Master the Bike or Bike+

Peloton has a few machines in its portfolio, including two bikes, two treadmills and a rowing machine, but it doesn’t matter which one you have in your home, the principal is the same: workout on them watching the enthusiastic Peloton instructor on the large screen in front of you. The Peloton experience runs deep though. There are features upon features built into the machines – some of which aren’t that easy to find – so while you can just hop on the Tread and run, hop on the Bike and ride or hope on the Row and row with the instructors, there’s so much more than meets the eye to help you reach your goals.

We’ve delved into all those features on the Peloton Bike+ to compile this list of tips and tricks, which we hope will help you get the most out of your Peloton Bike or Bike+. We also have a separate tips and tricks for the Tread if that’s the machine you have.

Peloton

Peloton Bike+

$2195 $2495 Save $300

The Peloton Bike and Bike+ are premium pieces of kit with undeniably premium price tags. If you have the space for them, have the money to invest in initial purchase and ongoing monthly cost, then they are an outstanding bit of kit to build into your workout schedule that deliver an exceptional experience.

Peloton Bike workout tips and tricks

How to start a live class on Peloton Bike and Bike+

Not that obvious this one. Live classes appear at the top right corner of the display, as well as in the Schedule tab. To join a live class, you’ll need to count yourself in or tap join if you are just in time or a little late.

Tap on Schedule tab at the bottom of your Peloton Bike/Bike+ display > Tap on the date you want to do a live class on > Scroll down the available classes > Tap on ‘Count Me In’ or ‘Join’ when you have found the class you fancy.

How to see what live classes are coming up on Peloton Bike and Bike+

If you want to see which live classes are coming up on Peloton Bike or Bike+, head to the Schedule tab at the bottom of the display. The screen that appears will automatically show you all the live classes for that day.

How to start a program on Peloton Bike and Bike+

There are a number of programs on the Peloton Bike and Bike+, designed to help you meet your goals, whether that’s learning the Peloton way in terms of riding, doing a core programme to strengthen your core, or doing a pilates program, for example.

Tap on the Programs tab at the bottom of the screen > Select the Program you want to start. They vary in lengths but they each require you to do a certain number of workouts in a week.

Pocket-lint

How to connect Apple Watch with GymKit to the Peloton Bike+

We have a separate feature for connecting your Apple Watch to the Peloton Bike+, but if you have a Watch Series 3 or later and you have the Bike+, you can connect the two with GymKit. Start a compatible ride on Peloton > Hold your Apple Watch to the top of the screen by the camera > Press Connect on your Apple Watch > Press Start on your Peloton screen.

Keep in mind that not all rides are compatible with GymKit, for example the Bike Bootcamps and Strength classes aren’t. We have a feature on using your Apple Watch with Peloton that may also help.

How to see and join a challenge on the Peloton Bike

Challenges are excellent for keeping you motivated on Peloton. There is one for the year called The Annual, but there are also monthly ones that are perfect for giving you that extra reason to get on the bike, even when you can think of 20 reasons not to.

Tap on Challenges at the bottom of the screen > Tap on ‘Join’ for any of the Challenges that sound up your street. Any that you join will appear here too, with a progress bar for how on track you are to complete them. You will also see any Challenges you are part of if you scroll down on the Home tab.

How to delete a workout on Peloton

There are a number of ways to delete a workout on Peloton. One of the quickest is to tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on Workout History > Swipe right to left on any workout from the list you want to delete > Tap ‘Delete Workout’.

You can also tap on a Workout from the list, scroll down to the bottom of the stats details and graphs on the right side and tap on ‘Delete Workout’ at the bottom.

How to pause a workout on Peloton

Following an update in November 2021, it is now possible to pause a Peloton On Demand workout on the Bike and Bike+ if you’re running the latest firmware. During an On Demand workout, press and hold the screen and confirm you want to pause. Everything including your class, progress and metrics will freeze until you resume.

How to add an instructor to your favourites on Peloton

It’s not possible to tap on an instructor on Peloton and favourite them as such. You can, however, bookmark workouts by your favourite instructors, and rate rides from your favourite instructors and the instructor will eventually end up under the ‘Your Instructors’ section of the Home tab.

If you want to find out more about any of the instructors, or see just their classes, you can tap on the three dots in the bottom right of your Peloton screen and tap on instructors from the menu. From here, you can choose the instructor you want to know more about.

How to Bookmark a ride on Peloton

To Bookmark a ride on Peloton, just tap on the bookmark tab at the top right of a ride card that interests you.

