Author Topic: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?  (Read 849 times)

englishteacheralex

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Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« on: November 07, 2022, 10:37:55 AM »
We (husband/wife) have decided to get a used spinning-style exercise bike off Facebook Marketplace. I have an appointment next weekend to go pick up a Bowflex C6, the #1 Wirecutter recommended spin bike, for $275. Are there any free or low-cost subscription services, or even just good Youtube channels that have some workouts available?

Also, if anyone has a better idea for an effective, low-cost at-home spinning program, I'm all ears.

A couple of facts about our situation:

1. We don't live in an area that is at all conducive to biking outside
2. We both have at-home fitness routines already, so we think it's likely the bike will get sufficient use to justify its cost
3. We don't want a bike that requires a subscription or the purchase of clip-in bike shoes
4. We have health conditions (weak knees, bladder prolapse) that make us think a stationary bike would be a good low-impact cardio option

srad

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Re: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2022, 11:17:24 AM »
You can get a Peloton subscription without the bike. And now Peloton has so much more than just biking on its platform as well. Its pretty good bang for your buck.  Not free, but for the convince,  its pretty nice.

I wanted to try out the Peloton before dropping lots of money on it so I purchased a sub $200 bike and a Peloton subscription (I think it was around $15 a month).  Had it for about 2 months.  Liked it so much I went ahead and purchased a Peloton bike, which I'm still riding two years later.

Also, I think almost any stationary bike can be used without clip in pedals. You just have to buy the pedals and an alum or crescent wrench if you don't have one that fits already.

englishteacheralex

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Re: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2022, 11:25:16 AM »
Huh. I didn't realize you could just get the Peloton app without having to buy the expensive bike, which for some reason (I think?) also requires you to buy a $40/month subscription just for the bike to be functional. I've written off the whole Peloton thing for years because it just seemed like an expensive status symbol to me, and I'm used to doing cheap workouts at home based on Youtube videos and books from the library.

Looks like just the Peloton app is $13/month. Seems reasonable--that's less than Netflix these days. A cursory glance implies that the app has loads of content beyond just biking, which also could be useful since we have some gym equipment in the carport that we use regularly. Do they incorporate modifications for folks who don't have full functionality? I'm used to figuring out my own modifications for exercises that won't work for me, but huge bonus points for instructors who do this automatically.

Is the Peloton app easy to cancel? What do folks like/dislike about it?

trc4897

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Re: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« Reply #3 on: November 07, 2022, 11:54:53 AM »
Regarding #3 - If you don't want to use the Peloton clip in pedals, you can buy something like this. There are a bunch of different types on amazon. I used a friends last month and he had these and they worked great

https://www.amazon.com/ATP-Sports-Pedal-Converters-Peloton/dp/B091J8L5TV/ref=sr_1_8?crid=2WQNT4YDF5HOY&keywords=peloton+bike+clip+convertors&qid=1667847175&s=sporting-goods&sprefix=peloton+bike+clip+convertors%2Csporting%2C127&sr=1-8

FLBiker

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Re: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« Reply #4 on: November 08, 2022, 01:47:26 PM »
We got a reasonably priced spin bike a couple of years ago when we moved mid-pandemic and set up a home gym.  I put a smart TV in front of the bike, and I use "rhythm cycling" videos from Youtube.  I absolutely love it.  I don't really use it in the summer, but winter is coming (here in Canada) and it's a great way to work out at lunch.  My favorite is Gabriella Guevara.  She has some great 20 and 30 minute workouts that I'll do at lunch (not to mention plenty of longer ones).

cannotWAIT

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Re: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2022, 06:42:57 PM »
In October 2020 I got a cheap spin bike and the Peloton app. There's an entire FB group for people who take this approach, although I can't remember the name of it right now. Anyway, I don't use the bike much anymore but I am a HUGE fan of the app and have used it at least 4x/week ever since. It has fantastic, varied, well-programmed classes in weight lifting, Pilates, barre, yoga, stretching, foam rolling, running, walking, and more. You can sort by instructor, difficulty, length, type of music, etc. There are live classes and on demand classes. There are a number of very active Peloton FB groups--I especially like one called Hardcore On the Floor which provides an intelligently planned monthly calendar of Peloton classes that the group members all follow together.

Rubic

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Re: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« Reply #6 on: November 14, 2022, 06:36:37 AM »
I was a spin instructor for about 5 years. If you're purchasing a used spin bike from an individual (vs a gym) it should be a good value. Spin bikes at the gym typically get a lot of abuse.

The main problem (and challenge as an instructor) is to keep the sessions from getting boring. A good selection of music and motivating workouts can make all the difference.

englishteacheralex

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Re: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« Reply #7 on: November 14, 2022, 08:41:41 AM »
Yesterday we got a Bowflex C6 from Facebook Marketplace for $275. It is barely used and I'm impressed at how well made it seems to be. It's completely silent--I've never taken a spin class so I didn't realize the bikes were so quiet.

I subscribed to the Peloton app and am experimenting with my free trial right now. Just did my first ride yesterday and it was painful! But I'm excited to try all this new stuff out. I've acquired a small collection of used workout equipment over the years and I think I'll really enjoy the many different types of classes on the Peloton app. $13/month seems very reasonable to me. The Bowflex was a steal.


Trede

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Re: Home Spinning/Peloton knockoff on the Cheap?
« Reply #8 on: November 14, 2022, 11:39:22 AM »
Another workout source (that I use) is Les Mills+ (formerly Les Mills On Demand).  It's a subscription for all kinds of workouts, and they have three programs that are spinning-based: RPM, Sprint, and Trip.  I use Chromecast and my PC to cast to either the living room or my office, depending on the workout, but I know there's an app as well.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!