Bowflex VeloCore vs. Peloton Bike+ | Which Bike Do We Like?

Dimensions/Storability

The Bowflex VeloCore Bike measures 60″ x 24″ x 55″ and is a little bigger than the Bike+, which measures 59″ x 22″ x 59″. The VeloCore weighs 175 lbs, while the Bike+ weighs 140 lbs. You should also consider the VeloCore’s leaning feature in finding enough room for it. Any bike should have additional clearance around it for safety, but you will need a little more for this bike.

The Bowflex VeloCore has a beefier construction, requiring more space in your home.

Both bikes have transport wheels, allowing you to roll the bikes around. The Peloton Bike+ is easier to move because of its lighter weight. With either bike, you need to watch out for the touchscreen, especially when moving it through doorways and around corners.

Onboard Workouts & Apps

Neither the Bike+ nor the VeloCore are complete without a training membership.

Peloton Digital Subscription

Peloton excels because its digital content sets the bar for the whole industry. The film production is professional. The division of volume control between the instructor and the music is useful. The music is impressive, and the overall user experience is what sells this bike.

The Peloton app also includes the Lanebreak game. You switch lanes as you race along a futuristic track by changing your resistance while changing your cadence can earn you more points at times. You can choose from different difficulty levels and music themes for your Lanebreak session.

You play as a rolling wheel along a track, changing lanes to earn more points

Peloton also has built-in third-party streaming from apps like Netflix, YouTube TV, and NBA League Pass. The exact apps offered may vary from time to time, but it is nice to see Peloton support entertainment content.

Bowflex JRNY App

Bowflex offers the JRNY app, which includes classes and third-party apps. You must have a subscription to Netflix or Prime Video to use them, but once you log in to your account, you can watch your favorite program on the screen. Riding the Velocore while watching Mini Coopers race through Italy in The Italian Job is a unique experience!

Within JRNY, the auto trainer guides you as you ride. Users can respond to the vocal cues to lean left, lean right, power up hills, adjust the resistance, etc. Bowflex’s Explore the World features rides all over the globe. These are filmed live, so you see people and cars pass by as you ride. JRNY has radio stations including 80s, 90s, country, classic rock, easy listening, etc.

The Peloton app costs $44/month for an All-Access subscription. A JRNY subscription is $150 for the year or $20/month. I recommend subscribing to access to all the bikes’ features, regardless of which one you choose.

Screens

The new Peloton Bike+ has a large 24″ touchscreen. The new Bike+ has a front-facing sound bar along the top that provides high-quality sound directed right at the rider. The new Bike+ screen also rotates 180 degrees to either side, so you can view programs off the bike as well. This is handy when doing a yoga, boot camp, or strength-based workout.

Keep some space next to your bike for mat classes.

Screen graphics and resolution are unparalleled in this space. Peloton excels at digital content and screen quality. No buffering delay. Excellent load times. Crisp screen and graphics.

The Bowflex Velocore has two touchscreen options. For $1699, you can get the 16″ screen; for $2199, you can upgrade to the 22″ screen. Otherwise, all other bike functionality remains the same. Regardless of screen size, the 16″ and 22″ touchscreens gently tilt up and down so riders can find the right angle for visibility.

Features

Here’s where these bikes start to distinguish themselves. The Peloton Bike+ has AutoFollow, a feature that allows riders to set the resistance within a specific range. The Bike+ will adjust as you ride along, making the experience feel more realistic. The combination of AutoFollow and Peloton’s diverse content options means you’ll be hard-pressed to get bored.

The leaning feature is just pure fun.

The Bowflex Velocore lean feature is probably one of my favorite innovations on an exercise bike. Other bikes offer incline and decline, but I love the lean feature because it isn’t motorized. This means the lean feature isn’t likely to break, fail, or wear out.

The frame secures the bike to the floor, while an internal system allows the seat, handlebars, and drive system to unlock from the frame and shift side to side. This is all under rider power – so you can lean as much or as little as you’d like. I compare riding the Velcore to riding one of those arcade motorcycles. It’s fun, and I never felt unstable or like I would fall off.

It requires more ab and oblique activation than a stationary bike, so even if the difference is only minor, you will get more core engagement on the Velocore than on the Peloton Bike+.

Build Quality

Peloton has dialed in the Bike+ to be comfortable for nearly every rider. The frame is sturdy, stable, and quiet. It lacks an incline/decline or lean option, but the classes are engaging enough that you’ll find yourself standing up, sitting down, doing tap-backs and handlebar push-ups, etc. Rarely do I get to the end of a Peloton class and think, “Well, that was boring.”

