Peloton bikes bring all the benefits that you would get from cycling or a spin class into the comfort of your own home. Their memberships give you access to various workouts and classes, all led by motivational instructors dedicated to helping you get the most out of every training session. All of this comes with a price, and it’s quite high. That is why many people opt for looking at purchasing a used Peloton bike.
Health Benefits of Biking
Cycling is a low-impact exercise that is not only easy on your joints but great to get your heart pumping during a cardio workout.
When you are seated while biking, you place most of your weight on your pelvis. This takes some pressure and strain off the joints in your knees, ankles, and feet. Cycling is perfect for people with sore or stiff joints since the joints get worked (improving the stiffness and range of motion) without placing stress on them.
Cycling is an aerobic exercise that gets your cardiovascular system going and improves your overall fitness. It increases your heart rate and breathing rate, supplying plenty of blood and oxygen to your brain and body. It also releases endorphins, the body’s feel-good chemicals that improve your mood. You know that post-cardio workout glow? That’s what we are talking about here.
Whenever you push down on the pedals, you use the muscles in your glutes, front of the thighs, and calves. When you move the pedals up, you use muscles in the back of your thighs and the front of your hips. You also use your abdominal muscles to balance, and your arm and shoulder muscles to hold on and maneuver the handlebars. However, these muscles are used less when you are on a stationary bike.
Cycling, especially with resistance, pulls on your muscles. Your muscles, in turn, pull on your bone. This increases your bone density and makes them stronger.
The benefits you get from biking transfer to your everyday activities like walking, keeping your balance, standing, stair climbing, and anything requiring endurance.
As with any new exercise routine, check in with your doctor or physical therapist before you start biking. This is especially important if you have any injuries or existing medical conditions.
What is a Peloton bike?
The Peloton bike is a stationary exercise bike. But what makes it interesting is the Peloton app you can purchase along with the spin bike (or as a stand-alone product). Membership gives you access to both live and on-demand Peloton classes where Peloton instructors motivate and push you. Peloton is beloved as one of the best indoor bike brands because of the app and classes that come with it.
The Peloton bike and app track your performance and has a real-time leaderboard where users can compare and compete with other Peloton riders. It also gives you your own metrics in real-time and records them to help you achieve your fitness goals. Peloton Interactive, Inc also produces treadmills and offers strength training, yoga, running, stretching, boot camp, and meditation classes as part of their Peloton Digital Membership and Peloton All Access Membership options.
Benefits of Getting a Used Peloton Bike
The biggest benefit of getting a used Peloton bike is that you get just about everything you would get from a new bike, minus the hefty price tag.
Keep in mind that the warranty cannot be transferred from the original bike owner. New Peloton bikes come with a five-year warranty on the frame and twelve months for parts and labor. However, you can do your own maintenance and repair work on your Peloton cycle. You can get the parts directly from Peloton for relatively cheap, and you can fix most issues on your bike yourself.
Can you use a Peloton without a subscription?
You can use the Peloton app without the bike, but you can’t use the bike without the subscription. There are three demo classes and a free-ride mode that you can do without the Peloton app. Still, the appeal is that you use the bike and app together for maximum benefits from both the on-demand and live classes. This will give you access to the leader board and record your riding data instead of only having it displayed on the screen while riding.
In some cases, you might get a great deal and take over whatever is left of the previous owner’s subscription. It is relatively easy to transfer their subscription to you. You need the previous owner’s email address (the one they used to sign up for their subscription) and contact the Peloton customer support department. They will move the subscription over to you with no trouble.
Best Places to Buy a Used Peloton Bike
Online marketing places are your best bet for finding a used Peloton Bike. Because Peloton bikes are in high demand, act fast when you see one you are interested in.
Online Marketplaces
Whichever site you use, always take care, and be aware that there are scam sellers. If possible, go and look at the bike and ask the seller pertinent questions before making the purchase. Here are a few online marketplaces you can use to find a used Peloton bike:
Facebook Marketplace or buy/sell/trade groups
You could find a good deal on Facebook Marketplace, but it will take a bit of searching. If you aren’t in a hurry to buy a second-hand Peloton bike, join some local buy, sell, or trade groups on Facebook. You might get lucky.
eBay
eBay is a relatively safe option to go with when looking for a used Peloton bike to buy. The site gives you plenty of information on both the bike and the owner so that you can make an informed decision, and shipping could be included in your purchase. You should still go look at the bike before you purchase it.
Craigslist
Craigslist is an excellent site to use to find used Peloton bikes in your area. Used bikes get listed all the time, but they get sold fast, so you need to get on it if you see one that you like.
used.forsale.com
The best way to describe used.forsale.com is that it is a search engine for used goods. The site scans the most prominent online second-hand marketplaces and gives you results based on a keyword search. To narrow down your search, you can include specific product details and your area and sign up for notifications whenever they find a product related to your search criteria. When you find a product that you might be interested in, the ‘contact’ button will take you to the original advertisement, say on eBay, Craigslist, and so on.
Things You Need to Consider When Buying a Used Peloton Bike
Finding a used Peloton bike.
Ideally, you would want to find a used Peloton bike for sale near you. It is highly recommended that you view the bike and ask some critical questions before making the purchase.
Getting your used Peloton bike home.
You will need a large enough vehicle to accommodate the bike, like a pickup or SUV with the seats folded down. Other alternatives would be to get a moving company to help you out or ask the seller to ship it to you. The bike is heavy, so you might consider bringing someone along to help you when you collect it.
