I Tried a Peloton Bike at a Fitness Center. Here’s Why I Ended up Buying My Own.

Not everyone has their first experience with the Peloton Bike in their own home. In fact, numerous Members have discovered the Bike in more commercial settings—at work, at school, on vacation, and more. Members Tommy L. and Karen R., for example, both began riding when a Peloton Bike was added to the fitness centers in their apartment buildings. As a self-described “road warrior” for work, Member Eric L. used the Bike exclusively in hotel fitness centers for months. And Members Alessandra M. and Ryan P. each had a transformative stay at a hotel with a Peloton Bike and ended up buying a Peloton.

Here, those members share their Peloton experience, from first trying out a Bike away from home to getting one of their own.

You Can Take a Wider Variety of Classes

Once you make the switch to a Bike at home, it opens up a whole new world of content that can support a well-rounded fitness regimen.

“Since having my own Bike," Tommy says, “I can AirPlay anything off the Bike to my TV … I mostly ride and do the Arms & Light Weights, but I also do yoga, stretching and meditation. I started using the outdoor section of the app while walking and running the trails in my neighborhood and walking the dogs.”

Ryan has had a similar experience. “I try to get a variety of classes in because all the content is great,” he says. “I’ve completed Power Zone challenges, intervals and arms rides, HIIT, core workouts, strength workouts, stretching, bootcamp, outdoor running and the list goes on.”

It’s Worth the Investment

As an avid gym-goer, Ryan didn’t originally plan to purchase any home fitness equipment. “Within the gym, I had worked out on their various exercise bikes, and I found it really hard to get motivated while working out on them,” he admits. “The setup was a bike with a TV overhead showing sports or the news, and the workouts were basically whatever I wanted at my own pace.”

But once he tried the Peloton Bike at a hotel, he was sold. “I was able to rationalize how often I thought I would work out on the Peloton Bike and what the cost per workout would be. Once I did that, and based on my enjoyment of trying the Bike out, it was a no-brainer to me,” he says. “I knew the content as well as paying for a subscription would motivate me to work out more often, and you can’t put a price on staying healthy.”

For Alessandra, who discovered Peloton at a hotel, the process of buying a Peloton Bike was even easier. “[Indoor cycling] has always been my favorite form of exercise, and I used to pay $200 per month for membership at my local cycling gym, plus another $35 per month in gym membership fees for weight training and additional cardio,” she says. Then there were all the Covid-19 gym closures. Pretty soon, Alessandra was buying her own personal Peloton Bike.

Peloton Offers Ultimate Flexibility

One of the best parts of owning a Peloton Bike is the flexibility to hop on whenever you like. This can especially come in handy when you’re dealing with major life changes. Member Karen, for example, began using the Peloton Bike in the gym at her apartment in 2017. But in 2019, she and her husband moved across the country. “I was worried about not having a gym as easily accessible to my home and had just had a baby six months earlier, so I wanted to find something convenient for myself and my husband,” she says. “I bought the Peloton Bike, and it really fit everything we needed: a good workout, convenient, something that would motivate us and be more than just a bike.”

Using the Bike at her apartment gym, Karen found a workout routine worth sticking with—and taking to the next level. She loves now having a Bike at arm’s reach that she only has to share with her husband. “When I used the Bike at our apartment's gym, I had to wait if someone was using it—which eventually, people figured out how great it was, so it became a popular Bike at the gym,” Karen says. “Having our own Bike allows me to work out whenever I want. My husband and I still coordinate with each other, but outside of that, we can do as many workouts or classes as we want without someone waiting for us to get off the Bike.”

You’re More Engaged

Peloton’s tight-knit community helps foster sustained engagement among Members even after classes end, and the increased accessibility of a Bike at home can propel many to buy in.

“My wife kept hearing me talk about the Bike and the instructors I was following—talking about them like they were my friends or teachers I knew personally. I would brag about my PRs and share the playlists,” says Eric, the road warrior who often used Peloton Bikes in hotel gyms. “At home in our gym, we had a rower, a treadmill and an elliptical—all of which were used a bit, but not every day. So between wanting to be on the Bike more than I was on the road and wanting my wife to have the opportunity to try it, I opted to purchase one for the house. This is the first piece of home gym equipment I have had sustained interest in using.”

Another way the Bike promotes Member engagement is through the Leaderboard. “I love competition, and the Leaderboard provides a lot of motivation. Without it, I don’t think I would have purchased the Bike,” Ryan says. “Now, when I see my personal record output and where my output is in current rides, sometimes it tells me I’m holding back and that I can put more effort into a ride. Similarly, I like to join rides and determine I want to be in the top X-percent of riders when I finish the ride.”

The Leaderboard also provides a way to connect with and feel inspired by the instructors and other Members from all over the world. “I have never pushed myself to work this hard in my personal workouts and beyond just a physical experience, having my Peloton Bike has done so much for my mental and emotional states,” Alessandra says. “Having that connection to the outside world while stuck at home during this global pandemic has made me feel beyond blessed and thankful. Before owning my own Peloton Bike, I would have such negative thoughts about myself. Now with the training of the coaches on the Bike, I speak to myself with kindness and grace, which has helped me love who I am more than I could imagine.”

Ready to make the jump to buying your own Peloton Bike? Learn how to choose the model that’s right for you.