PART 6

PELOTON OUT IN THE WORLD

PELO TIP 38: SALES ALERTS

Past is not necessarily prologue when it comes to Peloton pricing dynamics. As any smart consumer knows, there is no guarantee that a company will be consistent in its sales and marketing strategies over time, and Peloton is no exception. As of this writing, there seems to be a prevalent belief that the price of the basic bike and tablet is not going to go down. Think of it like other high-end products, such as those made by Apple. The quality stays high, but there are regular price increases.

Likewise, the monthly subscription costs are also not projected to creep down anytime soon. As an example, when I got my bike, the subscription was forty dollars per month, and I was locked in for a year. A couple of months later, there were advertisements running on my television saying that the monthly subscription now costs fifty-eight dollars per month. And who knows what will happen if competitors like NordicTrack or Fly Wheel encroach on Peloton’s space. (I feel that could impact prices either way.)

Having said that, there are some sales that Peloton occasionally runs, and you should look out for them if you’re interested in pulling the trigger. For example, the annual holiday sales event usually has a lower-priced package for the mat, shoes, headphones, and monitor. Further, the winter sales event gives you 30 percent off select apparel, including workout clothes and accessories. Simply get on the Peloton mailing list (https://www.onepeloton.com/company/contact) to learn about these and other offers.

There’s no way to know for certain which way the pricing for Peloton products and services will go—and when—but by staying informed, you can be ready to take advantage of offers and act when the time is right.

PELO TIP 39: WHEN YOU TRAVEL

When I started riding my Peloton Bike, I got on a great streak, working out every single day. I felt good, and, not to be immodest, I was looking better than I had for a long while. But then I found out that I had a business trip coming up that I just couldn’t miss. Of course, I could have ridden other bikes in a hotel gym during this trip, but I was worried about changing my routine.

As it turned out, I needn’t have been so concerned.

A little research into the hotels in the city I was traveling to revealed that three of them offered Peloton Bikes for guests. I chose the hotel that boasted a stable of four Peloton Bikes—just in case there were going to be other obsessives like me in town at the same time. I also called ahead to ask what type of pedals the bikes had; I wanted to see if I needed to pack my Peloton shoes. As it turned out, they had toe cages, so sneakers would be adequate and I was good to go. I think there’s good evidence that, going forward, more and more hotels are going to be standing ready to accommodate Peloton riders who want to keep up their workouts while traveling on business. Three years ago, Peloton formed a partnership with Marriott’s Westin Hotels and Resorts, and they are looking to do more.

And if you find yourself in an area that doesn’t yet have Peloton Bikes, you can do the next best thing and use the Peloton app for all the great exercises offered for those without a bike, including outside activities.

As a final note, let me say that I’ve personally found that when I return home from a business trip, the Peloton Bike does wonders for helping to correct my jet lag!

PELO TIP 40: WHEN YOU DON’T TRAVEL

One reason I think a Peloton Bike is such an excellent investment is all the workout options it gives you—all of which are doable from the safety and security of your own home. Sometimes the benefits of Peloton classes can extend beyond just eliminating the hassle of physically traveling to and from the gym. Sometimes there can be important reasons to stay home!

You may have children to watch or important situations to monitor. And as the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 made clear, there can be certain times when the idea of being in a close-quarters gym with a bunch of sweaty strangers is not an appealing idea for a whole host of reasons, or is not even legally allowed.

If you’re considering buying a Peloton Bike, but see yourself as a more social, “outin-the-world” person when it comes to exercising, you may still want to consider the purchase. In the short term, if your car has a flat and you suddenly can’t drive to the gym, or the weather is too lousy to go for an outdoor ride, the Peloton is an excellent fallback. And if something more serious happens—from a viral outbreak, to an outbreak of crime or unrest in your neighborhood, to something completely unforeseen—having the Peloton lets you know that you always have options.

PELO TIP 41: HOW TO SCREENCAST FROM BIKE TO TV

Let’s say that you want to do some exercises off the bike—say, on a mat that’s in the same room. One way some ambitious riders accomplish this is to remove the tablet from the bike and direct the screen to where they can see it on the mat. Because this involves first removing the cables at the back of the tablet and then using Allen and crescent wrenches (first taking off the plastic end caps) to remove the bolt connecting the tablet to the bike, I don’t recommend this approach for the general Peloton rider. (Though it is possible to do.) There is always the potential to damage the tablet in some way, and even if you really know what you are doing, it can be time-consuming and cumbersome—which might be a deterrent from getting to your exercise at all.

