My wife was in New York and saw the Peloton store while she was up there visiting girlfriends. She was impressed with what she saw. I knew she was seriously looking for a solid workout machine for the house so I figured it would be a great gift and great for her transition out of post-partum (recent childbirth). She got depressed after #1 and #2, so I was very motivated to help her however I could.
When it arrived, I was truly impressed. It has a very modern design, sleek. And very sturdy and well built. As nice (probably nicer) than any fancy bike you will see in a gym or studio. So far I have taken a class about two of every three days (for the last few months). Sometimes I do a live class, sometimes I do an "on demand" class. Just this morning, I woke at 6:50 and went downstairs and took a 45-minute live class. Damn, I’m feeling good at work today. Pre-work classes always make me a high functioning, energetic teammate in the office.
Always, I enjoy this bike so so much. On days when I’m feeling a little sluggish I’ll do a 20-minute class, when I’m feeling good I’ll do a 45-minute one. I burn around 250 calories for every 20 minutes I ride this bike (37-year-old male), which to me is a solid result for my efforts. Besides tracking calories, you can track your cadence (RPM), resistance (how hard or easy you set it), your heart rate, and your output (a measure of cadence and resistance). Also, you can see how well you are doing against yourself (your previous rides), others, and even friends. For someone who is inspired by competition (like me!), this is the workout bike for you.
As for my wife, although we got the bike "for her," we both use it equally. Some nights, after the kids are down, we head to the basement together and she does a 20-minute ride while I do a stretch (Peloton offers much more than just bike instruction), then we swap. For our stretch/yoga/strength classes that they offer, we just stream those to a TV from my phone. Of course, whoever is on the bike is using the bike screen. One of us has to put on earphones, it’s sort of annoying if we are both listening to instructors at the same time. Doing this workout together has actually been something that’s improved our relationship through a like interest, comradery, and improving each of our overall feeling (mind, body, etc). She ("we" as most now say) just had a baby, our second. She recently told me this has helped her drop the baby fat faster than any other form of exercise in the past. Makes sense considering it’s primarily working your thighs and glutes, which are the largest muscle areas in your body, resulting in a fantastic cardio workout.
As for me, I have seen massive improvements in my lower body physique. Actually my upper body as well as I often take classes that mix legs and arm workouts in one session-all on the bike (Peloton comes with weights and you pick between 1lb, 2lb, or 3lb).
So bottom line, we are both feeling energetic, healthier, and stronger. Which means (personally speaking), I’m feeling HAPPIER. Additionally, I play ice hockey, and as the oldest guy on the team, the bike has helped me regain some lost speed and strength. And most importantly, I don’t get winded after a long shift, which used to be the norm.
All and all, I have NO ISSUES with this bike. The worst thing to happen so far is the heart rate monitor (which is wireless) has lost connection during a ride, but that didn’t matter much to me. Maybe it was even my fault, I don’t know.
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
