A few years ago I discovered Flywheel Sports and quickly became obsessed. Being located around the corner from my office, it was easy to hit a class before or after work, or even pop over for a lunchtime ride. I averaged 4 or 5 rides per week that year, was in better shape than I’d been in years, and it was awesome. Sadly, between moving offices and moving out of the city, it became much more difficult to get there, and I fell off the wagon.
When I first saw the Peloton bike on Kickstarter, I was intrigued, but skeptical. Could they really pull off the in-studio user experience over the internet? Would they even ship the bike and launch the service? Would I stay motivated when the bike was always available, instead of attending classes that I signed up and committed to? I didn’t back the project, but I kept my eye on the company, finally pulled the trigger last April, and the answer has turned out to be a resounding yes to all. The hardware is fantastic, the instructors are all top-notch, and the in-home class experience, with the leaderboard and metrics, are every bit as engaging as Flywheel ever was and as long as I’m at home, fitting a workout into my schedule is never a concern.
It is also incredibly impressive how far they’ve come in the past year. There is an almost cultish community of 20,000 riders in their official Facebook group. Everyone supports and encourages one another, post their rides stats, milestones and photos, and talk about how much they love their bikes and being part of the “family”. They We even make pilgrimages to the mothership - the Peloton studio in Chelsea where the live classes take place. I went twice during my last trip to NYC, and it was really cool to make the jump from virtual to real, and see the instructors in person.
I did 100 rides last year, shooting to at least double that this year, and can’t say enough good things about Peloton. If you like indoor cycling, and you’re on the fence about buying one, DO IT, you won’t be sorry.
My Peloton Year in Review
