PART 2

BEST PRACTICES FOR YOUR RIDE

PELO TIP 8: SHOES, CLEATS, AND PEDALS

In Season ten, episode one, of HBO’s hit comedy show Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David is on his Peloton Bike when his doorbell rings. To those of us who are already Peloton obsessives, we notice right away that Larry is not clipped in. He gets off the bike easily in this scene, because he is wearing regular exercise shoes.

This might seem like a small, insignificant detail to notice, but it’s actually connected to the first big decision you’ll make as a Peloton owner: your personal preference for footwear during your rides.

If you’re not yet aware, you’ll be happy to know that the pedals on a Peloton can be customized: there are those that accommodate the Peloton branded cleats, other spin class shoes, or sneakers.

Typically, a new bike comes equipped with stock pedals compatible with Look Delta Cleats. These cleats are made of extra-strong, heavy-duty engineering thermo-plastic. They fit well with the pedal and have a three-hole arrangement that allows for enhanced stability. The shoe itself is quite comfortable. In addition to two Velcro straps, it comes with a ratchet strap to make it snug and also has a release button that is easy to use. When you put the notched strap through the plastic section, you can then tighten by lifting the lever on it, once for each notch. When you want to loosen it, push the smaller lever on the release button and pull the notched strap away from the plastic section. The system is easy and intuitive.

But maybe using the default cleats is not your speed. In that case, another option is to attach toe cages to the pedal. This will allow you to wear your own sneakers (or whatever you like) as you ride your Peloton.

People who have ridden other exercise bikes might already have Shimano Pedaling Dynamic (SPD) cleats. These do not work with the stock Peloton pedals. But, interestingly, commercial Peloton Bikes in hotels and many gyms offer bikes with the SPD pedals on one side of the gym, and those with sneaker cages on the other side.

My wife and I use the Peloton shoes, and although there was a learning curve when it comes to getting in and out, we have come to love them. Our son, on the other hand, uses his sneakers without a toe cage. Though this means his feet slip from time to time, he still enjoys his workouts.

Finally, I ought to note that there seems to be a widely acknowledged psychological benefit—or, at least, a “psychological effect”—to being clipped in. It makes people feel “in the zone” for their workout, and is a healthy deterrent to outside influences. There is something to be said for committing to a ride and not stopping your ride to answer the phone or go to the door like Larry David. This is your time to exercise, and nothing should distract you from your workout goals.

PELO TIP 9: CLIPPING IN AND CLIPPING OUT

As you can probably guess by this point in the book, on the day our new bike arrived, my wife and I were very eager to give it a spin. She decided to go first while I was at work.

Putting on her new Peloton shoes, she somehow managed to click in after a few tries, despite struggling with the pedal. She then enjoyed a twenty-minute beginners class. But when that class ended, my wife’s first-day troubles began.

No matter how much she tried, she couldn’t clip out. She was literally trapped on the bike! Pulling her phone off the water bottle tray, she tried calling me at the office, but I was in a meeting and the call went to voicemail.

When I got home that night, what greeted me was like a scene out of a horror film or a crime novel. Her shoes were on the pedals . . . but the rest of her was nowhere to be found. It was The Case of the Disappearing Peloton Wife! (Luckily, my fears were unfounded. My wife had just stepped out of her shoes.)

It’s a silly story, but it makes an important point. What we learned from this experience is that, generally speaking, clicking in is relatively easy. When sitting on your bike, you use your foot to rotate one pedal toward the floor until you get to the six-o’clock position. Below the handlebar is a large orange knob. If you then push down on the knob, the pedals will lock. (The same thing happens if you turn the knob all the way to the right.) Locking pedals makes it easier to clip in or out.

When you’re looking to clip in effectively, you’ll want to center the Delta cleat (on the bottom of your shoe) as best as you can below the toes, directly over the Delta-shaped cutout on the pedal. (Note the white “Peloton” word is stamped on the heel of the pedal.) Make sure your foot is aligned straight with the bike, then move your toes forward and push down on your heel until it snaps in place. Make sure you hear a click.

Repeat with your other cleat and pedal. If you have ever skied, it is a similar feeling to putting your boot in the binding.

But that’s just clipping in . . . the thing my wife didn’t have a problem with.

When your workout is over, and you are ready to disembark the bike, begin by once again rotating the pedal toward the floor to the six-o’clock position and locking the orange knob. Then, keeping your toes forward, push down on your heel and move your heel and ankle out to the side. Don’t be afraid to apply pressure when you make this motion.

This motion isn’t complicated, per se, but after a workout it can be easier said than done.

Sometimes you’re going to be tired from the ride, and your leg and foot are going to be shaky. Or something may have happened that has made you anxious to get off the bike quickly. Ironically, both of these make it harder to do the very thing you intend to do—which is to clip out and get off the bike.

When this happens, don’t panic. Remain calm. Take a deep breath and try to steady your leg. (I think you’ll be surprised how much forcing yourself to slow down helps.) Then focus on your toes and heel, and your foot will come out more easily.

