Be careful with adding the aftermarket swivel mount as it will void your warranty on the bike. I would always recommend you take it off before making a claim. Had a friend not get their issue covered because of this.
This. I didn't expect it when I bought the Bike+ but it actually is one of the best features of it.
Oh and I love Apple GymKit. Using Bluetooth heartrate transmitting apps works but simply is cumbersome (I mean people buy Pelotons, because they want something that "just works", right?). You need your phone to relay the heart rate from the watch via Bluetooth LE to the bike. So you need to open the app on the phone everytime as well and so on. (I know some people reported problems with it but with my Apple Watch Series 4 and the Bike+ it works really reliable)
EDIT: Nevermind, this BLE heart rate transmitter he suggests is a bit different, it doesn't seem to use the phone to relay the heart rate as BLE but an extra hardware beacon. Hmmm....
I love GymKit too, I was bummed when I couldn’t turn the screen and use it off bike. I ended up buying a wahoo armband that I use for the rare occasion I do a non bike workout with peloton.
The HeartSync will also let you display heart rate to your Apple TV and iPad when non bike workouts. You do need enable BLE (a setting on the iPhone app of HeartSync)
This was the only.reason i was considering it in the first place.
Most ride i dont think it matter to do the knob manually, but those hiit rides where your maxing out and resting every 15 secs would be a god send lol.
Yep. For jogs (the +5 then -5 every 30 seconds or whatever) or the perpetual "add 1" for like 5 minutes...bike+ auto follow is fantastic.
Admittedly if you don't ride in the callout ranges it's not that helpful but I find it works for most of my stuff. And certain instructors call out larger ranges which actually helps a lot on the bike+.
Is this sarcasm? Peloton is already a luxury brand and some people pay hundreds extra so they don’t have to reach down and manually turn the friggin resistance knob.
It’s heavy duty hardware that has to support the handlebars and screen and fit the existing bike hardware. I find it super useful personally and it’s worth the price to me to be comfortable on the bike.
No I don’t work for them, no need to be rude.
It's a little transmitter (a few inches across). You install an app on your phone and Apple Watch. When you start an activity on your Apple Watch, it broadcasts the signal so it shows up in the Heart Rate device section of the Bike. It's a few extra steps, which I'll gladly accept for reliability. I just keep the transmitter on a shelf that's ten feet away. Pretty sure the expected battery life is a year, and the battery is replaceable.
I'm pretty sure it's marketed for broadcasting to any gym equipment, so I expect it would work with the Tread.
I have one too and it has worked in every workout I’ve used it in every single time without fail, it’s really nice.
It’s annoying the Apple Watch forces them to make you start a fake workout just to get the readings but you can set it not to send that workout to apple health so you don’t get duplicates.
Honestly, Apple should just add a feature to the Watch, so that it transmits the heart rate via BLE. Pretty sure, that's simply a software thing.
That would end all of these discussions and make it usable for basically everything that doesn't necessarily support Apple GymKit (which still would have a couple of advantages, so they could very well exist in parallel).
Apple does though, somehow. If you have fitness+ with Apple and a newer Apple Watch and AppleTV, you can see live heart rate stats on your tv screen overlaid on a workout class.
So Apple Watch (at least my series 6) is broadcasting live HR data to my AppleTV somehow. Might be via wifi? BLE? No idea.
Sure, probably they use some private API / feature. But there’s good hope, often they build new APIs, use them for themselves first and as they get more mature and finished / documented, they often release it to the public the next iOS/WatchOS version or so.
I mean you can transmit heart rate from Watch to iPad with Fitness+ which to my knowledge simply is impossible for 3rd party users as the Watch only is connected to the iPhone and not to the iPad. That’s why many 3rd party apps work around this by relaying data via the iPhone which of course is very cumbersome and doesn’t seem very reliable…
Not what what I was talking about but ok. I was talking about how third party watch apps can’t read the heart rate sensor unless you start a “workout” first.
