S/o peloton

[Captain Catnip]

There is no way I can afford the bike right now, we are saving up and paying things down for a house and to get out of this apartment. I know some mentioned there's an app that can be used with other bikes. Does anyone have a budget friendly bike they can suggest? I've never done spin before at all but I think this would really benefit me. It's there anything that I can't do if I don't have the actual peloton bike?

[Deleted]

My husband likes his Cycleops Hammer II, it’s a smart trainer.

[joenali]

Do you have a road bike? Or could you afford an entry level road bike? You could then buy a trainer. I have an older smart trainer that hooks up to my Bluetooth and can do indoor rides/workouts. Or pop in an old spinervals dvd and ride that way.

[firedancer10288]

My sister has a peloton and can add up to like 15 riders on her account. I use the peloton app and bought a cheap spin bike on amazon (sunny brand). If you don’t have the peloton bike, I think the app is $20/month.

[VillainV]

Another option is Echelon. It’s about 1/3 the cost and offers all the same things as Peleton. We love ours. There are other competitors at similarly low price points (like NordicTrak) that might be worth looking into.

[thebreakfastclub]

I don't think I'd buy any type of bike in this situation. I stream beach body on demand and cast it to my tv. Many of the workouts are under 30 min, and it's like $8 a month. All you'd need to get started is a set of 5lb dumbbells. It's an easy, cheap way to get in the exercise habit.

[shopgirl07]

I think I would try to take a few spin classes first to see if you even like it.

[Vespasia]

That thread convinced me that I needed an exercise bike but I had no interest in a Peloton for a variety of reasons. 

I ended up buying this:
www.proform.com/exercise-bikes/studio-bike-pro

It has spin classes (recorded) but you can also do video rides all around the world. That's definitely more in line with my interests and I have really enjoyed them so far. Friday was the first time I was able to ride so it's only been three days so far but I don't dread getting on, which is a big improvement over when I just had a regular bikes on a trainer. 

At the time, the deal was $39/month (the cost of their app) for three years and you get the bike for "free." It was less than my gym membership I never used so I figured it was worth it. 

They're currently offering that deal on a lower model but I am not really sure what the difference is: www.proform.com/exercise-bikes/studio-bike-limited

I didn't bother with their assembly because MH was a bike mechanic. It was kind of a pain in the ass to put together but no worse than Ikea furniture. We did switch out the saddle and peddles right away but that was a matter of personal preference. 

[rubytue]

I have a $300 Sunny (from Amazon) that I use with a cadence sensor and the pelaton app. The sunny gets lots of good reviews online. Most get the wahoo cadence sensor, but I got a cheaper one.

[Captain Catnip]

Nov 24, 2019 11:15:10 GMT -5 joenali said:

Do you have a road bike? Or could you afford an entry level road bike? You could then buy a trainer. I have an older smart trainer that hooks up to my Bluetooth and can do indoor rides/workouts. Or pop in an old spinervals dvd and ride that way.

I have a hybrid mountain bike.

[joenali]

Nov 24, 2019 16:31:28 GMT -5 Captain Catnip said:

Nov 24, 2019 11:15:10 GMT -5 joenali said:

Do you have a road bike? Or could you afford an entry level road bike? You could then buy a trainer. I have an older smart trainer that hooks up to my Bluetooth and can do indoor rides/workouts. Or pop in an old spinervals dvd and ride that way.

I have a hybrid mountain bike.

A hybrid could work on a trainer, not sure about a mountain bike. Your local bike store could definitely help you with this.

[sadlebred]

It is a hybrid or a mountain bike? They are two different kind of bikes. Your local bike shop could tell you. Any bike with a quick release wheel can work on a trainer. (If it's a high end mountain bike with a thru axle there are complications that can be overcome to put it on a trainer with an adapter if the trainer offers one). Your quick release lever (what holds the wheel on) may not be compatible with a trainer depending on what make/model of trainer it is, but you can buy a quick release for about $15 that would be compatible. It's super easy to replace the quick release; it takes less than 30 seconds.

I'd take it into your local bike shop and ask for guidance. A smart trainer will start around $400 and go up from there. Some older trainers you can use with an ANT+ sensor or a Bluetooth sensor.

You might be better of getting the spin bike, and it might be a lot less hassle.

These articles might help (warning: This is a techie website for tech-o-phile biking/triathlon geeks--said with love as I am one of them).

www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/01/record-cadence-information.html
www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/the-smart-trainer-recommendations-guide-winter-2019-2020.html

This is a VERY useful article:

www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/11/trainer-apps-guide.html

[Captain Catnip]

Nov 24, 2019 21:44:25 GMT -5 sadlebred said:

It is a hybrid or a mountain bike? They are two different kind of bikes. Your local bike shop could tell you. Any bike with a quick release wheel can work on a trainer. (If it's a high end mountain bike with a thru axle there are complications that can be overcome to put it on a trainer with an adapter if the trainer offers one). Your quick release lever (what holds the wheel on) may not be compatible with a trainer depending on what make/model of trainer it is, but you can buy a quick release for about $15 that would be compatible. It's super easy to replace the quick release; it takes less than 30 seconds.

I'd take it into your local bike shop and ask for guidance. A smart trainer will start around $400 and go up from there. Some older trainers you can use with an ANT+ sensor or a Bluetooth sensor.

You might be better of getting the spin bike, and it might be a lot less hassle.

