The First Three Months of Riding a Peloton Bike (Review + Discount Promo Code)
/@kseniyamartin I didn’t expect to love it so much. 🚴🏻♀️ @Peloton #peloton #pelotonbike ♬ original sound - kseniya
I have never been athletic – despite both of my parents being athletes in their prime – and I’ve always hated working out – despite my many attempts at joining gyms and yoga studios – and, yet, here I am singing the praises of a stationary bike.
As Peloton’s marketing will tell you, their bike is more than just a bike, it’s a community. Though I haven’t found my community on Peloton – outside of my friends who also have the bike – the instructors have quickly become mine even though they don’t know that I exist (except for Bradley who always sends some sort of an “I see you” message every time I mention him in my Instagram stories). Look, I’m not mad about that because the instructors are stars in their own right and it’s impossible to keep up with your mentions when you have hundreds of thousands of followers.
But I digress.
I bought the bike sort of kind of on a whim. It’s been on my wishlist for years. It’s an investment and looking at my past history of working out it was not a wise one. When the shutdown happened and our Y membership was put on hold, I missed occasionally moving my body even though I hated the process of getting ready for the gym, getting there, and using the equipment in front of everyone.
I tried a popular app (lauded by mommy influencers) for at home workouts in 2020, however, I hated every moment of it. It felt like a chore and the UX was not conducive for those who are out of shape or starting their fitness journey. I got rid of my wasted $20 per month subscription after a year. In early 2021, I signed up for the Peloton app. They had a free trial followed by $13 per month after that. Yoga with Aditi felt like therapy, whether it was a 10 minute restorative class or a 45 minute flow that invigorated me. Meanwhile, my husband enjoyed their strength classes.
At that time we lived in a 1000 sq. ft. apartment and every square inch was spoken for so getting a stationary bike – despite its small footprint – was out of the question. We moved back to our house in the suburbs of North Carolina in July and the plans to one day acquire the bike began. I knew exactly where it would go.
We continued to use the Peloton app to work out. The urge for cardio became stronger and stronger and the urge to rejoin a gym just wasn’t there. Getting ready and commuting to the gym was a chore I never wanted to partake in ever again. I don’t like dealing with the outside elements (rain, heat, snow, etc.) so going for walks or riding an actual bike has never been part of my fitness routine. I like the idea of being able to workout at a moment’s notice – a moment such as rising anxiety or moving my body just because. I wanted to feel better in my sack of bones, I wanted to become stronger, and I wanted to improve endurance so that I didn’t feel exhausted at the end of every day.
So, on the last day of 2021, I placed and order for a Peloton bike and it arrived seven days later. It’s been my 3x6 ft oasis ever since.
A lot can be said about what’s currently happening over on the corporate side of Peloton, however, my favorite take can be found over at Anne Helen Petersen’s Culture Study Substack. All that aside, I didn’t expect to like riding the bike as much as I have or that I would be on it this often three months in.
For the first time in my life I enjoy working out. For the first time in my life I’m keeping up with what’s being asked of me during the classes. For the first time in my life I’m not last during a physical activity or competition. On days when my legs don’t want to leg or I choose a class that’s more difficult than expected, I still show up. I show up for me. Even on bad days I’m still getting stronger and taking care of me – something I’ve done a terrible job of doing the past couple of years.
Yes, I’m now that person, posting workout stats on Instagram stories and talking about the instructors like they’re people I know in real life.
Anyways, there is a discount code if you ever want to join me on the leaderboard. Use P2ED0Q0 to save $300 off any Bike, Bike+, or Tread purchase until 3/21/22. If you miss that, code D6X6ED gets you $100 off accessories whenever you buy a Bike, Bike+, or Tread and is valid until it’s not.
See you there?
