Even though there are more streaming bikes than ever now, Peloton still continues to be one of the top indoor cycles on the market.

And now that they offer 2 streaming cycles, if you’re planning on investing in a Peloton, you’ve got some thinking to do.

Does it make sense to go all-in with the upgraded Peloton Bike+, or is the original Peloton Bike a smarter buy?

What are the differences between these 2 bikes to begin with?

Well, if these are the kind of questions you’re asking yourself, you’ve come to the right place – I think I can help.

In this head-to-head review, I’ll be comparing the Peloton Bike and the newer Peloton Bike+ side by side so you can see where the key differences are.

I’ll also provide my opinion regarding which cycle I think is the better buy and why.

After reading, you’ll be well-equipped to decide for yourself which Peloton model makes more sense for your home.

Well, let’s get to it already.

	Peloton Bike	Peloton Bike+
Resistance	35 lb flywheel 100 resistance levels	38 lb flywheel 100 resistance levels
Frame	135 lb assembled weight 297 lb weight limit	140 lb assembled weight 297 lb weight limit
Warranty	5 year frame 12 month parts 12 month labor	5 year frame 12 month parts 12 month labor
Features	21.5" HD touchscreen Bluetooth/ANT+ compatible Fully adjustable seat Height adjustable handlebars Dumbbell rack Delta-compatible pedals	23.8" HD touchscreen 360° rotating console Auto-resistance feature Bluetooth/ANT+ compatible Fully adjustable seat Height adjustable handlebars Dumbbell rack Delta-compatible pedals
Price (Bike only)	$1195 $39/month streaming fee	$1995 $39/month streaming fee

The Peloton Bike vs The Peloton Bike+

Above images courtesy of Peloton

Peloton’s been around for a decade or so and even though they have another bike, a treadmill, and a bunch more accessories to choose from these days, it all started with their original Peloton Bike.

I think we have Peloton to thank for the whole streaming fitness craze that’s exploded over the last few years because they were the first to bring us an elite cycle with an HD touchscreen console attached to it.

And as far as I can tell, they were also the first ones with the bright idea to stream instructor-led workouts directly to your bike, giving you the sensation of being in a studio cycle from the comfort of your home.

Which was brilliant.

And even though Peloton had a bunch of issues with their original Tread, there’s no denying that their bikes and streaming app is top notch.

Full disclosure – I currently own a Peloton Bike myself.

I’ve had it for several years now and it still works great – I’m happy to say I still use it 2-3x/week.

But before I get off topic and start writing about how much I love Peloton, I should probably get back on track for what we’re here to do.

Let’s start things off by comparing these 2 Peloton’s with regards to their resistance systems.

Resistance

The resistance system is the heart of an indoor cycle.

This is what powers each workout, as well as determines how smooth the bike’s going to feel to pedal.

Flywheel weight’s often considered one of the more important specs to consider when comparing indoor cycles and even though some more advanced cycles are designed to use light weight flywheels (like Keiser’s M3i or all the ICG cycles), most home bikes benefit from having a heavier flywheel.

And that’s because the more weight you have behind your flywheel, the more momentum it’s going to build as it spins and this momentum helps keep the flywheel moving as you transition from the downstroke to the upstroke with each pedal.

Which makes for a smoother feel.

Anyway, the original Peloton Bike comes with a flywheel that weighs 35 lb, which isn’t quite as heavy as the 40 – 50 lb flywheels found on some cycles these days, but it’s easily heavy enough to provide a smooth, consistent pedaling motion.

And the Bike+ comes with a 38 lb flywheel, so just a little bit heavier.

I was actually surprised to find that the Bike+ came with a different flywheel because I assumed they used the same flywheel on both bikes.

But you know what they say about making assumptions…

Personally, I don’t think an extra 3 lb is going to make a noticeable difference, but heavier is heavier I guess.

When it comes to the magnetic systems themselves, both bikes come with 100 resistance levels that are adjusted by turning a knob.

I really like the 100 level scale because it allows you to make really small adjustments to your resistance throughout your workouts.

And I can tell you from experience that the Peloton Bike can offer a ton of resistance (I really never go beyond level 70 and that’s with standing and working very hard).

The Peloton and Peloton Bike+ also both come with belt drives, so differences there.

Overall, the flywheel on the Bike+ is 3 lb heavier than the Bike’s flywheel, but both models come with belt drives and the same amount of magnetic resistance levels.

Frame

Ok, so there is a small difference between these 2 Peloton’s when it comes to the flywheels, but what about their frames?

In terms of dimensions, both bikes take up the same amount of floor space (roughly 2′ x 4′), so no major differences there.

But I like to look at the assembled weights of bikes too, because this spec gives us a good idea as to how heavy-duty we can expect the bike to feel.

And when it comes to stationary bikes, being heavy is a good thing because they’re going to be less likely to wiggle or move during use.

The Peloton Bike comes with an assembled weight of 135 lb and the Peloton Bike+ weighs in at 140 lb.

So, the Bike+ has about 5 lb on the original model, but we know 3 lb of this is coming from the flywheel department.

And I’m guessing that other 2 lb is probably coming from the larger console on the Bike+, but more on that in a minute.

5 pounds is a pretty subtle difference, again, probably not enough to make a noticeable difference during rides.

And I know for a fact that the Peloton Bike feels stable during use – I’m 6’1″ and weigh about 200 lb and it feels rock solid when I use it.

Speaking of height, according to Peloton, folks between 4’11” and 6’4″ should be able to use both bikes comfortably.

