Home Gym Hack: Get the Peloton Experience Without the Peloton Price

Our expert advice on how you can get as close to an in-studio spin class experience as possible within your own home and at a better overall cost.

With the craze that is Peloton sweeping the nation, you’ve probably found yourself Googling information on the bike, reading reviews and trying to justify the $3,000 price point as some kind of “investment” to your fitness regime. Let us stop you there. With our expert knowledge on the market of indoor spin bikes and available apps, we’ve found some options that will give you just as great of a workout but still leave you with some money in your pocket.
Check Price on amazon

After trying so many bikes and apps, there’s no doubt that many users looking to purchase an indoor bike feel overwhelmed and not sure if the Peloton is really worth the cost.

Here’s our verdict: the things that makes Peloton such a hot commodity are its instructors and fun workouts on the app. With experienced trainers, modern music and multiple themed ride options, Peloton stands out amongst its competitors as one of the best fitness apps on the market. Peloton’s app gives you the ability to join a live class filmed in NYC where the instructor can call you out by name as if you were riding in the room with them. The app informs you what cadence, resistance and overall intensity you should be at throughout the ride. While the Peloton bike automatically adjusts your resistance for you, this is something users could easily do manually with a different bike.

So, if all the glory is really in the app, couldn’t you just buy a less expensive bike and use your own tablet or airdrop to TV option with the Peloton app? The answer is YES! One of our favorite, affordable bikes from fitrated.com is the Sole SB700. If you were to purchase a 50” TV (around $500), Apple TV program ($150) and iPad pro (around $600), in addition to the cost of the SB700, you would still come out spending nearly $200 to $350 less than the purchase of the Peloton bike. The Peloton App itself requires a monthly subscription around $40/month, so if users already have a TV, tablet or phone device to play the app on, costs are much more affordable than purchasing the whole Peloton bike.

When it comes to the physical bike experience, we found the best features about the Peloton were its aerodynamic handlebar setup, three points of adjustment for accurate setup for riders, smooth magnetic flywheel and comfortable narrow seat. The Sole SB700, by comparison, also has aerodynamic handlebars, three points of adjustment, and a light 48lb flywheel that will provide a super smooth and quiet ride. The seat on the SB700 may be slightly less cushioned but could easily be swapped for personal preference. The SB700 is an overall lighter machine, therefore making it much easier to maneuver around your home than the Peloton. The Peloton may appear sleeker in its sturdy frame and wider handlebars but in terms of feel, the SB700 is going to give you an equally smooth ride at a fraction of the cost.

The Peloton bike comes with specific clip-in pedals that require a matching shoe to use with it, but could be swapped for a different pedal due to its universal threading. The SB700 comes with cage pedals that accommodate running shoes but could also be swapped for clip-in pedals for a more controlled ride. Both bikes allow users to interchange the pedals to their chosen footwear.

Like most aspects of life, people like to keep things interesting, especially when it comes to working out. By purchasing a more affordable bike and app separately, you will have the option to try different fitness apps such as the iFit Coach, Echelon or even just riding to YouTube videos of instructors, in addition to the Peloton App. There may be occasions when users just want to ride to their favorite music or Netflix series, and by doing this through their own tablet or phone, will give them the option to not have a bulky screen attached to their handlebars.

Aside from using the option of riding to a screen program in addition to the Sole SB700, the bike still includes a small LED console that registers RPMs, speed, and distance and estimated calories burned. It also includes the option to purchase a heart rate monitor that will connect to the console.

Overall, we encourage users to explore the different features of the Sole SB700 in our full review and download the Peloton app on their personal tablets to start experiencing what the hype is all about. We can appreciate that most people are willing to invest in great products to achieve their ultimate fitness goals, but does it have to mean forking out every penny you have to do so? Nope, it doesn’t.
Check Price on amazon