month for the privelege of having these annoying fucks motivate you? Waste of money. Folks that buy these things are morons and only care about one upping others, thinking they are cooler and better because they waste their money or more pointless things than others do. And let me guess, when you buy one, you just can’t wait to announce it and post videos of your “awesome workout” on social media like anybody actually gives a shit. Nobody gives a rat’s ass, just like they don’t care to see pictures of your oh so awesome meal, or the 300 pictures of your kid playing sports, or your gender reveal, or any of the other meaningless shit you think you are impressing them with.
Barb says
I agree!!!!!!!
Frank says
Wow – do you also tell at clouds in sky and children laughing too loudly?
You always this angry?
Chill out. Get some fresh air.
Blasmas says
Shut up you make my stomach turn!
In the real world people say what they please and most people are angry all the time you pretentious asshole
Tom says
Your a silly little person
Logan Warner says
Wow, you’re a sad person
King says
Time to uninstall your life, buddy.
Danny says
You csn buy two concept 2 ergometer rowing machines for that 2k usd.
And you will do a better more effective e,ercise with it than the spinning.
Highly underrated, but much much better than spinning.
Time to realize that spinning is not the way to go, but rowing is and at a much lower price
Virgil C says
My wife was in New York and saw the Peloton store while she was up there visiting girlfriends. She was impressed with what she saw. I knew she was seriously looking for a solid workout machine for the house so I figured it would be a great gift and great for her transition out of post-partum (recent child birth). She got depressed after #1 and #2 so I was very motivated to help her however I could. When it arrived I was truly impressed. It has a very modern design, sleek. And very sturdy and well built. As nice (probably nicer) than any fancy bike you will see in a gym or studio. So far I have taken a class about two of every three days (for the last few months). Sometimes I do a live class, sometimes I do an “on demand” class. Just this morning, I woke at 650 and went downstairs and took a 45-min live class. Damn, I’m feeling good at work today. Pre-work classes always make me a high functioning, energetic team mate in the office. Always, I enjoy this bike so so much. On days when I’m feeling a little sluggish I’ll do a 20 minute class, when I’m feeling good I’ll do a 45 minute one. I burn around 250 calories for every 20 minutes I ride this bike (38yr old male), which to me is a solid result for my efforts. Besides tracking calories, you can track your cadence (rpm), resistance (how hard or easy you set it), your heart rate, and your output (a measure of cadence and resistance). Also, you can see how well you are doing against yourself (your previous rides), others, and even friends. For someone who is inspired by competition (like me!) this is the workout bike for you.
As for my wife. Although we got the bike “for her,” we both use it equally. Some nights, after the kids are down, we head to the basement together and she does a 20-min ride while I do a stretch (peloton offers much, much more than just bike instruction), then we swap. For our stretch/yoga/strength classes that they offer, we just stream those to a TV from my phone. Of course whoever is on the bike is using the bike screen. One of us has to put on earphones, it’s sort of annoying if we are both listening to instructors at the same time. Doing this workout together has actually been something that’s improved our relationship through a like interest, comradery, and improving each of our overall feeling (mind body etc). She (“we” as most now say) just had a baby-our second. She recently told me this has helped her drop the baby fat faster than any other form of exercise in the past. Makes sense considering it’s primarily working your thighs and glutes which are the largest muscle areas in your body, resulting in a fantastic cardio workout. As for me, I have seen massive improvements in my lower body physique. Actually my upper body as well as I often take classes that mix legs and arm workouts in one session-all on the bike (peloton comes with weights and you pick between 1lb, 2lb, or 3lb). So bottom line we are both feeling energetic, healthier, and stronger. Which means (personally speaking), I’m feeling HAPPIER. Additionally, I play ice hockey and as the oldest guy on the team the bike has helped me regain some lost speed and strength. And most importantly, I don’t get winded after a long shift, which used to be the norm.
All and all, I have had NO ISSUES with this bike. Worst thing to happen so far is the heart rate monitor (which is wireless) has lost connection during a ride, but that didn’t matter much to me. Maybe it was even my fault, I don’t know. (UPDATE: They replaced it for free and all is fine now)
All the best to each and every one of you.
Virgil
Lh says
I can think of a lot better things to do with 2 k
Sharon Kelly says
Get a schwinn.
Sheryl Galvan says
Or, the same $2k pays for between 4 and 5 years at LA Fitness (assuming price per month remains relatively same). Unless you have a large family, then go for your own equipment!