Answer…to Peloton. Although…this doesn’t necessarily mean you need to buy Peloton hardware to take advantage of its great workouts. I have shared a few different times on my Instagram stories about how I have been doing the Peloton workouts throughout the pandemic. Actually, I started doing them even before I had a bike. I loved the strength and cardio workouts, and they had a 3 month-free trial, so it was perfect! Now, I really wanted an actual Peloton bike, but my husband didn’t want us to spend that much money on a bike when we could still go outside and run/walk, and we didn’t even know whether we would like cycling. I had done spin a long time ago, and enjoyed it, but hadn’t been on a bike for years. I did, however, convince him to try this cheaper option that was recommended by a friend. So, I wanted to provide you with some information on our setup, so you could decide whether the Peloton bike is for you, or maybe you want to try a cheaper version, while still getting great workouts using the Peloton app.

What bike do I have?

I bought the Sunny Health & Fitness Magnetic Belt Drive Indoor Cycling Bike after a recommendation from a friend. She had sent me this blog post from Simply Real Health, which provided a lot of great information on why this bike is such a good alternative to the more expensive Peloton bike. I won’t go into too much detail of the actual bike features because she does a nice job recapping them, but here were a few pros for us:

• Adjustable seat (both up and down and front to back)-my husband is 6’6” and I am 5’6”, so this was a must for us
• Adjustable handle bars
• A place to put a tablet
• Caged pedals that could allow us to have biking shoes or normal shoes
• Sturdy frame, so we would have no problems getting out of the saddle and sprinting

We have absolutely nothing but great things to say about this bike. It is very sturdy, quiet, and has smooth pedal strokes. Also, when I use to do spin at a gym, I would always leave class with a sore bum—this has never been the case with my Sunny bike.

Sunny Health & Fitness Bike Price: $599 from Amazon

But, how does it compare to the Peloton bike?

Honestly, I have no idea other than what I read in this blog post. I have never tried a Peloton bike or even seen one up close, so I don’t know what I am missing. But, I can probably bet that for the bike itself (take away the software component), I am probably not missing much. What you are really paying for when you buy a Peloton bike is the screen and the software, which is obviously really cool to have, but also means the price point will be higher. I do know that Peloton does have some financing options, and they recently launched a smaller bike to target their bike boot camp classes, meaning that their older model’s price did go down.

Original Peloton Bike: Starting at $1,895 (or $49/mo)

Peloton Bike+: Starting at $2,495 (or $64/mo)

Okay, so what does the Sunny bike have for a digital display?

Well unfortunately there is no digital display. But don’t let that deter you! There is a resistance knob, which over time, you do start to know what resistance you are at. I also purchased the Wahoo RPM Cycling Cadence Sensor, which clips onto your bike pedal arm. You then download the Wahoo app, which will tell you how fast you are pedaling (or your beats per minute (BPM)).

If you are using the Peloton app (which I highly recommend and will talk about in a bit) on an Apple product, the app will also connect to the Wahoo cadence sensor and show your cadence right on the app screen like this:

Also, if you have a heartrate monitor or Apple watch, it can sync directly with the Wahoo app or the Peloton app, so you know exactly how hard you are pushing yourself.

Wahoo Cadence Sensor Price: $39.99

Apple Watch 3 (GPS) Series Price: $229.99 from Target

So if I use the Peloton app to workout on the Sunny bike, how does that work?

Before I answer this question, let me say that the Peloton app is so much more than just cycling classes. As I mentioned above, I used the app before I ever had a bike. They have such a great range of classes—barre, strength, Pilates, boot camps, etc. (these are just my favorites). I originally took advantage of the 3-month free trial Peloton was offering (now I believe it is 2 months free), downloaded the app on my iPhone, on my son’s Chromebook, on our Roku, and even have done some of the workouts on their web platform from our computers. Once the trial ended, I pay $12.99/month for the Peloton Digital Membership to have access to all of their amazing workouts! To compare, if you have the actual Peloton bike, you will need to pay $39/month for the Peloton All-Access Membership.

