One of the many odd moments I’ve experienced in 2020 includes finding myself crying while pedalling furiously on a stationary bike.
You don’t necessarily want to be crying while exercising, but the Peloton – what I can only describe as a brilliant marriage of technology and fitness – has wormed its way into my heart. Many people have asked me why I like it so much; hopefully this post will help anyone mulling over whether to give it a go, as well as those who haven’t heard about it!
Here’s what I always say when people ask me about the Peloton: it’s more than just the bike. There are cycling classes, but that’s just one of the types of exercise it offers: there’s cardio, runs, yoga, and much more.
Yes or yes?
Ally Love
Tell me more about the Peloton Bike!
OK, so if you’ve tried spinning, you already have a basic idea of what you’ll get once you clip in. I’d tried a spinning class before this but there’s something about this indoor bike that reeled me in. It’s been a combination of the music, the themed rides (uh hello, there’s a Burna Boy ride!), and the instructors – of whom you’ll definitely end up having favourites. You clip in, pick a class (which you can filter by length, music style and more), and follow the instructions that show up on screen + the instructor always makes them clear during the ride.
There’s a leaderboard where you can see how many people have taken the class (if it’s from the on-demand library), how many people are taking the class at the same time, and where you fall in the rankings. I normally hide that panel unless I’m doing a live ride, where I end getting and giving high fives to other riders. Honestly, the appeal of a live ride is high for me; it just adds to that community feel.
These classes can be tough, and that’s why I found myself in tears during one class because I was pushing myself pretty damn hard.
But did you die?
Robin Arzon
No Robin, I didn’t.
I found my strength gradually increasing as time went by, my speed and resistance increasing, and my stamina too. I initially found it difficult to clip out when I started, but as time went by, it became second nature.
In addition to the rides helping me lose weight and toning my body, the endorphin rush I get from doing this is pretty much second to dancing – and as those who know me well (or just on Instagram haha), dancing is my ultimate happy place.
Let’s go boss.
Ally Love
What else can I do besides bike rides?
Plenty! You can use the digital app to try yoga and meditation (I did the Power of Sleep programme recently, and found it super helpful), as well as strength classes where you can focus on full body, upper body, lower body, core, arms, and more. There’s a cardio section which has HIIT classes as well as dance cardio classes (yay!). Peloton also offers running & walking classes (which I’ve used on a regular treadmill) as well as a range of outdoor walk and run classes.
Oh yeah, there’s also a bootcamp class series! And with the release of the Bike+, the range of its bootcamp classes are increasing (before it was strength sessions mixed with cardio on the Tread, now it will offer bootcamp classes involving the Bike). Plus, Peloton has recently added resistance band workouts, which I cannot wait to dive into.
OK, I’m convinced. Where can I try a Peloton Bike in Dubai?
- Head to the Quantum Health Club in The H Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road [shameless pat-on-my-back: the photos below were taken when I did my Century Ride!]
- Click through here and scroll down to ‘Peloton Bike Studio’ and you’ll see a link for viewing membership prices. All you need is there!
- The timings are 9am-6pm for the Peloton Bike studio on weekends, and until 10pm on weekdays, and you need to book your desired timings before going there.
- At this point, only one person can go into the Peloton room at a time. Social distancing for the win!
- They also have the shoes available; I have my own so I don’t have insight on the range of sizes they have but you should be ok!
Don’t want to ride, but I do want to try all the other Peloton classes!
No worries at all! Sign up for the Peloton digital membership and just use the app [$12.99 per month from the US website or £12.99 from the UK website], with a free 30-day trial before you commit!
So there you have it! If you do end up signing up as a Peloton member, follow me at #DevinaD (don’t put the ‘#’ when searching!).
EDIT: Just listened to this Wired podcast that focused on the Peloton in the first half, and then talked about the future of gyms in the second half; I really enjoyed it!
Devina Divecha's Journals 
I so want to buy a Peloton! I really miss spinning (I haven’t started going back to my studio yet) and it would be so nice to be able to just jump on the bike when I need a 30-minute workout. The classes seem incredible and motivating. Great overview! I need to check if London has anything like this. PS: great pics!
Yesss! At this point, Peloton delivers and installs bikes in the US, UK, Canada and Germany, I believe.
In terms of trying the bike if you’d like to without purchasing, you can use this (unofficial) website that lists where Pelotons are all over the world, separated by showroom or gyms: https://www.pelobuddy.com/travel/united-kingdom-uk/ Not sure what’s open in London atm, but worth a look! On the other hand, I also know of many people who’ve ordered bikes like the Schwinn and just used their app to do the class but on a non-Peloton bike essentially; there are hacks.
What I really love, like I said, is the ability for me to do a cycling class, then lift weights, and meditate, whatever I need that day! If they delivered to Dubai, I’d have probably ordered one already haha.
Hope this helps!