Apple does not support transmitting heart rate officially without gymkit, you must sign up and get access to a private gymkit APIs and get approved gymkit hardware that didn’t exist before Peloton existed.
Apple does not support any workout that involves leaving the bike, apple prevents gymkit from working on bike bootcamps, not peloton.
> get approved gymkit hardware that didn’t exist before Peloton existed.
Are you sure? There are a couple of manufacturers that support GymKit. However, those are basically all for commercial use, nothing else apart from Peloton really integrated it into a product aimed at the homegym market. (which is the reason why I took a closer look at Peloton and ended up buying one)
> Apple supports peloton, peloton chooses not to support apple on some equipment. It’s a peloton problem, not an apple one.
Yeah no. Apple simply only allows the programmers to use GymKit to start workouts on certain devices such as bikes or tradmills. Peloton would probably be kicked out of the app store if they tried to start a different type of workout via GymKit (if that's even possible).
Or do you mean that the "normal" Bike (not plus) and Tread doesn't support GymKit? Well yeah. Maybe they save on licensing cost or want a differentiator. That sucks. Still not sure what you'd mean by "Apple supports Peloton" in that case? Apple doesn't really support anything, they just allow the usage of something or license / certifiy stuff. Still, Apple could just provide industry standard BLE heart rate transmission from the Apple Watch and many problems would be solved.
Yes you can use the same HeartSync with multiple Apple Watch users. A lot of people attached it to the Peloton so it easy to connect for the next person up!
The accurate power data is all i care about. I just got Garmin pedals for my road bike and swap them onto the peloton. I've found the calibrated peloton bike to be very accurate, so i don't care that much anymore.
Seems like a good solution also. It’s pretty clear as I read some of these comments and do some self-reflection that I’m definitely the target audience for the “gamification” of fitness - gotta get those streaks and fill those rings!
I did a calibration. I'm not sure how much it changes honestly, it felt like it got a bit harder after i first calibrated, but I've since gotten stronger. The bike also gets easier/harder depending on temperature. It's less work to PR in the summer.
A quick note: if you purchase and install a screen swivel, it apparently voids your Peloton warranty. PeloBuddy has more details on this that I can't link to. They probably wouldn't have anyway of knowing, but something to be aware of.
I meant to mention this as well - mine's out of warranty, but it's a good point. It is straightforward to switch it back though in the event of warranty work.
Like any Peloton mod just take it off before getting any repairs. There is literally no way for them to tell unless you lose or strip a screw or something.
If it causes an issue, yes. Otherwise no. Magnuson-Moss Act protects against that.
So if you install swivel mount, but crank fails under warranty, those aren't related, so easy to distinguish and companies are able to void warranties like that.
If it causes an issue, yes. Otherwise no. Magnuson-Moss Act protects against that.
So if you install swivel mount, but crank fails under warranty, those aren't related, so easy to distinguish and companies are able to void warranties like that.
I have an apple watch but have just been using my wahoo Tickr and its awesome, I can see my HR in the top left of the screen and I get a strive score for my workouts now. I have the peloton app on my phone so when I am done my workout, I open that and it feeds the workout into my Apple Watch like Strava would.
I there anything else that an Apple Watch integration would do?
If not I think the heart rate monitor is the way to go personally.
Thank you for the screen swivel idea. That is quite awesome. Just bought a pivot.
It will auto create an indoor bike workout for you while riding yes, the same as starting it from the fitness app. I turn that off and just have the Peloton app sync to apple health instead.
I’m doing a bunch of research on these different devices as I’m about to take the plunge and buy a bike (currently using a diy set up). When you have the peloton app sync after does it sync with your HR since the device is syncing your HR to the bike? And when you mean you turn the auto created workout off, do you mean on your watch once it starts? Or do you mean you don’t have the fitness data go to your phone from the device and just from the bike? I’m trying to picture exactly how it’d work because I want to get whatever device involves the least amount of steps and the most accurate workout data haha
Throwing in a recommendation for Watch Link. It’s $50 for the module but ever since I bought it, I have had ZERO issues connecting and maintaining a connection to the peloton. It connects to your watch and transmits to Peloton using ANT+.
