PART 5

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR CLASSES

PELO TIP 27: INSTRUCTORS

Obviously, your choice of Peloton instructor is going to be very subjective. I can’t recommend specific instructors to you, because I don’t know what your personal preferences are (or if you even have them). You may find that you have no strong opinion on instructors, or you may find that some are excellent for you, while others are lousy. (It’s okay! They won’t be in the same room as you and won’t take it personally.) You may settle on one instructor who becomes your favorite, or you may find that you enjoy constant variation.

My advice is to try a wide range of classes taught by different instructors as you first begin your Peloton journey. Each instructor is different and brings a unique approach to leading a workout. If you are new to this type of exercise, I suggest you go to the twenty-minute Beginner Rides (“Welcome to Peloton Cycling”). As I write this, there are eighteen classes offered in this program. I’m guessing that, over time, Peloton will add more. But for now, eighteen is more than enough to let you experience the wide variety of instructors and their approaches (not to mention their music selections). I encourage you to try all of them. See which ones fit. If you like, you can even go to the instructors’ Facebook and/or Instagram pages to get to know them better.

When I was a beginner rider, I switched off every other ride, alternating between a scenic ride and an instructor-led class. In this way, I was able to keep it interesting and find the right amount of variation.

Also, as you get in better shape and become a more accomplished rider, you can expect your preferences to change. That’s okay! An instructor who “did it for you” back in the day might no longer be the right fit as you evolve. Don’t be surprised if this happens. (Again, your instructors won’t take it personally because they won’t know!)

Also, an interesting element of Peloton to keep in mind is that many instructors offer terrific off-the-bike workouts that can include yoga, stretching, running, and meditation classes. In conclusion, I encourage you to be “the Captain Kirk of Peloton.” Explore the wide variety of people who are there to help you reach your fitness and wellness goals. Enjoy the journey!

PELO TIP 28: BOOKMARKING A FAVORITE CLASS

With so many choices of instructors, classes, and scenic rides, it can be challenging to remember all of your favorites. And nothing’s more annoying than finding a class that feels perfect to do again in the future, but forgetting where on the system it’s saved.

Peloton has a nice solution. You can bookmark and save your favorite classes to reride whenever the mood strikes you. To do this, simply click the ribbon at the top right of the class preview screen. This class will then be saved directly to your profile.

And to find all your previously saved items, go to “Classes” and tap on the ribbon icon in the upper left corner. This will take you to a menu of all your bookmarked classes.

PELO TIP 29: LIVE VS. ON-DEMAND

Some Peloton riders really love the immediacy of the live ride. They thrive on the energy of the people in the studio, and on knowing that other riders all over the world are doing the same thing at the same time. These riders also love the occasional shout-out from the instructor for a milestone or great achievement. Finally, these are the kind of people who thrive on the discipline that is built with showing up for an appointment.

You may find that you are precisely this kind of rider!

When you sign up for a live ride, you will receive an alert in your email. And if you like, you can check in five minutes before the ride begins and observe the instructor chatting with the in-studio riders as they—and you—warm up. It’s fun, and it gives you the sense that you are an actual part of a live event.

But what if you’re NOT this kind of rider? What if an instructor somewhere halfway across the country acknowledging you is creepy and weird? What if the idea of keeping an appointment for a workout makes you feel an additional layer of stress in your already stressed-out workday?

If this is the case, Peloton has you covered here, too.

You’re probably one of the many people who will love the huge selection of pre-recorded, on-demand classes that you can start at any time. These classes can be engaged with at your leisure. An appointment running long or an unexpected interruption will be no big deal.

To each his own. Both approaches have something to offer. (And if you want to get really creative, you can always alternate between live and prerecorded classes.)

PELO TIP 30: THE CENTURY RIDE

You’ll hear Peloton enthusiasts talk about “the Century Ride.” What is this? What do they mean?

No, it doesn’t mean riding your bike for a hundred years (though that would be an accomplishment). In fact, the Century Ride is the milestone that you reach when completing your one-hundredth class ride.

If you meet this accomplishment during a live class, you might even get a shout-out from the instructor. After reaching this milestone, you will become eligible to receive a Peloton Century Shirt. Peloton usually sends an email within a week and gives you a special code to redeem your shirt. (Make sure you enter that code, because without it you will be charged a hefty price. You will also be expected to pay the shipping.) The Peloton Century Shirt is a fun way to brag to your friends, family, and other Peloton riders about your accomplishment. It can also be a great symbol for yourself of your remarkable personal accomplishment.

