PART 1

GETTING THINGS SET UP

PELO TIP 1: PLACEMENT

One of the first things you will notice when you receive your bike (or when you look one over in the store) is that the Peloton Bike takes up relatively little space compared to other exercise machines. If you have only seen Peloton’s television commercials, you may think that you’ll need a large room (in a mansion with sweeping views of the ocean or mountains) in order to operate your bike comfortably. Nothing could be further from the truth!

I understand why Peloton’s ad agency has chosen to block their shots this way—and to position the bikes in locales that are likely to add a little glamour to the brand—but a mansion room looking out on a mountaintop vista is optional.

At only four feet long and two feet wide, you can easily situate a Peloton Bike in the smallest of small apartments. And there’s nothing wrong with positioning facing a wall. In fact, that actually might be the best place! You see, most of the time, your attention will be on an instructor (or scenic ride) being displayed on the twenty-two-inch tablet in front of you. Views that compete with the Peloton screen might actually be counterproductive (especially if you’re an easily distracted person, like me).

If you do have a little extra space, it’s optimal when positioning your Peloton to try to keep a clearance of at least two feet on either side of the bike. This is not only so you can get on and off the machine (and clip in and out of the pedals) more easily, but also so you won’t knock anything over when extending your arms. As I noted earlier, Peloton workouts can often incorporate arm weights and/or stretching exercises. You’ll want to be able to do these without worrying about hitting a wall!

Another question you will want to ask when it comes to positioning your Peloton Bike is “How good is the Wi-Fi?” This was something my wife and I had to adjust when we purchased our bike. Our initial placement location turned out to be fine for streaming classes, but we noticed there were connectivity problems when it came to screen-casting off-bike exercises on a television in another room. (More on troubleshooting this issue later.) But suffice to say, if you can position the Peloton close to your router, without any walls separating the two, it will probably optimize your overall experience.

PELO TIP 2: SURFACE

As something of a subset of the question “Where in my house should I put my bike?” I encourage you also to think about the physical surface you are going to be placing the bike on.

Many of us have homes with floor surfaces that vary. However, it is generally not a good idea to split your Peloton between types of flooring. For example, placing the front of the bike on a hardwood floor and the back on carpet or rug can result in the bike rocking and a funny, unstable feeling when you’re riding. You’ll want to avoid this, especially when you build your way up to the more challenging rides that involve lifting your body up off the saddle. It’s okay to place the bike entirely on carpet, but it may take a short while for it to “settle in”—depending on the carpet’s plushness. And make sure you’re okay with deep indentations forming in the carpet/rug underneath your Peloton Bike, because, brother, it’s going to happen. (Some people put a piece of plywood down beneath the carpet for this reason.) Most Peloton enthusiasts will tell you that solid, level floor is ideal, and many feel that hardwood floors are optimal. If you go this route, it is a good idea to use a high-density mat beneath the bike, so that you don’t damage the bike or the floor. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the high(er)-priced Peloton mat that the company offers for this purpose, but it should definitely be durable, textured, and slip-resistant (to prevent the bike from moving around). A mat also serves the helpful function of catching sweat for easy cleanup after a workout (and—believe me—you are going to sweat!), and it can also protect your floors from scratches if you wear clip-on cleats.

By taking a moment to find the optimal floor surface for your Peloton Bike, you’ll help ensure that you get a comfortable ride and that you, your bike, and your flooring stay as safe and protected as possible.

PELO TIP 3: HOLD YOUR DELIVERY GUYS HOSTAGE. SERIOUSLY.

Most books about optimizing exercise equipment would not ask you to hold anybody hostage—even figuratively—but this is not most books.

The people who deliver your Peloton are going to be one of your biggest assets when it comes to getting the most out of your bike. They are also, paradoxically, going to be unlikely to want to stick around to answer questions and troubleshoot. This isn’t personal. They’re just busy. However, because of the knowledge they can provide, it’s going to be on you to optimize your time with them.

Just like the sales personnel you’ll encounter in the store at the mall, Peloton’s delivery people are going to be extremely well trained, exceedingly polite, and very knowledgeable. That’s the good news. The bad news is they are also very, very busy.

When the delivery people arrive at your residence, their goal is going to be to set up your new bike as quickly as possible, check to make sure everything is in working order, and give you just enough basics on the bike (such as adjusting the seat and handlebars and making sure your touch screen tablet is functioning correctly) to get you flying under your own power, so to speak. The moment that’s done, they’ll need to rush off to their next delivery in order to meet their quota for the day.

Now, it’s possible that you’ll be among those Peloton customers who are completely in tune with all the latest technology and who never have any mechanical issues with a piece of equipment. If that’s the case, more power to you! But if you’re the kind of person who sometimes needs a nudge in the right direction when it comes to technology, you’ll want to make sure you maximize your time with the delivery people.

The first best practice for maximizing your time is to know exactly where you want them to install the bike and have your home Wi-Fi username and password handy. Hemming and hawing on either of these while the techs wait around is a very bad use of your time with them.

My next tip is to pay close attention to what the people setting up your bike say to you! It would not be unreasonable for you to consider recording them on your phone, or for you to take written notes regarding what they have to say.

Even assuming that you are a quick study—and already accustomed to using things like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on your devices—it is more than likely that in your excitement to get this beautiful piece of machinery set up so you can start riding, you might not be in the right mindset to pay close attention to the rapid-fire instructions that these delivery people are giving you (and largely doing by rote). It is also possible that shortly after they leave—even if you’ve been paying close attention—you’ll have forgotten all the important things they said. Hey, it happens to the best of us! So take notes. Take a video. And really listen to what the bike techs are telling you.

If you do this, you will maximize the time available for questions, which is what you really want to do.

