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Avid mountain biker here. I like to ride outside 4-5 days a week in good weather when I can. I only own a mountain bike and had been looking all summer for a wa
by cols 6y ago
Avid mountain biker here. I like to ride outside 4-5 days a week in good weather when I can. I only own a mountain bike and had been looking all summer for a way to get hard core cardio during the winter months. Also, as a resident of the PNW, this year we experienced horrific fires, oppressive smoke, and awful air quality for a significant chunk of September. This meant no cycling.
Mountain bikes generally don't work too well with trainers so I started looking at spin bikes. I researched the Peloton and honestly, it's kind of a rip off. Huge upfront cost, limited classes for West Coasters (when I looked, anyway), and that pesky monthly fee. You are paying for brand exclusivity, IMO.
I ended up getting a Schwinn IC4 for < $1,000 and no monthly fee. I hook it up to Zwift and an iPad or my TV for structured riding. Overall, I'm very happy with my decision. I would still have preferred the Peloton's integrated screen but at literally twice the price of the IC4 (plus ongoing fees for classes if you choose to utilize them), I just couldn't justify it.
- rconti 6y agoGranted, Peloton Digital classes are more expensive than Zwift, but if you're ever interested, there's a whole culture of folks who use Peloton content on other bikes. Search for "Peloton app riders". It looks like the IC4 supports power, so I highly recommend doing power training on Zwift, particularly for mountain biking. (I'm an ex-PNWer :) )
- darkwizard42 6y agoPretty similar to what I did given the weather issues (right down to the Schiwnn IC4 purchase). However, I'm more of a road biker and so definitely haven't felt great about the lack of dynamic resistance but better than not biking at all. We even had the Peloton subscription for a little while but opted for other classes in the end.