Anyone who is into home workouts has known about the Peloton Bike for years. All of my friends who have one, have been raving about them and their level of excitement when they talk about the bike is impressive. I remember when Peloton First released their bikes, I would ask my friends who had one a hundred questions, “But is it really a good workout? I mean does it challenge you and push you?” “Don’t you get lonely riding on a bike by yourself in the basement?” “Do you really sweat?”
To be fair, the bike was released around the same time that I discovered and fell in love with group fitness classes. It was a time in my fitness journey where I was fueled and motivated by the energy in the room and the instructor. I could not imagine sitting in a room by myself, listening to an instructor on the screen and getting the same experience.
But it’s been years and I’ve always been curious…. so when we looked at a Staycation for Mid Winter break, I thought, why not check out a hotel that has a Peloton? So we landed at the amazing Westin in Downton Seattle. If you did not know, the Westin and Peloton have partnered up to have bikes in Westin gyms across major cities in the country and the world.
In the Downtown Seattle Westin, they actually had a separate room that housed four Peloton bikes and two other stationary bikes. The room was smaller and separate from the full (more traditional hotel) gym. I went to check it out around 7:30 AM and I was able to grab the last bike. Just in time because three people came in after me and left once they realized there were no bikes available.
Because these are hotel bikes, they are set up with the cage so that everyone can ride them with their sneakers. This worked since I didn’t have my cycling shoes with me.
At first glance, the screen is overwhelming. There are a lot of decisions to make. What kind of workout do you want? What kind of music? How long do you want it to be? Who do you want as an instructor? It’s ultimately all laid out as a scrolling menu that you can look through or search (if you know what you are looking for) but I was not expecting it so I was overwhelmed. It felt like a “Choose Your Own Adventure'“ book where regardless of what I choose, I would want to go back and try all the others. Some of them I knew I didn’t want but there were a bunch that I wanted to try because the workouts seemed like ones I would love (HIIT, Hill rides, Arms and Ride) I decided to pick a 45 minute bike ride to Hip Hop music (because how do you say No to Hip Hop???).
The screen is the perfect size and easy to see the instructor. It really is comparable to a true, live cycling class in the sense that the instructor is interacting with you, cuing you and coaching you as the music plays in the background. What I was most impressed with was the fact that the instructor was consistently providing good form tips. I did not expect this and you guys know how much I love form tips. This was a huge plus with me.
The music was great, definitely the kind of Hip Hop I like and it was a relatively good workout. I wouldn’t say that I felt as motivated as I do in my traditional cycling class at the Gym. There is no energy to feed off of so I would not say that I pushed myself as hard as I could have and the level of intensity doesn’t feel the same. I can see how this would be a great option for someone who has a tight schedule and can only get in a quick workout here and there or parents with kids so they don’t have to worry about finding a gym with childcare. But as someone who works from home, the last thing I need is another reason to stay at home!
If you’re curious about the experience and the workout, you can schedule a free 20 minute session (on either the bike or treadmill) at your local Peloton showroom.
Workout Scale:
Cardio: 2/5
Core: 1/5
Legs: 1/5
Arms: 1/5
