At the end of this month, I will have had my Peloton bike for two years. Before the pandemic, I knew a handful of friends with a Peloton, but now it seems like the exercise bikes are popping up like daisies. To put it in perspective, Peloton’s global membership base more than doubled in a year, and it reached 3.1 million people at the end of June 2020. I am all for it, as I love my bike, and I really enjoy using the Peloton app for barre, stretching, and strength training classes as well. Since there are so many new people to Peloton, I thought that it might be helpful to share some tips and items that I also purchased along with my bike.
After I confirmed my Peloton order, I immediately started thinking about where I would place the bike in my house, what accessories I needed to buy, and what other fitness equipment might be helpful. I know that exercise equipment may not be the most aesthetically pleasing items for a home, so I at least wanted to make the space around the bike look put together. I will say, all things considered, for a stationary bike, the Peloton is pretty snazzy.
I’ve put together a list of 10 purchases that I made that I would recommend for any newbies (or current users). Since most of us are still working out at home, some of these items would be fabulous just to enhance any home gym set up. Not included in this list is the amount of money that I’ve spent on additional Peloton Apparel gear; I frequently rep shirts and leggings, so much so, that a woman stopped me in a grocery store to talk to me about my Peloton experience. Let me be clear that this isn’t a sponsored post (holler at me though, Peloton ;)), and that these are purchases that I made on my own.
- Gel Seat Cushion Cover: Unless you are already riding a bicycle or exercise bike frequently, or wear actual bike shorts when you ride, a padded seat cover is a great idea. Trust me, you will get your bike, become obsessed, and want to ride most days. This seat will help you out. The Peloton seat is not super soft, so at least in the beginning, this is a nice accessory to have. Eventually you may not need it, but I highly recommend it for beginners.
- Heart Rate Monitor: I bought the Scosche Rhythm+. I am linking a newer version than the one I have. I preferred a heart rate monitor that I could wear around my arm and not my chest – just a personal preference. It was fun to get an accurate read for my heart rate and fitness level, and I used it a lot when I was first riding. I must admit that I haven’t been using it lately, but that is because I haven’t been too concerned with tracking my metrics.
- Rug & Rug Pad: We have wood floors in our home, so I wanted to put something underneath the Peloton to protect the floors and also corral any sweat droplets (gross but true). Of course, this could have been a standard black mat, but I wanted to spice it up a bit. I thought that this dark pattern was simple enough, and it was a major plus that the rug was indoor/outdoor (i.e. more weather and, in this scenario, sweat resistant). I also bought a rug pad to go underneath the rug to add extra padding for the floor and to prevent any rug-slipping (although the Peloton does weigh it down).
- Bluetooth Speaker: If you’re like me, you’ll want to jam out to whatever Britney Spears song Cody Rigsby is playing. For that reason, I upped my speaker game. This Marshall speaker stood out compared to other speakers and went well with the rest of the room’s decor. I leave the speaker plugged in by the bike, so I wasn’t looking for a portable one. The sound is great, and I have no complaints thus far. (Maybe only from my husband who doesn’t always want to hear boy band songs at top volume…his loss).
- Workout Mat: Like I mentioned above, I also enjoy taking other Peloton classes. Whether I’m taking a yoga class, stretching, doing an ab workout, or doing a bootcamp class, a thick floor mat is ideal to have. I also roll it up to tuck it away when it’s not in use. Unfortunately, my cats love this mat too, and they insist on hanging out with me whenever I use it.
- Water Bottle: I have a gazillion water bottles, but most of them are screw-off tops. I found that I didn’t want to take the time to sit down on the bike, screw off the top, drink, screw the top back on, and then ride again. Believe me, I know that this sounds ridiculous, but when you are super into a class, you just want a quick water sip and to keep on keeping on. This type of water bottle is perfect because it makes for a super fast and convenient water break.
- Dumbbells: I received one dumbbell set when I purchased the bike, but since then I have bought other weight options. I use different weights for strength training, barre, and bike classes, so I like having a variety. Since there are so many types of classes (and adding), I don’t think you can go wrong with having several sets of dumbbells on hand.
- Sweat Towels: I used to have my Peloton in our bedroom that was on the top floor of a 3-level condo, and, on a hot day, it was like riding in a sauna. These sweat towels were lifesavers. I use them all of the time for other workouts too, and they have held up very well.
- Fan: You may not be thinking of a fan since it’s winter, but you’ll want one come spring or summer. Many times my husband and I have called to one another from our back bedroom to please come to the room and turn the fan on. It’s no fun to have to clip out and miss part of the ride.
- Pedal & Cleat Spray: I’ve used this if my pedals or cleats ever start getting a little squeaky. It can reduce friction and help with wear and tear for your spinning shoes and pedals. This spray is excellent to have if your shoes or pedals need a little bit of TLC. As a side note, I did get my spinning shoes from Peloton.
Bonus Item: Headbands: Unless you want to wash your hair every day (sorry, but I do not), these are awesome for keeping your hair back and off of your face. They also aren’t too tight that they’ll give you a headache. I had short hair when I purchased my bike, so these headbands came in very handy.
Hopefully this list helps anyone who is new to the Peloton world, is revamping their Peloton space, or is patiently waiting for their (most likely backordered) bike. For other suggestions, recommendations, questions, Peloton has a great Facebook group too. Back in the day, I chose my heart rate monitor due to reviews from other members.
Let me know in the comments if you have any items that accompany your Peloton or Peloton workouts that you recommend (share your Peloton name while you’re at it!). Remember that you don’t need all of these items if you don’t want them – these are just merely suggestions that I have found helpful. The main thing, as Cody Rigsby reminds us, is to “Grab a water, grab a towel, and get your life together, boo.” Happy riding and future workouts – see you on the leaderboard!
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