10 Life Hacks Every Peloton User Should Know.
At first glance, a Peloton exercise bike may look like any other in-line bike, but you can do much more with it than just pedal in place. Below are 10 of my favorite hacks that will work if you have the original Peloton Bike (though most of them also apply to other models, like the Bike+ and Cross-Training Bike ).
Take hidden courses in German and Spanish.
Peloton classes aren’t only offered in English—they also offer many courses in Spanish and German. Don’t skip them just because you don’t speak those languages! Classes are usually structured enough that you won’t need much voiceover, but English subtitles are usually available.
I really love this feature because some of my favorite instructors teach classes only (or mostly) in a language other than English. For example, I really enjoy Eric’s German classes. He creates great workouts, and I love the music he plays, so I follow them regardless of whether there are subtitles. Most classes still show power zone or cadence/resistance indicators at the bottom of the screen, so you won’t miss anything. And who knows, maybe you’ll learn a few words in another language—I now know the German word for knee is “knie,” and I can count backwards from fünf!
To make classes available in other languages, go to “Settings” in your account. You don’t need to change your account language; instead, scroll down to the “Class Languages” section . Add classes in German and/or Spanish and choose whether you want these classes to still appear in search results even if they don’t have English subtitles.
Take screenshots during your workouts.
Did you like the screenshot I added to the instructions above? Pretty clever, right? Peloton’s screenshot feature is a well-hidden secret, and to take a screenshot from a Peloton tablet, you’ll need an Android device.
Here’s how it’s done:
-
Press the Power button and the Volume Down button simultaneously. (You may need to hold the buttons for a second.)
-
A message will appear in the lower left corner asking if you want to share the screenshot. Tap “Share.”
-
On the next screen, select the Android device closest to you. (iPhones may appear here, but I’ve never been able to successfully send a screenshot to an iPhone.)
If you’d like to share your screenshots later, go to the three-dot menu in the lower-right corner of the home screen, then “Device Settings ,” then “Storage,” then “Files” (even if it looks empty), then “Images,” and finally “Screenshots.” Here, you can view, select, and share any of your past screenshots using the instructions above.
Get heart rate data on your Peloton display.
Your Peloton equipment can record and display your heart rate if you provide it with the necessary data. You don’t need a Peloton-branded heart rate monitor; any Bluetooth-enabled device will work.
So, you could buy, say, a Polar H10 chest heart rate monitor , or opt for my budget option , the Coospo H6 , or use a fitness watch if you already wear one—Garmin, Whoop, Fitbit, and Amazfit are among the brands that have a “heart rate broadcast” feature on some or all of their devices. (You don’t have to double-log your workout to get this feature—read more about that in my article on syncing Peloton and Garmin data .)
Once your device starts transmitting heart rate data, pairing it with your Peloton bike (or other equipment) is simple. Tap “Settings” in the upper right corner of any screen (even during a workout) and select “Heart Rate .” You’ll see a list of paired and available Bluetooth devices, and you can select your watch or chest strap. Connections will be automatic from now on, but you can always return to this screen to disconnect or pair a new device.
Race yourself.
During a Peloton workout, a leaderboard displays showing everyone currently participating in the workout. You probably know that you can filter the leaderboard to show specific groups of people or everyone who has ever completed the workout.
But if you’ve completed this course before, your past self will also appear on the leaderboard. Compete against yourself by filtering the leaderboard by “all-time” and “only me.” If you’ve completed the course multiple times, you’ll have multiple past selves. The system will gradually increase their numerical score from 0 to the kJ you achieved at the end of that workout. This means they won’t necessarily speed up and slow down dramatically during interval training, but if you finish the session before one of them, you’ve improved your results.
Reset your merge queries without losing data.
Peloton tracks your best results across workouts of varying lengths. When your workouts are going well, it’s incredibly motivating to continually beat your personal best. But if you’re returning from a break, or if you’re struggling with illness or injury, old records can feel more like a burden than a motivator.
