I originally pimped out a home gym as a Mother’s Day gift for my wife, but I’ve since been using it more often myself. Being 6’4″, the upgrade to our new Evolution Pro II was welcomed. I’ll detail our DIY Peloton setup & review the new bike below.
The Setup
We’ve been using Peloton’s iPhone app for about 5 1/2 years and as they’ve offered new workouts, we’ve adjusted our equipment & tech setup. It now all revolves around a wall-mounted television and a $30 Google Chromecast. We start the workouts on our phone and “cast” the instructor up to the TV.
The Gear
- Sunny SF-B1986 Evolution Pro II Magnetic (affiliate link, raises money for HCD programming)
- Peloton Digital App subscription (12.99/mo)
- Smartphone
- Television with a swivel mount
- Google Chromecast
- 5.1 Surround Sound
- Bluetooth Cadence Sensor (logs your foot speed in the Peloton app)
- Bluetooth heart rate monitor arm band (logs HR in Peloton app)
- Workout mats
- Dumbbells
- Resistance bands
- SPD cycling cleats
The Evolution Pro II Magnetic
The first thing I said when I sat on it was, “Now this is a noble steed!”. It fits my tall frame so much better. It sits high, rides stable because of its huge, heavy flywheel. The magnetic resistance is much smoother than the friction resistance of our older bike. Magnetic is also the type used on Peloton bikes. There are many more levels of resistance between easy and difficult, and it stays consistent as you increase speeds instead of letting momentum reduce the resistance. Our first bike called for us to get additional pieces like clip-in pedals, a cell phone holder, and a bike computer to display cadence, distance & speed. This bike has all of these features out of the box. I do enjoy this bike with comfort and resistance been the best features for me.