The good news is that Peloton offers you a wireless alternative to moving the tablet. Peloton has anticipated that you may want to see your programs on a big television screen, or maybe you’ll want to do off-bike exercises in a room other than the one where your bike is set up. This is called “screen casting.” To use this feature, it is required that you have a device or a Smart TV that supports Miracast. (Please note that the Peloton tablet does not support Apple airplay or Chromecast. Devices that generally work are the Amazon Fire TV Stick and most of the new Roku devices.)

Before you start setting up your wireless option, make sure that the television and/or device is turned on and then check that your Wi-Fi is on, even if you use Ethernet. On the upper right-hand corner of your Peloton tablet, you’ll tap “Settings.” Then you’ll tap “Cast Screen.” A list will then populate on the “Available Devices.” Find your device or TV and tap “Connect.” On the television, you should be able to see the same thing that is displayed on the screen of your tablet.

If you don’t have the right device or Smart TV, or your Wi-Fi doesn’t work in the room where the bike is set up, try using another tablet, like an iPad, or a phone to play exercises on the Peloton app. It’s a decent work-around to play your off-the-bike exercises. As with any amount of technical equipment setup, there are bound to be glitches and hiccups. However, most users with the right equipment are able to successfully use this option, and I hope that you can, too!

PELO TIP 42: POWERING YOUR DEVICE

Not to belabor the obvious, but if you have moved your bike or forgotten how the delivery people fired up your bike, you’ll need to remember how to power it up. The power jack is located at the very back of the bike. Plug the power cord into the jack, and then—to play it safe—plug the other end into a surge protector. (Just as you would with any valuable piece of electronic equipment, I think it’s important to surge-protect your Peloton.)

The power button that actually turns on the bike is located on the back of the tablet. Hold it for two seconds to power on.

Depending on the settings on your touch screen, the bike will “sleep” after five minutes of inactivity. To wake it, simply tap on the screen or press the power button. To power down, hold the button for two seconds. On the screen you will see a pop-up box. When it appears, simply tap “Shut Down.”

PELO TIP 43: ETHERNET

Suppose you take a Peloton live class and it freezes! (Or, just as bad, it jumps, delays, or skips.) Generally speaking, this means you have a streaming issue. This may be because your modem is not close to where the bike is set up. There may be an interference issue with the Wi-Fi signal to the Peloton. You could try changing the channels on your Wi-Fi network, found in your router settings. The best solution might just be to streamline through an Ethernet cable.

On the back of the tablet is an Ethernet port, which allows you to connect to a wired network. Connect an Ethernet cable to the port and the other end to a wall jack or router. You will then be automatically connected to the network.

PELO TIP 44: WI-FI

Connecting to Wi-Fi on your Peloton Bike should be easy and straightforward.

To connect to Wi-Fi, tap on settings on the upper right-hand corner of the Peloton screen. Then tap on “Wi-Fi Network.” Find your network name and tap on it. If your network is secured, you will be asked for your password. Enter it and then tap “Connect.”

PELO TIP 45: LOGGING IN

When you first purchased your Peloton Bike, you were issued a subscription activation key (or you supplied Peloton with your log in information). When your bike is delivered and you log in for the first time, you will be asked for this information. Once activated, that information will forevermore be associated with your bike, and you’ll then be able to access all subscription content. So make sure to remember your activation key and/or login information as you prepare to set up the bike!

PELO TIP 46: OTHER USERS

If other riders are going to be taking your Peloton Bike for a spin, you’ll want them to set up their own profiles. The biggest reason for doing this is that you don’t want their rides to screw up your personal metrics and ride history.

To set up other users, tap the menu icon on the lower left-hand corner of the touch screen. Then tap “Switch Rider.” Tap “Manage Riders.” Then tap “Add A Rider.” Your additional user can now log in with his or her Peloton account or set up a new one.

It’s very easy to do, and you’ll be glad you did it!