Luckily, you can reset your personal records without deleting them. From the three-dot menu in the lower right corner of the Peloton home screen, select “Profile Settings,” then “Personal Records,” then “Manage.” Here, you can set a start date for your personal records. By default, Peloton counts all your efforts ever. However, you can set it to only count your personal records from a specific date. Tap this option, and a date selection window will appear. Some users reset their personal records every year. Resetting doesn’t delete the data, so you can always set the “all-time” date or any other date you prefer later.
Analyze your data using Pedaltrak or other apps.
If you’re serious about maintaining fitness while cycling, you might need more data than Peloton’s interface provides. Here, you can sync your data with one of many third-party apps and services that can collect and analyze your workout results. None of these are directly linked to Peloton, but all can work with Peloton data:
-
Pedaltrak is an app designed specifically for Peloton that tracks your activity over time, provides feedback on each workout, and includes several fun games like Instructor Bingo.
-
mPaceline Pulse is another Peloton data tracking app that can also connect to other manufacturers’ devices via Bluetooth, providing data similar to what you get from Peloton.
-
Intervals.icu is a popular platform for cyclists and runners. It allows you to calculate training load, estimate functional threshold power (FTP), compare different types of activity, and much more.
Find friends outside of the official Peloton apps.
Over the years, Peloton has added more and more social features, allowing you to search for friends by name or join goal-oriented teams . But the good old way of finding friends to workout with is still arguably the best. And the best part is, you can do it anywhere, except on the Peloton platform.
Peloton’s interface only allows you to high-five your friends; to truly connect and interact, you need to visit other sites. For example, you might visitthe r/pelotoncycle subreddit and join one of the group rides (or group yoga, or group strength training, etc.) or find the latest Power Zone program . Or you might join a Power Zone Pack , a Peloton workout group with a paid membership.
There are numerous Peloton-related groups on Facebook and virtually anywhere else people gather online. Search for groups in your area or groups related to hobbies or fitness goals that interest you. HomeFitnessBuddy has a list of some of the largest groups , including team Instagram accounts for individual instructors.
Double tap the screen to hide all indicators.
During your workout, the screen displays a ton of useful information, from the leaderboard and remaining time to the resistance level and current cadence. This can be confusing at times, so here’s a little trick: simply double-tap the center of the screen. All the information will disappear.
You can restore each element one by one if you notice something is missing: simply tap the relevant area of the screen, and an icon will appear allowing you to restore it. This way, you can restore the pace and resistance, but hide the leaderboard, cheers, and timer.
Filter, browse, and countdown to your Power Zone classes.
I especially like the structured classes in Power Zone. You can choose classes based on your workout—endurance on some days, maximum effort on others—but Peloton doesn’t offer a convenient way to browse them by structure or intensity.
However, the Power Zone Tool on HomeFitnessBuddy is perfect for this task. Classes are added in batches, so the most recent ones may not be available. But it’s a treasure trove of information for choosing the exact workout you want to do today. You can search and sort by enabled zones and by TSS, which stands for Training Load Score. The higher the TSS, the more intense the workout. Clicking on a workout will display a graph of all the zones, labeled according to how much time you spend in each zone. Peloton’s own search does have this information, but it’s much harder to find and read. Click on a class link, and if you’re logged in to your Peloton account, you can bookmark the class on that page or add it to your queue.
This tool has another amazing feature: a timer that tracks intervals during your workout. This is a godsend when you’re in the middle of a five-minute interval in Zone 4 and have no idea how long it’s been. You can either hope the instructor will tell you how much time is left, or just glance at the HomeFitnessBuddy timer. And since you no longer need the instructor to tell you when to change zones, you can mute the instructor and play your own playlist. You can even start a scenic workout instead of a group class and complete the same workout without the group class altogether, if you prefer.
Stream your workout on TV.
If you want to watch a strength training or yoga class, you don’t have to watch it on your exercise bike. Sure, there’s a mobile version of the Peloton app, but you’re not limited to the tiny screen of your phone. Both the mobile app and your exercise bike (or other Peloton equipment) can stream classes to compatible TVs. Here are Peloton’s instructions for streaming from the mobile app or directly from your exercise bike .