A spin on the Peloton Bike+

When I first logged in to the Peloton Bike+, I had the option to join all kinds of classes. There are spin workouts, but also other activities such as barre, weights, core and yoga.

Before I joined a class, Peloton prompted me to join some hashtag groups. Popular options included #Pelotonmoms (165,157 members), #Pelo4wine and #Blacklivesmatter. I am not Pelo-ing for wine, nor am I a mom but I did join #Blacklivesmatter, #Pelotoncanada (11,624 members) and #Pelotonzwifters (21 confused members, including me).

The classes are either pre-recorded or live. I found the live classes provided the most immersive experience. Throughout the ride, instructors give individual shout-outs to some of the thousands of riders. There’s also a virtual high-five system I never figured out. Using live leaderboards, riders can see their rankings and sort the leaderboards by a number of factors: gender, age, hashtag groups and more.

The leaderboards made me really push myself – I felt a visceral need to beat Sunnysusie_ from Huntington Beach. The ranking uses the frustrating metric of calories burned (heavily influenced by body size) but I was still determined to burn the most calories as I kept my eyes glued to my ranking number on the right side of the screen.

I think cyclists should take Peloton more seriously. Some of the rides are just as hard as Trainerroad or Zwift workouts. The bike measures power and has an optional 20-minute ftp test. The system is more cleverly addictive and gamified than any other cycling platform I’ve tried.

For someone who would be paying for a gym membership and frequently attending spin classes, a pricey Peloton does actually make sense as an alternative. There’s also the benefit of non-cycling classes on the platform. Faced with a choice between the Wahoo Kickr bike and the Peloton Bike+, I would probably go with the Peloton as it can simply do more. ( Peloton Bike+ Essentials package with bike, monitor, shoes, weights and mat: $3,495; monthly subscription: $49/month; onepeloton.ca) — Lilyhansen-gillis