In August of 2021, I became very sick with COVID19 and developed
the lingering aftereffects of hypertension, hypoxia, MONO, and
pericarditis. As I tried to recover my old self and former health, I
realized I needed to do an overhaul of my health practices, including
my exercise habits. I purchased my Peloton bike in December of 2022,
and on December 17 I had my first ride. I was hooked. I’ve been an
athlete my entire life so I knew that change was not going to be an
overnight process, but to my shock I discovered in a matter of months I
was seeing drastic changes. My blood pressure was back to normal, I
had lost weight, and my overall cardiovascular health was headed
towards the “best ever”, according to my health app!

Maintaining the function of my bike is important to me, as I’m sure it is
to everyone with this piece of equipment. I’ve ridden a standard bicycle
before and found some similarities to keeping the Peloton in its best
condition, but enough differences to create its own learning curve.
Below are my top ten tips to getting the most out of your bike and
keeping it in good form for as long as possible.

• 1. Sweat is the great destroyer of your bike (I learned that the hard
  way). A tip that I got from a repairman man who came to fix my
  bike is Use electric tape to seal cover the edge of the belt cover.
  Sweat is the great destroyer of your bike (I learned that the hard
  way). The plastic cover over the belt that is attached to the pedals
  and the wheel has an edge that allows sweat to leak on the belt
  and subsequently on the pulleys. The sweat causes rust. The rust
  destroys the mechanical functions. By sealing the edge of that
  belt cover, you prevent the buildup of unseen damage. This is a
  tip that I got from a repair man who came to fix my bike.

• 2. Wipe down your bike after every ride. Really important to get that sweat off your bike. (See #1 above.)

• 3. Once a month, clean the bike with an appliance stainless steel cleaner. It really shines up your bike, and it also acts as a
  moisture barrier.

• 4. My bike developed rust spots on the frame (once again, Sweat). I
  cleaned off the rust with steel wool and then sealed the spots
  with black Rustoleum paint. It was in a spray can so I sprayed it
  in a paper bowl and used a q-tip to apply the paint.

• 5. After a ride always loosen the seat adjustment levers. Mine got
  stuck (rust) and I ended up breaking the plastic parts trying to
  loosen it. Now after every ride I just slightly loosen it.

• 6. Periodically (quarterly) lubricate all moving parts with WD40 or
  garage door lubricant. I spray wherever there are moving parts
  and ball bearings.

• 7. The screen is a computer. So I always make sure software is
  updated. Also, periodically shut it down and reboot in order to
  clean out any issues.

• 8. Owning and cleaning the Peloton is great, but if you’re
  unmotivated to ride then it’s just collecting dust and taking up
  space. Make your workout time something you look forward to.
  Select programs that work for you. Peloton has so many options
  from kinds of rides to different kinds of instructors. I started with
  the scenic rides but now mostly select rides with my favorite
  instructors. I select rides that are typically rated over 8 in
  difficulty. I also chose instructors that have fun but get to
  business.

• 9. Use the warm-up and cool-down rides. As I get older I am
  appreciating the power of warm-ups and cool-downs so much
  more. This prevents injury, which can derail your progress and
  make it hard to get back into an exercise habit.

• 10. Peloton is more than riding a stationary bike. My subscription
  allows for a total of 5 people to access not only cycling but also
  other types of workouts (strength building, stretching, etc.). This
  is great for my family, and they have used the other workouts
  along with the cycling.
  

Regardless your reason for owning a Peloton, keeping it clean and free
of sweat is important, as is finding ways to motivate yourself to use it
and reap the benefits. It’s a fantastic piece of equipment, with the
potential to revitalize your health habits and give your family a multi
function investment, when well-maintained, could outlive its average
life span.