Recap: Peloton Class in NYC Studio

It's always good to do something new and push yourself out of your comfort zone, right? I think so, particularly when it comes to fitness.  Recently my sister and I took a day trip to New York to take a spin class at the Peloton studio in Manhattan. 

Photo credit here.

If you don't know what Peloton is just google it real quick. It's a fitness company that is taking the world by storm. Originally it was just a bike but it has grown to a bike, numerous classes, and a treadmill. My sister has had a peloton bike for about a year and she raves about the workout. It's fun, entertaining, and -- above all -- challenging. So when she asked if I would go with her to NYC for a class at the studio of course I said yes. What can I say, I'm a sucker for new experiences!

 So I guess let's jump in. Here's a recap of the Peloton ride!

Peloton Facility
When you first walk into Peloton you walk into its boutique. There is Peloton merch  hanging on the walls (like the apparel you can buy online) and the Peloton bike and tread are on display. You are directed to a desk where they check you in, give you complimentary bike shoes for the class, and direct you further into the studio. You then walk through their cafe area (where you can get water, smoothie bowls, and a variety of treats before or after your class) before going past the studio doors and into locker rooms. The locker rooms are very clean and have anything you might need post-sweat session from bathrooms to showers to bobby spins, hair ties, etc.

There are also generous-sized lockers where you can securely stow your belongings during class. All my stuff fit in the locker without any problem. Also, the lockers are lockable and you don't have to worry about bringing a lock. All you have to do is pick a four digit code and then turn the knob to the right and scramble the digits. When you want to open the locker you just put your code in and turn the knob to the left. And don't worry if you forget your code during class (like I did)--the front desk attendant can unlock it for you. After you stow your goodies you then put your shoes on and wait for class to start! They call you in about 5-10 minutes before showtime. All the studio classes are recorded and become part of their online repertoire of on-demand classes that you can access via the Peloton App or the Peloton Bike if you have one.

Studio Conditions
The actual room where the class takes place is called the Studio. It's set up in four half-circle rows around the instructor who is front and center in the room. The instructor faces the rows and the entire wall behind the instructor is mirrors. There are three cameras, including one that slides from one side to the other and they have a red light when they are being used.

Depending on how dark they make the room you can usually see the first row and some of the second row in the videos. So if you don't want to be seen in the on-demand replays then definitely reserve a bike seated in the back couple rows. I reserved a bike in the third row (bikes 28-38). I was still close enough to the instructor to clearly see and hear her and had no issue but I'm not seen on the video...I don't think.

The room was comfortable but definitely smelled sweaty!

Class (instructor, music, difficulty, etc.)
I took the 60 minute Pop Ride with cycling instructor, Hannah Marie Corbin. She stayed upbeat and encouraged the class throughout the entire ride. She gave clear instruction on what resistance we should be using, how fast our cadence should be, what was coming up, when it was okay to pull back a little, and when she really wanted us to push ourselves. Overall, I think she did a stellar job.

The music included heart-thumping hits from Lady Gaga, Ariana Grande, P!nk, Selena Gomez, *NSYNC, and Britney Spears. If you are a 90s baby like me you would have really enjoyed the music featured in this class! I also really liked how she timed the cadence to the beat of the music so it was easy to stay on track, even without staring at your cadence counter. You just pedaled to the beat of the music.

The class difficulty was rated 7.9/10 according to the Peloton App. I had never taken a spin class before so I don't know if that's accurate. All I can say is I was drenched with sweat and having a great time! She even shouted me out! (For those of you not "in the Peloton know" every rider picks a username when they enroll in the class that comes up on the bike's leader board. The instructors can call out specific users during the ride if they for example, took the lead, hit a milestone ride like 100 or 250 or something, or if they were a new rider...like me).

Price
I reserved my bike through the Peloton reserve website. You can buy a variety of "Class Packs," including a 1st Class Discount Pack for $20, a 1 class pack for $32 (if not your first class), a 5 pack for $150, 10 pack for $290, 20 pack for $540, and 30 pack for $750. The class packs do have expiration dates so make sure you only buy the amount that you think you'll really use! Peloton has such great customer service though so I would not be surprised if they were willing to re-up your class pack even after it expired.

As far as food goes, be sure to fuel up before and after a class.
We stopped in at Pret A Manger for some pre-Peloton fuel (I had a berry parfait and a berry smoothie) and then enjoyed some delicious sushi at a local place right down the street from the studio after class.

Thank you for reading my Peloton recap! Did I miss anything? Do you have any specific questions? Let me know and I'll do my best to get you the information.