So you’re thinking about entering the world of Peloton home fitness, but you’re worried about the weight limit for the Bike, Bike+ and Tread.
Well, you’ve come to the right place! Our team of qualified cycling coaches have extensive hands-on experience with Peloton equipment, and in this article, we’re going to get into what the Peloton weight limits are, why they exist, and what they mean for you.
The official Peloton Bike and Bike+ user weight limit is 297 lbs (135 kg).
The Peloton Tread weight limit is 299 lbs (136 kg). Unlike the Bike or Bike+, for the Peloton Tread, there is also a minimum weight requirement. The minimum user weight for the Peloton Tread is 106 lbs (48 kg).
However, there’s a lot more to understand beyond those headline numbers. In this guide, we’ll be covering:
- What Is The Peloton Bike Weight Limit?
- What Are The Peloton Tread Weight Limits?
- Why Do Peloton Weight Limits Exist?
- Experiences of Cyclists Who Exceed The Peloton Bike Weight Limit
- Experiences of Runners Who Exceed The Peloton Tread Weight Limit
Let’s dive in!
Disclaimer: For safety purposes, we always recommend using equipment within the manufacturer’s guidelines. We do not endorse exceeding the maximum or minimum weight limit or any other manufacturer guidelines for any Peloton equipment. BikeTips, its partners, associates, and contributors are in no way liable for personal injury, damage to property, or any other such situation that may arise from doing so.
What Is The Peloton Bike Weight Limit?
The official Peloton Bike and Bike+ user weight limit is 297 lbs (135 kg).
Both the Peloton Bike and Bike+ also have a maximum user height limit of 6’5″ (195 cm), and a minimum user height of 4’11” (150 cm).
The full Bike and Bike+ specifications and dimensions can be found here.
What Are The Peloton Tread Weight Limits?
The Peloton Tread weight limit is 299 lbs (136 kg).
Unlike the Bike or Bike+, for the Peloton Tread, there is also a minimum weight requirement. The minimum user weight for the Peloton Tread is 106 lbs (48 kg).
The maximum user height for the Peloton Tread is stated as 6’4″ (193 cm) and the minimum user height as 4’11” (150 cm).
Why Do Peloton Weight Limits Exist?
Weight limits exist for a reason, and the Peloton Bike, Bike+, and Tread weight limits are no exception.
If the equipment were to fail, it could result in serious injury. An obvious example would be that the bike pedals could break under the extra weight, but there could be any number of other potential issues that Peloton took into consideration when determining the weight limit.
That being said, there are stories of people heavier than the 297 lbs (135 kg) Peloton Bike weight limit using them anyway on the internet, and the same goes for people taller than the maximum user height of 6’5″ (195 cm) for the Bikes or 6’4″ (193 cm) for the Tread.
Some users even anecdotally claim that Peloton representatives have told them (strictly off the record) that they can exceed the weight limit.
To protect themselves from legal risks, manufacturers tend to lean on the conservative side when setting weight limits, and veering outside of them is no guarantee that you’ll experience a disastrous failure.
However, it’s vital to recognize that those weight limits exist for your protection – legally and physically – as well as the manufacturer’s.
From a legal standpoint, it is highly unlikely that Peloton could be held responsible for any personal injury that occurred while their equipment was being used outside of their operating guidelines (including the weight limit).
You would also make any warranty on the Peloton equipment void by using it outside of the weight limit.
So, not only would you be increasing the risk of your equipment breaking or malfunctioning, but you’d also be losing financial protection in the event that it does.
Furthermore, while it’s possible that there is some margin for error in the Peloton weight limits, there’s no way of knowing how much. It might be 50 lbs, or it might be one – and only the people who set those limits originally would know which.
And think of it this way; Peloton has an incentive to make their equipment accessible to as many potential users as possible, as narrowing the pool of potential customers means less sales.
Therefore, they’re likely to set the weight limits as wide as they feel they responsibly can.
Nobody knows Peloton’s products as well as Peloton themselves, so if they say 297 lbs is the limit for their bikes (or 299 lbs for Peloton Tread), then they probably have a good reason to.
For these reasons, we strongly recommend to our cycling coaching clients – or to you, our readers on BikeTips – that you do not exceed the Peloton weight limits.
Experiences of Cyclists Who Exceed The Peloton Bike Weight Limit
While we categorically do not recommend exceeding the Peloton Bike weight limit, some individuals we heard from who have used the bike outside of the limits shared their experiences with us.
Typically, their aim was to drop from over the weight limit to under the weight limit.
In their opinions, the main risks to mitigate were damage to the pedals or crank arms, and the bike tipping over – although there may well be other significant risks involved in using Peloton Bikes above the weight limit that they hadn’t experienced or considered.
Most argue that the simplest and most effective way to do this is to always stay seated while pedaling, rather than standing out of the saddle.
This minimizes the weight and force pushed through the pedals and helps to maintain the bike’s stability.
They also reported that they tended to opt for more entry-level classes at a lower cadence, which didn’t feature HIIT jogs. If midway through a class the class instructed them to ride out of the saddle, they tended to sit it out.
Another regular finding was that the default saddle that comes with Peloton bikes as standard is designed for lighter users, and may be uncomfortable.
Experiences of Runners Who Exceed The Peloton Tread Weight Limit
Using the equipment above the specified weight limit will place a greater strain on the Tread’s motor than it is designed for.
If the motor fails during use, it would be dangerous and could cause an accident.
Treadmill motor failure is generally caused by overheating. Regardless of whether you exceed the Peloton Tread weight limit, if you plan on using the treadmill continuously for hours at a time, then it’s a good idea to plan in twenty-minute break intervals.
Peloton doesn’t offer definitive numbers on how long you can use the Tread continuously without stopping, but the longest class you can take is 60 minutes, suggesting that multi-hour sessions are not a good idea.
Counterintuitively, walking on a treadmill at low speeds actually generates more heat than jogging at higher speeds.
In short, this is because walking involves applying weight, and therefore friction, to the deck continuously, whereas running involves kicking onto the belt and then removing your body weight as you transfer feet.
So don’t assume that running the treadmill at low speeds means a lower amount of friction. It doesn’t, and you’ll need to give the Peloton Tread time to cool down between long walking sessions.
All of these issues will be exacerbated if the user exceeds the maximum Peloton Tread weight limit.
Whilst we know that hours put into walking on treadmills are an effective way to lose weight, if you’re above the Peloton Tread weight limit then we would advise looking into specialized treadmills for heavier users.
Peloton Tread users who are above the maximum weight limit also advised against using the incline function, and reported that using a Peloton Tread above the weight limit will also lead to faster wear and tear.
Can You Use A Peloton Bike or Tread Above The Weight Limit?
In short, no. We do not recommend exceeding the Peloton weight limits for any of the Bike, Bike+, or Peloton Tread.
There are plenty of anecdotal stories out there on the internet and that we’ve heard from other cyclists that they have done so without issue.
However, when it comes to safety, we would always advise that it’s not worth the legal or health risk of using equipment outside of the manufacturer’s guidelines.
