Keiser M3i Vs Peloton – Which Is the Superior Indoor Bike?

Enjoying a satisfying physical workout isn’t limited to the outdoors anymore. With spin bikes, you can burn those calories and work your muscles in an air-conditioned gym, or maybe even at home. If you’re committed to your fitness regimen and are looking to invest in a premium-quality spin bike, here are two leading contenders – the Keiser M3i and Peloton bikes. We'll breakdown the nitty gritty of Keiser M3i vs Peloton bikes so you'll know which bike is better to get.

Both bikes are hugely popular for many reasons, but two of the main ones are for their strength and durability. However, they come with slightly heftier price tags than other stationary bike models, but that is for a good reason. We will look into those reasons in detail and highlight exactly why we think both bikes are worth their price.

Keiser M3i Vs Peloton Bikes Comparison

The Peloton stationary bike is a more feature rich spin bike thanks to the 22" display and app, however, it costs a lot more upfront and throughout the lifetime of owning it. As such, we'll only ever recommend Peloton to persons who say saving money is stupid. The Keiser M3i bike is a better peloton bike alternative that favors budget minded shoppers that still want a premium indoor bike. You can do everything with it that the peloton offers for far less and a bit more that the Peloton can't but we'll leave that for later. 

So let's get into the comparison:

An Overview of the Keiser M3i Indoor Bike

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The most impressive thing about this indoor exercise bike is that it perfectly mimics a road bike. Moreover, it is versatile and user-friendly for both indoor cycling beginners and professionals. The Keiser M3i also earns extra points because of its versatility to work with nearly ANY fitness app imaginable. You can sync your workout data to different devices, from any app.

With the Keiser M3i, you can also transmit to different Bluetooth devices at a time. And with simplicity being the focus of its design concept, this indoor bike boasts sleek aesthetics that is always easy to use. Any and every information you need/want to know is shown on a single screen. Moreover, the seat is far more comfortable than the one you get with the Peloton. 

To make this bike even better, you aren't stuck with Look Delta pedals! Instead, you can wear any type of shoes, unlike the Peloton where you have to buy peloton specific shoes. With all these great features together in one bike, we can safely recommend this over the Peloton any day without even going through the rest of the comparison. 

An Overview of the Peloton Indoor Bike

One of the most prominent features that lure people to this exercise bike is its impressive digital app. This intuitive app holds an extensive database of cycling and spin classes to motivate you. Availing this app's services will cost you additional monthly charges. The monthly fees can quickly add up to doubling the cost of the bike in 4 years. Moreover, the bike is pretty standard without the app and will defeat the purpose of even considering to buy it.

With that said, if you can afford it, you'll definitely love this bike. If you can't, then you'd be better off getting the Keiser M3i at a lower price as it will still work with the Peloton App.

Also read: Peloton Seat Replacement: How to Choose the Right One for You

Regarding the design, you'd already know that it is one of the best-looking spin bikes around. Moreover, it has all the bells and whistles a premium bike should have like magnetic resistance, a large display, and adjustable handles and seats. However, as mentioned earlier, the pedals don't accommodate most cycling shoes, and you'll need to buy shoes specifically for the peloton. And the seat quickly gets uncomfortable after a few minutes. But adding a gel seat cover is a simple fix that makes this issue negligible. 

Design

The Peloton is a high-performance indoor bike with carbon steel frames and a matte black finish that looks very premium. Moreover, it comes with adjustable handles and seat settings that "should" allow riders to find the right fit for their height. This bike also features a dumbbell tray attached to the bike's seat and a water bottle holder.

The Keiser M3i, on the other hand, does not discriminate thanks to its four-way adjustability. This feature makes it welcoming to riders of varying heights from 4' 10" to 7 feet tall and weighing up to 350 lbs. Additionally, the Keiser M3i features a unique belt-drive system that makes it quieter than its Peloton counterpart.

One other noticeable difference in design between them is their frames. The Keiser M3i's frame is V-shaped and adjustable while the Peloton is built like a standard indoor bike. This makes the M3i a more loved bike as the V shape design makes it easier to get on and off the bike than it is to ride on a Peloton.

Design and Structure of Their Flywheels

The flywheel in the Keiser M3i is at the bike’s rear with a covering to protect it from any sweat. Moreover, it has a unique design and covered components around the sweat zone that filter away any sweat that might damage it. The Peloton bike’s flywheel, on the other hand, is placed at the front of the bike. However, while Peloton bikes have all the critical parts safely tucked away under a plastic covering to prevent damage, we still saw sweat drops on the flywheel after intense sessions.

