DIY PELOTON BIKE SETUP

After many months of research I finally have the perfect DIY Peloton setup! Many of you have already purchased my same bike, the Echelon Connect Sport - so I wanted to go over all the accessories and apps that I use to make a premier cycling experience at a fraction of the cost.

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BIKE:

If you want to see a full rundown on why I love this bike so much more than an actual Peloton - check out my IGTV video on the Crowned Athletics Instagram.

There are currently a few options for purchasing the Echelon Connect Sport for yourself. It is available at Walmart.com for $497 and in some Walmart stores for as low as $150! You can check out the EX-3 for $430 which has many of the accessories I had to add-on already included!

 

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APPS:

The app you absolutely must get is qdomyoszwift (or QZ for short). This will connect your Echelon bike to the Peloton app so you can see both your cadence and your heart rate on the actual Peloton screen - in this case my iPad screen. You will still need to use two screens when you ride so you can see all the other important ride metrics like resistance, watts, distance, etc. Personally, I use my iPad and my iPhone, but I have also seen some pretty impressive TV and computer monitor setups.

Note that the Echelon bike and Peloton use different scales for their resistance, Echelon from 1-32 and Peloton from 1-100. I used to ride with a conversion chart, but this QZ app will actually do the conversion for you! You can also connect this app to your apple watch to read your heart rate and your Strava account to download all the statistics from your ride. You can find the full setup instructions here and if you need further assistance setting up the app, I suggest the specific QZ facebook group made by the apps creator. He and other users are always super helpful with problems and questions! There is also a really great Pechelon (Peloton + Echelon) facebook group full of amazing resources. I cannot rave about this QZ + Peloton + Strava app setup enough! 

 

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ACCESSORIES:

Next are all the physical accessories I added to my bike. Of course these are all personal preference, but after a couple months of riding with them, I still love my setup! Depending on your screen setup, you might want an additional iPad mount or phone mount. I chose to mount my iPad since I use my bike outside and the angle of the existing holder caused too much glare. Then I use the bikes holder for my phone below that.

Whether brand new to spinning or a former pro, you must get yourself some proper spin shoes and clipless pedals! The Echelon Connect Sport only comes with caged pedals, and while this may seen sufficient enough, I truly recommend upgrading! Clipping into your bike really smooths out your pedal strokes. It takes some of the pressure off your quadricep muscles, brings your hamstrings into the exercise, and overall makes it a much more effective and safe workout for your legs. I personally love the Tiem Slipstream shoes and the Shimano Clipless Pedals.

If you are at all interested in the bike and arms combo classes on Peloton, you will want to get yourself some light dumbbells and a way to store them. On my bike, I attached this stroller caddy to the front handle bars that holds my weights. You can also buy the official Echelon weight rack that comes on the more expensive models if you contact their customer service. They will send you an invoice and ship you the rack to install under the seat for about $20. 

My last accessory isn't a total necessity, but having it truly makes my riding experience that much better - my water bottle holder. The Echelon Connect Sport does come with its own, but its very small and not in the greatest location for ease of use. This stroller water bottle holder attachment installed on the right side of my handle bars makes grabbing my water a breeze!

 

A few other accessories that I do not personally have, but you might be interested in: a dual fan to weave through your handle bars and a heart rate monitor (if you don't have an apple watch or garmin).