PELO TIP 31: RIDING IN TRIBES

“Tribes” is the word used to describe groups of Peloton riders who choose to bike together. (Or, that is to say, “virtually” together.)

While some riders prefer to ride in anonymity, others relish the social aspect that comes with belonging to a community and choose to engage with the aspects of the Peloton ride that can bring a feeling of community and group fun.

If you look at the Leaderboard during a group ride, you might notice different hashtags representing like-minded people, people of the same profession, or even those who like the same television program. These like-minded riders bond and decide to ride at the same time and usually connect on social media outside of the ride. We call them tribes. It can feel a little strange when explained like this, but during a ride you’ll see that feeling out others in your community (practically any sort of community) can come naturally and be a whole lot of fun.

I think that the tribes phenomenon just goes to prove how working out on a Peloton Bike can be a very social activity. And knowing that you’re pedaling away with other patent lawyers, dog lovers, or fans of Battlestar Galactica can be yet another way to motivate you to get in shape.

PELO TIP 32: MEET THE PELOTONS

If you live in New York City (or are visiting), you may wish to take a live ride in the Peloton Studio itself. Talk about being in the room where it happens! You just might get to meet a favored instructor or someone like yourself who has fallen in love with the Peloton lifestyle.

So how does showing up in person actually work? Through the website (https://studio.onepeloton.com), you will have to pay a fee and make a reservation in advance to get one of the coveted spots—so you can’t just show up—but included in your reservation will be refreshments and the use of the showers. And if you don’t have your own shoes with you, they will lend you a pair.

When showing up for a live ride, it is generally a good idea to know things like your seat height and depth, and handlebar height, as well as your login username and password. This will allow you to “hit the ride running,” so to speak, when it’s time to go.

PELO TIP 33: SWIPE AWAY

Some days, you’re going to find that you just don’t feel like a peak performer. That’s okay. It happens to everybody. On these days, it can feel like you showed up, and they should give you a medal just for that!

In my case, on the mornings when I work out before going to work, I often feel like the ride will go on forever. I’m cranky and tired, and just staying on the bike feels like a supreme effort. Psychologically, it helps me not to know how much time I have remaining. So rather than not look at the screen, I tap the timer at the top left of the touch screen to remove the timer. Likewise, that Leaderboard. There are days when I am deflated because no matter what, I can’t muster the strength to beat anybody, let alone my own personal record. Double tap on the middle of the screen. Poof. It is gone. But the video is still there and I can live with that. (Double-tap again and it all comes back.)

The disappearing metrics are especially nice when you do a scenic ride. All you see are those beautiful vistas. It can lift your spirits and get you through the ride, and you’re not worried about comparing yourself to how you did that one time when you’d just had ten hours of sleep and a pep talk.

In conclusion, the social and performance-tracking elements of the Peloton experience can be motivating and exciting . . . but when they become the opposite of those things—and you feel like just completing the ride is the biggest “win” you can realistically hope for—then don’t be afraid to just turn them off and be in your own headspace. Remember, the Peloton is there to help you meet your fitness goals. It’s great that it can do that by being a social entity. However, if you just need it to be quiet for a while—and not bother you with comparisons and personal bests—that’s okay, too!

PELO TIP 34: VIDEO CHATS

There is a video camera on your Peloton Bike monitor. And it is pointed at you. (As creepy as that may sound, there is no cause for concern. The Peloton instructor cannot see you without your permission, and there are—to my knowledge—no cases of Peloton cameras being hacked and videos of people working out captured without their permission.) The camera is there to allow you to have in-class video chats with instructors and friends—if that’s something you want to do.

Some people find this option motivating; they think of it as just another way to be part of a large community. Others like the camera because it connects to the idea of “misery loves company.” They think: “If I am going to suffer during my workout, at least I want to suffer with a friend.”

To activate the camera function that can connect you with other riders, you’ll first need to be following the other person, and vice versa. This is similar to how you follow someone on any sort of social network. Then, on the Leaderboard, you click on the user’s name. You will then see an option to start a video chat. Once you send the chat request, the other person will have to accept for the chat to go live. If and when they do, a small pop-up box with audio/video will then appear on the screen, allowing you to see each other. You can mute the other person at any time and also control the volume on the bar below the video screen. Now you are ready for your close-up. (Just make sure you have your clothes on!)

