I’ve come to realize that floors aren’t always level. I found out the hard way when my uneven floor caused my Peloton to dance and jitter from side to side.
I foresaw a fall in my future and stopped pedaling, conceding the personal record attempt for that day. You can make the Peloton bike level by adjusting the stabilizers, purchasing an exercise bike mat, or changing to a better spot in your home. The fixes are simple, and they’re all in this article.
Let’s get level-headed together.
Surfaces To Avoid
Pelotons don’t do well on high-pile carpets. For those who aren’t interior decorators, that means carpet with more material and a thicker profile.
Vigorously pedaling Pelotoners will always wobble with flooring like this. Nothing is more of a kryptonite to a level exercise bike than spongy or soft flooring materials.
I usually avoid placing my Peloton inside active volcanoes, cafeterias, and U-Haul vehicles. I tend to stay away from wave pools too.
It’s Okay If You Don’t Have A Spirit Level
Most of us don’t have one these days, a spirit level has become a tool for the old-fashioned handypeople and DIYers.
I still have my old spirit level from my high school days, but I use my smartphone level too. The level app on the iPhone seems to be surprisingly accurate, so that’s what I use. Place it directly on the floor in a few different spots, and make a note of the uneven areas.
The floors in older homes, even newly built ones, can be unlevel. It happens by design to protect rooms from flooding and by accident when construction is less than top-notch.
Pick the most level area you can, but don’t seek perfection. Your Peloton can handle a little bit of an angle.
Choosing A Good Spirit Level
Simply put, a spirit level with a longer distance from end to end will give a different reading than a shorter spirit level. There are some tiny spirit levels on the market, some as small as dice. Those won’t give precise readings, you should always try to use a spirit level that is 2’ – 3’ in length.
Check The Stabilizers
Peloton comes with little stabilizing feet, the same as the ones on the bottom of your fridge, albeit with a few differences.
Peloton bikes have 6 stabilizer feet in total, three under the front and the same under the rear. The middle one is fixed in place, and that’s our benchmark. Always ensure that the center stabilizer feet are snugly contacting the ground, but your Peloton should balance on them primarily.
You must check and adjust the feet’s height if it’s needed. It’s easy enough to do. Rotate the feet counterclockwise to extend and clockwise to shorten their height.
Properly Adjusting The Stabilizer Feet
Start with the Peloton on its side and its feet at the minimum height.
Stand the bike up and check for wobbling on each side.
Raise or lower the feet in small increments, then stand the bike up straight again and give it a wobble test. Continue this until you are satisfied, then give it a true pedal test with some standing and seated riding.
If you’ve done everything correctly, the Peloton bike will be feeling nice and flat at this point. Keep reading to find out about other Peloton leveling pitfalls.
Lay Down An Indoor Bike Mat
I highly recommend buying a mat for your Peloton. After spending an enormous figure on the exercise bike, another $40 to level your bike and protect the floor doesn’t seem like a terrible plan.
An exercise mat for your Peloton will smooth out any wrinkles or small bumps underneath the stabilizers. For $20-$50, you can roll out the red carpet of exercise underneath your Peloton.
Not only will it flatten out the surface underneath your Peloton, but it’ll also dampen the vibrations and downforce that your exhausted legs will create. Even if you aren’t worried about your floors, at least buy yourself a mat for the sake of easy clean-ups after rides.
Check For Debris
It pays to be obsessively clean around your Peloton, especially when you are leveling it. Let’s go through the process.
Using whatever cleaning solution you prefer for floors, clean your Peloton’s final resting place. Feel around for grit and other bits of debris, and remove any boulders or large logs from the area.
It’s time to lay the mat down, but not before cleaning both sides. Let’s not ruin your hard work on the hardwood or your time on the tiles. When it’s clean, roll it out in your chosen spot. You’re now ready to bring in the Peloton and, once again, check its level.
Level The Floor Instead Of The Peloton
This option takes a bit of elbow grease, so consider switching to another spot before investing time into this strategy.
Let’s say you can’t move your Peloton around. You have to make the current spot work, despite it being less level than a fighter jet at an air show. You’ll need a ½-inch thick piece of plywood and some shims. Use the shims and the plywood to create a level surface.
If you choose this path, you have my respect.
Top the plywood off with an exercise mat. If you are keen on a superb final result, get the plywood trimmed down to the size of your exercise mat. The Peloton footprint is 4’x2’.
Switch Rooms
Sometimes you have to give up on your dreams.
My wife said that when I told her I wanted to ride my Peloton in the grassy field behind our house. There’s a lovely view of a small lake and the rolling farmland, but it’s a terrible place to find level ground.
You might not be able to put your Peloton where you want it, some rooms are notoriously uneven. Remove your leveling equipment, and find another location for the leg-punishing machine you bought.
Check Loose Frame Screws
If the Peloton continues to be unlevel, check that your frame’s screws are all snugly secured.
You’ll need to turn your bike on its side, which might embarrass your Peloton. Mine prefers the lights to be dimmed, but ask yours because every bike is different.
Use an Allen key to hand-tighten the bolts on the underside of the stabilizer arms. If they are becoming loose it could cause issues.
Check Local Earthquake News
Are you continuing to have an unsuccessful time leveling your Peloton bike? It’s a great time to check your state’s earthquake alert system. You may have been having an earthquake in your area.
Wait in a safe place until the shaking subsides, and then level your Peloton after the dust settles. You’ll have an outstanding ride hours later after the neighborhood’s electricity is repaired.
I Hope Leveling Your Peloton Was Satisfying!
It’s not a tough job, but sitting atop a recently-leveled Peloton is rewarding.
If you still have issues leveling your Peloton, there might be more complicated issues to blame. Contact Peloton support online via their live chat, or by giving them a call at 866-679-9129.
The Bike+ has been one of the best purchases of my life, it turned my health around when I was in an exercise slump, so I owe it a level floor. Riding a level Peloton is crucial, and thankfully it’s one of the simplest maintenance tasks we can perform ourselves.
Get out there and beat some of your PRs; I’ll see you on the leaderboards.
