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That’s what I don’t get about this whole peloton thing. Why aren’t people just getting bikes and then putting them on trainers? You can get the whole trainer

That’s what I don’t get about this whole peloton thing. Why aren’t people just getting bikes and then putting them on trainers? You can get the whole trainer workouts and still have a bike that you can ride outside.

wittyreference 6y ago
I don't know about what the Peloton experience is like, but: My bike is on a trainer, and I see the following down-sides: a) My bike on a trainer is really loud. Can't do it early; can't do it when the baby is sleeping, etc. b) It's a moderate pain in the ass to hook and unhook. Not a huge pain in the ass, but I certainly didn't do it any time of the year it was feasible for me to bike to work. c) It's dirty. I mean, the bike. I dislike washing the tires so I can bring it indoors even a couple of times a year, never mind if it's coming in and out constantly. And never mind the fact that even washed, my wife sure as hell isn't letting me bring that into a corner of the bedroom. d) My bike has exposed chains and gearing that, if I'm not mistaken, the Peloton and similar bikes do not. I've got a toddler. e) Indoor exercise bikes are usually reasonably set up to let you have somewhere to put your phone, or ipad, or kindle, etc. Bikes on a trainer do not. When I'm working out indoors, that makes a big difference for me. This hasn't been enough to convince me to buy a Peloton, but I can certainly see why someone with more disposable income (or square footage) would.
- mikestew 6y ago
  Additionally, I think folks are assuming that you're the only cycling nut in the house. If there are two or more, then an easy-to-adjust bike is essential. If you think your non-mechanically-inclined partner is going to grab a hex wrench every time he wants to hit the "trainer", you will be sadly disappointed. Hell, if you think I, who used to be a bike mechanic in his misspent youth, am going to grab that hex wrench you'd be sadly mistaken. You stick a road bike on a trainer, and there will be exactly one person that ever uses it. Summary: a dedicated indoor bike immensely reduces the friction of getting a ride in.
  - JamesMontemagno 6y ago
    That is a good point as well. My wife also uses the bike and this is a big benefit.
  - nightski 6y ago
    My wife & I swap our real bikes on a Wahoo Kickr. It takes less than 60 seconds to swap a bike. Then we get to use the same bikes we ride all summer as well - no adjustments necessary.
    - boringg 6y ago
      Same here - wife and I do the same thing. I will say that I would prefer not to but it *normally isn’t enough friction to stop it. To the commentators point it does add friction though.
- OJFord 6y ago
  > a) My bike on a trainer is really loud. Not that it's going to make (b) any better, but do you have purpose-made tyres on it? I've never tried with my road one, I heard it was loud and wore down extremely fast if you did so, so I just bought a smooth (and I think harder?) one designed for use on a trainer off the bat. Could just be marketing and I fell for it, but seemed reasonable. Re (b), and especially if you changed tyre, I suppose if you wanted to do that regularly you'd soon get a second quick-release rear wheel, so you didn't have to faff about switching skewers (and tyres!) - or better a 'direct drive' trainer (instead of running the bicycle wheel against another wheel, it comes off and you put the chain directly around a sprocket attached to the trainer).
  - nradov 6y ago
    Modern smart trainers have an attached sprocket and are used with the rear wheel off the bike. Some models are fairly quiet.
    - OJFord 6y ago
      As I said: > or better a 'direct drive' trainer (instead of running the bicycle wheel against another wheel, it comes off and you put the chain directly around a sprocket attached to the trainer).
- pmontra 6y ago
  f) The super sweating because there is no wind. I bought a fan to throw some air to me. About your point e, I exercise close to a table. I put a bottle of water on there, with the phone (also for the app of the cardio) and the tablet to watch something while I pedal.
- debbiedowner 6y ago
  The tacx flux and wahoo kickr are the quietest trainers available and are incredibly quiet, especially when placed on the shock absorbing pads wahoo sells. These direct drive trainers are easy to take your bike on and off too. IMO the pad takes care of the dirt factor too. Still dangerous for your toddler tho. These days you can buy $200 hd tvs and a mini desktop to run zwift, which is much nicer than using on a mobile device.
koolba 6y ago
> That’s what I don’t get about this whole peloton thing. The short answer is that people are idiots. The same people that spend thousands on a Peloton are the ones that previously were spending comparative amounts at “spin classes”, which are nothing more than riding a bike while someone yells at you. At best, it forces them to do the workout so they don’t feel like their money is being wasted. I’ve long proposed a fitness program where you pay some exorbitant fee, say $500/month, to work out alone and you get a rebate for each workout. I bet it’d have incredible results.
- mikestew 6y ago
  The short answer is that people are idiots. They can be at times. Often they'll make it obvious by asking questions like, "why don't they do it the way I think it should be done?"
- wittyreference 6y ago
  Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a trainer is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other? Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a group is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other? Do you think that emulating being with a group would have value for those that would otherwise value working with a group? Do you think that anyone who falls into the "works out better with a group and a trainer, or an emulation thereof" must be an idiot? Or do you think that category simply doesn't exist? From my experience in competitive powerlifting, working out by myself, working out with others, working out with a coach, working out with an app yelling at me, are all very different endeavors, with different outcomes. Maybe I'm just an idiot.
  - koolba 6y ago
    > Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a trainer is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other? Honestly no. It’s just a symptom of being a weak minded person who can’t commit to self improvement. > Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a group is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other? If you say ask it twice it doesn’t change the response. > Do you think that emulating being with a group would have value for those that would otherwise value working with a group? Of course it has value. But it’s the workout equivalent of hiring a prostitute. Find some real friends to work out with. Or just play some music and pedal. > Do you think that anyone who falls into the "works out better with a group and a trainer, or an emulation thereof" must be an idiot? Or do you think that category simply doesn't exist? A group, a trainer, and a spin class instructor that just yells at you on a preset rhythm are three different things. > From my experience in competitive powerlifting, working out by myself, working out with others, working out with a coach, working out with an app yelling at me, are all very different endeavors, with different outcomes. Maybe I'm just an idiot. I didn’t insult having a trainer or anything to do with powerlifting with a group. Hell, a spotter is all but mandatory in that situation. I’m specifically referring to idiots paying someone to yell at them to speed up or slow down while riding a bike. You could record one session and play it back on a speaker and it’d be the same thing.
JamesMontemagno 6y ago
I sort of consider it two different types of workouts. Trainers for sure are great if you are comfortable putting it on and off. For me this was an at home spin bike with a nice heavy flywheel for resistance. You can totally accomplish a lot of it with a trainer, but they can range in price, sometimes much more than just a indoor cycling bike like I put together. You also put additional miles on your bike with a trainer. Kind of depends on what you are looking for. Totally viable.
gregshap 6y ago
Because the customer for Peloton has very little overlap with the customer for indoor cycling trainer. There are tens of millions of people in USA alone with zero desire to bike outside, who nonetheless desire some exercise experience that requires minimal knowledge or planning outside of class time.
- JoeAltmaier 6y ago
  Exaggeration? There are 2 million Peloton users.
  - bmiller2 6y ago
    Buy PTON now then, at least 18 million potential subscribers out there
  - gregshap 6y ago
    TAM != Current Subscriber Base
ar_lan 6y ago
> Why aren’t people just getting bikes and then putting them on trainers? Maybe for single people, or households where only one person is interested in it. Have you ever tried sharing the same bike with someone else who is an entirely different size than you? A dedicated indoor bike comes with so many quick-and-easy adjustments for my wife and I that it is just so much easier to share. It's also crazy quiet, for what that's worth. My $400 purchase, plus $10/mo for the Peloton app has been well worth it while we're waiting for gyms to open back up (or even for dumbbells to just come back in stock).

