This Is What My First 30 Days With the Peloton Bike Looked Like

When my husband told me he knew what he wanted to get me for Christmas a few years ago I held my breath. He’s king of somewhat impractical (yet fun!) gifts, and with our first baby on the way I planned to keep the purse strings a little tighter around the holidays. When he suggested getting a Peloton, I resisted – it was too expensive, and how often was I going to be able to ride a bike with a newborn strapped to me? But he persisted, noting that my weekly cycling classes were something I really enjoyed and by bringing the Bike to me we would cancel out the stress of trying to find time to make it to the gym every week, not to mention put the money we would spend on a gym membership toward our Bike purchase.

Our Bike arrived in January, exactly a month before my due date. I was lucky enough to have an easy pregnancy and was exercising three to four times a week already, so I was itching to test our new purchase out soon after it was set up. I hopped on but was skeptical; would I be as motivated riding solo in my attic as I was in a studio? After a quick scan through the instructors and classes I settled on a ride with Robin and found my answer: Definitely. Between her off-the-chart energy, attitude (“You can’t get this swagger at Costco!” is still my favorite Robin-ism to this day), and the fact that for once in a cycling class I actually knew my exact cadence and resistance I got off the Bike feeling equal parts accomplished and exhausted. I couldn’t wait to do it again the next day.

I squeezed in rides as often as possible that month, often waking up at 6:00 a.m. to do a live ride before work (it’s a lot easier to get up to work out on a dark, winter morning when you don’t have to go outside!) and even doing a 30-minute ride the day I went into labor. Once I had my son, I couldn’t wait to get back on the Bike, and I spent my downtime setting up our attic with various seats, bouncers, and later a mini-bike of his own that he could hop on and ride at the same time with me. The convenience factor of the Bike alone was great – I could literally get a workout in every day if I wanted to in those early days. Now with two kids life is a little busier but thankfully, my Bike has adapted with me.

Experiencing the evolution from a first-generation Bike to its current version has made it simple to find the time to get a workout in. When I first started riding 20-minute and 30-minute rides were sparse, now I have no trouble finding them. After a recent injury I realized I needed to be doing more for my body than just riding, so I started leaning heavily on the Peloton app, incorporating strength training programs, yoga, and post-ride stretching during the week in addition to my usual rides. For those days when I have to squeeze a workout in fast I save minutes that would be lost scrolling through classes and instead rely on my community: I opt for rides my sister has already done that week or look to the Peloton Facebook group to hear what other Members are loving. And by syncing up my Spotify account, when I do get the chance to head outdoors for a run I have beats ready to go, hand-picked by some of my favorite instructors.

I don’t have the flexibility for many live rides these days, but I’m always amazed that no matter what time or how long I’m able to ride for, I’m never alone on the leaderboard. Whether it’s five people or 500, the Peloton community is there every pedal stroke of the way (usually giving a high five or two) helping to keep me motivated and accountable to be my best self.