Sipping & Shopping ~ Page 3 of 4 ~ I sip, I shop, I review...

The Latest Peloton App Updates; My Thoughts

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Peloton has made some awesome updates to its app and I want to share the news. There are new ways to display metrics, shout outs for at home riders, the ability to see and high five other rides and currently a 2 week free trial. Bottom line, the updates are fantastic!

If you read my earlier blog post about using the Peloton app with a less expensive Sunny bike, then you already know that I use a Wahoo cadence sensor and a Wahoo heart rate monitor to get my cadence and heart rate metrics. You can use the same sensor and monitor to view your metrics right on the app. Very cool.

Peloton Bike Commercials Get Roasted by Comedian Clue Heywood on Twitter; Some Really Funny Stuff

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Comedian Clue Heywood (@ClueHeywood) posted some absolutely hilarious tweets about the Peloton bike. I had to share!

Peloton; Live from London!

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I just streamed my first Peloton class today from their new London studio with UK based instructor Leanne Hainsby! She is super energetic, I love the accent and she is serious competition to knock Emma Lovewell, my current favorite Peloton instructor, out of the No. 1 spot. She also left me drenched in sweat. I look forward to taking many more classes with Leanne. This is all virtual, of course, I did not hop on a plane to Peloton’s London studio, although that would be nice. 🙂

My 12 Month Peloton App Review; Using the App without the Bike

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It’s been just over 12 months since I started using the Peloton App with my own bike and I thought it was time to share an update to my original review.

I am happy to report that with the Peloton App and my wonderful Sunny bike I have now lost 22 pounds, am fitter than I have been in years and am in a much better mood (according to my family)! The variety of Peloton spin classes is awesome, the instructors are great and all the other options the Peloton app has added over the past year like weight training, bootcamp and ab workouts are simply amazing. I even think the production value is great compared to some classes I have tried on YouTube. Overall, super psyched that I “converted’ my Sunny bike into a Peloton.

If you are a first time visitor, my comprehensive review and step-by-step guide to my Peloton App alternative can be found in my original “Peloton for Less” blog post. It chronicles how I pined for a Peloton bike but after seeing the price tag how I MacGyvered (yes, that is a word) an alternative with my Sunny 1509, some Wahoo sensors, and other bits & bobs that make my method not only an absolute money saver but also turns me into a sweaty mess. This post is a scaled down summary of what has worked, what hasn’t and how everything is holding up after 12 months (and also includes my interview with ABC News!).

Have a I used the Peloton App every day for 12 months straight? Heck no! Life gets in the way (like sick children, work or deciding to stay in bed instead of working out). There have even been stretches where I simply haven’t worked out for no reason in particular. When there has been a lull in my routine I am happy that I am only spending $12.99 on the app and didn’t take the plunge and go all in with the expense of the actual bike and an additional $40 monthly subscription. I can’t imagine the guilt!

My Year in Review – Using the Peloton App without the Peloton Bike

Is the Peloton Bike This Year’s No. 1 Christmas Gift?

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Christmas is right around the corner and I predict that the Peloton bike to be this year’s No. 1 gift for home exercise enthusiasts. Although, I don’t know how they will sneak it under the tree – it’s like those Lexus commercials with the car in the driveway with the big red bow…

Peloton’s annual Christmas commercial went absolutely viral. Check out these articles:

HuffPost: People Are Very Concerned For The Woman In Peloton’s Holiday Ad
Variety: Social-Media’s Latest Exercise: Getting Worked Up Over a Peloton Ad
Vox: Peloton’s terrifying new ad is the best horror movie in recent memory

Peloton is undoubtedly the leader in the spin-at-home movement but as we know, not everyone can afford to buy a Peloton bike and then pay its $39 monthly fee. (I can’t, that is for sure but it would be the best Christmas gift to ever receive…as long at they also pay the monthly fee.) That is where the genius of their Peloton App comes into play. For only $12.99 per month, you can access all of the same live and on-demand classes on their own less expensive bike. If you follow my blog, I’ve been preaching about how great the Peloton App is for a while now. It’s amazing.

If you are thinking of giving someone an exercise bike this Christmas but can’t go all in with the Peloton, there are many other types of bikes out there that can be paired with the Peloton App. I tried a bunch before I bought my Sunny and here is what I found.

If this is all too overwhelming, head on over to my brother-in-law’s Alternative Christmas Gift blog for some weird and wild stuff!

See My Interview with ABC News: “Cheaper Options Exist for Taking the Peloton Plunge”

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So grateful to Nina Pineda and ABC News “7 on Your Side Team” team for interviewing me about my low-cost Peloton App alternative. It was loads of fun! In case you missed it, here is the short video of my 30 seconds of fame.

Daily Burn; My Review

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By now you know that I love cycling with my Peloton App (and if you don’t, here is my earlier review: My Peloton Bike Alternative). Despite the mad love, I wanted more variety so that I didn’t plateau on the bike. Peloton’s “After the Ride” classes are great but I needed some more oomph. After experimenting with some random classes on YouTube I signed up for a 30 day free trial of Daily Burn to supplement the Peloton and I am super glad that I did. Now what I do is alternate between Daily Burn and Peloton classes.

What is Daily Burn you ask? I only just learned about it myself.

Peloton; My 6 Month Review of using the Peloton App with my Own Bike

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Well, its been 6 months since I started my Peloton journey with my inexpensive Sunny bike and I could not be happier. I cannot say enough good things about the Peloton App.

I have lost weight, I am sleeping better than ever and I am much more energetic. The classes are interactive and communal but at the same time very intimate. Also, the instructors rock – they are very motivational, although I like some better than others.

I get a lot of email asking about how all the components of my “Peloton App Setup” are holding up so I thought I would post a review about some of the items that I recommended in my original post “My Peloton Bike Alternative; A Great Money Saving Hack.”

Here is what has worked well and what you can skip:

The Peloton Tread; Peloton App Just Got Even Better

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I am pumped. Peloton just announced the “Peloton Tread” – which they describe as a ‘private fitness studio in your own home both on and off the treadmill.’ Sounds pretty sweet. I already love the Peloton App and I think it just got even better.

Painting Ugly Cabinets White; Money Saving Tips

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If you follow my blog, you know that we are budget DIY enthusiasts. We created a DIY home-gym out of some empty storage space in the basement, provided tips about a DIY remedy for removing a “Stink in Your Sink” and of course, our DIY Peloton App experience.

Now it was time to turn our attention to our dated maple kitchen cabinets. We knew when we bought the house that we wanted new cabinets but what we didn’t realize was just how expensive new cabinets could be. Way outside of our budget.

After months of research, we decided to paint them ourselves. It was much more work that we ever anticipated but the cabinets came out beautiful and it saved us heaps of money. We owe it all to some old fashioned hard-work, elbow grease, loads of patience and of course, this special cabinet paint, but more on that later.

Here is a recap of our journey.