How to find Bookmarked classes on Peloton

If you’ve Bookmarked a number of rides or classes on Peloton but you don’t know where they end up, head to the Classes tab on your screen > Tap on Filters in the top right > Toggle Bookmarked on > Tap on Show Classes at the bottom. Your Bookmarked classes will then appear for you to choose from.

How to filter classes on Peloton

Peloton has no shortage of classes so filtering is key to finding what you want quickly. Tap on the Classes tab at the bottom of the screen > Tap on the type of workout you want to do at the top – Cycling, Bootcamp, Strength, Cardio, etc > Tap on Filter in the top right corner > Filter by Length, Instructor, Music, Class Type, Subtitles, Sessions, Bookmarked, Taken, Not Taken, Weights, No Weights > Tap ‘Show Classes’ at the botton. Tap Clear in the top right to clear all filters and start again, or tap again on a filter to remove it.

You can choose to filter by as many or few categories as you like. For example, we love Intervals and Arms rides and we are a big fan of Alex Toussaint so we tap Cycling, then filter by 30 or 45 minutes under length, Alex Toussaint under instructor and then we just tap Weights and all the Arms and Intervals rides by Alex appear.

How to hide classes that contain explicit language on Peloton

If you want to make sure there is no swearing in your Peloton class – maybe the kids are close by, or maybe you just don’t respond well to swearing – you can hide classes that contain any explicit language.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red Settings cog in the top right above your name and picture > Tap on Preferences > Tick the box next to ‘Hide Clases that may contain explicit language’.

How to hide pre/postnatal classes

It’s possible to hide pre and postnatal classes but this is only available for On Demand classes. You will still see pre and postnatal live classes.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red Settings cog in the top right above your name and picture > Tap on Preferences > Tick the box next to ‘Hide Pre/Postnatal Classes’.

How to start a ride on Peloton

You can either choose a class on the Peloton Bike and Bike+, or you can choose to just ride and have your metrics appear on the screen. If you want to just ride, tap on the More tab at the bottom of the screen and select ‘Start Riding’ under the Just Ride tab.

How to start a scenic ride on Peloton

Alongside classes and the ability to just ride, Peloton also offers Scenic Rides, that allow you to ride to scenic routes from around the globe. For example, you could choose to ride 10km of Big Sur.

Tap on the More tab at the bottom of the screen > Choose ‘View Routes’ under the Scenic Ride option > Tap on a route that tickles your fancy.

What are Power Zones on Peloton and how do you display them?

Power Zones rides on Peloton are focused on achieving specific output levels at different times, with the aim of helping you improve strength, endurance and overall performance. There are seven zones in total, with each representing a target output range. For example, zone 7 might be achieved when you are working at an output of 190 or more.

You can either select an estimated Functional Threshold Power (FTP), which is the highest power you can maintain for one hour, based on your weight and gender, or you can choose a custom value. It is recommended that you do a 20-minute maximum effort test to determine this value.

If you choose to do Power Zone training or classes, you’ll want to display Power Zones, which appear at the bottom of the screen. Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner of the screen > Tap on the red settings cog at the top above your name and picture > Tap on Preferences > Tick the box next to ‘Display Power Zones’ > Choose Estimated or Custom.

How to send a high five on Peloton

Peloton has a high five feature that allows you to send a virtual high five to another member of the community, and recieve high fives back. It works for On Demand and Live classes and it’s a nice way to send some encouragement to your fellow Pelotoners.

To send a high five, tap on the person’s avatar next to a member’s leaderboard name on the right of your screen during a workout. They will get a notification appear on the left of their screen, as will you if anyone high fives you.

How to hide cadence and resistance range during a ride

During a Peloton cycling workout, instructors will give you a range to try and get between for both cadence and resistance. Sometimes that range – and trying to meet it – can do more harm than good. It’s possible to hide both easily though, allowing you to focus on how you feel, rather than trying to meet a specific number.

To hide the cadence range, tap on the arrow to the right of the cadence range during a workout. To hide the resistance range, tap on the arrow to the right of the resistance range.

What are Sessions on Peloton?

Sessions is a feature on Peloton available for running and cycling workouts that are 20 minutes or longer. They allow you to see a live leaderboard for an on-demand class where members have started the class at the same time. Sessions start every five minutes and you can either opt to wait for the session to start, or you can skip it and start straight away.

What is the ‘Here Now’ feature on the Peloton leaderboard?

The Here Now feature is a tab on the leaderboard that appears on the right-hand side of your screen when doing an On Demand class. It will show you the members that are taking the same class as you at the time, helping you stay motivated by trying to catch another member on the board, for example.

What is a Stack on Peloton and how do you Stack classes?

