Peloton’s exercise bikes have become a pleasingly familiar sight in Amazon’s Prime Day sales, and both the Peloton Bike and Peloton Bike+ are available at significant discounts as part of the Prime Big Deal Days event this October.
Whichever Peloton you go for, you’ll be getting one of the best exercise bikes, with both offering the same access to the huge library of live and on-demand spinning classes with a Peloton All-Access membership ($44/£39 a month).
Having tested the best spinning bikes from a range of brands, I can say from experience Peloton’s classes are the most engaging available, and the bikes are excellent bits of kit too, running smoothly and quietly no matter how hard you’re pushing.
The price difference between the Peloton Bike and Peloton Bike+ is considerable even in the sale, with the Bike costing $1,095/£1,095 (reduced from $1,445/£1,345) and the Bike+ $1,995/£1,645 (down from $2,495/£1,995). With that in mind, I’d say the Bike is the better pick for most people, because the upgrades you get with the Bike+ don’t quite justify the extra outlay.
The key differences between the bikes are that with the Bike+ you get a larger 23.8in screen, compared with the 21.5in screen on the Bike. That screen also rotates 360°, whereas it is fixed on the Bike, which makes it harder to follow non-cycling workouts like yoga or strength sessions on the cheaper bike.
Another big difference is that the Bike+ will automatically change the resistance for you during instructor-led workouts, which means you can focus on the ride rather than having to twist the resistance dial yourself. The Peloton Bike+ also has better speakers and a faster processor, and can link up with Apple products via the Apple GymKit feature.
All of these upgrades are useful, but for most people none of them are essential. You save $900 by opting for the Bike in the sale, which will pay for your first 20 months of Peloton All-Access membership. So unless you can spot an upgrade above that you think will substantially increase your enjoyment of the bike, I’d get the standard Peloton Bike.
