(Part 2) Best products from r/pelotoncycle

1. I think the mat is needed on a tile floor, my opinion
   
   
2. I prefer SPD clips, I swapped out the pedals, bought on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E7UZBNA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
   
   and purchased shoes (Shimano are my preferred shoes)
   
   
3. 3 lb weights, but buy in a sporting goods store
   
   
4. I have found that the Trekz Air have been amazing, they sit over your ear, so they do not get sweaty inside the ear which can cause infections (disgusting and TMI, I know), but the Trekz can be cleaned off between each user
   
   
5. The schosche rythym arm band heart rate monitor, it does not connect to the bluetooth, but rather by ANT+, it is the way to go, though I shut my system down each use in order for it to connect properly each ride, I've learned this over my year plus with my Pelo
   
   
6. Get the warranty, I haven't needed it, but someone I know did and it was for a part, they were not able to fix the part so they gave them a whole new bike, might as well, to be safe I think...
   
   
7. No regrets, I even set up my "dreadmill" in front of a flat screen and use it to do the running classes and the bootcamp, it is amazing, just like having Orange Theory plus a running coach in your home. It's the best!
   
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   Also, this one is silly, but these towels wash up great and are perfect for grabbing each workout:
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008R51V94/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o09__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have the Sunny Magnetic Resistance . Got it for $480 (watch camelcamelcamel for price drops). I got the wahoo cadence monitor ($40), I received the wahoo heart rate monitor as a gift, and both cadence and heart rate display on the app screen on my iPad. I put on my pedals/bike shoes from my road bike, as I started in the winter (and recently got new pedals for the road bike now that I know I will get use out of both).

Regarding resistance, the resistance knob turns 10 full revolutions, so I count each half turn as 5 points. If you are lighter or heavier, your “starting point” could be different. I get a great workout.

So what I’m ‘missing out’ on from the true experience is the leaderboard and metrics - specifically output. I am more interested in getting a good workout for myself and don’t need to compare to others on the leaderboard, so that’s not a loss for me. Output and metrics over time would be neat, sure, but for saving about $2k upfront and $20/month, it’s not that worth it for me. I have a friend who has a real Peloton bike, and uses it a small fraction of what I do - it’s about you, not about the bike itself.

I’m super happy with my setup, and would recommend it to you.

alright !!!!! that’s SO exciting welcome 💪🏽
one thing you’ll want is to get is Dry Lube Cleat Spray after a few rides unsprayed when you’re out of the saddle it may start to squeak on your pedals. Of course make sure your pedals are tightened. The real culprit however is just friction from the pedals to cleat. Just spray this inside your cleat crevases and wait to dry & the noise should disappear. I bought 1 bottle, sprayed once & the noise hasn’t come back lol in i feel like a little less than a year. so it’s TOTALLY worth.

welcome!! ✨✨✨✨

My husband and I have our DIY setup in our garage and absolutely love it! I was hesitant to purchase a new Peloton since I had never been the workout-at-home type and was worried this expensive piece of workout equipment would become a dust collector in our garage. We decided to try the DIY workaround before investing a lot of money into the "real" thing.

We use a Sunny B1805 with the Wahoo Cadence sensor attached to the crank arm. I really wanted a magnetic belt drive and this one was probably the most affordable we found. I wish we had spent a little more and invested in a bike that comes with SPD pedals since I know we will be upgrading those in the near future. Other than that the bike is great and I highly recommend it!

We live in CA where the weather is mild pretty much all year so we decided to put the bike in our garage. We screen cast the classes to a TV we have hung up on the wall using an AppleTV and use our phones to view cadence in the Wahoo app. I also have a FitBit Versa that I use for HR purposes, though it does not sync with the Peloton app (huge bummer).

Other odds and ends we have in our setup: WiHoo Mini Handheld Portable Fan we attach to the tablet holder, floor fan, a set of Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbells for strength classes (we don't do weights on the bike), and a basic Yoga mat.

It has surprised me just how happy I am with this setup! I thought I would feel like I was missing out by not having the leader board and not being able to track my stats. But I have yet to take a live class since the times don't work well for us west coasters with 9-5 jobs and commutes. And while I would like to be able to see output and resistance, I don't feel like my workout is suffering for not having them. I used to take spin classes regularly and most of those were about feel rather than exact numbers.

We've been using this setup since July and, honestly, I don't see myself buying a Peloton now. If anything I may upgrade to a better bike at some point. But for $20 a month I am getting an excellent workout that dips and sways with my schedule. I don't think I could justify being locked into $40 a month when I don't feel I am missing out much on the extras that come with the full price.

Here's a pic of our setup.

After screwing up one of the pedals on a free Craigslist Sunny bike, we decided to splurge a little and get this sweet magnetic resistance cycle. It’s super quiet, responsive and just plain fun. Very happy with the purchase.

I just had my second bike install (in my second house). Before delivery I set up three fans. I find that I can't have too much wind -- it makes a huge difference in the amount I sweat and my performance. I like these from Amazon because they work well, aren't too expensive, and you can control multiple fans from the bike with one remote:

https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Adjustable-Oscillating-Standing-Pedestal/dp/B07BNGPWT4

If you aren't getting your shoes delivered at the same time, you'll want those ready so you can climb on and test things out while the installers are there.

Of course, ready your account and wifi password so that you can log in to the bike right away.

I also like to have a tallish shelf/table/stand next to the bike to store kleenex, extra drinks, towels, phone, whatnot at arms reach, but you can figure that out after delivery according to your preference.

Congrats on your purchase and welcome to the club!

Like others have said. Get a scosche Rythem+. It just works and its comfortable. The Peloton HRM is not great.

The mat is ok.

