After many years of faithful service, my homebrew Peloton kit finally needed attention. Unsurprisingly, improvements in the Peloton App software over the years have simplified my configuration and made the system easier to use. My increasing age, however, makes it harder to ride.
A few months back, I realized I could now connect my Wahoo heart rate monitor and cadence sensors directly to the Peleton App on my current-era iPad. I had been using the app on a very old iPad until Apple end of lifed the software and forced me to upgrade. I had been using the Wahoo iPhone app to sync spinning session data into Apple's Health app as a central repository and had no idea I could eliminate a middleman. I had just been using what worked.
Using the Peloton App directly gave me the benefit of the stats being directly on the screen and some BS "strive score" being offered to me as a new "total effort over the duration of the ride" statistic. I like more numbers and it is easy to say "this is better," however there was another big benefit.
I bought the strap my Wahoo Tickr heart rate monitor is using back in 2017. Last week metal snap buttons connecting one side of the strap to the monitor disintegrated. I ordered a replacement strap, but the next time I started up the Peloton App, it suggested connecting my Apple Watch. This just seemed to work with little fuss and everything worked just like I was wearing the strap, just with the watch instead.
Data imports into the Apple Health thing on its own and offers me lots of affirming congratulations at the end of each ride, too. I will likely just keep using my watch and retire the old chest strap monitor.
While pedaling sometime last June, I noticed there was a small clunk developing on some downstrokes on one side of the bike. I thought it was me at certain cadences/resistance losing the beat. I am notoriously unable to keep the beat even with a metronome, music, and cycling, there is no difference. In early August, I discovered that the pedal on that side of the bike had become maybe ⅓ of a turn loose. My hip was very sore. After 1/3rd a turn of that pedal, I took two weeks off riding to let the hip heal. I have resumed riding 3x a week, 45-minute rides, again. I no longer even wonder if I am feeling phantom pain, and the bike is fine. I have no idea how the pedal became loose or why I decided to blame myself for so long. I will always check the gear in the future. In having given the Sunny Bike a once over, nothing else needs attention. Some of the chrome and screws are rusted and showing patina, but otherwise, the machine is as smooth as when I bought it and has made a giant difference in my life/fitness/wellness.
The gel seat pad I bought in 2018 or so needed replacement. I think sweat and sunlight over time broke the gel down. I keep the bike in a sunny space.
I still find it far better to pay $13/month for the Peloton app and use a bike that cost much less, rather than to pay Peloton's $49/month after overpaying for a bike. Their business is certainly having a difficult time, and as far as I can tell is only valuable as a subscription. The hardware sales are a waste of time and effort.
The best fitness setup is the one you will use, and I continue to look forward to riding this one.
