Are you in the market for a new indoor bike? We’ve got two great option for you to choose from. The Keiser and Peloton branded bikes have garnered a name for themselves and rightly so. Which of the two bikes will give you the best workout?
Hi, my name is Kat and I am a fitness instructor in one of the big cycling studios in Miami. My job requires me to test out different bikes as they are released for quality and performance metrics.
I was recently invited to one such curation by another gym instructor who needed a second opinion before he decided on which bike to buy for his home gym. These invites re to me an excuse to work out in a new location and I take them up with excitement.
The bikes under question were the Keiser M3i and the Peloton bike. Here’s what I gathered from my experience.
What are the differences between Keiser and Peloton?
 |
Keiser M3i |
Peloton |
Handlebars |
Movable |
Movable |
Pedals |
SPD and Regular gym shoes |
Clip-in design – cycling shoes |
Flywheel |
No weighted |
30 pounds |
Resistance |
Automatic belt resistance |
Magnetic with up to 100 levels |
Weight Supported |
350 lbs |
297 lbs |
Training App |
Pairing with training apps |
Peloton |
Screen |
LED display with Bluetooth |
22-inch LED |
Price |
Keiser Gear vs Peloton Resistance – How they differ
Design
Keiser bikes are accommodative of all shapes and sizes with their highly adjustable bike and I believe the riding experience is significantly quieter than the Peloton. Keiser features a V-shaped frame that allow for these adjustments.
Unlike on the Peloton bike, Keiser’s handlebars are adjustable in two ways: up and down, forward and back. Just like the Peloton, the bike follows and ergonomic design and a two-way adjustable seat.
Peloton bikes are high performance training bikes with sturdy and sleek design. Frames are built of carbon steel and it is fitted with all features and benefits that come with any regular indoor bike.
These bikes have a 22-inch LCD screen that is mounted on an adjustable handlebar. Seat or paddle of the Peloton bike is designed ergonomically to give comfort and stability to the rider. It is adjustable horizontally meaning forward and back directions.
Weighted flywheel gives a quiet and smooth ride and the pedals of the bike are compatible only with SPD cycling shoes. Your only option is either to buy these special shoes or buy replacement pedals that will work with any shoe.
Keiser stands out in design with its V-shaped frame designed to allow the handlebars to move more flexibly offering you a better workout compared to Peloton.
Flywheel positioning and resistance
Keiser’s flywheel is positioned closer to the rear and covered for protection against sweat or any other moisture while the Peloton’s wheel is to the fore. Even with the partial plastic covering, Peloton bikes will get dirty and prove hard to clean.
A bike with a weighted flywheel makes for the best riding experience regardless of whatever bike you are hoping on. This weighted flywheel produces inertia strong enough to push the bike and yourself matching resistance with energy input.
Keiser bikes do not feature a weighted flywheel but they make up for this by employing a Poly-V belt drive system. This allows you to push through heavy loads of energy through a small pulley which gives you a road bike feeling.
Peloton differs from Keiser in that it carries a 32-pound flywheel. This wheel runs on magnetic resistance with 100 levels to adjust to. This adjustment is done manually or through the touchscreen but because of the wide range, it may be hard to feel a difference or even quickly adjust your settings mid training.
Peloton resistance is adjustable by pushing some buttons on the LCD touch screen with over 100 levels to choose from. Keiser on the other hand, adjusts resistance to match the riders effort.
Pedals
The pedals are quite unique for both bikes, Keiser is easily set up with two-way pedals meaning you can either use the side with the toe-cage or, if you prefer to, you may opt to flip the pedal to ride on the flat surface like on an outdoor bike.
Peloton spots special pedals with three clip-ins on them meaning that you must incur an extra cost of buying cycling shoes with three cleats to clip-in to the pedals for a secure footing. With Keiser M3i, any sports shoe will do.
The pedals on these bikes could be swapped for other alternatives if you have a specific type of pedals that you like to cycle on. Peloton supports a weight up to 297 pounds while the M3i can hold up to 350 pounds.
I highly recommend the Keiser M3ibecause it has versatile pedals that do not require special cycling shoes to ride as compared to the Peloton which requires cycling shoes with cleats to clip-in to its pedals.
Keiser Gear vs Peloton Resistance – A Comparison Overview
Keiser Gear – Overview
[amazon box=”B00LAESVPG” template=”horizontal” ]This bike is versatile in design and performance. The pedals are two sided with one side flat toe-caged design and the other features cleats and SPD clips. This gives you an option to use the special cycling shoes or our normal gym shoes.
Keiser bikes are accommodative of all shapes and sizes with their highly adjustable bike and I believe the riding experience is significantly quitter than the Peloton. Keiser features a V-shaped frame that allow for these adjustments.
Statistics of training are trackable via the provided LED display which through its Bluetooth connectivity, allows you to pair your bike with over 4 training apps including the Peloton training app.
Keiser lacks a weighted flywheel but makes up for this by incorporating a poly v-belt type of resistance that smooths and quietens the ride as you train easy or hard. This flywheel is carefully covered and to the back of the bike away from all the sweat.
Pros
- Heart rate monitor ready
- Compatible with most training apps
- Bluetooth wireless technology
- Four-way adjustable seat and handlebars
- Two-sided pedals
Cons
- Resistance moves up and down rather than in a circular motion
- V-shape design take a while to get used to
Peloton Resistance – Overview
This bike has a sleek steel frame and it carries a 32-pound flywheel. This wheel runs on magnetic resistance with 100 levels to adjust to. This adjustment is done manually or through the touchscreen but because of the wide range, it may be hard to feel a difference or even quickly adjust your settings mid training.
The pedals on this bike may be problematic and present an extra cost to anyone who does not already own a pair of cycling shoes because they use the clip-in mechanism. This is ideal because with a securely locked in footing, you can then pull up in the cycling motion much easier which is great for glutes and hamstrings.
Unfortunately, the Peloton bike is fixed and does not move meaning there is no chance to incline or decline the bike for a more exciting cycling experience.
Pros
- Ergonomic handlebars
- Light in weight
- Comfortable seat
- Engaging App with live classes
- Can sync with Bluetooth
Cons
- Adjustment knob not accurate
- No incline or decline
- Adjustments done manually
- Doesn’t give you weights
- Needs new training shoes with 3 cleats or Replace pedals
- Need to buy a heart rate monitor which has a problem pairing
Verdict: So, which is better, Keiser Gear or Peloton Resistance?
This boils down to their performance in training and I have to give it up to the Keiser M3i for giving us so many features and benefits to take advantage of.
While it doesn’t come with pre-installed workouts, it quickly pairs with most popular workout apps like Zwift and Peloton too. This is why it is the better choice for a home gym unit over Peloton.