I will say that the Peloton dashboard does look different depending on the device you have. For instance, if I do a workout on my son’s Chromebook, it won’t connect to my cadence detector and I can’t rate the workouts. The same goes for having it on our Roku. Doing the workouts directly on my iPhone has by far the best dashboard, and as mentioned above, my cadence sensor connects right to it, so I can see my cadence right on the screen. If I do use the Chromebook, I just need to have my phone with the Wahoo app up, which honestly isn’t a big deal either.

Peloton Memberships

Is there anything I don’t get doing the workouts using the Peloton app versus having an actual Peloton bike?

Yes, and this is important, and quite honestly probably the biggest thing you need to consider when deciding whether to buy one. Because I do not have a Peloton bike, I can join live classes, but none of my stats will connect, so I won’t be on the leaderboard. What is “the leaderboard?” It is a section on the screen that tells you (1) how you are performing against people who are currently taking or have taken the class; and (2) how well you have performed in past rides. So for me, I never see any of these stats on my screen (I also don’t think I see others, but I haven’t really paid attention). I think this is important because one of the big draws of Peloton is the live classes and the ability to “compete” both with others on the leaderboard and with yourself! If this is something that drives you, and will motivate you to work out and push yourself harder in workouts, then I think getting the Peloton bike is more likely for you.

If, however, you are a person who just wants to get in some great workouts on a good bike, and can motivate yourself do this without the enticement of a leaderboard, then I think you will be equally as happy getting a bike like the Sunny one and doing the workouts on the Peloton app. And just to put it into perspective for you, I thought I was someone who needed to be pushed—I did Orange Theory for almost two years before the pandemic. For these workouts you not only have your stats on the screen for everyone to see, but you have a coach pushing and motivating you. I loved it, and honestly never worked out from home.

Fast forward to the pandemic, and I NEEDED to workout from home because there were no other options for a period of time. Even when we first got the bike, I dreaded it, and wasn’t sure if these workouts were for me or if I could push myself, but then after a couple weeks, I found coaches and music I loved, and now my husband and I are at a point where if we don’t workout, we feel like we need to. Also, I think the addition of the bike boot camps has been amazing for us. They resemble the format of Orange Theory, they are intense, and fly by! What I also like about the boot camp classes is that they have 30mins, 45mins, or 60mins options. This bike, the app, and the coaches have been a true life saver for us, both physically and mentally over the last 11 months.

Who is my favorite coach?

Ahh, this is a tough one. I have different favorites depending on my mood or what type of workout I want to get in, but I probably have to say Jess Sims or Tunde. Their workouts are always the ones that push me the most, and I can resonate with a lot of their stories. Now, I also love doing workouts with Cody (always a good time with fun music), Hannah Frankson (I could listen to her accent all day), and Robin (she has the best quotes)! Here are the types of classes each of them coach:

Jess Sims (strength, family fit (my son likes these ones) and bike boot camp)

Tunde (cycling and bike boot camp)

Cody (cycling and bike boot camp)

Hannah (cycling)

Robin (cycling, strength, and bike boot camp)

So to conclude . . .

I just wanted to give you all some information and things to consider if you are looking for a good at home workout. Whether you go with a Peloton bike, a Sunny bike, or something else, I honestly do not think you can go wrong. It’s really a matter of personal preference, how you get motivated to work hard, and your budget. The good thing is that there are some great options out there for everyone! If you have any questions please DM me on Instagram or send me an email through the blog. Check out below for links to all my favorite home workout essentials.

               Alana xo

1. Sunny Health & Fitness Bike Price: $599 from Amazon
2. Wahoo Cadence Sensor Price: $39.99
3. Apple Watch 3 (GPS) Series Price: $229.99 from Target
4. New Balance Fresh Foam Roav Sneaker-$79.99 from Amazon
5. Lululemon Align 25” Leggings-$98 from Lululemon
6. Favorite Post Workout Jacket-$38.40 from Target
7. All in Motion Dumbbells-$3.49 and up (various weights) from Target
8. Peloton Dumbbells-$45-$95 (various weights) from Peloton
9. Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Equipment Mat-$33.99 from Amazon
10. EZ-Flex Interlocking Recycled Rubber Side & Corner Floor Tiles by Mats Inc.-$69.99 from Costco