Frame

The Peloton Bike+ has a welded steel frame with a protective powder coating. It has a user weight capacity of 297 lbs. Similarly, the Bowflex VeloCore has a reinforced steel frame with a corrosion-resistant coating. Its weight capacity is 325 lbs, making it better for larger cyclists.

Most users are comfortable on the Velocore.

Pedals

The pedals on the Peloton Bike+ feature Delta LOOK cleats, while the Velocore has flat pedals with an SPD clip on one side.

The Peloton Bike+ pedals do not come with toe cages; we requested this add-on.

There are several advantages to using clipped pedals. They keep your feet firmly planted in the pedal, which reduces the chances of pedal strikes (when your foot accidentally slips out of the pedal, and it spins around and whacks you in the shin).

Cycling shoes allow the rider to pull up at the top of the pedal rotation, which engages the glutes and hamstrings for more balanced musculature. Delta LOOK cleats are wide and allow for more “float” in your ankle and knee joints, which reduces strain on them.

The Bowflex VeloCore’s pedals are more beginner-friendly because they are hybrid.

Having hybrid pedals is a no-brainer. These pedals support a standard SPD cycling shoe or a regular athletic shoe. This allows both serious riders with cycling shoes and casual riders who prefer athletic shoes to enjoy the Bowflex. This is the only type of pedal that makes sense on an indoor cycling bike.

Handles

The new Peloton Bike+ has standard handlebars with an elongated horizontal bar. This allows riders to lean forward and rest their arms on the vertical grips along the sides. Multiple grip options work for different riding styles and positions.

The Peloton Bike+ has great grip options.

The Bowflex Velocore handlebars have four upright bars, an aero bar, two small drop grips, and two horizontal bars. You have a lot of hand positions here. I like the two horizontal bars as these are where I found myself riding most often. The upright bars are nice, but the narrow ones were a bit tight and were only an option when leaning forward on the aero bar.

Flywheel and Resistance

The Peloton Bike+ and Bowflex Velocore have a hundred Magnetic Resistance Levels with a heavy flywheel and smooth cadence.

The Peloton Bike+’s flywheel is heavy, creating a smooth pedaling feel.

Both the Peloton Bike+ and Bowflex Velocore have 100 magnetic resistance levels. Magnetic resistance is nearly silent and doesn’t create drag on the flywheel. A smooth cadence and heavy flywheel provide multiposition riding options on both bikes. Both bikes allow riders to stand up, sit down, and lean forward (or to the side!) while maintaining a smooth pedal stroke.

The VeloCore’s Leaning Feature

Bowflex claims that the leaning feature will “fire up your abs” and all that. I’m not sure that is the case. I suggest getting off the bike and onto the floor if you want rock-hard abs. While I’m sure the Velocore is far superior to other stationary bikes for core engagement, I doubt you’ll walk away looking like Channing Tatum.

However, the lean feature does challenge your balance and proprioception just enough that you have to pay attention while riding. Were my abs sore from all the activation at the end of the ride? Not really. But was it more fun than a standard exercise bike? Absolutely.

Should You Buy The Bowflex VeloCore or Peloton Bike+

The Peloton Bike+ and Bowflex Velocore are both fun to ride. And at the end of the day, any exercise equipment will improve your overall fitness – if you use it. For this reason, we recommend riders select the bike that appeals most to them. There is no clear leader here. You’ll get great content and innovative features on either one.

For Peloton enthusiasts, Bike+ is the way to go. For those who want something different and would prefer a more affordable subscription service, Velocore is better. I love both Peloton’s AutoFollow and VeloCore’s Lean feature. Neither will change your life (or your abs), but they certainly add an element of fun and realism that makes these two bikes favorites in the industry.

Bowflex VeloCore vs. Peloton Bike+ Q&A / FAQ

Can you use the Peloton app on the VeloCore?

The Peloton app is not accessible on the VeloCore’s screen. If you would like to train with Peloton on the VeloCore, you would have to set up a manual ride and follow a class on your phone, tablet, or TV.

What is the biggest differentiator of the Bowflex VeloCore bike?

The Bowflex VeloCore has a leaning feature that allows it to tilt from side to side. This feature is controlled by a knob on the frame that can be locked and unlocked as desired.

Who is Peloton’s biggest competitor?

Peloton’s biggest competitors include NordicTrack and Echelon. We also like Bowflex and Sole exercise bikes as well as the CAROL Bike as an alternative to Peloton.

What are the cons of a Bowflex?

The Bowflex VeloCore Bike has few features without an active JRNY membership. You need a membership to access the training content and third-party apps, like Netflix. The VeloCore is also heavier and larger than bikes like the Peloton Bike+.