When you get your used Peloton bike ready for transport, remove the seat and handlebars along with the screen. This will help to decrease the weight of the bike and keep all the pieces safe. The screen on its own is quite expensive, so you would want to be extra careful with that. The seat can be removed by loosening the knob and lifting it up and out.
To remove the handlebars and screen, you need to remove a Phillips screw located on the front and bottom of the handlebar stem. Do this once you have lowered the handlebars as low as they can go. The cables can be disconnected by unclipping the clip where they go into the screen. This clip unclips on one side. If the cables are connected to the handlebars, undo that Velcro to get it free. Now you can slide the handlebars and screen out of its holder by lifting it up. Be prepared to take its weight as it is heavy. You could also remove the screen from the handlebars by unscrewing the screws behind the screen, where it is mounted to the handlebars.
It is best to transport the bike upright. Laying it down could place a lot of pressure on the water bottle holder or pedals and damage it. If you have no other choice, remember to bring pillows or blankets to help cushion the frame. Secure the wheel so that it doesn’t move by turning the resistance knob all the way to the right.
Remember to take all the accessories, including the power cord, to save yourself from making another trip to the seller.
Questions to ask when purchasing a used Peloton bike.
- Is the seller the first owner of the bike?
This will help you establish whether there is more wear and tear on the bike than only that incurred by the current owner. You also need to consider that the bike undergoes stress and strain each time it is moved and transported. More previous owners mean that the bike might have been harmed, mainly if it hasn’t been transported properly.
While you are at it, you would want to find out how many rides the owner and his family members have done on the bike. Again, this will give you an indication of wear and tear.
- Are there or have there been any issues with the bike?
Peloton bikes are sturdy and well-built, but just because it looks good on the outside doesn’t mean there aren’t any issues with the internal mechanisms or screen. The clip-in pedals of around 27,000 bikes sold between July 2013 and May 2016 have been recalled after reports of injuries and breakage. You might want to double-check with the owner whether the bike could be one of the recalls, and whether the pedals have been replaced.
- When was the bike purchased as new?
The year and the month in which the bike was purchased will give you an idea of which generation screen it has. For example, Generation 1 screens were replaced with Generation 2 screens in September 2016. In September 2018, Generation 3 screens came out.
A Peloton bike with a Generation 1 screen will be less expensive but also have fewer features. Generation 2 and 3 screens have faster processors and more RAM. They also come with better speakers and can accommodate screen casting. Their design is also sleeker, if that is a selling point for you.
- What does the bike come with?
If someone is selling their used Peloton bike, they will probably want to throw in the accessories that came with it when they bought it. You could get a good deal if the bike comes with the bike mat, weights, earphones, heart rate monitor, and shoes—even if you have to pay a bit more. Also, find out whether the owner has credit left on a prepaid subscription that you can take over.
You will need Delta cleats to attach to the pedals of the Peloton bike, so take the shoes if you can, even if they aren’t in your size. You can resell them to recoup some of the cost to buy ones in your size. Alternatively, if you already have cleats or other cycling peloton shoes, you could consider changing out the pedals to fit with what you have and are comfortable with.
Other things to consider.
Before purchasing a used Peloton bike, consider checking and trying some out in a showroom if you can. This will give you an idea of what the bike needs to look, feel, and sound like.
When you look at the bike, do a visual inspection to see whether everything is where it is supposed to be and looks like it’s supposed to. Some obvious things to look for here would be scratches, dents, or bends. Take a look at the small wheels used when moving the bike around. Those wheels will indicate whether the bike has been moved a lot. Remember, each time the bike is moved, there is a potential for damaging it.
Turn on the screen and make sure it connects to the wifi and that it’s working fine. Most sellers shouldn’t have a problem with you testing this.
Try out the pedals, fist by spinning them without being on the bike. They need to move freely (as long as the bike is at low resistance) and shouldn’t make any strange noises. Then get on the bike and give it a try. Feel how it rides and test it at different resistance levels and while standing up.
Listen for any strange noises and notice any odd movement like rocking on the bike itself. If you had gone to try out a Peloton bike in a showroom before looking at used bikes, you should be able to pick up on anything out of the ordinary quickly.
The Best Time to Buy a Used Peloton Bike
Used Peloton bikes sell like hotcakes, and you need to act fast when you find one you like. You could pick up a good used Peloton bike at any time, but there seems to be a trend for more used bikes sold at certain times around the end of January and in February.
Does the Peloton bike ever go on sale?
Peloton bikes never go on sale, so you will always pay the listed price. However, there are a few ways that you can get a good deal on a Peloton bike if you buy it new. Peloton offers Black Friday deals, referral codes and military, First responder, and Medical Personnel discounts. Mostly this is in the form of free or discounts on Peloton accessories. If you have a friend who has a referral code, you can use that to get $100 off accessories or an accessory package. When you do this, your friend will get $100 in Peloton merchandise. You might also qualify for tax exemption.
Members of the Military, Medical Personnel, and First Responders can get a free Essentials accessory package with a Peloton bike purchase at any time. Members in the Military include both active and retired members. Medical Personnel include doctors, nurses, and pharmacists. First responders who can benefit include firefighters, EMTs, and police officers.
Conclusion
Peloton bikes are great, and the added benefits you get with classes on the app give you a great workout. The price could deter some potential buyers as the initial investment is steep, and then you still need to pay a monthly fee for the app membership. Buying a used Peloton bike is a great compromise because it helps you get the same features for a lower price. You could get a great deal, especially if it comes with a subscription and accessories.