Lindsay McCusky rides her Peloton at home in Beaconsfield. The screen allows her to connect via the internet to live and on-demand spin classes.John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
The Peloton, a trendy stationary bike designed for home use, has had its share of detractors. Most of the initial backlash on social media was related to its hefty price tag and upwardly mobile demographic (the base model without accessories or discount sells for $2,950. But more recently its holiday ad campaign came under fire for featuring a husband surprising his wife with a Peloton bike for Christmas. Critics remarked that giving an already slim wife an exercise bike sends the wrong message about body image.
Lindsay McCusky of Beaconsfield relates to the comments about the big price tag but doesnt share the same sense of indignation about the ad campaign. Parents to a toddler and a pre-schooler, she and her husband Adam Barrette struggled finding time to get to the gym. They bought a Peloton four months ago and couldnt be happier with their investment.
After months of deliberation, we finally decided to get one, McCusky said. For us its a big expenditure, but its become our thing and its nice to do as a couple.
The unit looks like the spin bikes found in fitness studios, but comes equipped with a 22-inch touchscreen tablet that connects via the internet to live and on-demand spin classes. Using the Peloton app (membership is $49 a month), cyclists can join in on classes in real time, taught by instructors at Pelotons studio in New York City, or choose from thousands of archived classes that can be enjoyed anytime. Classes can be chosen by instructor, type of music, length and/or intensity and level of instruction novice to veteran.
McCusky is a fan of the on-demand classes, which she taps into when the baby naps or any other time she can get away for a quick workout. Barrette, who travels extensively for work, prefers the competitiveness of the live classes where he can compare his efforts to the thousands of others who tune in from home. As cyclists log in, their name, age (by decade), location (by city) and workouts stats are displayed to everyone on the ride. The leaderboard shows the cyclist with greatest energy output, along with, in descending order, everyone else trying to catch up. It can also be filtered by age and gender so cyclists can see how they compare to their peers.
Instructors are featured full-screen with a small number of class members visible in the background. Its not uncommon for instructors to give a shout out to cyclists at home who are at the top of the leaderboard and to those working hard to displace them.
For most cyclists joining in on the ride, the stats are the thing. Real time personal stats are displayed on the touchscreen: cadence, level of resistance, energy output and heart rate if the cyclist wears a monitor. It also shows the leaderboard and the relative position of the cyclist taking the class at home. Riders can also view the stats of their previous personal best, which tends to amp up engagement. For those who want a less competitive ride, its possible to toggle off the stats and enjoy the experience without getting fed a bunch of numbers.
It was Barrette who pushed to get the Peloton. He used the bike frequently in hotels during his business travels thoroughly enjoyed the experience. McCusky was home with the kids while he travelled, making it difficult to get out of the house for a workout. Work and a young family has changed their lifestyle considerably from the days when they played intercollegiate sports (she played hockey, he played rugby). The Peloton bike allows them to workout with minimum fuss and bother.
They bought the whole package bike ($2,625), shoes (two pairs at $165 each), heart rate monitor ($65) and home delivery and set up ($325). And because Peloton doesnt sell or deliver to Quebec, they had the bike shipped to a friends house in Ottawa. Total price tag, including tax and a small discount: $3,638.60.
I loved it right away, said McCusky, who tried it the first time when it arrived at her house. She hadnt taken a spin class in over 10 years, so she started with a beginner ride. Since then shes been on the bike five times a week, most of the time for a maximum of 30 minutes.
Some people have tried to get around the steep price tag by DIY-ing their own version of the experience with a cheaper bike, the Peloton app and their own tablet propped up on their handlebars. But anyone who is motivated by the steady stream of personal metrics and chasing cyclists higher up on the leaderboard will miss that extra bit of motivation that comes with being plugged into the complete experience.
As for whether giving a Peloton bike to your spouse as a Christmas present will result in outrage or joy, you know best.
(Peloton has expanded to treadmills, and the app also features yoga and fitness classes.)
(Statistics supplied by Peloton)
See more here:
Jill Barker: Couple goes the distance to get a Peloton. The verdict? - Montreal Gazette
