Love Peloton? Here Are 6 Ways to Get an At-Home Cycling Workout Without the Cost

Know how to make an indoor cycling enthusiast jealous? Casually mention you got a Peloton. The Cadillac of home exercise equipment, Peloton indoor bike may be the closest things to having a personalized indoor cycling class in the comfort of your own home.

Combining the company's state-of-the-art stationary bike with a built-in digital screen, the Peloton bike allows riders to live-stream daily classes from the Peloton NYC studio and access more than 5,000 on-demand workouts.

But, depending on which model you get, the bike can also set you back more than $2,200, plus $39 for all-access membership to digital content. So how can the average home rider get a good indoor cycling workout without breaking the bank? Here's how you can stop pining for a Peloton and get a DIY indoor cycling workout without it (until you win the lottery, that is).

Once you get past the brand appeal, you'll see that Peloton isn't the only bike company live-streaming classes right to your living room. Many of the best indoor bikes come with significantly less cost and are giving the cycle giant a run (er, ride) for its money.

If you don't have two grand to drop on the Peloton+ bike, but you still want to jump on the brand bandwagon, you can still get a lot of the same Peloton content by pairing the Peloton app with any indoor bike.

While you can download the app for free, it will cost you $12.99 a month after a free 14-day trial. The app gives you access to more than a dozen live studio classes a day taught by elite Peloton instructors as well as more than 10,000 on-demand classes streamed right to your phone or tablet.

And it's more than just cycling. In addition to indoor cycling classes, the Peloton Digital app provides classes for indoor and outdoor running, strength training, yoga, boot camps and more.

Don't want to shell out money every month for the Peloton app? There are plenty of lower-cost alternatives that will still provide audio guided workouts for your cycling sessions.

"I cycle every day using apps and my $200 red [indoor cycling] bike," says indoor cycling enthusiast Rebecca Frigole from Naples, Florida. "My bike doesn't even have a cadence monitor, but that doesn't matter because these instructors use beat and tempo of their music."

If you're looking to create that at-home Peloton experience, consider shopping secondhand for your indoor cycling bike. Check out Craigslist or eBay for bikes that have been gathering dust in someone's garage, or see if your local gym or indoor cycling studio is getting rid of old bikes.

"Studios often sell off their old bikes when they upgrade," says Diane Laird, owner of indoor cycling studio DNA Fitness. Gyms may not advertise broadly when they're selling old bikes, so consider cold-calling larger chains or small indoor cycling studios to inquire.

Keep in mind, when you're getting a consumer bike from someone's home, it's often lighter and may have less wear, but was likely assembled by the owner. However, a commercial-grade bike from a gym or studio is usually heavier to move and may have more wear, but was probably assembled by a pro.

Many online fitness stores, such as Primo Fitness and Gym Store, also offer refurbished indoor cycling bikes that have been professionally tuned and often come with a warranty. Whenever possible, try to see a used bike in person before you buy to ensure it's up to par.

Already own a road or mountain bike? Before dropping a big chunk of change on an indoor bike, consider converting your outdoor bike to a stationary cycle with a bike stand, rollers or cycling trainer, says Alex Tauberg, CSC S, a sports chiropractor and certified strength and condition specialist in Pittsburgh.

"Take your road bike and put it on a set of rollers while watching any number of pro tour races," Tauberg says. "Not quite the same thing as using the Peloton, but if you use your imagination, you can get a great workout while riding along with the pros!"

Workouts on a Peloton bike can help push you by tracking your caloric burn and heart rate and reminding you of your previous personal records (PRs). However, you can replicate some these same features with other cheaper alternatives, says Karisa Curtis, CPT, a personal trainer in Ventura, California.

"One of the most reliable tools I use is a simple heart-rate monitor with an accompanying tracking app that shows improvements in my fitness over time and keeps me dialed in to my training zones," she says. "Wearable fitness devices like the Moov Now, which measures cadence when worn on your ankle, or the Fitbit, which has indoor cycling capabilities on its app, are also excellent options if graphs and numbers are a favorite way of holding yourself accountable."