wittyreference 6y ago

I don't know about what the Peloton experience is like, but: My bike is on a trainer, and I see the following down-sides: a) My bike on a trainer is really loud. Can't do it early; can't do it when the baby is sleeping, etc. b) It's a moderate pain in the ass to hook and unhook. Not a huge pain in the ass, but I certainly didn't do it any time of the year it was feasible for me to bike to work. c) It's dirty. I mean, the bike. I dislike washing the tires so I can bring it indoors even a couple of times a year, never mind if it's coming in and out constantly. And never mind the fact that even washed, my wife sure as hell isn't letting me bring that into a corner of the bedroom. d) My bike has exposed chains and gearing that, if I'm not mistaken, the Peloton and similar bikes do not. I've got a toddler. e) Indoor exercise bikes are usually reasonably set up to let you have somewhere to put your phone, or ipad, or kindle, etc. Bikes on a trainer do not. When I'm working out indoors, that makes a big difference for me. This hasn't been enough to convince me to buy a Peloton, but I can certainly see why someone with more disposable income (or square footage) would.

mikestew 6y ago
Additionally, I think folks are assuming that you're the only cycling nut in the house. If there are two or more, then an easy-to-adjust bike is essential. If you think your non-mechanically-inclined partner is going to grab a hex wrench every time he wants to hit the "trainer", you will be sadly disappointed. Hell, if you think I, who used to be a bike mechanic in his misspent youth, am going to grab that hex wrench you'd be sadly mistaken. You stick a road bike on a trainer, and there will be exactly one person that ever uses it. Summary: a dedicated indoor bike immensely reduces the friction of getting a ride in.
- JamesMontemagno 6y ago
  That is a good point as well. My wife also uses the bike and this is a big benefit.
- nightski 6y ago
  My wife & I swap our real bikes on a Wahoo Kickr. It takes less than 60 seconds to swap a bike. Then we get to use the same bikes we ride all summer as well - no adjustments necessary.
  - boringg 6y ago
    Same here - wife and I do the same thing. I will say that I would prefer not to but it *normally isn’t enough friction to stop it. To the commentators point it does add friction though.
OJFord 6y ago
> a) My bike on a trainer is really loud. Not that it's going to make (b) any better, but do you have purpose-made tyres on it? I've never tried with my road one, I heard it was loud and wore down extremely fast if you did so, so I just bought a smooth (and I think harder?) one designed for use on a trainer off the bat. Could just be marketing and I fell for it, but seemed reasonable. Re (b), and especially if you changed tyre, I suppose if you wanted to do that regularly you'd soon get a second quick-release rear wheel, so you didn't have to faff about switching skewers (and tyres!) - or better a 'direct drive' trainer (instead of running the bicycle wheel against another wheel, it comes off and you put the chain directly around a sprocket attached to the trainer).
- nradov 6y ago
  Modern smart trainers have an attached sprocket and are used with the rear wheel off the bike. Some models are fairly quiet.
  - OJFord 6y ago
    As I said: > or better a 'direct drive' trainer (instead of running the bicycle wheel against another wheel, it comes off and you put the chain directly around a sprocket attached to the trainer).
pmontra 6y ago
f) The super sweating because there is no wind. I bought a fan to throw some air to me. About your point e, I exercise close to a table. I put a bottle of water on there, with the phone (also for the app of the cardio) and the tablet to watch something while I pedal.
debbiedowner 6y ago
The tacx flux and wahoo kickr are the quietest trainers available and are incredibly quiet, especially when placed on the shock absorbing pads wahoo sells. These direct drive trainers are easy to take your bike on and off too. IMO the pad takes care of the dirt factor too. Still dangerous for your toddler tho. These days you can buy $200 hd tvs and a mini desktop to run zwift, which is much nicer than using on a mobile device.

