If you told me a few years ago that my exercise bike would be judging my squat form, I would have laughed. But here we are!

Admittedly I could go deeper on those goblet squats so the judgement it warranted.

The home fitness world is crowded. And what works for one person may not fit the lifestyle of another. Any company trying to make a device that supports people new on their fitness journey while also supporting fitness fanatics are faced with some pretty tough challenges to apepel to both crowds.

Peloton is using AI and fusing their experience across devices to create what might be the ultimate home fitness studio experience with the brand new Peloton Cross Training Bike+.

I’ve been testing the new Peloton Bike+ with Peloton IQ for a few weeks now, and if you’re wondering if AI can actually make you fitter (or just make you feel guilty about your form), you’re in the right place.

Peloton Cross Training Bike+ One Paragraph Review

This is an excellent fitness solution for anyone who is truly serious about making a transformational change in their lives. It IS expensive. Not just for the hardware, but for your monthly/annual memberhsip as well. But the quality of coaching and variety of classes paired with excellent hardware design and a geuninely useful AI integration on this new bike, truly make this a premiere piece of fitness equipment.

5
/ 5

What is Peloton IQ?

The biggest feature differentiating this bike from the older bike is the AI-powered smarts. Peloton IQ is essentially the brain inside the new Bike+. It uses the new built-in camera and some clever AI to track what you are doing—not just on the bike, but for any workout you do using the sprawling swivel screen.

If you’ve ever done a home workout and wondered, “Am I doing this lunge right?” or “Did I actually do 10 reps or did I zone out and stop at 6?”, this is for you.

• Form Feedback: During strength classes, the camera watches your movement and gives you real-time corrections. It’s not nagging; it’s helpful. Especially if you’re losing steam by the end of a long workout and your form/posture is strting to get sloppy. It reminds you (and helps you) finish strong.
• Rep Tracking: No more counting! The system automatically tallies your reps so you can focus on breathing and not dying. Occasionally it misses a rep (like in a strength workout maybe twice), but it’s surprisingly consistent. And if you beat your reps in a strenth workout, it will suggest you increase the weight.
• Personalized Plans: The IQ system looks at your history and goals to suggest what you should do next. It takes the “what workout should I do today?” paralysis out of the equation. This is super important because some days getting the will power to exercise is tough, so it’s one less thing you have to think about.

Particularly in the last year, I’ve gotten pretty deep into learning about AI, large language models, agentic AI, cloud computing and more. From my knowledge and experience, I think Peloton is doing AI “right” for a lot of reasons. But the main one is all the AI stuff is happening on the bike, and not in the cloud.

If you have a camera pointing at you during a workout, that’s a vulnerable place to be. So you can have some extra peace of mind knowing that video is staying in your home, and not streaming, even for a few seconds, to a cloud server to quickly analyze your form, and then send you suggestions back.

On device AI is fast and private, which is exactly what you want for your workout. But if you just don’t want the Peloton IQ support on a certain day, you can always retract the camera back into the screen.

2025 Peloton Bike+ Hardware Explained

The physical design of the hardware was dialed in with the previous generation, so the smarts are the biggest change, not the design when looking at the new edition of the Bike+. But there are a few nuanced changes.

The Swivel Screen

The 23.8-inch HD touchscreen now rotates 360 degrees. This sounds simple, but it changes everything. You can hop off the bike, spin the screen around, and roll out your yoga mat. It turns the bike from just a cycling machine into a full home gym hub.

Sound by Sonos

Peloton partnered with Sonos for the audio system, and you can tell. The front-facing speakers and rear-facing woofers make the music and instructor’s voice crystal clear. When you’re in a heavy climb and the beat drops, that immersive sound actually helps push you through.

Auto-Resistance

This is a feature that was on the previous Bike+ that carried through to the new one. But if you’re coming from a non “plus” Peloton, it’s a game changer. On the base bike, you had to manually twist the red knob every time the instructor called out a change. With “Auto-Follow,” the Bike+ automatically adjusts the resistance to match the instructor’s callouts.

You can still adjust it manually if you need a break. Which, I’ll be honest, on some of those climbs, I do. At least if I notice my heart rate zone is passing from beneficial, to unnecessary stress.

The Riding Experience

Riding the Bike+ feels premium. It’s nearly silent (great for early morning rides while the family sleeps), stable, and smooth.

When you combine the hardware with the software and your existing tech the experience is even better. The integration of Apple Watch (via GymKit) means your heart rate connects instantly. The new “Cardio Performance Estimates” give you a heads-up on how hard a class is going to be for you specifically, based on your past performance. Overall the metrics on this bike are deeper than what you’d get on the “old” model.

It feels less like you are following a video and more like you are in a private training session.

Is the new Peloton Bike+ Worth It?

This is not a cheap piece of equipment. Between the hardware cost and the monthly All-Access Membership, it’s a commitment.

I feel very strongly that you need to do what works for you and makes sense for you. There’s so many different motivations for wanting to get fit. And there’s so many unique and “smart” (in the tech sense) ways to do it.

My personal opinion is that the quality of classes in Peloton is the very pinnacle of what’s available and, for me, they work very well.

I’m coming at this though, from the benefit of having had some quality personal training sessions over the years with excellent in-person instructors who taught me some more advanced techniques. And the “good stuff” I remember from those IRL classes where you’re exhausted but feel stronger is present for me at the end of every Peloton workout.

But this is so personal. Apple Fitness+ has GREAT instructors and I think is a little easier entry point (and is much cheaper especially if you bundle with Apple One). I feel like Fitbit Premium has some good ideas and integrates beautifully with their Fitbit/Pixel hardware, but their interface is just way too chaotic and busy, so that can be a barrier when you’re trying to figure out a daily class or a larger-scale program. Vitruvian is awesome, but that’s just for strength and the hardware and membership are also super expensive.

I mention all these other options becuase those are some of the other brands I think you should research before making a committment to smart fitness hardware. Because even though we don’t know each other, if you’re at this point in the article, you must have a serious level of interest in your personal fitness, and I want to see you succeed.

I’d suggest the Peloton Bike + for anyone who:

• Has tried other fitness programs and wants to take things to “the next level”
• Would be motivated by the fact that “I spent thousands of dollars on this thing so I’m gonna use it.”
• Wants the VERY BEST fitness and coaching classes and programs (where a program is a long-term collection of classes designed around specific goals)
• Recognizes that strength training is an essential part of the overall fitness mix (not just cardio)
• Would benefit from an AI note to improve your form, add weight, or track your metrics and progress over time

If you just want to spin your legs and sweat, the original Peloton Bike is great. If you’re wishy washy about your fitness comttiment and don’t see yourself making exercise part of your daily routine, it’s likely not worth the investmnet.

But if you want a personal trainer that lives in your spare room (and doesn’t judge you for sweating in your pajamas), the Bike+ is a fantastic upgrade. It may be one of the best investments you make in your entire life.