There’s a feature on Peloton called Stacked Classes that enable you to build your perfect workout by queueing the classes you want to do, adding them to your Stack so you can transition seamlessly between them.

For example, you could add an arms strength workout, followed by a ride, followed by a cool down ride to a Stack.

Find the first workout you want to do and tap on the icon with the two rectangles and + symbol. Repeat this with any other workouts you want to add to your stack. To view the Stack, tap on the two rectangles with the + symbol in the bottom right of your screen. You can modify the stack or press start to get going. Once you finish the first workout, you’ll see the option to ‘Continue Stack’ at the top to move onto the next workout.

What is a Collection and how do you view them on Peloton

Collections are a series of classes that have a particular theme, for example music artists, or pilates. If you want to get into Pilates or Yoga for example, the Collections are a good place to find classes in those categories.

Tap on the Classes tab at the bottom of the screen > Tap on Collections in the top left corner > Choose the Collection you are interested in > Select a class from the Collection.

What is an Encore class on Peloton?

An Encore is a class that has been previously recorded but is being re-broadcast like it is a live class. You can opt to show Encore classes in the list of live classes, or opt to hide them.

Tap on the Schedule tab at the bottom of your screen > Toggle the ‘Show Encores’ on or off.

Peloton personal tips and tricks

How to see your ride recommendations on Peloton

The Peloton Home tab will display ride recommendations based on what you have done previously, as well as workouts that might be beneficial to you based on what you have done.

In the Daily Picks bar of the Home tab, you’ll see ride recommenations for ‘Your Usual’, ‘A Quick Workout’, ‘Something New’, ‘A Challenge’, ‘Strength Building’ and ‘A Stretch’.

How to see your activity on Peloton

At the top of the Home tab on the Peloton Bike’s screen, you’ll see how well you are doing that week in terms of the days you have done a workout. You’ll also see any remarks on any streaks, like a five day streak, for example.

To see your full activity though, head to your Username in the bottom left of the screen > Tap on Activity. You’ll then see a graph of your activity, which you can filter at the top or tap ‘View History’ in the top right corner for a breakdown of your workouts.

How to see your achievements on Peloton

Peloton loves an achievement. You may have noticed instructors calling out users in rides and saying things like ‘Happy 100’ or ‘Happy 300’ or ‘Happy First Ride’.

If you want to see which achievements you’ve gained, tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on Achievements in the panel. A list of your achievements will appear here, along with the ones next up to try and get.

How to see a summary of a previous month on Peloton

You can see a summary of how you did on any previous month on Peloton, with stats including your active days, number of different workouts, top instructor and best output, among others.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left of the screen > Tap Calender in the bar on the left > Scroll up and down the various calendar months on the right of the screen.

How to find friends on Peloton

One of the best things about Peloton is the community, with high fives quite the thing. You can also follow any friends you have though, and workout with friends if you want to.

To find friends on Peloton, tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Select Find Members in the top left corner > Enter your friend’s username or choose to connect to Facebook to find Facebook friends who are on Peloton.

How to ride with friends on Peloton

To ride with friends on Peloton, you can schedule a Session in the Peloton app and share the invite. Your friend will then get an alert a few minutes before the scheduled Session is due to start, as will you on both the Peloton app and your Peloton Bike. Tap ‘Join Session’ and you can get riding with friends.

How to video call friends on Peloton

In order to video call friends on Peloton, you have to already be following each other. You’ll then need to join the same class as your friend. From here, head to the ‘Here Now’ section of the leaderboard on the right of your screen during a workout and tap on your friend’s name. You’ll then be able to tap on ‘Talk’ to video call them, assuming your friend has the feature enabled.

How to change your weight on Peloton

You might have lost weight since you first got your Peloton bike, and you may want to update your personal profile to reflect this.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red settings cog at the top of the screen above your username and picture > Tap on Weight > Adjust accordingly.

How to change your profile picture on Peloton

You don’t have to have a profile picture on your Peloton account, but you can if you want to. To add one, or change it, tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on edit symbol in the large circle above your Username > Choose Take a New Photo or Import Facebook Image.

If you want to change your picture at a later date, tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the settings cog at the top of the screen above your username > Tap on ‘Change Picture’.

How to see your personal records and manage them on Peloton

Peloton records your personal records so you can try and better them. You can see your Personal Records by tapping on your Username in the bottom left of the screen. Your Personal Records will appear in the bottom right of the screen in a panel.

If you want to manage your Personal Records, tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on Manage Personal Records in the bottom right of the screen.

