I fell in love with CycleBar studio cycle classes last year when I was recovering from an major running injury. I fell in love with the the energy there, the music, the people, and most of all, the way that I could get in a KILLER workout in a low impact way. I was able to get the same endorphin rush on the bike that I got from running and that was HUGE to me!
After a few months of attending in-studio CycleBar cycle classes I started seeing ads for Peloton bikes and they made me curious. It was looking for something that was more convenient and that my husband could use too (CycleBar doesn't have childcare so we could never ride together!)
I know with the news of the current COVID-19 (coronovirus) spreading and cycle studios and gyms temporarily closing everywhere to keep people safe, I wanted to give you all this review to compare my experience with the two in case you were considering making the purchase, If you do, I have a discount code towards the bottom of this post that will save you $100!
The Peloton bike itself is much nicer than the in-studio bikes. It is super sturdy and the gear change knob is so easy to switch resistance levels easily, it such a smooth transition. The handlebar is short than those at the studio, because of the screen so your bike positioning will feel a little different. You can adjust the seat up and down, forward and back, and you can adjust the handlebars up and down too. It's way easier for me to adjust the seat on a Peloton bike than and in-studio bike too, I would often have to ask for help because the rider before me tightened the knob too tight!
A huge benefit of the Peloton bike is convenience, obviously. You ride what you want to ride, when you want to ride it. There's literally thousands of classes in the on-demand Peloton library that you can ride from as well as 10 or so live classes a day that they record in their studios, which then become archived into their on-demand library. When you ride on-demand, you can preview the class ahead of time, see the difficulty rating, the class lay out, and my favorite feature, the music play list. Music is so motivating to me, so that's usually how I pick my classes - scan the playlist and if I know and like most of the songs, I'm in!
There is less choreography in the Peloton bike classes than you'll find in some CycleBar classes - and I have read that that is because, while those moves add fun and variety to a class, they do not add any added strength training benefits. Some Peloton instructors will add tapbacks to a couple of songs per ride. I thought I would miss the choreography, but I'm honestly okay with it. Peloton also has lots and lots of classes that will have an arm interval section using their 3 pound dumbbell weights).
I do find that I have to push myself a little harder on the Peloton because I don't have an entire room of riders to motivate me, so sometimes I slack a little bit, but usually I can muster up the kick in the butt push that I need. There is a leader board just like at CycleBar that you can customize to show just the participants that are currently riding, all time riders, or filter it by "friends" or age and gender demographics. You can also totally hide they leader board if that's not motivating to you too!
The screen is laid out really cool with some great data as you ride (and again, you can hide any of this is you don't want to see it). You see your current output, cadence and resistance, as well as what the instructor has suggested you be riding at currently. You can see how that ranks to your over-all PR output for that ride length too as well as your LB standing. You also have the ability to give a virtual high-five to any class participant and receive them back too by tapping on their on-screen profile.
You may be saying, well that's all great Amy, but what how does the Peloton workout compare to a CycleBar workout? Well, the first time I did a Peloton workout, I took a 20 minute class in their local showroom and literally was sore for 4 days afterwards!!! It worked me so hard. Needless to say, we bought eh bike on the spot. Which, BTW, if you're reading this because you are thinking about buying, you can use my referral code, 4Y2NKS, which will give you $100 in free accessories. I recommend buying their shoes that clip in (go up 1/2 to 1 full size) and the mat that goes under the bike to protect your floors from sweat - because you will sweat a TON!
Back to the workout aspect, yes, you can get the same or better quality of workout on the Peloton as you would at an in-studio CycleBar or SoulCycle class. There are such a wide variety of classes from Power Zone training, HIIT, Live DJ Rides, themed Artist Rides, Climb Rides, Low Impact Rides and so much more. Depending on what class I take, and the intensity that I work my heart rate always falls in the same range as it did for CycleBar classes.
After 3 months of riding the Peloton my husband has lost over 25 pounds. I didn't really have any weight to lose, but my legs and core are so much stronger and my running endurance is way up too!
What other questions do you have about the Peloton? Feel free to leave a comment here or send me a message on my Instagram -
GoFastMommy!