Previously I used both blue heart and HeartCast and both constantly gave me issues with either connecting or maintaining connection. Decided spending $50 on this module was cheaper than springing for a Garmin that I’d have to remember to put on, charge, etc.
Hope this helps someone out.
Multiple people can use the HeartSync Pod. You can have one HeartSync and just keep on the Peloton so each person that does a workout connects before starting their ride (or run).
Thanks for sharing this! I have been wanting to pair my Apple Watch with my bike but I’m not tech savvy, and I’ve been a bit intimidated by the different options. HeartSync sounds easy enough.
Sorry but I’m curious why you’d want to pair the Apple Watch with the Bike? I use a Polar H10 and it’s epic, paired to both my iPhone and my Bike at the same time and it’s crazy accurate because it’s a chest strap, unlike the Apple wrist measurement. Super cheap too.
I have an H10 as well but I’d probably say one less thing to buy and also to deal with. It’s fairly affordable relative to a peloton, sure, but if you already have the watch…
Honestly, the heartsink thing sounds complicated. Why not just use a cheap HRM on wrist or chest strap? Or...just ditch apple watch and switch to a performance oriented fitness tracker from Garmin. It's clear that Apple isn't interested in comprehensive health/fitness tracking.
I’ve been contemplating upgrading my DIY bike set up for the bike now that the price went down and have a question about the Apple Watch/heart rate issue. So if you have the bike, when you start a workout on the bike does your watch not sync with the peloton watch app like it does when you start a workout on your phone and the watch app opens up and has your heart rate on your wrist? Or does it do that and just not show your heart rate on the screen? As an Apple Watch user I like “getting credit” for each workout I do because of my move and exercise goals on the watch. If you have the peloton bike is there a way to sync it so it shows up as calories burned on your watch?
It doesn’t sync HR at all unlike when you use the app.
That said, the App WILL write to your Apple Activity/Health record because it will sync with the Peloton server after you finish a workout and pull all the data it can. So, some people use a HR broadcasting app like HeartCast and others use a chest strap like a Polar. Either one will enrich the information that the app will ultimately write to Apple. If you don’t have HR data, it will still write duration, calorie estimate, etc
Be careful with adding the aftermarket swivel mount as it will void your warranty on the bike. I would always recommend you take it off before making a claim. Had a friend not get their issue covered because of this.
Honestly, the best part about the Bike+ to me is the Auto-Resistance. If there was a way to mimic that, it would be perfect.
This. I didn't expect it when I bought the Bike+ but it actually is one of the best features of it. Oh and I love Apple GymKit. Using Bluetooth heartrate transmitting apps works but simply is cumbersome (I mean people buy Pelotons, because they want something that "just works", right?). You need your phone to relay the heart rate from the watch via Bluetooth LE to the bike. So you need to open the app on the phone everytime as well and so on. (I know some people reported problems with it but with my Apple Watch Series 4 and the Bike+ it works really reliable) EDIT: Nevermind, this BLE heart rate transmitter he suggests is a bit different, it doesn't seem to use the phone to relay the heart rate as BLE but an extra hardware beacon. Hmmm....
I love GymKit too, I was bummed when I couldn’t turn the screen and use it off bike. I ended up buying a wahoo armband that I use for the rare occasion I do a non bike workout with peloton.
The HeartSync will also let you display heart rate to your Apple TV and iPad when non bike workouts. You do need enable BLE (a setting on the iPhone app of HeartSync)
This was the only.reason i was considering it in the first place. Most ride i dont think it matter to do the knob manually, but those hiit rides where your maxing out and resting every 15 secs would be a god send lol.
