How I made My "feloton"
I want to preface this by saying I have nothing against Peloton. It’s a great bike and company! It’s just a little more than most people can afford or want to pay.
To ride the Peloton bike, you also have to have the bike and the shoes. So let’s look at prices-
Basic Peloton Package- $2,045 + $49/MONTH SUBSCRIPTION
Peloton Plus Package- $2,695 + $49/month subscription
All bike owners are required to pay a subscription fee of $49/month.
Now, if you do this the DIY way, you’ll pay for the price of your bike. This varies and I talk about that below. Then you’ll pay for the Peloton App which is only $12.99/month.
That’s a HUGE difference. And this is why I decided to make my own Peloton experience.
I ended up spending a total of $740 + $12.99/month for my “Feloton”.
Let's talk bikes
Ok, I did the research on this one so you don’t have to.
About a month ago, I downloaded the Peloton app and started doing rides at my local gym. We don’t have Pelotons there, so I was just using their regular spin bikes. I liked the app because 1.) you can do it whenever you want, you don’t have to plan your day around a gym class and 2.) you can pick your rides based on difficulty, music, instructor, etc. I LOVED THAT! So I decided to do a little research on bikes to invest in one at my home. Here’s what I found.
Things you want to think about when getting a bike.
- How much do you want to invest?
- What type of resistance do you want?
- What features do you want?
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Price Tag
First you need to figure out how much you want to spend and what is important to you. Spin bikes can range anywhere from $200 – $3,000. It all varies depending on what features you want. We’ll talk a little about those features later.
Resistance & Drive Train
Resistance
These are two things you’ll see frequently and you’ll want to consider when you start looking at bikes to purchase. This determines how your bike gets ‘heavier’. On your bike, you’ll have a knob to spin that allows you to make it easier or harder to pedal. This is your resistance. Bikes have two different resistance options – physical and magnetic.
1. Physical Resistance
Pros: cheaper option
Cons: takes several turns to feel resistance, not a smooth ride
2. Magnetic Resistance
Pros: smooth ride, not as many turns for resistance
Cons: more expensive. Can typically add $200-$300 more on your bike cost
Side note: I first bought the physical resistance because it was the cheaper option and ended up returning it. I did not like the feel of how it rode. I also felt like it took a lot to feel resistance, just not as smooth as the magnetic. I returned it to get a magnetic bike and LOVE my new one.
Drive Train
This is how your bike spins. There are two options here as well – chain drive and belt drive. Chain drive is going to be similar to what you see on your bicycle; whereas, belt drive is a polyurethane or carbon fiber belt ton the drivetrain.
1. Chain Drive
Pros: cheaper option
Cons: noisier, more upkeep- you’ll have to oil it every once and a while to keep it smooth an “healthy”.
2. Belt Drive
Pros: smooth, quieter, requires less maintenance
Cons: more expensive option
Features and add ons
You’re going to see several different features on different bikes as you start looking into it. Here’s a few that you may see and what it’s purpose is.
1. Adjustable seats and handle bars.
This is something that would be great if you can get! Most bikes will allow you to adjust height, but not all bikes allow you to bring the seats and handle bars forward and/or backward for personal adjustments.
2. Measure Resistance
This typically comes with the more expensive bikes. I’ve only seen a few outside of Peloton that show resistance without spending $3000. Two that come to mind are Echelon and Schwinn. These are both great bikes!
3. Measure Cadence
Most bikes do not measure cadence. However, Amazon has this super simple add on you can use that allows you add a small attachment to the bike’s crank arm and it measure cadence.
Bike options to consider
From least expensive to most expensive
$499 ECHELON SMART CONNECT
- Magnetic Resistance
- Belt Drive
- Adjustable caged pedals
- Adjustable handlebar and seat
- Bluetooth capabilities
- 32 levels of resistance
- Tablet holder
$599 Sunny B1805
- Magnetic Resistance
- Belt Drive
- 44lb Flywheel
- Adjustable caged pedals
- Adjustable handlebar and seat
- Water bottle holder
- Tablel holder
This is the bike I have and I LOVE IT!
$899 Schwinn IC4
- Magnetic Resistance
- Belt Drive
- LCD display for resistance and cadence
- Heart rate armband
- (2) 3lb dumbells
- USB charging station
- Bluetooth capabilities
- Adjustable caged pedals
- Pedals have built in clip ins
- Tablet holder
This is one I would have loved to buy, but was a little more than I wanted to spend. However, it has the BEST reviews for “Feloton” users because of it’s display screen for cadence and resistance.
$999 Bowflex C6
- Magnetic Resistance
- Belt Drive
- Backlit LCD metric console
- 100 resistance levels
- Bluetooth capabilities
- Bluetooth enables heart rate monitor
- (2) 3lb dumbells
- Adjustable caged pedals
- Pedals have built in clip ins
- Tablet holder
You can see, as the bikes get more expensive, the perk and features go up as well. So my bike, the B1805 is a basic bike, no bells and whistles. However, if you can spend more on a bike I would definitely consider one has an LCD screen and measures cadence and resistance.
That’s it! Now you’re ready to start looking into what you want and making your very own Peloton hack, or “Feloton”!
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