PELO TIP 35: DELETING A CLASS

I’m a stickler for accuracy and keeping my metrics honest and true. But let’s say that one day I break my cardinal rule and get off the bike to answer a phone call (and the class keeps going without me). Now, I don’t want the tablet to keep that class in my personal history. So what do I do? I delete it. And if you find yourself in this situation, you can do the very same thing.

To delete a class, simply tap on your profile name on the lower left-hand corner, then tap on “Workout History” on the left. In the middle pane, make sure the class you wish to remove is highlighted. On the larger, right-hand pane, you will see the metrics of that class. Scroll all the way down to the end. At the very bottom, on the left side, you will see “Delete Workout” in red. Tap there and then tap again to confirm.

Boom! Now it’s like that phone call never happened.

PELO TIP 36: MAINTENANCE OF YOUR BIKE

As with any big investment, you’ll obviously want to take care of your Peloton Bike. Yet because the bikes are a very new technology, there’s still some question about what good maintenance can or can’t do.

To put it frankly, there is no certainty regarding how long these bikes can last; there is a wide range of stories of people having problems—from faulty touch screens to threads on a pedal messing up their rides—but we don’t know how many of these examples were caused by user error, and/or to what extent they could have been prevented if more care had been taken.

But just because there are many unknowns when it comes to the life of a Peloton Bike, that doesn’t mean that we can’t move forward using good old common sense.

As with any other appliance or piece of large equipment, taking care of your Peloton Bike shows every sign of being able to mitigate unnecessary problems down the road. The first step in good care is simply cleaning the bike, which Peloton suggests doing after every ride.

When cleaning the touch screen, it is advised that you first shut down the tablet using the power button in the back. To clean the screen, wipe it down with a glass cleaner or a microfiber cloth. Do not use Clorox wipes or similar cloths and do not use any harsh chemicals when cleaning the screen.

When it comes to cleaning the frame, use a gentle cleanser or disinfectant wipes. Do not use soap and water. Never spray anything directly on the bike. Dry the bike thoroughly after cleaning.

It is recommended that every three to five rides you also make sure the seat is parallel to the ground. This is not a cleaning step per se, but more of a maintenance step. Your delivery people should have given you some tools for the bike before they left. Use the wrench they left to tighten the seat, fixing nuts on both sides. You should then use the 4mm Allen wrench to tighten any loose screws attaching your cleats to your cycling shoes.

Every fifteen to twenty rides, Peloton recommends that you press down on the resistance knob while pedaling slowly. The flywheel should come to a complete stop immediately. If it does not, contact Peloton Support and let them know. They can take steps to help you fix this problem with the knob.

By keeping your bike clean and taking the small steps recommended for general maintenance, you can help ensure your bike has the best possible chance of lasting long into the future.

PELO TIP 37: THE GROOVE RIDE

Let’s get this party started!

So let’s say you’ve had the bike a little while, and you are feeling good about your progress. You can handle a lot of what the instructors are shouting out regarding speed, pressure on your pedal, and getting up and out of your saddle. Now, every so often, you feel like you want to do more than just up your cadence, raise your resistance, and get off your seat for more than thirty seconds. When these feelings arise, you might want to consider the “Groove Ride” classes offered by some of the Peloton instructors.

In these challenging classes, you will be encouraged to execute choreographed movements to the beat of the music in the background. Specifically, you will be incorporating something called “tap backs”—a sort of standing ab crunch—which you do off the saddle, slowly curling the hips back, moving up, down, and to the sides. You will also learn “bike pushups,” which have you bending the elbows so that your torso comes forward to the handlebars, then straightening your arms out again—all while pedaling. I kid you not!

As you might imagine, it’s quite a workout. It’s also a heck of a lot of fun.

Some people get so caught up in this big dance party, they don’t realize how high their outputs are. In my experience, you’re likely to do a double take when you finally do look at your metrics. You may be having so much fun that you haven’t noticed how hard you’ve been working. The Groove Ride is a challenging workout, but do check it out when you are ready. If you’re feeling ready to push yourself, there’s no time like the present.