We don’t want to spend hours riding our Peloton bike, especially in our busy and active lives, but we all want to know if we are progressing at the right pace and benefitting from those hours in the saddle. Peloton has multiple choices for the length of classes, but which one is best?
There are a lot of mixed opinions when it comes to how effective shorter Peloton rides are. Some people believe that a 30-minute ride is all you need, while others think the length and intensity of the rides can vary depending on your goals. So, what’s the truth? Is a 30-minute Peloton ride enough?
On average, a 30-minute Peloton ride is enough to burn fat, increase fitness and promote wellness. You can expect to burn approximately 300 calories and travel around 8 miles. Furthermore, the most popular ride length on Peloton is 30 minutes, with more than 4000 classes to choose from.
Table of Contents
Why 30 Minutes of Peloton Is Enough For Weight Loss
Peloton makes it straightforward to pick the perfect class regardless of your time commitment or goals. Using the Peloton filter system on the menu, you can select the length of the ride, class type and difficulty level. Peloton has more than 6 million members on the platform, and its most popular ride length is 30 minutes, with more than 70% of members using it every day.
The vast majority of us can find at least 30 minutes in a day to hop on the Peloton bike and do a great spinning session. 30 minutes is ideal because it provides enough resistance and output to burn enough calories to make that ride worthwhile and beneficial towards our weight loss and fitness goals.
Furthermore, 30 minutes is a baseline for most beginners and intermediates because it will help improve your overall fitness levels, strength on the bike and increase VO2 performance. When you become more advanced, or you want to enjoy a more extended spinning session, you can always add a 20-minute or 30-minute ride on top of any class.
Ultimately it depends on your goals. If you are trying to lose weight quickly, then 30 minutes may not be enough, and it’s time for an entire hour routine. But if you’re just looking for an easy way to get in some cardio or work out those sore muscles after sitting all day at the office, then that short ride might do ideal for your schedule. Discover how long it takes to lose weight with Peloton.
🚴‍♀️ Did you know that having the wrong seat height can impact your performance by 20%. Here’s the exact Peloton seat height you need for your height to skyrocket your Peloton results.
How Often Should I Ride My Peloton?
Typically, to improve overall fitness and lose weight, it’s recommended your ride your Peloton 4 times a week for a minimum of 30-minutes for a beginner. Intermediate and advanced riders can increase the volume to 5-6 times each week. Use a combination of different classes to advance your fitness levels.
Here is a sample of a Peloton bike weekly workout plan:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday |
| 30-minute Climb | 30-minute Low Impact | 30-Minute HITT | Yoga/ Stretch | 30-minute Low Impact | 60-minute Power Zone | Rest Day |
My Top Must Buy Peloton Accessories
[amazon box=”B08P54PHHH,B096PFHGP4,B08VDWHPS5,B08N88H7T4″ template=”list”]
What Is A Good 30 Minute Peloton Ride?
Many things make up a good 30-minute Peloton ride, and for me, the top items on my list are the instructor, difficulty level and most importantly, the music. I find that most people usually search by instructor or by music genre because it’s essential that you enjoy it in the class or you won’t achieve your best.
Ideally, 30-minute rides should have a combination of different positions, speed, intensity and distance so you can engage your core, glutes and legs, which burns more calories. It should also have some higher interval sections where you work harder for 20 to 30 seconds and then rest. What to know why Peloton is good for weight loss?
Here are my favourite 30-minute rides that I can recommend:
- 30 minute Hill/Climb Ride – With Alex Toussaint
- 30 minute HIIT/Tabata Ride – With Leanne Hainsby or Jess King
- 30 minute Power Zone Ride – With Ben Alldis
Nonetheless, let’s be honest, you will choose the ride based on the type of music that you enjoy, and truthfully, I would agree that this is the best method to get the most from your workouts and enjoy the peloton experience the most.
How Many Calories Do You Burn In a 30-Minute Peloton Class?
