(TJ’s shorts | TJ’s tee | My Crops)

Last week, after I was cleared for physical activity again, the first workout I opted for was a Backstreet Boys themed ride on the Peloton Bike. It had been a little over two months since I had done any sort of spin workout and I was eager to get back into the saddle. Needless to say, I fell right back into a groove and fell in love all over again….

I actually started spinning about seven years ago. I had just finished my first half marathon and suffered a back injury right after (I stupidly decided I didn’t need to stretch… that was a bad decision…). When I recovered I decided I needed to start incorporating other workouts, that were less strenuous on the body, but equally as challenging. Enter spin. I was hooked after my first class and have been taking spin classes, one to two times a week, ever since. I started at a studio in Orange County called YAS, then eventually switched over to SoulCycle when they opened. I’ve always been addicted to the variation of moves within the workout (you don’t just sit there and ride a bike…) as well as the well choreographed musical selections. TJ becamse just as hooked on spin as I was….

So as we were approaching Camille’s due date, we both came to the conclusion that getting to a spin class might be exponentially more difficult with two little ones, especially in the newborn phase. We did our research and decided that a Peloton bike would be a wonderful investment for our health and home gym (when I say home gym, let’s be clear. This is a small corner in the garage….). Since sharing on instagram, I’ve had requests to do a full review of the bike and decided to answer questions I’ve received regarding our (TJ’s too) experience…..

1. Is it worth it? Can you get the same experience with a spinning bike and YouTube? Is it worth the hype and really better than other bikes? How much do the classes cost? Do you think the subscription is worth the price?

Worth to me is always very subjective. What someone finds to have value, and is willing to spend money on, can drastically vary from person to person. In my opinion, if you’re going to use it, then yes, it’s more than worth it. A typical spin class costs $30… take into account the amount of time it takes you to get to said class (for us it was 35 minutes round trip… and time is money…)… and if you’re a parent, the amount you’d have to pay a sitter to watch your kiddos (in CA the going rate for one kiddo, per hour, is $15… so we shell out $30 for a sitter) and that class cost increases exponentially. So it all comes down to cost per use (just like cost per wear for an investment piece of clothing….). If you intend to use it several times a week, with each time you use it equating to $30 (I won’t even factor in time + cost of a sitter), then over the course of the year you would spend $3,120 ($30 x 2xs per week x 52 weeks). The bike costs $2,400 + an additional $120 per year ($40 per month) for the subscription to the classes. You’ve more than covered the initial investment, with an actual savings of $600…

I can’t attest to whether or not you can get the same experience with a different spin bike and a YouTube video since I have never done that. Yet, I have used spin bikes at the gym and the quality of them, compared to the Peloton bike, doesn’t compare. These instructors are highly trained, motivating, and have excellent, timed, playlists. If YouTube videos have the same, then I’m sure you could easily simulate the experience.

The only other spin bike I can compare The Peloton bike to are the bikes at SoulCycle… and I’d say they’re of the same caliber. I am not familiar enough with other “at home” spin bikes.

Classes are part of the subscription plan that I mentioned above. You pay $40 a month for access to all classes… this also includes classes that are not spin… stretching, floor HIIT workouts, and core workouts.

There were a lot of questions asking about total cost. And while I tried to list them above, I recommend looking at pricing options here.

2. Do you get as good of a workout on it as you would SoulCycle?

In my opinion, yes. This depends if you’re motivated enough to push yourself hard without a live instructor in front of you. The screen that you watch gives you your resistance, cadence, and output with the instructors constantly telling you what level to adjust them to (they provide you with a range to account for varying levels). This is not something SoulCycle did, so I feel as if with The Peloton I am able to get just as good, if not a better, workout. If you’re a die hard Soul fan I recommend the groove rides since they do more movements/choreography. I also like that you can choose a 20 minute HIIT workout or a 45 minute longer ride all based on the amount of time I have… and let me tell you, those HIIT rides are such a great workout….

