Topic: Home Fitness Equipment

[Mr Grieves]

Thinking about purchasing a treadmill, looking at £500-£750

Wondering if any Rawkites have purchased / can recommend?

[S]

Sold mine recently. I live in a pretty rural area and drive to my running routes. Before I could drive though the treadmill was really useful.

The one I had was made my Horizon and it worked great. Even despite me not looking after it as well as I should. At around £900 it was more expensive than your budget. However this was more than ten years ago. I imagine the equivalent machine now (from any reputable brand) would be within your price range.

Anything below your budget and I might be a little worried about it. I think you should be able to get something good for £750 though.

Can I ask, is there any reason why you need one as opposed to running outside?

[Mr Grieves]

Thanks for the reply.

I tore my meniscus a year or so ago and have felt more comfortable running on the gym treadmill than outside. Obviously that's been a no go lately.

The poor weather this time of year is another excuse for not venturing out.

Also , if I'm staring at something I've spent a decent sum of money on I hope I'd be more motivated to use the thing.

As it happens they are like gold dust both brand new or on the likes of eBay

[S]

https://www.argos.co.uk/product/7858183

How about that one?

[Claire.]

If anyone is considering any peloton equipment (bike/bike+/tread), let me know cos member referral code is now £200 off til 20th Feb

(I would also get £200 to spend on apparel for full disclosure!)

[AndyInVA]

Peloton is bull shit. Just saying.

I bought a quality exercise bike a few years when peloton got started. What none of their marketing tells you is that you have to pay a monthly subscription every month or basically the video screen stops.

Total BS company.

[Claire.]

That’s not true, you can use the bike without the sub, and they do tell you the sub is separate. it is pricey, but it’s also really good.

I was on a live ride today with 3k people, 75 min endurance ride, I can’t say I’d be arsed with things like that outside of peloton, programming intervals effectively and cueing appropriate music for efforts and maintaining motivation, if you can fair fucks to you, but that’s why I pay my sub

[AndyInVA]

That’s not true, you can use the bike without the sub, and they do tell you the sub is separate. it is pricey, but it’s also really good.

I was on a live ride today with 3k people, 75 min endurance ride, I can’t say I’d be arsed with things like that outside of peloton, programming intervals effectively and cueing appropriate music for efforts and maintaining motivation, if you can fair fucks to you, but that’s why I pay my sub

I hear what you are saying, but isnt the price of the subscription basically more than a gym. I just felt like the idea of home gym was that you didnt have to pay a gym subscription anymore.

I do get it is a more inclusive and mtivational experience if you are are part of an online group, I just use mine when I'm watching a movie. I'm not using as driven as I would be in a class but then I'm not paying the sub.

It looks like the prices have gone down from a couple of years ago. They were $50 per month in the US and now seem down to $13 a month which seems more reasonable.

[Claire.]

I guess if you don't want the programming then it seems stupidly expensive, I was surprised how much I took to it to be honest, and I deffo don't think I'd be using it as much as I do without the programming. I could just go on it and spin my legs, but it's hard to push yourself. The classes are really varied, so you can do a traditional spin class or you can do intervals, climbs, recoveries, low impact or what I mostly do, power zone training, don't even have to think about it cos they're doing all the planning work and you're happily training at your current fitness level and when the rides feel easy you re-test and go again. Easy to track how much better you're getting over time. There's new classes all the time so it doesn't feel stale and they're different intensities so you can do what you feel, long as you mix it up and don't do too much easy or high intensity, you'll improve.

Then there's all the other class types like strength, yoga, meditation, stretching, rowing. running... all kinds on it.

oh and I had a look cos I have no idea what gyms cost, for me doing on average 4 rides a week, for an unlimited studio spin class it'd be £180/mo!

[redbyrdz]

You could just ride a bike outside?

Though, to be fair I think Peloton cater to a different audience - those that would usually attend spin classes in the gym, and not cyclists that train for specific events or racing.

If you do have a bike and want to do indoor training, you could get a turbo trainer for much less than a peloton bike (you can also get one with an actually accurate power meter). Then there are lots of apps to make you training plans, or ride around virtually like in Zwift or Rouvy.

[Claire.]

There are a million options but the variety is really good on it as a platform, I don't think they show it enough to be honest.

I think you'd be surprised on the user base - it's not all happy clappy spin classes, the power zone lot that I come across the most range from pretty serious cyclists/triathletes to people like me who do it because it's measurable and consistent. From what I've read the power meter in the Bike+ (maybe not the original bike because of the calibration differences) is very accurate. Plus, aside from doing the training type classes that are 90% of my use of it, it's also nice to be able to drop into a music ride and have it absolutely kick your arse or just be a bit of a laugh.