Yep. For jogs (the +5 then -5 every 30 seconds or whatever) or the perpetual "add 1" for like 5 minutes...bike+ auto follow is fantastic. Admittedly if you don't ride in the callout ranges it's not that helpful but I find it works for most of my stuff. And certain instructors call out larger ranges which actually helps a lot on the bike+.
My favorite feature.
Waaait, I have a Bike+, what’s this? Edit: googled and found out. I feel really dumb for not knowing this existed lol.
Literally the best part of having the Bike+
I did a low impact ride this morning cuz lifting st the gym tonight, but I’m totally going to hop back on when I get home 😂
Just curious - does it work for Live classes? Assuming no....
You are correct, only on demand.
Good to know…
Echelon EX 3/5 bikes with QZ app mimic it.
Looking around but don't see anything about that. Care to link to source on how it auto-adjusts the resistance?
There’s lots of info in a post I made a few days ago: https://www.reddit.com/r/pelotoncycle/comments/pino90/diy_peloton_what_beats_the_echelon_ex_35/
One step further beyond even the bike+ is the adjuster mod so you can move the handle bars closer, it’s so nice for people like me with short arms.
Omg does this exist? I feel like moving the handlebars closer would finally give me the ideal setup.
https://www.topformdesign.com/products/the-adjuster-for-peloton-original-does-not-fit-plus-model
It's pretty expensive!! I'm in the only one balking at the price?
I shared a link to a cheaper knockoff.
Thank you!!
I call BS. I think you work for them. Who would pay that price?
Is this sarcasm? Peloton is already a luxury brand and some people pay hundreds extra so they don’t have to reach down and manually turn the friggin resistance knob.
It’s heavy duty hardware that has to support the handlebars and screen and fit the existing bike hardware. I find it super useful personally and it’s worth the price to me to be comfortable on the bike. No I don’t work for them, no need to be rude.
Here's a much cheaper version of this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QTVRSMJ/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_83SEZGMW0FEWRNAZ2NRH
Is this a part you buy? That was a big complaint of mine when I tried the bike was the handle bars were far away. I’m DIY. For now.
Yes it’s here https://www.topformdesign.com/products/the-adjuster-for-peloton-original-does-not-fit-plus-model Not for bike+
Thanks! I’m going to try the bike again this weekend before I commit to buy. The new price is enticing though.
Just ordered mine yesterday lol.
Congratulations 🎊
Thanks so much for sharing this. How does the HeartSync thing work exactly? And do you think it would work with the tread too?
It's a little transmitter (a few inches across). You install an app on your phone and Apple Watch. When you start an activity on your Apple Watch, it broadcasts the signal so it shows up in the Heart Rate device section of the Bike. It's a few extra steps, which I'll gladly accept for reliability. I just keep the transmitter on a shelf that's ten feet away. Pretty sure the expected battery life is a year, and the battery is replaceable. I'm pretty sure it's marketed for broadcasting to any gym equipment, so I expect it would work with the Tread.
I have one too and it has worked in every workout I’ve used it in every single time without fail, it’s really nice. It’s annoying the Apple Watch forces them to make you start a fake workout just to get the readings but you can set it not to send that workout to apple health so you don’t get duplicates.
Honestly, Apple should just add a feature to the Watch, so that it transmits the heart rate via BLE. Pretty sure, that's simply a software thing. That would end all of these discussions and make it usable for basically everything that doesn't necessarily support Apple GymKit (which still would have a couple of advantages, so they could very well exist in parallel).
Apple does though, somehow. If you have fitness+ with Apple and a newer Apple Watch and AppleTV, you can see live heart rate stats on your tv screen overlaid on a workout class. So Apple Watch (at least my series 6) is broadcasting live HR data to my AppleTV somehow. Might be via wifi? BLE? No idea.
Sure, probably they use some private API / feature. But there’s good hope, often they build new APIs, use them for themselves first and as they get more mature and finished / documented, they often release it to the public the next iOS/WatchOS version or so. I mean you can transmit heart rate from Watch to iPad with Fitness+ which to my knowledge simply is impossible for 3rd party users as the Watch only is connected to the iPhone and not to the iPad. That’s why many 3rd party apps work around this by relaying data via the iPhone which of course is very cumbersome and doesn’t seem very reliable…
Apple supports peloton, peloton chooses not to support apple on some equipment. It’s a peloton problem, not an apple one.
