Can You Use Any Bike For Peloton?

‍Peloton is becoming massively popular in the indoor biking community. This means that the questions around it are also increasing. Can you use any bike for Peloton?

After all, not everyone has the Peloton bike, and not everyone has the means to make that purchase either. If possible, it would make it much easier for many indoor bikers to use any indoor bike with Peloton to get the most out of it.

You can use any bike you want with the Peloton app, thus eliminating the issue of the steep price. But to use any other bike with the Peloton app efficiently, you’ll have to set it up properly.

The Peloton bike offers some really great benefits that you wouldn’t find in many places, and fortunately it is very much possible to take the bike you already have and use it together.

We looked into the process of using a regular bike with the Peloton app, and assessed the benefits of doing so, and have collected this information together.

‍Benefits of Using the Peloton App With Your Bike

The fact is that Peloton bikes are expensive, and this doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. In fact, many people can’t afford Peloton for this reason, and believe that they can’t reap the benefits the app has to offer because they don’t have the bike.

While it’s easy to understand where the assumption comes from, it is just that – an assumption. You can, in fact, use your standard, much less pricey bike with the Peloton app and get all the benefits the app has to offer.

This includes many things, like the digital membership, access to all the Peloton classes on the app – including the ones happening in real time, and basic leaderboard experience. And the best part is that you can save a ton of money by connecting your regular bike to it.

Of course, the Peloton bike is pricey for a reason – there are benefits to be gained from the Peloton bike, and you may not be able to make the most of the app on your regular bike. Still, cost is quite a problem for many people, and if you can’t swallow the price of the Peloton bike, your regular indoor bike works just as well.

Connecting the Peloton App

Connecting your bike to the app s actually pretty simple. Of course, the first step is to download the app itself and get the membership to be able to use it. Your bike doesn’t need any adjustments to work with the app – as long as you can increase or decrease your bike’s resistance, you’re good to go.

For the actual training, you don’t really need more than just the bike itself, but if you want to get the most out of the app’s features, you’d have to get some extra equipment. Since Peloton’s main purpose is to help you improve your fitness, having the accessories to measure that will help.

The first thing you need is a cadence sensor that can get attached to the crank arm. It should also have a connection facility so it can pair with the Peloton app on whichever device you’re using. It’s also a good thing to have a heart rate monitor that can, again, pair with the Peloton app. If you have a Fitbit or a smart watch that can track your heart rate and connect to the app, you can use these too.

Within the app, you should have the option to connect to the sensors you’ve set up. This will then send the data you’ve been generating during your workout and display it on the screen.

Peloton instructors will often incorporate this information in their workouts. For example, they’ll explain why you should ride at a certain speed or with a certain amount of resistance in the bike, and how it’ll help you improve.

Having your data in front of you helps you understand where you stand. It’ll be easier to understand your limits and see how hard you’re pushing yourself, and the app will be able to measure how many calories you lost during your workout much more easily.

Viewing Peloton Indoor Classes

When you use the app, you can access any of the classes available – whether they’re live or on-demand. But to do so, you need a device to actually see the classes as they happen so you can follow along on your bike.

The app is available on Android and Apple platforms, so if you’re using your phone, you should it up in a way that you can see the screen while you work out.

If the bike you have doesn’t have a holder installed, it’s best to get one so you can attach the phone in a visible place and follow along with the instructor.

Using a larger screen, such as a television or a tablet, is a much better option but phones will also work just as well. Regardless of which of these you go for, make sure you have a good view of the screen so you can get the most out of the classes, as well as understand your own performance.

Downsides of Using Your Own Bike for Peloton

Though it is very much possible to use your own bike for Peloton classes, it is not the same as if you had the actual Peloton bike. With the Peloton app, you can see others who are taking the same class as you, but the Peloton bike adds an extra level of community here.

Those who have the Peloton bike are able to compete with others who also have the bike, and enter the rankings when you finish the class. This way you can see how well you performed individually, as well as how well you performed in comparison to others within your class.

Without a Peloton bike, you can’t enter the rankings or compete with others, though the social aspect of following friends and groups, or interacting with them is still accessible to you.

Should You Use Peloton App With Any Bike?

While there are some advantages you can’t get by using non-branded bikes with the Peloton App, they aren’t so big that they become deal breakers. Of course, if the community aspect of indoor biking is important to you, you may consider buying the Peloton bike to use with the app.

For most people, however, the main focus is the benefit of a personal workout. If you’re getting the exercise you need, and the benefits of being part of the classes, then the community aspect doesn’t matter as much.

On top of that, you can also save a lot of money by opting for a standard indoor bike over the branded Peloton one.

That said, the Peloton bike is designed with the app in mind, and the instructors on screen will likely give you instructions based on the assumption that you are using the Peloton bike. In such cases, you may have to adjust to follow these instructions. There may also be some gaps in functionality. The Peloton bike is pricey for a reason after all!

At the end of the day, the choice lies with you and depends on your priorities.

It is very much possible to use a standard indoor bike with the Peloton app. If you believe that the Peloton bike is too costly for you, you can choose to use your bike and save up on the money.

But if you can justify the cost with other aspects that you’re not willing to compromise on, the Peloton bike is an excellent option for indoor biking and working out.

You can also use the Peloton app with your standard bike to test the app out and see how well it works before you make the decision to invest in the branded bike.