How to switch accounts on Peloton

Peloton supports up to six users under one membership but you’ll want to make sure each user has their own profile to get the right recommendations for you, as well as the right stats and a record of your own individual acheivements and efforts.

To switch users, tap on the two arrows in the bottom left corner of the screen and tap on the correct user profile before you start a workout or ride.

How to add a tag on Peloton

Tags on Peloton enable you to express various elements of your personality and connect with other members that may have similar interests, like #PelotonDads or #PelotonMoms. You can add up to 10 tags to your profile at once, and you can choose the tag you want to set as your primary before every workout.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on Add Tags under your profile picture and username in the panel on the left > Tap ‘Add Tags’ or Explore > Choose the Tags you want. If you have several, you can select the main tag you want to show up on the Leaderboard here.

Peloton Bike Privacy tips and tricks

What is Peloton Strive Score and how do you hide it from others or turn it off?

The Peloton Strive Score is a personal, non-competitive metric that measures the intensity of your workout, based on how much time you spend in each heart rate zone. You can turn Strive Score off entirely, and you can also choose to hide it from others in class, as well as heart rate zones.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red settings cog at the top above your name and picture > Tap on Preferences > Tick or untick the box next to ‘Track and Display Strive Score’ > Tick or untick the box next to ‘Hide my Strive Score and heart rate zones from others in-class’.

How to disable video chat on Peloton

Peloton makes it possible to video chat with other users that you follow and who follow you. If you don’t want users to be able to video call you, it’s possible to disable the feature.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red settings cog at the top of the panel on the left > Select the ‘Social’ tab > Tick or untick the box next to ‘Enable Video Chat’.

How to hide your age group and gender from the Peloton Leaderboard

The Peloton leaderboard appears on the right-hand side when you are taking part in a ride. By default, your gender and age group – such as F or M, 30s or 40s – will appear under your username, allowing other users taking the class to see.

If you want to hide your age group and gender, tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red settings cog at the top of the panel on the left > Select the ‘Social’ tab > Tick or untick the box next to ‘Age Group/Gender visible on leaderboard’.

How to make your profile private on Peloton

It’s possible to make your entire profile private on Peloton, which will mean only members you approve will be able to see your profile and workout history.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red settings cog at the top of the panel on the left > Select the ‘Social’ tab > Tick or untick the box next to ‘Private Profile’.

Peloton Bike music tips and tricks

How to find classes with your favourite music artist on Peloton

Some Peloton instructors do classes featuring playlists dedicated to certain artists. For example, Cory does some Britney Spears rides, and Spice Girl rides. There are others though. You can either access rides with a focus on a music artist by tapping on the Classes tab > Hitting on Collections in the top left corner > Artist Series > Find your favourite music artist from the list.

Alternatively, you can tap on the Home tab and scroll down. There’s a Recommended Artists panel that will show artists based on your previous rides and feedback. Tapping on an artist will then show you all the classes featuring their music.

How to see a music playlist for a workout before you start on Peloton

Sometimes rides have titles that tell you what kind of music they will have, other times it’s not as obvious. If you want to check what you’ll be listening to whilst sweating it out on the bike, then you can.

Tap on the class that you are considering doing > Tap ‘View Playlist’.

How to save a song on Peloton

If a song comes on during a workout that you love, you can save it to your profile, allowing you to come back to it later. A music symbol will appear on the left of your screen during a workout, tap on it to see the song that is playing. To favourite a song, tap on the heart.

How to view your favourite songs on Peloton

Any songs you favourite on Peloton go to a dedicated place so you can view them all. To find your favourite songs, tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on Music from the panel. All your favourited songs will appear here.

How to sync your favourite songs to Apple Music or Spotify on Peloton

We have a separate feature that offers a little more detail on how to sync your favourited Peloton songs to Apple Music or Spotify. In a nutshell though, tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on Music > Tap ‘Connect’ on the right > Choose ‘Connect’ next to Apple Music or Spotify, depending on your preference.

Once you have connected your Spotify or Apple Music account to Peloton, you will see a playlist appear called ‘My Peloton Music by [username]’.

How to make Peloton music louder

During a workout, you can choose to have the original mix – which is a combination of instructor and music, more music or more instructor. When you start a workout, press the volume up or volume down button on the right edge of the screen and select your preference.

Peloton Bike general tips and tricks

How to connect a heart rate monitor to Peloton Bike

It’s worth connecting a heart rate monitor to your Peloton Bike or Bike+ to ensure you get more accurate data from your workouts. You can use Apple Watch if you have the Bike+ or you use a third party app, or you can use an alternative heart rate monitor.

