With the recent Peloton Bike+ update last week, you now have automatic resistance adjustments based on your power zones in Power Zone training rides. If you are new to Peloton, this might not mean much to you but if you are looking for a great smart bike trainer option, this makes the Peloton Bike+ an even stronger option. It is also a sign pointing to Peloton seeing a market opportunity with cyclists, investing more in Power Zone training, and another reason Zwift, Wahoo, and others should be concerned about market share.
Here are the 5 reasons I’ve picked the Peloton Bike+ as my indoor cycling tool for 2024
Last year I was looking at getting a new smart bike, I’ve had the Peloton Bike, Zwift Kickr, and a few other smart trainers over the years. I picked the Peloton Bike+ as my smart bike trainer, and substitute for a gym, for 5 key reasons:
Renting vs Buying
When I was looking at purchasing a new smart bike last fall (2023) I was coming off losing all my fitness during pregnancy earlier in the year. I was looking for inspiration to consistently workout and I knew the great music and inspirational coaching from coaches like Tunde and Ben Alldis would keep me coming back. BUT what would happen once I had a good routine? Would I prefer to be outside again? I wasn’t sure and that is why I decided to rent over buying. If I decided it wasn’t for me they would come pick it up at any point. No hidden fees. The rental fee is $119 a month and includes the monthly subscription to Peloton and a pair of cycling shoes. Delivery was $150 but pickup, if I ever am done with it, is free.
Good for the Whole Household
I switched our family to Peloton back in 2020. We had two Wahoo Kickr setups taking up our dining rooms. It was too much of a pain for us to take on and off the bike, so we ended up with 2. (We didn’t have a dining room table for a couple years because of this!)
The motivation of Zwift was nice in the beginning but the programming for workouts, and watching the virtual world pass you by, wasn’t keeping me engaged in working out. So, we sold both Kickr setups and purchased a Peloton (and then COVID came crashing down around us.)
We have three users in our household, and while I’m the main user, it is nice that my wife can hop on quickly and do a bike boot camp or strength day even if she is short on time and can’t make it to her gym. It’s one subscription, and the bike is also very easy to quickly adjust between riders.
It is More Than Biking
There are a ton of different types of classes as part of your Peloton subscription. I routinely use stretching, yoga, and weight training programming. The stretching, meditation, and yoga classes I check into daily, but I also am doing one of the full body strength programs and it is working! The Bike+ has a rotating screen which I didn’t think I would use as much as I am for the yoga and strength classes.
Take the Programming with You
There is a Peloton app that works on your phone or iPad so I can take my workouts with me. All other smart bikes are a one-trick pony, you get on it and bike.
Another thing I like about the Peloton app is the Apple Watch integration. The Apple Watch syncs my heart rate through my watch to my phone and then to the Peloton system. This allows me to use my watch on the Bike+ as a heart rate monitor or when doing workouts on the iPad or phone.
Power Zone Training
If you are a dedicated cyclist looking to make true gains there is programming within Peloton called Power Zone. You take an FTP just as you would with a coach and train within certain power zones.
Taking it a step further there is a whole 3rd party website and community called Power Zone Pack. This gives you two things: Quarterly power zone competitions with really great programming to push your FTP, aka your strength on the bike, and add in the competitive and supportive nature of a community doing it with you.
The Power Zone Pack website also can pull all available Power Zone rides into a library showing zones and TSS (Training Stress Score.) Back in 2021, my coach successfully used this to plan and program my workouts on the bike in combination with Training Peaks. It was simply brilliant, and a fun way to get the work done. For me, it is so great to be efficient with the limited time I have to workout.
Conclusion
As a training cyclist finding fitness and speed in a time-crunched 2024, the Bike+ and Peloton ecosystem is for me. For $119 a month for hardware and software, motivational coaching, well-rounded available programming that isn’t only about the bike, and the Power Zone training, the Peloton ecosystem is becoming hard to match the ultimate cyclist’s training tool. For other more casual riders, especially those relying on the app only, the recent price hike of the Peloton app membership has upset some.
As always, thank you for reading. I would love to hear what’s your game plan for indoor cycling and strength training this year!
Great review. I’d also add that Peloton recently added streaming video options, so you don’t need to hack it or use an iPad anymore. I’ve pedaled while watching sports or series. I also use heart rate but from a HR band or Garmin watch.