koolba 6y ago

> That’s what I don’t get about this whole peloton thing. The short answer is that people are idiots. The same people that spend thousands on a Peloton are the ones that previously were spending comparative amounts at “spin classes”, which are nothing more than riding a bike while someone yells at you. At best, it forces them to do the workout so they don’t feel like their money is being wasted. I’ve long proposed a fitness program where you pay some exorbitant fee, say $500/month, to work out alone and you get a rebate for each workout. I bet it’d have incredible results.

mikestew 6y ago
The short answer is that people are idiots. They can be at times. Often they'll make it obvious by asking questions like, "why don't they do it the way I think it should be done?"
wittyreference 6y ago
Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a trainer is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other? Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a group is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other? Do you think that emulating being with a group would have value for those that would otherwise value working with a group? Do you think that anyone who falls into the "works out better with a group and a trainer, or an emulation thereof" must be an idiot? Or do you think that category simply doesn't exist? From my experience in competitive powerlifting, working out by myself, working out with others, working out with a coach, working out with an app yelling at me, are all very different endeavors, with different outcomes. Maybe I'm just an idiot.
- koolba 6y ago
  > Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a trainer is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other? Honestly no. It’s just a symptom of being a weak minded person who can’t commit to self improvement. > Do you think that working out entirely alone vs. with a group is the same thing? Do you think there are some people that would derive a differential benefit by going with one vs. the other? If you say ask it twice it doesn’t change the response. > Do you think that emulating being with a group would have value for those that would otherwise value working with a group? Of course it has value. But it’s the workout equivalent of hiring a prostitute. Find some real friends to work out with. Or just play some music and pedal. > Do you think that anyone who falls into the "works out better with a group and a trainer, or an emulation thereof" must be an idiot? Or do you think that category simply doesn't exist? A group, a trainer, and a spin class instructor that just yells at you on a preset rhythm are three different things. > From my experience in competitive powerlifting, working out by myself, working out with others, working out with a coach, working out with an app yelling at me, are all very different endeavors, with different outcomes. Maybe I'm just an idiot. I didn’t insult having a trainer or anything to do with powerlifting with a group. Hell, a spotter is all but mandatory in that situation. I’m specifically referring to idiots paying someone to yell at them to speed up or slow down while riding a bike. You could record one session and play it back on a speaker and it’d be the same thing.

JamesMontemagno 6y ago

I sort of consider it two different types of workouts. Trainers for sure are great if you are comfortable putting it on and off. For me this was an at home spin bike with a nice heavy flywheel for resistance. You can totally accomplish a lot of it with a trainer, but they can range in price, sometimes much more than just a indoor cycling bike like I put together. You also put additional miles on your bike with a trainer. Kind of depends on what you are looking for. Totally viable.

gregshap 6y ago

Because the customer for Peloton has very little overlap with the customer for indoor cycling trainer. There are tens of millions of people in USA alone with zero desire to bike outside, who nonetheless desire some exercise experience that requires minimal knowledge or planning outside of class time.

JoeAltmaier 6y ago
Exaggeration? There are 2 million Peloton users.
- bmiller2 6y ago
  Buy PTON now then, at least 18 million potential subscribers out there
- gregshap 6y ago
  TAM != Current Subscriber Base

ar_lan 6y ago

> Why aren’t people just getting bikes and then putting them on trainers? Maybe for single people, or households where only one person is interested in it. Have you ever tried sharing the same bike with someone else who is an entirely different size than you? A dedicated indoor bike comes with so many quick-and-easy adjustments for my wife and I that it is just so much easier to share. It's also crazy quiet, for what that's worth. My $400 purchase, plus $10/mo for the Peloton app has been well worth it while we're waiting for gyms to open back up (or even for dumbbells to just come back in stock).