I wanted to start this post by sharing that this is in no way sponsored by Peloton and is my honest review of the product! I am someone who trains for marathons and runs 25-40 miles a week on average, mostly outdoors.
When I started running, I got a free treadmill from the side of the road and it was pretty rough, but it got me through the winter months. I really despised treadmill running, but sometimes it is just a necessity! Last year, I ended up with a stress fracture and was unable to run for a few months, so I downloaded the Peloton app to do biking workouts and strength training. I just got a cheap exercise bike off Amazon, and did the Peloton classes on my ipad screen.
I didn’t think I would like the Peloton platform—it seemed a little cultish to me, and I like just simple workouts without pep talk and fluff. I was surprised that I actually did like how the classes went fast, and helped me push myself. I was pretty down when I broke my leg, and tuning into the classes helped me stay committed to moving my body.
My doctor had advised that as I was able to start returning to running, that I should start with the treadmill, which can be less impact than running outdoors. Thinking about running on my old treadmill seemed pretty dreadful, so I started considering the Peloton treadmill. I actually talked myself out of it a few times—it’s expensive, and there is a monthly membership fee beyond just the app fee.
For someone who mostly runs outdoors, I was worried I would spend a lot of money on something that I wouldn’t use. I went to a Peloton showroom and had tried the tread, but it was when my leg was broken and I couldn’t really run on it. I wasn’t sure if I was impressed with it or not, but it was something I kept thinking about.
Peloton prices have swung up and down recently, but I when I heard the prices were going up, I decided it was time to make the purchase. I’m someone who is really cautious with money so it was a major purchase for me. Right now the Tread runs at $2,345 and the monthly fee is $45. For me, the monthly fee was really the sticking point. It feels like a lot to spend to use something you paid for. You can cancel, and just run on the tread like a regular treadmill, which I did plan to do in the summer months when I mostly run outside.
The tread took 7 weeks to be delivered, which made me regret not ordering it sooner. Installation was quick and the installers were nice and got everything set up for me. The Peloton treadmill just looks really nice (which I know isn’t a huge deal, but worth mentioning). This treadmill has a normal belt, not the slat belt like the premium one has—that treadmill was recalled and isn’t available for sale. I was really hoping for the slat belt, but this one has been fine.
The treadmill doesn’t take up a ton of space, but also dosen’t feel small when you are running on it. The screen is large and pretty easy to touch when you are moving. One feature I really love is that there are dials on the sides to increase incline and speed. You can very quickly turn them up or down as you are moving. If you are doing an interval workout its really nice to be able to quickly control the speed in such an intuitive way, vs messing around with a button. The incline on the treadmill goes up to 12.5, and moves up and down pretty quickly.
Peloton has extensive classes, both live and on demand. There are literally hundreds of classes from 10 minutes long to 60 minutes long, and you can run them at your ability. I didn’t think I would like the classes, since I am someone who just runs, but they are actually really fun!
During the live classes, you see who else is in the class and can compete against them for output (or you can hide this feature). You can high five each other for encouragement. On days that I want to run hard, I find this really motivating to push a little bit harder! Having an instructor does help the time go fast, and its nice to not have to think about workouts yourself. Now that I am deep into marathon training, I do classes but ensure I’m following my marathon training plan, which means sometimes I just easy run through a class.
The Peloton treadmill also has scenic runs, filmed in beautiful locations that you run along. I’ve really enjoyed these for longer runs, or runs where I need to do my own workout. There are runs by time (15 minutes to 60 minutes) and distance (1 mile to 6 miles). You can also stack runs so that you can do longer runs if needed. I often stack a warm up run, a normal run, and a cool down to get to the mileage that I want that day.
You can also access all of the strength, yoga, and walking classes from the Peloton treadmill. I use the screen to stream the classes before or after my runs. The speaker quality is pretty nice and the instructors keep you moving. There are also bootcamp classes that are half on the treadmill, half on the floor.
As I mentioned, I thought I wouldn’t use the treadmill as much in the summer months, and considered cancelling the subscription. So far, I’ve found that I’m still using it 4-5 days a week for strength, yoga, stretching, and 1-2 runs a week. I still cringe at the $45 fee each month, but I also know that I’m really enjoying it. Pre-pandemic I used to spend $20 a class at a running gym, and I don’t have a gym membership now. I know there are people who are going to say “mer mer you can run outside for free”, but for me, having the safety, convenience and fun of the Peloton is worth it, and I am happy with my purchase.
If you are considering the treadmill (or the bike), I would recommend downloading the app first and just trying it to see if you like the classes. It’s a good indicator of if you would enjoy it long term. I would also say if you’re just getting into running, I don’t think the Peloton treadmill is a necessity (unless you want it!). I personally would ensure running is something I would do consistently before investing that much into a treadmill. As someone who hated running on the treadmill, I can now say I really enjoy it, and that is a nice thing to have!
If you would like to try the Peloton app, you can try it free for 60 days with this link!
Have you used a Peloton? I would love to know your experience in the comments below!
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