These articles might help (warning: This is a techie website for tech-o-phile biking/triathlon geeks--said with love as I am one of them).

www.dcrainmaker.com/2014/01/record-cadence-information.html
www.dcrainmaker.com/2019/10/the-smart-trainer-recommendations-guide-winter-2019-2020.html

This is a VERY useful article:

www.dcrainmaker.com/2016/11/trainer-apps-guide.html

It is a hybrid, but leans more mountain than road. I'm looking at stationary, though, because H would also use it and can't with my bike.

[gigem]

Ditto to the recs for a spin bike from Amazon, A small cadence monitor and then the Peloton app. I have a little Garmin cadence monitor. I don’t live in the US so have been just using a spin bike and the app for several years now and it works great for me- I still get in great workouts. I have hand weights from my home workout gear that I use for the arms sections and that’s all you need!

[blane12]

Does anyone else have any experience with the Echelon? They’re running a Black Friday sale for 25% off and I’m really tempted. I’d love a Peloton, but the price point makes it difficult. It looks like the Echelon has good reviews, and the EX3 is only $750 with this sale.

[blane12]

Nov 24, 2019 14:28:22 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Another option is Echelon. It’s about 1/3 the cost and offers all the same things as Peleton. We love ours. There are other competitors at similarly low price points (like NordicTrak) that might be worth looking into.

Which model do
You have?

[VillainV]

Nov 26, 2019 14:14:41 GMT -5 blane12 said:

Nov 24, 2019 14:28:22 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Another option is Echelon. It’s about 1/3 the cost and offers all the same things as Peleton. We love ours. There are other competitors at similarly low price points (like NordicTrak) that might be worth looking into.

Which model do
You have?

We have the EX1. It came with a cheapie android tablet, but can also work with any tablet or phone. When we bought it a year ago the EX3 had just come out. The 3 has a snazzier resistance mechanism and a sportier (but less comfortable) seat. They just released the EX5 that I guess has its own monitor/tablet, but is otherwise like the EX3? We like the EX1 just fine, so it wasn’t worth paying more to get the fancier one.

[msmerymac]

I've heard good things about the Sunny brand for the money. Also, people sell TONS of used gym equipment on marketplace and craigslist - I'd try to get something now before the January goal setters get to it.

Alternate suggestion: Do you have a super cheap gym near you? Planet Fitness has a $10 monthly membership. Or are you concerned you won't get to the gym?

[blane12]

Nov 26, 2019 14:42:06 GMT -5 VillainV said:

Nov 26, 2019 14:14:41 GMT -5 blane12 said:

Which model do
You have?

We have the EX1. It came with a cheapie android tablet, but can also work with any tablet or phone. When we bought it a year ago the EX3 had just come out. The 3 has a snazzier resistance mechanism and a sportier (but less comfortable) seat. They just released the EX5 that I guess has its own monitor/tablet, but is otherwise like the EX3? We like the EX1 just fine, so it wasn’t worth paying more to get the fancier one.

Thanks! I was comparing the bikes, and was leaning toward the 3, but it sounds like the 1 would work fine as well!

[sotally tober]

Nov 26, 2019 15:17:44 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

I've heard good things about the Sunny brand for the money. Also, people sell TONS of used gym equipment on marketplace and craigslist - I'd try to get something now before the January goal setters get to it.

Alternate suggestion: Do you have a super cheap gym near you? Planet Fitness has a $10 monthly membership. Or are you concerned you won't get to the gym?

I've also heard good things about the Sunny bike on amazon and almost bought one until my H was adamant on me getting the Peloton because it was ultimately what I wanted after trying it and falling in love with it at the store. 

In regards to your alternate suggestion - I have a PF gym membership and use it regularly (5-6x/week), but they don't have spin bikes. Actually, I was bummed when I signed up that they didn't have them. When I inquired the girl giving us the tour of the gym said "no, we cater to the normal population at this gym." I was so miffed by it. What the heck does that even mean?! 

[Captain Catnip]

Nov 26, 2019 15:17:44 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

I've heard good things about the Sunny brand for the money. Also, people sell TONS of used gym equipment on marketplace and craigslist - I'd try to get something now before the January goal setters get to it.

Alternate suggestion: Do you have a super cheap gym near you? Planet Fitness has a $10 monthly membership. Or are you concerned you won't get to the gym?

I won't go. I've tried that route before I was working 6 days a week, and now than I am I definitely won't. If I can go home and get dinner etc and do it after that would be best.

[Captain Catnip]

Nov 24, 2019 14:55:23 GMT -5 Vespasia said:

That thread convinced me that I needed an exercise bike but I had no interest in a Peloton for a variety of reasons. 

I ended up buying this:
www.proform.com/exercise-bikes/studio-bike-pro

It has spin classes (recorded) but you can also do video rides all around the world. That's definitely more in line with my interests and I have really enjoyed them so far. Friday was the first time I was able to ride so it's only been three days so far but I don't dread getting on, which is a big improvement over when I just had a regular bikes on a trainer. 

At the time, the deal was $39/month (the cost of their app) for three years and you get the bike for "free." It was less than my gym membership I never used so I figured it was worth it. 

They're currently offering that deal on a lower model but I am not really sure what the difference is: www.proform.com/exercise-bikes/studio-bike-limited

I didn't bother with their assembly because MH was a bike mechanic. It was kind of a pain in the ass to put together but no worse than Ikea furniture. We did switch out the saddle and peddles right away but that was a matter of personal preference. 

Ygpm

[amberlyrose]

We have a star track spinner that we bought used off our spin instructor. Cadence sensor from amazon. You can find some great, sturdy bikes on Craigslist or next door right now.

[isabel]

Costco has a nice looking one for $400. I have no idea if that's a good price point for you.