At home exercise machines have come in handy during COVID-19, and for some, the purchase was made during the pandemic when gyms had to close. Gorham residents Stacy Burns, Mandy Cyr, Karen DiDonato, and Bruce Hepler love their Peloton products and have not looked back.

According to DiDonato, the actual definition of a Peloton is “a group of bicycle riders.” She shared, “The company website, onepeloton.com, is an homage to us all being one team because we are all united by connected fitness. The bike we all have is made by Peloton Interactive, based in NYC.” The company makes bikes and treadmills. Hepler said, “The bike is much more popular. I have both. I have had exercise bikes for 30 years and wanted to try this out.”

Mandy was an avid Orange Theory Fitness member, heading to the 5 a.m. class in Portland until the opening of their mall location. She loved her early classes, giving her the ability to fit her workouts in then get her kids off to school and herself off to work.

“I rely on my daily workouts for that one hour of self care so I can be better for my kids, my family, my work.” When the pandemic hit everything changed. Orange Theory closed and she was devastated. Cyr had tried a Peloton bike while traveling for work and knew she would love it at home.

Burns said she ordered her bike fairly early in the quarantine, and she loves it so much she has an order in for the Bike+ for its upgraded features that include a swivel screen and automatic resistance adjustments. She said, “I was a Zumba instructor and with lockdown and gyms closing, I wasn’t working. I did do some Zoom classes, I wasn’t crazy about them but they still kept me moving and somewhat motivated, but then my bike arrived! I took one class and was just totally hooked, I haven’t Zoom Zumba’d since!” She plans to send her first Peloton to her sister who is now also hooked.

After realizing she needed a way to deal with stress, DiDonato purchased the app to use with her non-Peloton treadmill. “I would get on my tread and take a 30 to 45 minute running or bootcamp class and found I could leave my stress on the tread. I would come upstairs after my workout and feel so proud of myself that I wanted to do it again and again.” Only a few months later, in May of 2019, she purchased her bike.

The Gorham group does Powerzone Challenges together, of which DiDonato was a group lead. Burns, Cyr, and DiDonato recently joined a group dedicated to endurance challenges and have pledged to complete 100 miles in two days.

Burns said, “As far as meeting people, there are so many different groups on Facebook. I personally belong to a few, ranging from women’s groups, LBGTQ & Allies, to Broadway fans. There are also many groups for fans of particular instructors or those who like particular types of classes.”

Peloton is all about logging miles, changing mindsets, and celebrating milestones. When riders hit their 100th milestone ride, or its their birthday, the coach may give them a shout out. There is so much more than biking that you can do with Peloton. Not only are there spin and Powerzone classes, there are also strength, stretching, yoga, meditation, walking, running, and even a few cardio dance classes as well.

Across the board, this group is competitive; with their own PR’s (personal records), with each other, and also with friends they have made. Hepler said “I have taken over 500 classes but only done one live. So I take the classes taped or “on demand.” DiDonato on the other hand, enjoys the live classes (along with her 20,000+ friends!) saying, “While you’re in class, there’s a leaderboard so you can see everyone who’s riding along with you. If you’ve got a competitive streak, it can really get you motivated!” She also shared slyly, “I love passing the men–especially if there is a male who is younger than I am!”

Burns said even if she does not feel like biking at the moment, once she hops on that feeling changes. She said, “My husband teases me all the time because I’ll say ‘I’m just going to hop on for something easy and quick’, then he’ll see me 45 minutes later sweating profusely and out of breath!”

They all agree it is worth the investment. Cyr said, “It is more cost effective than the gym and I still have a supportive community that I am a part of.” DiDonato said she realizes the bike itself is expensive, but for her it was necessary. “Not only did it decrease my stress level, it made me realize that I am capable of so much more. I am strong. I am an athlete. I would never have said those words prior to 2018. And like one of the instructors always says ‘What if you can?’ I now know I actually can because I do.” she said.