Both bikes also come with the same, oddly specific weight capacity of 297 lb.

Why does Peloton use 297 lb instead of the industry standard of 300 lb?

No clue.

But overall, I don’t see much difference between the frames of these 2 indoor cycles, other than the fact that the Bike+ weighs 5 lb more than the original Peloton.

Warranty

When it comes to the warranty, Peloton backs their original Bike and their Bike+ with the same residential guarantee:

• 5 year frame
• 12 months parts
• 12 months labor

I was kinda hoping Peloton would offer a better warranty on their Bike+, but no, it’s the same lackluster guarantee they offer on their original Bike.

5 years on the frame is pretty short for cycles in these price ranges, considering Sole offers lifetime frame warranties and many others offer 10 years.

A year on parts is also quite a bit shorter than the 2-3 years on parts we see several other brands offering.

A year on labor is pretty standard regardless of price range.

I’ve always thought the warranty department was where Peloton had the most room for improvement and it looks like that’s still the case with their newer Bike+.

That said, I’ve had my Peloton Bike for several years now and it hasn’t missed a beat yet (knock on wood)…

Features

That about does it for the performance side of things, so let’s switch gears and compare the other features these 2 cycles have to offer.

The Peloton Bike comes with a 21.5″ HD touchscreen display that doesn’t rotate.

At the time this bike came out, the fact that it didn’t move wasn’t a big deal because Peloton only offered cycling workouts.

But now that they offer all these other kinds of streaming workouts, it’s easy to see how a rotating console could be beneficial for folks who use the other non-cycling workouts.

Anyway, this console has built-in speakers, a built-in camera, and is bluetooth/ANT+ compatible with heart rate monitors and headphones.

The Bike+ comes with a larger, 23.8″ HD touchscreen console that does rotate, making it a lot easier to use while performing other types of Peloton workouts (strength, stretching, cardio, etc).

This larger console comes with all the same stuff the old one does, but basically comes with better versions of all the hardware.

You know, faster processor, stronger speakers (front and rear facing), more GHz and RAM and megapixels…

Sorry, I’m not a very techy person, so I don’t really know what all that means, but I realize that the console on the Bike+ has been upgraded with newer technology.

Which is all good.

Something notable though, is that the Bike+ comes with Auto-resistance control, which allows the bike to automatically set the resistance to match what the instructors are saying.

This is a cool feature that NordicTrack and iFit have been using for some time, but now its available on Pelotons too.

The Bike+ is also compatible with Apple GymKit, allowing you to pair your Apple Watch with your bike to track all your metrics and whatnot from your watch.

Otherwise, both bikes come with the same fully-adjustable seats, the same dumbbell racks, and the same height-adjustable handlebars.

Both bikes also use the same Delta-compatible pedals.

Long-story-short, the Bike+ comes with a larger, nicer console that can rotate and the Auto-resistance function.

Price

I always hesitate to report actual prices here because I know that these numbers can change at any time, making my article less than accurate.

But what the hell, I’m gonna do it anyway.

Just promise you’ll forgive me if these numbers aren’t right by the time you read this…

At the time of writing this, the Peloton Bike and Bike+ cost the following:

Peloton Bike: $1,195

Peloton Bike+ : $1,995

Before we move on, I’d just like to say that we paid roughly $2200 for our Peloton Bike and that was for just the bike – the cleats, dumbbells, and mat costed extra.

Man, how the times change…

Anyway, looking at these numbers, the Bike+ costs about $800 more than the original Peloton.

Something to consider though, at the time of writing this, Peloton charges $250 for delivery and set up of the Bike, while the Bike+ comes with free set up and delivery.

So that really brings the price of the Bike up to $1,445.

And for both bikes, these numbers represent the cost for the bike alone – you’ll have to pay more for additional accessories like cleats, heart rate monitors, mats, or wireless headphones.

Oh, there’s also the cost of the streaming service itself.

Regardless of which bike you go with, you’ll have to pay the monthly fee of $39 to get access to all the workouts and whatnot.

Final Thoughts

Ok, that about does it.

When comparing the Peloton Bike to the Bike+, there are a few subtle differences between them with regards to performance specs.

The flywheel on the Bike+ is 3 lb heavier and the Bike+ weighs 5 lb more, but otherwise both cycles come with the same 100 resistance levels, the same pedals, same handlebars, and the same weight limit.

Both bikes are also backed by the same fairly short warranty.

The biggest differences between these bikes is found in the consoles.

The Bike+ comes with a newer, larger console that can rotate 360° for easy viewing when performing workouts off the bike.

The Bike+ also comes with the cool Auto-resistance feature, something the classic Peloton doesn’t offer.

Are these upgrades enough to warranty the extra cost?

Hmmm, maybe.

If you plan on doing a lot of non-cycling Peloton workouts, I could see going with the Bike+ for the rotating console because it would be a lot more convenient than using your phone or tablet.

But personally, I don’t do that many non-cycling workouts, so I don’t need a rotating screen – I’m content using my phone anytime I want to do a quick Peloton core workout.

And I’m not a techy guy, so the more advanced tech options on the new console don’t matter to me either.

If I was going to buy another Peloton today, I’d likely opt for the classic Peloton Bike again because that new price is hard to beat (I still can’t believe we had to pay over $2k for it).

That’s my really long-winded way of saying that I think the original Peloton Bike is still the better buy.

But either bike you go with, rest assured – you’re in for a treat.