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One of the big announcements during Homecoming 2021 was a revamp of the Peloton scenic rides. Previously, there was only 1 type of scenic ride available but with the revamp there are now 3: Distance, Guided and Time-Based.
In this blog post we'll go over the differences between the new rides and how to access the rides.
What Are Peloton Distance Rides?
Peloton Distance Rides let you ride through different locations until you hit the target distance. The cool feature in them is that the screen will speed up or slow down based on your cadence and resistance, so you'll really feel like you're there. The rides also include curated playlists and Peloton promises to add in new locations often to keep the content fresh.
What Are Peloton Guided Rides?
Peloton Guided Rides are a new type of ride that was announced during homecoming. In the guided rides, you ride with an instructor through a different destination - like Hawaii or Atlanta. The rides are filmed similar to scenic rides, except occasionally they'll zoom out so you can see overhead or other scenery.
The rides also have a playlist and the instructors will also cue you on suggested resistance ranges to mimic the hills. Guided rides also have an audio tour by the instructor so you can learn more about the location and history of a location.
I did a 30 minute Hawaii ride with Matt and thought it was just ok. At the beginning I enjoyed it, but I found the camera changed too much so instead of making me feel like I was actually riding with Matt I felt like I was watching a movie.
The camera view kept changing between the road (which I prefer - I want to pretend I'm in Hawaii!), an overhead of our road, Matt on his bike "next" to me, and some scenery shots and surfing. This was amusing for about 5 minutes but after a while I started to lose interest and the ride felt like it was just dragging on. I would've rather taken a 30 minute class over a scenic ride.
As for difficulty, it can really range. Matt does call out resistance cues but they're a very wide range - like 30-45/50. I was doing this on an active recovery day so took it on the lower side, but even with increased resistance the workout just didn't seem as hard as a regular class. I think I've realized I like class formats better than free rides.
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What is a Peloton Time-Based Ride?
Time Based rides are rides that go through different locations for a set amount of time. Peloton says they're good for warm ups and cool downs, and the playlists are updated daily.
How to Access Peloton Scenic Rides
Peloton scenic rides can only be accessed directly through the Peloton Bike or Bike+. In the past the rides were accessible on the app, but during Homecoming 2021 Peloton announced they were going to be exclusive to the bikes.
Conclusion
Peloton scenic rides are a great way to get some scenery and are a good way to mix up workouts if you're not in the mood for a typical class. The workouts can range in difficulty depending on what you feel like so they're great for beginners to advanced.
If you want to try a Peloton Scenic Ride, you can find them directly on the Bike or Bike+ under scenic rides. Peloton promises to keep releasing new content often so check back for new locations and rides!
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Mary Cantrell
PLEASE BRING BACK ALL THE SCENIC RIDES????
TryonTik
The distance rides don't really match your cadence, though. At least from what I have seen (just did one today in fact). If I'm going between 24 and 32 kmh (15 and 20 mph) the appearance of speed on the bike's screen doesn't change. It's super slow and it's difficult to get into because it looks like I'm moving at running or fast walking speed. I really wish it did what you say it's supposed to but I've yet to find that in my experience.
dudeman
Yes, having a problem finding them again via the Bike interface. I thought they were under a 'scenic' class type. Humm....
KC Reuman
Peloton ruined the scenic ride offering. It used to be fun with many great locations, history, leader board, etc. It's all gone and replaced with a terrible offering. I never would have bought a Peloton if I had known they were some unresponsive and uncaring towards customers.
Camille Kane
Miss the original scenic rides…rehabbing from knee replacement surgery and find the current offerings boring and uninspired
Sheila Waters
Is there anyone else having an issue with the scenic rides (time and distance based)? The playlists no longer update daily. They've been static for a few weeks.
Dr. Maria Ovcharov
I came to the Pelaton site hoping to get goos scenic routes and options to "travel" while walking, jogging or biking. My disappointed was huge when i discovered that only the Bike and Bike+ customers can enjoy the options of scenic routes (and even for those, the choices were quite limited...)!
Removing the scenic rides from the app, altogether, is a very bad marketing idea. Pelaton should have left a basic version of scenic routes in the app with an option to buy more rides/seasons/speeds within the app. It looks now that Pelaton is shrinking and struggling to get customers - definitely a bad branding vibe. Due to what the new changes have been, reading all the feedbacks and reviews, today i moved from a "potential customer" (ready to get the $39/mo TODAY, if it was worth it) to "Nope. Not worth it. I will find other ways to get scenic views while I am working out. Thanks, but NO, Thanks, Pelaton.