Friday I’m In Love: DIY Peloton
Trying to be cool on a limited budget.
I hate when people talk about their fitness routines. Also, when they talk about their diets. And also when they talk about how much weight they’ve lost and how much weight they need to lose. It all makes me uncomfortable—and I’m willing to admit that all of this says way more about me than about people who talk about fitness/health/diet/whatever. I mean, except for crossfitters. They’re all nuts and they talk about crossfit because they’re nuts. (Maybe I should try a crossfit class?)
Also, once someone referred to me as “surprisingly athletic,” which is a wild back-handed compliment mixed with a scathing insult. I still don’t know what it actually means.
I feel like you all needed that prologue to prepare for this week’s FIIL bombshell.
Like most middle-aged white people, I’ve wanted a Peloton bike for a while. They look cool, they offer some sort of quantified fitness experience. And they cost a stupid amount of money. Seriously. The bike + accessories + mandatory white-glove delivery/setup (there’s no way a regular human could set up an exercise bike alone!) will run about $2500. Then you pay $40/mo. for access to classes, data tracking, etc.
Spending $3,000 for a year of spin classes wasn’t a part of the upto12 family budget. So I started looking for alternatives. I knew that my odds of working out were higher if I could do it at home. I knew that riding a bike was more attractive than running on a treadmill (I hate running on treadmills). And I knew that having structured on-demand classes would help me make some progress instead of just pedaling while going nowhere.
Of course, I wasn’t the only one who had thought about trying something like this. First, I found this article about DIY Peloton solutions:
Then, I found this Facebook group:
It turns out, you can buy a relatively inexpensive spin bike, make a few modifications, and then sign up for Peloton Digital for just $20/mo. I did too much research, read way too many reviews, then pulled the trigger on my own setup. Here’s what I did…
I bought a belt-drive, magnetic resistance spin bike for $382. This one, to be exact. I downloaded the Peloton app and subscribed for $19.49/mo. I added a cadence sensor (which syncs seamlessly with the Peloton app), found on Amazon for $40. I used my old (series 1) Apple Watch to track my heart rate and calories burned.
The total cost for my DIY Peloton? $420 + $20/mo. Is it the same as the luxury Peloton experience? No. Of course not. I have to guess at some of the resistance numbers and I don’t get all the data tracking that comes with the official Peloton bike. But, I saved $2,000 up front and I’ve saved $20/mo. for the last six months. When I hit 100 rides, I spent another $85 on some discount/clearance upgrades from Performance Bike (going out of business!): dual platform pedals, cycling shoes, and a new saddle.
Best of all, I ride nearly every morning. I’ve logged about 140 rides since I started and, please forgive me for what appears to be a gross endorsement of something that is not food- or music-related, but I really love the platform, the classes, the instructors, and the variety of workouts. For $20/mo., the app now offers cycling, strength, yoga, meditation, bootcamp, stretching, running, and walking classes. And you can share your app membership with up to six different people. Do with that information what you will.
Do I have a fitness routine now? Yes. Have I lost some weight? Yes. Am I following a diet? Well, I had fried chicken, grits and Rice-Krispie-crusted french toast for breakfast this morning, so draw your own conclusions.
I guess I’m in love with finding your own version of whatever you need to make some changes. If I can do it, anyone can. Remember, I’m surprisingly athletic.
P.S. This thread from @ClueHeywood on Twitter (click through to see them all) is reason alone to hack your own Peloton system and put it in your grimy garage. Pure magic.
Every Friday I share something I love. Usually, it’s a new infatuation. Occasionally, it’s something else. We’ll see how it goes. Thanks for the theme song, Phoebe Bridgers!
