Brian Albright and his wife Olivia were early adopters of Peloton. The Lambertville, Michigan couple ordered two Bikes in December 2014, and have been avid riders ever since, logging into classes nearly every day and traveling to New York City for Homecoming festivities over the years.
But “while the original Bike was a true workhouse, it was starting to show its age,” Brian says, “and of course with all things Peloton, my wife and I like to get the latest and greatest.” So when the Bike+ launched, Brian and Olivia saw the perfect opportunity to swap out their Bikes for something even better.
They quickly upgraded to the Bike+ and have been enjoying the new features ever since. “I like the Apple Watch integration feature the most,” Brian says, “but the new speaker system, swivel screen, auto calibration and auto follow are all a close second. We have had our new Bikes about a month and no regrets. We love them.”
The Albrights aren’t alone in tapping into the Bike+ and its features. Scores of riders have now received their new Bikes and have quickly adapted to its capabilities.
The swivel screen is a major bonus for Jennifer Leckstrom of North Haledon, New Jersey, who also traded in her five-year-old Bike for a Bike+. “The larger screen and front-facing speakers are fantastic,” she says. “With doing more strength classes at home since the start of COVID, the swivel screen is a really nice addition.”
Like Brian, she’s a fan of the Apple Watch integration. “I am slightly obsessed with closing my rings on my Apple Watch,” she says. “Knowing that metrics are more accurately shared between the devices is a big plus for me.”
Others turned to the Bike+ for a new challenge. Mike Kail, a Bike owner in Los Gatos, California since September 2014, says he decided to upgrade to the Bike+ because he was intrigued by the new digital resistance system. “There is a fair amount of controversy out there about power output,” he says, “and I believed this would give a more accurate representation.”
He was right, and is especially impressed with the auto-follow feature, in which the Bike’s resistance will automatically align with that which the instructor calls out in an on-demand class.
“The auto-follow feature was something that I didn't initially think I'd use or like, but I tried it on a Kendall Toole 45-minute climb ride, and it absolutely crushed me,” he says. “Some of the minor changes, such as seat and handlebar design, have also been nice.”
And some, like Tracey Paulsen, saw the Bike+ as an opportunity to add to their at-home workout equipment.
Tracey, who splits her time between New York City and Neptune, New Jersey wanted a second Bike so she could ride in both locations. A rider since December 2014, she’s pleased with her purchase.
“All in all,” she says, “the new features bring a new level of fun and fitness to the Bike.”