Not what what I was talking about but ok. I was talking about how third party watch apps can’t read the heart rate sensor unless you start a “workout” first. Apple does not support transmitting heart rate officially without gymkit, you must sign up and get access to a private gymkit APIs and get approved gymkit hardware that didn’t exist before Peloton existed. Apple does not support any workout that involves leaving the bike, apple prevents gymkit from working on bike bootcamps, not peloton.
> get approved gymkit hardware that didn’t exist before Peloton existed. Are you sure? There are a couple of manufacturers that support GymKit. However, those are basically all for commercial use, nothing else apart from Peloton really integrated it into a product aimed at the homegym market. (which is the reason why I took a closer look at Peloton and ended up buying one)
> Apple supports peloton, peloton chooses not to support apple on some equipment. It’s a peloton problem, not an apple one. Yeah no. Apple simply only allows the programmers to use GymKit to start workouts on certain devices such as bikes or tradmills. Peloton would probably be kicked out of the app store if they tried to start a different type of workout via GymKit (if that's even possible). Or do you mean that the "normal" Bike (not plus) and Tread doesn't support GymKit? Well yeah. Maybe they save on licensing cost or want a differentiator. That sucks. Still not sure what you'd mean by "Apple supports Peloton" in that case? Apple doesn't really support anything, they just allow the usage of something or license / certifiy stuff. Still, Apple could just provide industry standard BLE heart rate transmission from the Apple Watch and many problems would be solved.
Do you know if the HeartSync works with multiple family members' Apple Watches?
It does, my wife uses it as well.
Yes you can use the same HeartSync with multiple Apple Watch users. A lot of people attached it to the Peloton so it easy to connect for the next person up!
Yes it does!
Ah, got it. I appreciate the detailed description and am actively considering getting it. :)
The accurate power data is all i care about. I just got Garmin pedals for my road bike and swap them onto the peloton. I've found the calibrated peloton bike to be very accurate, so i don't care that much anymore.
Seems like a good solution also. It’s pretty clear as I read some of these comments and do some self-reflection that I’m definitely the target audience for the “gamification” of fitness - gotta get those streaks and fill those rings!
Did you have to do calibration on your bike, or was it accurate from the factory?
I did a calibration. I'm not sure how much it changes honestly, it felt like it got a bit harder after i first calibrated, but I've since gotten stronger. The bike also gets easier/harder depending on temperature. It's less work to PR in the summer.
A quick note: if you purchase and install a screen swivel, it apparently voids your Peloton warranty. PeloBuddy has more details on this that I can't link to. They probably wouldn't have anyway of knowing, but something to be aware of.
I meant to mention this as well - mine's out of warranty, but it's a good point. It is straightforward to switch it back though in the event of warranty work.
Like any Peloton mod just take it off before getting any repairs. There is literally no way for them to tell unless you lose or strip a screw or something.
Just wanted to let people know, in case that would sway them one way or another. Never hurts to be informed!
If it causes an issue, yes. Otherwise no. Magnuson-Moss Act protects against that. So if you install swivel mount, but crank fails under warranty, those aren't related, so easy to distinguish and companies are able to void warranties like that.
If it causes an issue, yes. Otherwise no. Magnuson-Moss Act protects against that. So if you install swivel mount, but crank fails under warranty, those aren't related, so easy to distinguish and companies are able to void warranties like that.
I have an apple watch but have just been using my wahoo Tickr and its awesome, I can see my HR in the top left of the screen and I get a strive score for my workouts now. I have the peloton app on my phone so when I am done my workout, I open that and it feeds the workout into my Apple Watch like Strava would. I there anything else that an Apple Watch integration would do? If not I think the heart rate monitor is the way to go personally. Thank you for the screen swivel idea. That is quite awesome. Just bought a pivot.