Go to a bike shop and get fit for good shoes....The peloton shoes are ok, but I prefer sidi. Get aftermarket delta look cleats, the peloton cleats are not great. Or replace the pedals completely.A good fan is also almost a requirement.


For bluetooth headphones the system works better if you turn off bluetooth on the tablet and connect an external bluetooth adapter. This corrects the issue many have with audio syncing being off.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KO1JNCA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WS1NFA6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02__o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I was a road biker for 17 years, so I'm using my bibs. The quality of the chamois is the main thing.

If you're going to take rides over an hour, you can get chamois cream at a bike store to prevent rashes.

If you don't want to get your headphones all sweaty, an external bluetooth speaker is great. I got the Tribit- good sound at a good price.

I didn't want my black mat to get filled with white spots from the salt in my sweat, so I got a couple of black towels to put on the floor.

I've found these 12" square towels are great for wiping your head during the workout.

My go-to for preventing cramping: Hammer Endurolyte tablets- no added sugar and all the electrolytes you'll need.

If you're not used to regular road bike saddles, give yourself a couple of weeks to acclimatize your butt.

Once you're in the groove, consider doing Wilpers's FTP test. It's a great way to see gauge your fitness over time.

At my age, I only do 3 rides a week, but I see a lot of younger people riding almost every day. However, I would not do HIIT rides without a day of rest in between, no matter what your age.

Have fun!

I found these shorts to be pretty good (note, they aren't "real gel" -- i used to have a pair of specialized ones that had real gel that were better, but they cost at least 3X)

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https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072BHZYF8/

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Also a lotion like this:

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https://www.amazon.com/DZNuts-Chamois-Cream-ounce-120ml/dp/B001C6DIF0/

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really helps

Agreed, its a good idea for folks who already have a shoe with different cleats. I already had SPD compatible shoes and didn't want to spend the extra $ on the Peloton shoes. Did something similar but with Shimano pedals:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MZ2AGO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Allows my 15 y.o. daughter who does not have cycling shoes to take advanced beginner rides and a couple of friends who have been curious have also been able to try out the bike.

The R530s are on sale for $39.99 on Performance:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product2_10052_10551_1108401_-1

Pretty sure these are the pedals I have on my Peloton, $29.99 on Performance:
http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product2_10052_10551_1167364_-1

And these are the pedals I have on my cross/town bike. They have a platform on the flip side, $42.45:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MZ2AGO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The clip for the SPD style cleats is smaller - much smaller and harder to clip into than the LOOK style. But once you get used to it, they are really easy. Overall, I'm glad I made the switch.

I got the Peloton HRM as part of the bundle. As long as you take proper care of it (rinse always, wash as needed), and unclip it after each use, it should work pretty well. I think it has received a bad rap because the proper care of the band is not mentioned (AFAIK; or at least easily missed).

The $10-$15 replacement straps sold on Amazon should work fine to replace your missing strap... But you might consider putting that money toward a different HRM altogether. (Example: https://www.amazon.com/Universal-Replacement-Monitor-Adjustable-Elastic/dp/B07L1FLB1J)

After reading that thread about Theragun, I've been researching the percussive therapy options to deal with soreness. Foam rollers and post-workout static stretching are supposed to help too. But $600 for the top of the line Theragun option made me look at the alternatives. The first thing I'm going to try is this Wahl corded option, since I don't strictly need a cordless option for home use, for less than $30 to see how it does. From a video I saw it doesn't look like it has a stroke length as long as the Theragun, but if it is effective anyway I'm not sure how much that would matter.

But yes it is miserable to have to wait 4 days to recover from a hard workout, and some of these longer bodyweight workouts are quite taxing.

Buy in November to take advantage of the extended holiday return policy.

https://www.amazon.com/Tissue-Percussion-Therapeutic-Handheld-Massager/dp/B00BTYYCKK

I'm a huge fan of this headband (French Fitness Revolution) from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MQ45I6X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I wasn't sure that I was going to like over the ear headphones when doing a workout so I went on the cheap to try it out:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076HPB1HQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Love these and just wipe them down after a workout...

Knock on wood...I've never had one. My dad used to get them, and I saw first hand how painful they could be! I think one of the best things you can invest in is an open saddle such as the Selle SMP Trk. Both males and females will benefit from the open area of the saddle under the Perineum. This area contains nerves and blood vessels that are irritated from cycling. Proper seat height and fore/aft adjustments are critical for proper fit and avoiding injury. I also wear cycling pants that are padded.

Here's a link to the Selle SMP saddle I have on my Peloton and mountain bike. It's worth every penny!!!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FFZ6JFA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's a link to the Selle site...

https://www.sellesmp.com/en/trk-medium-gel.html

Good link for proper seat fitting...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE3XyTXUIxU

Here's what I use to measure angles. I bought a wooded yardstick and cut it in half to extend the length of the digital angle gauge. I temporarily attached them with zip ties. A large nut or bolt is all you need to weigh down the string.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Johnson-11-in-Digital-Angle-Locator-and-Ruler-1888-1100/204513511

Mat for under bike: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00113M6UC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sweat bands (get at least 2): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J1MKFFS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Tall Standing fan (amazon basic one is great): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BNK6T5Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Cotton Hand towels work great: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C41SYJ7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

Cell phone holder (optional, but I have to keep up with work at all times): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PS3ME2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I bought this lubricant from Amazon, which worked great!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N4OO6EA/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Someone recommended this spray to me. Worked like a charm.

Finish Line Pedal and Cleat Dry Film Lubricant Aerosol, 5-Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N4OO6EA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Bx07Cb0PN6N8C

Spray lube for me! Finish Line Pedal and Cleat Dry Film Lubricant Aerosol,