On average, a male who weighs approximately 200lbs can burn 319 calories in 30 minutes at a moderate pace on a Peloton bike. For a female weighing around, 170lbs will be 270 calories. If you increase the speed to high intensity, a male will burn 478 calories and a female 404 calories.
How Many Calories You Will Burn For 30 Minutes of Peloton
| WEIGHT | LOW INTENSITY | MODERATE INTENSITY | HIGH INTENSITY |
| 150lbs – 170lbs | 210 calories | 270 calories | 481 calories |
| 170lbs – 200lbs | 226 calories | 287 calories | 513 calories |
| 200lbs – 230lbs | 261 calories | 333 calories | 594 calories |
| 230lbs – 250lbs | 300 calories | 382 calories | 681 calories |
| 250lbs plus | 375 calories | 476 calories | 850 calories |
How Many Calories You Will Burn For 60 Minutes of Peloton
| WEIGHT | LOW INTENSITY | MODERATE INTENSITY | HIGH INTENSITY |
| 150lbs – 170lbs | 420 calories | 540 calories | 962 calories |
| 170lbs – 200lbs | 452 calories | 574 calories | 1026 calories |
| 200lbs – 230lbs | 522 calories | 666 calories | 1188 calories |
| 230lbs – 250lbs | 600 calories | 764 calories | 1362 calories |
| 250lbs plus | 750 calories | 952 calories | 1700 calories |
How Many Miles Is a 30 Minute Peloton Ride?
During a 30-minute Peloton class, you will travel between 8-10 miles (12-16km) at an average cadence of 80RPM and burn approximately 300 calories, which is considered a good workout for beginners and intermediates for 30-minutes.
The best thing about a Peloton class is that the instructor will guide you on maximising your session to ultimately burn the most calories and achieve the best output for your ability and experience level. Moreover, the type of music can really help motivate and inspire you.
Mileage isn’t always the best factor for an excellent Peloton workout, so don’t over fixate on how many miles you are covering. Instead, try improving your overall output, which is recorded in the table to the side during each ride. The output is calculated by using your cadence and resistance.
Therefore, the faster your legs move and the heavier your resistance is, the higher your overall output will be. The instructor will guide you and provide some number ranges, but you can always push yourself and go above these numbers to shoot up the leader board.
How Many Miles Should I Ride My Peloton To Lose Weight?
Generally, you have to burn about 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound of belly fat and lose weight. Therefore, you must cycle your Peloton bike for 1 hour every day at a moderate rate which is approximately 16-20 miles.
| MINUTES | DISTANCE | CALORIES |
| 20 minute spin class | 5 miles (8km) | 196 |
| 30 minute spin class | 8 miles (12km) | 294 |
| 45 minute spin class | 12 miles (19km) | 441 |
| 60 minute spin class | 18 miles (28km) | 588 |
But there’s a lot more that goes into it than just miles covered, including overall heart rate and calories burned. You can lose a lot more weight in a short period of time when you cycle at higher intensities or utilise interval training which has been proven to target weight loss a lot quicker than steady-state cycling.
Yet, the best way to lose weight is to be consistent over 6 weeks and ride your Peloton every day for 30-60 minutes. It’s easier to fit into your routine and your move likelihood to make it a habit. Riding at high intensity for one session then doing nothing for days isn’t the best method for weight loss. Want to know if Peloton can help lose belly fat? Read this post.
Average Output For A 30-Minute Peloton Ride?
On average, a good output for a 30-minute Peloton ride is anything above 200 watts. However, beginners can expect anything above 100 watts and advanced rides 350 watts or more. However, as long as you are progressing within your own abilities, you will still benefit from a Peloton bike.
The total output works by calculating your cadence ( how fast your legs move) vs the resistance level. Therefore, the quicker your cadence and the higher your resistance level, the higher your output will be and the further up the leaderboard you will move.
For example, a 30-minute hop ride with 110,000 riders can expect the leaders to produce an output of 600 watts or more, even 900 watts. The middle of the pack would anticipate around 250 watts and the bottom of the board, less than 50 watts.