Another critical difference between their flywheels is that the Peloton uses a Perimeter weighted flywheel while Keiser M3i uses their Poly-V belt drive. This feature eliminates the up or down motion that tends to occur in other indoor cycles that do not have a perimeter weighted flywheel making the Keiser the best around right now. Owing to their design, the Keiser M3i truly offers a more authentic road bike feel than a Peloton.

Pedals

The pedals on the Keiser M3i are angled and more versatile, making the bike more user-friendly than a Peloton. Thanks to its versatility Keiser M3i is easier for any rider to hop on and start riding comfortably regardless of the type or the kind of footwear he/she is wearing.

On a Peloton bike, you only get pedals that use look delta cleats. However, you can swap it out for a pedal that uses SPD or regular sneakers. With that said, the Keiser indoor cycling bike is a more versatile bike to buy just for the pedal and shoe compatibility.

Buy the Keiser M3i on Amazon Here. 

Displays

The Keiser M3i bike draws you in with its neat-looking and intuitive display. This digital display features Bluetooth technology and serves as the platform for all your workout data. So while it is a little basic, it does offer everything you need. Moreover, you can connect it with any fitness app you want to use, even Peloton Digital. And, you can always use your tablet or stream workouts on a TV with this bike. 

But still, when it comes to the raw display size, the Peloton bike takes the cake. It has an indulgent 22" HD touch screen display where you can seamlessly run the Peloton app. If you are a fan of this app's classes, working out on a Peloton bike is a reasonable idea. But if you want the freedom to choose various cycling apps and classes, the Keiser may be more suitable for you. 

Price

If you consider the price range of regular exercise bikes, both the Keiser and Peloton demand a lot more from you financially. But they are worth the money! With that said, the fact still remains that the Peloton bike is the more expensive option of the two.

This is because a Peloton requires riders also to get additional cycling shoes, earphones, and dumbbells. And if you sign up for their app's monthly subscription, that is another $49 a month at the time we published this comparison. That's nearly $600 a year extra, so in 3-4 years, you'd have bought another Peloton.

With the Keiser M3i, you can use the bike app's services for free! Plus, you can choose any cycling app of your choice instead of being limited to their app or a bike that can't work without an app.

We would always recommend the Keiser over the Peloton any day for these reasons if the price is a concern. 

Check the Price of the Keiser M3i on Amazon.

What are the Differences & Similarities Between Keiser M3i Vs Peloton Bikes?

It is fair to say that the Keiser M3i shows up the Peloton in more than a few ways. The above comparative analysis of the two bikes proves part of this statement. But there is more. For instance, the Keiser M3i has wheels which facilitate easy transportation in addition to it's lighter overall weight. It also comes with an EN957-10 certification, which establishes the bike's claims of being safe to use, provides more accurate data, and is environmentally friendly.

The Keiser M3i also impresses in small ways, such as its built-in media tray, water bottle holder, and stretch pads. There is also the fact that its rear wheels are corrosion- and sweat-proof.

But, when it comes to hyping riders up, no one does it like a Peloton bike! Besides its app, which houses an extensive collection of classes, this bike also acknowledges music as a great motivator. On this bike, you have the freedom to create a curated playlist of songs that get you pumped up to work out. Like a song that is playing in one of your virtual classes? You can also save and add it to your playlist. 

So while we agree that their Digital app is the number one indoor cycling app around, there isn't much else to brag on apart from their marketing. Not to mention you CAN use the app without the bike, and the bike is useless without the app. 

The Final Verdict

In all honesty, it is unfair to say that either one of these bikes is really superior to the other. The Keiser M3i offers more value for money than the Peloton in most aspects. Then again, the Peloton showcases better capabilities in its app and might look more appealing to some than the Keiser M3i.

However, there are certain areas where we can come to definite conclusions about which bike is the superior one. The first factor is value for money. With the Peloton, you are bound to incur quite a bit of additional charges. So unless you are sure that you cannot do without the Peloton app, the Keiser M3i is what we will always recommend.

Then comes the user-friendliness of these bikes. The Keiser M3i is accepting of many different cycling apps while the Peloton only allows the Peloton app. Once you've considered the facts its very apparent which bike is better to get.

Don't say we told you but its definitely Keiser...

Click Here to see what others think of the Keiser M3i on Amazon.