Moving to a slightly less serious aspect, I should note that there is no general agreement regarding which foot one should clip out first. I encourage you to go with what’s most natural for you. Personally, I am a righty. My bike is situated close to a wall on the right side. I feel comfortable clipping out on that side first. Then, when I’m finished with the right foot, I swing that leg over the saddle, which makes it super easy for the left foot to come out.

Everyone masters clipping in and out at different rates, so don’t worry if it takes a little time for you to perfect. Some Peloton riders recommend looking at the bottom of the pedal, where there is a tension screw. You can turn this screw a little to loosen it to get your foot out. However, Peloton officially cautions people against clipping out this way, because if you loosen the screw too much, it’s possible to break the pedal. However, at least anecdotally, it seems that for some new riders, it remains the best way to disengage from the bike. So if you feel that you must use this tactic, I recommend that you make very small, incremental changes to the tension screw. Go cautiously and gingerly to avoid doing any permanent damage to your bike.

In conclusion, don’t let clipping in and out be more intimidating than it needs to be. Trust me when I say: after a few times clipping in and out, it will be as easy as saying your ABCs!

PELO TIP 10: POSITIONING AND ERGONOMICS

Now let’s move away from accessories and get to something even more fundamental: positioning and configuring your bike itself.

When it comes to getting on and off your Peloton Bike, the old adage of “no pain/no gain” does not apply here. I can’t stress this enough: to get the most out of your Peloton Bike, you’ll need to be comfortable. You don’t burn any more calories or increase your heart rate to a greater degree simply because you are in ergonomic discomfort. To the contrary, having your bike configured in a way that causes you unnecessary pain is antithetical to your workout goals, because it will make you less likely to push yourself (or even to ride the bike at all). That’s why it’s vital to take the time to position and orient your bike to make sure it’s calibrated for your body.

It’s easy to see if your bike is configured correctly. After clicking into your bike, with your hands lightly on the handlebar, bring your right pedal to the six-o’clock position. Your knee should have a slight bend. If you don’t have a bend, lower the seat. Conversely, if you have too much of a bend in your knee—and it feels like an awkward overextension—simply raise the seat.

Now try moving your pedal to the three-o’clock position. Your knee should be above the area between your toes and the arch of your foot. If it isn’t, you should adjust the seat either forward or back until you feel that your knee is correctly aligned.

Your own comfort should be paramount when configuring your bike. If something looks right but feels wrong, then it’s wrong! When you pedal, it should feel comfortable. Your butt should be back in the saddle and you should feel “strapped in,” figuratively speaking. Your hips should not be rocking back and forth, and you should not be straining to reach the bottom of each pedal stroke. (Straining and reaching are a problem because you could bruise your groin or develop lower back pain by repeating these strained motions. To correct a position that makes you feel like you are reaching and strained, try lowering the seat incrementally until you feel you’ve achieved the right comfort level. Again, if it feels right, then there’s a 99 percent chance it is right.)

When you start using your Peloton, it may be worth your time to take notes regarding which positions and settings work for you. If you’re “on the fence” about whether a particular setting is optimal or not, write notes about how you feel after a ride. Compare these notes with others you make after trying rides in different settings. These sorts of small “trial-and-error” approaches can end up providing the info you need to find the optimal settings for your Peloton.

PELO TIP 11: RIDING POSTURE

The correct posture for riding an exercise bike is by no means intuitive, especially for first-time riders., It’s important to do your best to go into a Peloton ride with the physical posture that most likely will prevent injury and keep you riding for longer.

The biggest area in which riders make a mistake regarding their posture involves the bike’s handlebars. The handlebars are only there to help you balance, but that’s it. They aren’t meant to be load bearing. When you’re riding your Peloton, resist the urge to hunch over and have the handlebars bear the entire weight of your upper body. The thing that should be keeping you upright isn’t the handlebars; it’s you.

In addition to leaning on them excessively, another issue with the handlebars can be grip. Certainly, there are exciting parts of certain Peloton workouts where you’re going to want to grip the handlebars more enthusiastically. This is normal and appropriate. However, if you grip the handlebars too tightly during the entire ride, it can result in unnecessary tension in your back and shoulders. Gripping tightly to keep balanced probably means that the bike has not been set up correctly to fit your body type. If you are doing it right and have the correct handlebar height, you should have only a slight bend in your elbows, and you shouldn’t feel the need to constantly grip hard.

There is also the question of where to grip the handlebar. The answer: on the widest parts.

During your initial Peloton classes, your instructor will often remind you of proper positioning of your hands on the handlebar. Later on, when you’ve moved up to slightly more advanced classes, you may be instructed to move the orange resistance knob to the right, which will simulate the feeling of climbing a hill. Your instructor might suggest that you raise yourself out of the seat to do this. Your head should be held high, your shoulders back, and your hands lightly on the handlebars for balance. As you stand, your hips should be just over the pedals. It can take some time to get comfortable with standing up in the saddle, and you may need to build up stamina to do it well. That’s okay. Don’t feel frustrated; the instructors each have their own vocabulary and set of encouragements to help you master this position. Listen to them and follow their advice, and in no time you’ll be riding (and standing up) with the best of them.