3. Do you need cycling shoes? What brand would you suggest?

Yes, you need cycling shoes. There isn’t a basket option to wear regular workout shoes. I purchased spin shoes when I started spinning and I can honestly say that your get a much better workout when you’re wearing them.

I know that Peloton has shoes you can purchase, but since we both had spin shoes already, we didn’t need to. My Aunt, who is an avid cyclist, recommended Shimano shoes to us when we started spinning and that’s the brand I’d recommend (I haven’t tried any others though…).

4. Do you use the weights while cycling? I would also like to focus on toning my arms.

Yes, almost all classes include a weights component where they focus on the arms.

5. Was it a good workout to do while pregnant?

For me it was. It was low impact and I could easily go at my own pace. I did a spin class at least twice a week until about 37 weeks.

6. What are your thoughts about their strength (off the bike) classes?

I’ve never done one of their off the bike classes, but TJ has and thinks they’re great (he’s considering canceling his gym membership…) and other people have mentioned that they like them as well. The only reason I haven’t tried them is because I am a big fan of the Tone It Up workouts. I did see TJ doing one of their off the bike classes in Palm Springs and it looked just as challenging as the Tone It Up one I was concurrently doing….

7. Are there post pregnancy workouts.

No.

8. How long have you had it? Do you still have the motivation for it the same as your first few weeks? Do you think you will get bored of it after a few months?

We’ve had the bike for four months and both of us still love it. TJ rides about four times a week, and I do between 2-3 classes a week. As far as the motivation factor goes, since I’ve been a spin lover for seven years, I don’t foresee my motivation going anywhere….

A note about motivation and the bike. I don’t think this is something you should purchase if you’ve never taken a spin class. I think you should invest in trying out spin classes for a few months to see if you like them… then look into investing in the bike. We knew, based on our years of liking spin, that waning motivation/interest wouldn’t be an issue….

9. Does Peloton have an ambassador/affiliate program?

Not that I’m aware of.

10. How do you get your butt to not hurt? I already purchased bike shorts and it still hurts.

Maybe try purchasing a padded seat to put on the bike? I haven’t had a problem with my butt hurting, but if I did that’s what I would try… although I know that’s similar to the shorts… but maybe the double cushioning will help….

11. Do you find you can get into the classes as much as taking a live spin class?

Yes, both TJ + I feel that way. Very much so. There are live spin classes that you can take, as well as previously recorded ones. If you know that you’re the type of person who needs to be in a live class to be motivated, it might not be for you. I really like solo workouts… hence my love of running… so getting into the class is easy for me (just be sure to pick a class with music you like).

12. How do you think the Peloton would be for a spinning newbie?

I was just talking about this with my hairdresser today. She got the bike recently, and had never taken a spin class… and is now hooked. She mentioned that she started with the beginner/shorter rides in order to get comfortable with the moves + to build endurance. It’s friendly for all riding levels.

13. Can you list your favorite instructors/rides?

My favorite instructors are Cody + Ally… both of them are super motivating, in different ways. Cody plays a lot of pop music in his rides (I highly recommend the Backstreet Boys ride… amazing…) and Ally has more of a hip hop focus to her rides. TJ is a big fan of Alex. You can get a full review/get to know the instructors here…

As far as favorite classes go, there are too many to list out… and I honestly don’t have them saved anywhere! I’ll try to share them over on instagram stories as I come across them….

14. What is your opinion on the Peloton Tread? Would you ever get The Tread?

So my quick answer is no. My longer answer is twofold. I don’t know enough about it… and while I’m sure it’s an amazing machine, I do believe a treadmill is a treadmill and if you have the Peloton membership you can do the treadmill classes on something other than the Tread. I also hate running on a treadmill. Avoid it and can’t remember the last time I did. 99% of the time I complete all my runs outside because I find it to be much easier.