Written by: Ariana Travelstead

Edited 12/2018

I’ve been riding road/spin bikes for a little over 6 years now. After some friends introduced me to riding in college I found myself on my own during summer internships. I naturally headed to a local bike shop and asked “Do you guys do group rides?” …a 22 year old girl who wanted to ride with a pack of dudes???-they said ‘Sure! Come ride with us!” They helped me change my flats and taught me how to ride in a peloton! That’s where my passion for riding came from-knowing that I wasn’t alone and that the other guys around me would make me faster-and they did! I’m embarrassed to say I am still pretty illiterate in operations and technicalities of bicycles..shrugs shoulders…something I will work on when it makes my ‘Warren Buffet Top 5 List’ (we’ll talk about that in a later post).

Flash forward to my current habitat-the concrete jungle of Dallas, TX (now Midland, TX), which is even worse! Dusty, windy, and pretty rough roads. I refuse to ride outside for training it's just not safe with all the trucks. We don't live out in the country or have access to paths so it's not a great option right now. Call me a wimp, or paranoid but I know too many people who have been crippled or worse from accidents.

Que Peloton’s at home cycling experience. You’ve all been asking me how I like it, should I get one? Is it worth the investment? *Please visit my post "How 30 Ways One Peloton Changed My Life" * the short answer is YES!

*If you are already ready to purchase your bike please use this code (8TMFFH) to receive $100 off any bike accessories purchased with the bike!* must be used at the time you purchase your bike.

We keep our Peloton in our office with a mounted TV...now we have no excuse not to workout while watching our favorite Hulu shows!

The Peloton App- $39.99/month including Beyond the Ride Classes (Yoga, Toning, Stretching)

The app is AMAZING! over 6,366 On-Demand Rides-as soon as one class is done for the day, it available for you to take. Live classes begin at around 3am and end at 10:30pm. Every music genre you can think of, type of class, length of class, and instructors galore. Love a ride? Bookmark it so you can take it again and again and PR.
Budget concerns? Consider a different type of at home program-After years of different exercises and a high demand for working out at home, I created TCF On Demand, a 30-45 minute, cardio + weight training circuit style program.
8+ different training formats, from over 1000 classes coached at various fitness studios including Orangetheory Fitness. If you’re an athlete looking for your team and your home again, with incredibly sweaty workouts and guided motivation TCF On Demand is for you. Follow Along with me as your Coach and enjoy options for everything so you don’t HAVE to jump.

MEET COACH ARI

Purchasing a different indoor bike: Here is a review of 2017 indoor cycling bikes by Usa Home Gym and has EVERYTHING to know about purchasing an indoor cycle. This is not a sponsored post, I truly love the Peloton instructors and the bike itself. Read through these reviews (please spend some time doing research, it will pay off). If anything just remember, the lightest flywheel recommended for a spin bike with friction resistance is usually 30 lbs….so pay attention to that or you will be bouncing all over the place.

The Peloton Bike: Here is a link to the bike specs

*If you are already ready to purchase your bike please use this code (8TMFFH) to receive $100 off any bike accessories purchased with the bike!* must be used at the time you purchase your bike.

Smoothest and Practically Silent! You’ll be breathing louder than the bike ever gets trust us, and due to the magnetic resistance system it never touches the flywheel, resulting in smooth transitions and little maintenance needed.
HD Touch screen is Clutch: you do need to connect the bike to Wifi. Our current Wifi situation is less than desirable so foregoing the bike wouldn’t have even been an option in our case.
In-Depth Ride Metrics: track your progress on distance, cadence, power and more
Motivating Leaderboard-you can compete with everyone in a live class, and everyone who has taken the ride to date.
Challenges: The bike keeps track of your performance so you can aim to beat your PRs each time!
Elite Instructors: you’re not taking classes with someone who just hopped on a bike for the first time. They make you WERK.
Speakers: they connect to regular headphones or wireless headphones, and heart rate monitors. The bike will ALSO connect to your TV if it has Bluetooth capability!
Plan a ride with another Peloton rider-the bike has a self-facing camera so you can’t really fake it haha. Simply join the same ride together and start a video chat! (Make sure you’re following each other to connect).
Will it give you the same resistance training as a road bike? I'm already seeing an increase in my endurance and strength from just 15 rides over the past month. Testimony from a good friend who’s been cycling for years in the mountains of Breckenridge, CO; He shared with me that the steep 12 min. climb out his door now takes him 8 MINUTES after 6 months of riding…need I say more?

The Cost:

IF you are looking to bring your workouts into your house for convenience or to eliminate or just take a break from having 2 or more gym memberships, that’s where I can genuinely say this is SO worth it. If you and/or your significant other attend a gym or boutique studio and have 2 memberships, for unlimited classes, you’ll pay a minimum of $3600 per year. This of course depends on your state and doesn't include late fees or that post-workout smoothie I know you love. I’m not hating on niche studios at ALL here, in fact I used to teach at one that pains me not to attend anymore!! If you are in NEED of easy access at home or you no longer want to pay for memberships for 2 people and can use something that up to 5 riders can use, think Peloton. It pays for itself and you get to keep it! You do have to pay for installation and tax...so think closer to $3000 +$468 annually for the App. when its all said and done.

I genuinly LOVE my bike. And to be honest, the fact that we made this investment makes me eager to ride it as often as possible! I never get bored of it, its a great way to change up your workouts AND having it in the house makes it unbelievably convenient to just jump on and go. There are times where my husband really wants to binge of some Marvel Netflix shows...so he hops on the bike. Watch all the shows you want babe ;) you're getting some heart health in there-can I ask for more?

DON’T Skip:

CLIPS for the shoes: I had my own Shimano shoes that I’ve never had a problem with, so to save us $120 I opted not to get the Peloton Shoes and clips. However my LOOK cleats were worn so I tried a new pair from a local cycling shop, but they are too loose and don’t fit right =( I’m going to purchase the Peloton cleats for $12 (1/2 of what I spent) from the Peloton Boutique.

If you don’t have cycling shoes: Purchase the Peloton brand as they were designed to go with the bike. (being in the MFG world, things that are made for each other function best together =)

SKIP: The weights, extra accessories, shoes (if you have your own)

3 lb weights are $25 in the Peloton boutique. If you already own 3 or 5lb weights, use those. If not, you can get them for super cheap on amazon or at your local Dick’s or Academy.

Workout Mat- (if you own one around 36” x 72”) you can simply use this on top of plywood in your carpeted room. Get this cut to size 36” x 72” at Home Depot. Wood floor-no need for plywood, just a mat!

Shoes with LOOK capabilities-if you own a pair, just buy the $12 clips that come from the Boutique =)

Headphones: Obviously…purchase whatever you like! Wireless is always a fantastic experience but Peloton has some great options if you want to try them out at your local store.

Again *If you are already ready to purchase your bike please use this code (8TMFFH) to receive $100 off any bike accessories purchased with the bike!* must be used at the time you purchase your bike.

I hope I've answered as many of your questions as possible. If not, check out some other reviews! I'll be over here ridin' and watching Netflix =)

With Gratitude, Ari

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This is not a sponsored post. All suggestions and ideas are mine. All pictures have been taken by contributers unless otherwise noted. Please inquire if you desire to use any content of this post. Link Back to this post or tag @arianatravelstead for Instagram and @arianatravelsteadblog on Facebook

Peloton Bike Review: Is it Worth Your Money?