The game is to keep them at your house as long as possible. Would I tell you to be above stooping to reliable tricks to make them stick around? If that’s what you think, then you’re reading the wrong kind of Peloton book!

One way to make your bike tech linger (and answer questions) is to offer them a beverage—which they will certainly be grateful for. Offer to let them use the bathroom, or offer them a snack if it’s handy. Think of them as a guest you’re trying to get to linger for just a bit longer.

Another—and perhaps more controversial tactic in this connection—is to offer a gratuity right out of the gate. If it feels awkward to hand someone a a twenty-dollar bill the moment they put down the bike, there are ways to be more subtle about it. One way to signal that you will be tipping your Peloton delivery person is to put the money out in a conspicuous place. You want them thinking that if they answer all your questions and really take their time with you, it is going to be worth it to them. (I recognize that some might take umbrage at needing to tip these delivery people at all. If this bike was a major purchase for you—which it probably was—and you’ve already shelled out “a lot of money,” then the last thing you want to do is spend more. But even if you’re somebody who doesn’t usually tip service people, I encourage you to make an exception here. It’s hard for me to think of a tip that is better spent!)

By keeping the delivery person around longer, your brain will have more time to process everything—and it will seem like a lot—as they patiently explain the wonders of your new purchase. You’ll have time to ask questions about the bike that may be unique to you, and which I can’t anticipate in this book! I really encourage you to make the most of it.

PELO TIP 4: ADJUSTING SEAT AND HANDLEBARS

Getting the correct adjustment for your bike’s seat and handlebars is absolutely key. These are the parts of the bike that will actually touch your body the most. If you’re not comfortable with them, then the overall Peloton experience is probably going to be frustrating and lacking.

There are two settings on your seat that you can adjust: the height and the depth. If you want to adjust the height, find the lever located partway down the seat shaft, just over the pedals. Start making the adjustment by turning the lever to the left. Raise or lower the seat until it is aligned to your hip bone (when you’re standing aside the bike). Then tighten the setting by moving the lever to the right.

To adjust for depth, turn the lever that is directly located under the seat to the left. This will allow you to move the seat forward or backward. A good rule of thumb for making this setting is to bend your arm and place your elbow against the nose of the seat, while extending your fingers to make sure they touch the handlebar. Again, when you’ve got a setting you like, tighten the lever by turning it to the right.

To adjust the handlebar, loosen the lever at the very front of the bike. After you’ve done that, straddle the bike in front of the seat. Then hold your arms under the handlebar and lift it into a comfortable position—then tighten the lever. It is recommended that you start off your Peloton experience by raising the handlebar to the highest possible level. Then, through trial and error, you can adjust it again and again until you find the optimal comfortable height.

PELO TIP 5: THERE’S A LEVER IN THE WAY!

Part of riding a Peloton Bike is embracing the fact that levers can get in the way. By “in the way” I don’t merely mean in an ugly position in terms of cosmetics of the bike. I mean in the way of a safe and fun ride. Obviously, having something that interrupts the comfort and intended orientation of your bike can be a barrier to the kind of Peloton experience you’re looking for. The good news is that Peloton’s engineers have done a fine job of making almost every part of the bike adjustable. So if a lever is sticking out at a weird angle, simply pull the lever out and turn it down to the 6 o’clock position. This should solve your problems. Moreover, if a lever looks wrong, take the time to do this fix. You’ll be glad you did, and you’ll avoid risking frustration and injury.

PELO TIP 6: MULTIPLE RIDERS

Is there a chance that you’re going to be in one of the thousands of households that purchases a Peloton “because we’ll both use it” or even “for the whole family”? There’s no question that sharing a Peloton can absolutely help you to defray/reconcile the cost of the bike in dollars. And the good news is that Peloton has made it easy to adjust the bike when more than one person will be using it.

Unless you’re sharing an apartment with your identical twin, the people in your household using the Peloton are going to have to use the levers to adjust the seat and handlebars to fit their bodies each time they use it. A simple best practice (at first) is to write down your individual seat height and depth and the handlebar height so you don’t have to figure it out each time. This will save time when you are ready to jump on and start riding. (It can also be a nice thing to do to adjust the bike back to the settings of the other person who uses the bike when you’re done!) After a short while, you’ll have your settings memorized, and adjusting the bike to your personal specifications will come quickly and easily.

PELO TIP 7: SENSITIVE BUTTS . . . AND BITS

In my experience, the world of Peloton riders is largely divided into two camps. There are those who feel that the default Peloton seat is the most comfortable they have ever experienced on a bicycle . . . and there are those for whom it is literally a “sore subject.”

Those in the first camp swear up and down that after six or seven rides, you won’t feel anything. Your body will adjust and the seat will feel natural. Certainly, they insist, you won’t have any pain in the butt or private parts.

But I am in the second camp. To me, the Peloton’s default seat—if not exactly painful to sit upon—is definitely not the most comfortable. For those of us in this camp, I strongly recommend investing in padded shorts as a solution. Good padded shorts are made of spandex, lycra nylon, and polyester. They are lightweight and sweat absorbent, and the soft fiber offers unrestricted movement on the bike. Contemporary padded shorts are reinforced with 3D high-density foam mixed with silicone gel. For not too much money, you can get a pair of these bad boys and see that the pain to your backside and privates is drastically reduced (if not eliminated completely).

If you really want to go crazy—or you’re just really passionate about comfort—you can also get a bike gel seat cover that will stick to your saddle. That extra cushion makes riding easier and may help you reach your goals without worrying about posterior pain.

If the Peloton experience feels A-OK to you with none of these enhancements, then all the better for you. But if you experience slight (or significant) discomfort when riding, I encourage you to go for one of these easy fixes!