Tap on Settings in the top right of the screen > Tap on Heart Rate Monitor from the drop down menu > Choose your device from the list. If you don’t see it, tap on ‘Go to Bluetooth Settings’ and select ‘Pair New Device’, then follow the instructions.

How to turn up the volume on the Peloton Bike

To turn up the volume on your Peloton Bike or BIke+, tap on the volume buttons on the right edge of the display. You can also tap on settings at the top of your screen and move the volume slider.

How to adjust the screen brightness on the Peloton Bike

To adjust the screen brightness on the Peloton Bike, tap on Settings in the top right corner of the screen. From here, you will see a Screen Brightness option with a slider. Slide to adjust the brightness up or down.

How to change the Wi-Fi network on your Peloton Bike

Peloton requires a Wi-Fi connection to work so if you change your Wi-Fi network, you’ll need to make sure you update your Peloton settings. Tap on Settings in the top right corner of your screen > Tap on Wi-Fi > Select the network from the list and enter the password.

How to connect headphones to your Peloton Bike

To connect Bluetooth headphones to your Peloton Bike or Bike+, tap on Settings in the top right corner of your Peloton screen > Tap on Bluetooth Audio. Make sure your headphones are in Bluetooth pairing mode. If they don’t appear in the available devices list, tap on Bluetooth Settings > Pair New Device > Follow the on-screen instructions.

How to connect and pair AirPods to Peloton

For those that specifically want to connect Apple’s AirPods to their Peloton Bike or Bike+, we have a separate feature with some more details but the general jist is below.

Tap on Settings in the top right corner of your screen > Tap on Bluetooth Audio > Press and hold the button on the back of the AirPods or AirPods Pro until it flashes white > Tap ‘Connect’ next to your AirPods from the list on the Peloton screen.

Where do you plug in headphones on Peloton

If you have wired headphones, rather than Bluetooth headphones, you can connect them to the Peloton Bike or Bike+ by inserting them into the port just below the handlebars in the middle.

How to turn the camera off on the Peloton Bike

The Peloton Bike and Bike+ both have a camera at the top of the display. This camera has a physical cover switch so if you want to turn the camera off, just make sure the cover is all the way to the left.

How to cast Peloton to TV

You can cast your Peloton screen to a compatible TV, which is handy if you want to do a strength workout and you don’t have the Bike+, that allows you to spin your Peloton screen for example.

Tap on Settings in the top right of your screen > Tap on ‘Cast Screen’ > Tap on your TV from the list of available devices.

Peloton Bike other tips and tricks

How to connect Peloton to Facebook

You can connect Peloton to Facebook, which you might do for a couple of reasons. The first might be to import a profile picture, the second might be to find friends on Peloton through Facebook, which is easier than finding out their username.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red settings cog in the top right corner of the left panel > Tap on ‘Social’ > Tick the box next to ‘Facebook Connected’. This will then prompt you to go to www.facebook.com/device and enter the code displayed on your Peloton screen. You can choose to use the Facebook app or the browser. Tap ‘Approve’ when prompted. You’ll then have connected Facebook to your Peloton.

How to connect Peloton to Strava

You can connect Peloton and Strava together so Peloton workouts will automatically save to Strava, whether running or cycling.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red settings cog in the top right corner of the left panel > Tap on Social > Tick the box next to ‘Stava Connected’ > Sign in to your Strava account and follow the instructions.

How to connect Peloton to Fitbit

Like Strava, you can connect Peloton and Fitbit so Peloton will automatically add your workouts to your Fitbit.

Tap on your Username in the bottom left corner > Tap on the red settings cog in the top right corner of the left panel > Tap on Social > Tick the box next to ‘Automatically post my rides to Fitbit’ > Sign in with your Fitbit account > Select the information you want to share > Tap on ‘Allow’. That’s it.

Can you use the Peloton screen to watch TV or Netflix?

Short answer for this one, no. Peloton uses a custom version of Android but there is no way to download apps, like Netflix or Prime Video. It also can’t be used to watch TV.

Can Peloton instructors see or hear you?

Another short answer, no they can’t. The camera at the top of the screen is for video calling with friends that you follow on Peloton or taking a profile picture. Don’t worry, those super enthusiastic instructors cannot see when you aren’t putting the effort in or when you’re swearing at them for telling you to up that resistance.

How do Peloton shoes work

The Peloton Bike and Bike+ use Delta-compatible cleats, which you clip into with the Peloton shoes, or any shoe that has a three-screw hole setup. To unclip, point your toes inwards towards the bike and your heel outwards. To clip in, simply line up the front of your foot with the cleat and press down.