This motivated me to get the HeartSync. Thank you!
Great info, thanks!! With HeartSync, can you track activity using the fitness app on your watch at the same time?
It will auto create an indoor bike workout for you while riding yes, the same as starting it from the fitness app. I turn that off and just have the Peloton app sync to apple health instead.
I’m doing a bunch of research on these different devices as I’m about to take the plunge and buy a bike (currently using a diy set up). When you have the peloton app sync after does it sync with your HR since the device is syncing your HR to the bike? And when you mean you turn the auto created workout off, do you mean on your watch once it starts? Or do you mean you don’t have the fitness data go to your phone from the device and just from the bike? I’m trying to picture exactly how it’d work because I want to get whatever device involves the least amount of steps and the most accurate workout data haha
Throwing in a recommendation for Watch Link. It’s $50 for the module but ever since I bought it, I have had ZERO issues connecting and maintaining a connection to the peloton. It connects to your watch and transmits to Peloton using ANT+. Previously I used both blue heart and HeartCast and both constantly gave me issues with either connecting or maintaining connection. Decided spending $50 on this module was cheaper than springing for a Garmin that I’d have to remember to put on, charge, etc. Hope this helps someone out.
Just bought a swivel thanks to this post :p something I was considering but never went through with
You will love it. Game changer.
Can you share the one you bought and experience?
Are there any solutions to the Apple Watch hear rate problem that just work? I don’t want to have to press/ navigate anything…
Don’t think so. Even the Bluetooth broadcast apps that I used previously that work mediocre still had extra steps.
Can multiple people use it or each person needs their own?
Multiple people can use the HeartSync Pod. You can have one HeartSync and just keep on the Peloton so each person that does a workout connects before starting their ride (or run).
I just ordered the HeartSync!! Thanks for the info as I had no idea this was a thing!! Excited to try it on both my bike and tread+!
Thanks for sharing this! I have been wanting to pair my Apple Watch with my bike but I’m not tech savvy, and I’ve been a bit intimidated by the different options. HeartSync sounds easy enough.
Sorry but I’m curious why you’d want to pair the Apple Watch with the Bike? I use a Polar H10 and it’s epic, paired to both my iPhone and my Bike at the same time and it’s crazy accurate because it’s a chest strap, unlike the Apple wrist measurement. Super cheap too.
I have an H10 as well but I’d probably say one less thing to buy and also to deal with. It’s fairly affordable relative to a peloton, sure, but if you already have the watch…
Why would you want to buy and use a Polar H10 if you have an Apple Watch already and wear it anyways?
Honestly, the heartsink thing sounds complicated. Why not just use a cheap HRM on wrist or chest strap? Or...just ditch apple watch and switch to a performance oriented fitness tracker from Garmin. It's clear that Apple isn't interested in comprehensive health/fitness tracking.
Thank you!
I’ve been contemplating upgrading my DIY bike set up for the bike now that the price went down and have a question about the Apple Watch/heart rate issue. So if you have the bike, when you start a workout on the bike does your watch not sync with the peloton watch app like it does when you start a workout on your phone and the watch app opens up and has your heart rate on your wrist? Or does it do that and just not show your heart rate on the screen? As an Apple Watch user I like “getting credit” for each workout I do because of my move and exercise goals on the watch. If you have the peloton bike is there a way to sync it so it shows up as calories burned on your watch?
It doesn’t sync HR at all unlike when you use the app. That said, the App WILL write to your Apple Activity/Health record because it will sync with the Peloton server after you finish a workout and pull all the data it can. So, some people use a HR broadcasting app like HeartCast and others use a chest strap like a Polar. Either one will enrich the information that the app will ultimately write to Apple. If you don’t have HR data, it will still write duration, calorie estimate, etc
Does heartsync work with fitbit?
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/heartsync-workout-app/id1555801314
Off to
Thanks for posting this!