As much as we have loved our Peloton, I feel compelled to be transparent and share this information with you just in case you’re having the same experience or are considering an exercise bike purchase.
Our Peloton Bike has become infected with rust.
Like, not just in a couple of nooks and crannies, but everywhere. As I’m sure you know, rust is a cancer to metal. Once it’s there, there’s really no getting rid of it. You can triage the situation to slow the spread, but it will never fully go away and always be a problem lying beneath the surface, weakening the metal.
This situation began after finding out that I was pregnant with Sophie in October 2020 — I was too nervous about using our Peloton and overexerting myself so I took a prolonged break from riding the Bike. My husband had become a daily user (so proud of him for staying consistent!), but unbeknownst to me he had not been wiping the machine down after each use. 🥴 When I was finally cleared by my obstetrician to return to exercise at my 6 Week Postpartum Checkup in August 2021 I was eager to get back on our Peloton, but much to my dismay, the machine was then completely covered in rust!
In my husband’s defense, he has never spent time in a “real gym” and wasn’t aware of the understood Wipe-Down-The-Machine-After-Using rule and he just assumed that the Bike had been thoughtfully made to prevent rust (either with a rust-resistant metal or had been galvanized / powder-coated, etc.) so he didn’t bother to wipe off his sweat from the Bike after each exhausting workout. My husband is probably one of the hyper-cleanest people that I know so I incorrectly assumed that he was cleaning it after each ride just like he deep cleans everything else and I didn’t bother briefing him on the standard post-workout wipedown protocol. That’s what we both get for assuming, I suppose. 😅
…
I reached out to Peloton in December 2021 to find out what could be done and they replied with the note above which included links to the products they recommended that I could buy to remove the rust and “restore” our Bike.
Our Peloton Bike was located in the basement of our old house which is NOT well ventilated and back then I had an infant to care for that kept me occupied ’round the clock. There was absolutely no way that this process was actually going to happen for our machine. As David Schitt says, “Thank you so much for this; it was entirely unhelpful. but thank you nevertheless.”
If you’re interested in putting in the effort on your own rusty workout equipment I’ll link the products they suggested below:
Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer Spray
*please use protective gear for overspray
Brush-On Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer
…
I thought that we were in a weird one-off situation with rust on our Bike, but apparently that’s far from the truth! A Peloton rust-related concern has been brought to public light recently and documented here, here, and here if you’re interested in reading more.
Admittedly, I have been very reluctant to ride our Peloton in its current condition. I have taken a handful of cycling classes and each time I have ridden our rusty Bike something about the gears/wheel has felt super gritty(?) to me and I’ve been anxious about something falling apart (or contracting tetanus! 😜) during the whole ride which has derailed my focus from the actual workouts.
When we reached out to Peloton recently to discuss our concerns and see what could be done (receiving a credit, a possible replacement, etc.) they simply reiterated that rust wasn’t covered under their warranty. This was definitely a bummer because when you pay as much as you do for the Peloton Bike you expect high quality, and while the Bike itself is well made I would say that a few corners have been cut in production (regarding metal choice and lack of galvanization / powder coating).
Given the state of our original Peloton cycling machine, we obviously needed to get a new exercise bike to replace the janky (and potentially dangerous) one — due to our rust frustrations with Peloton we very seriously considered switching to a Soul Cycle or MYX Fitness bike instead (although, I don’t know that either of their exercise bikes would have been any better in regards to being rust-resistant / rust-proof). Ultimately, we decided to continue on with the Peloton brand and to just be more diligent about making sure to wipe the Bike+ down after every ride session as well as setting up a large fan to minimize the sweat situation during workouts. It was definitely a painful [re]purchase (and expensive mistake!) to make, which made me think that it was something worth noting here on the blog for anyone else considering this stationary bike option for themselves.
…
Additionally, when making our new Peloton Bike+ purchase, the brand was really promoting this additional warranty coverage at checkout. I assume that this is their subtle acknowledgement of the rust issue, but not wanting to take ownership of it / change the production of their product while simultaneously making money selling that insurance, as well as having the ability to tell their customers that don’t buy it that they should have purchased the additional coverage if something ever does go awry with their equipment. According to the representative I chatted with on 2/22, Peloton isn’t currently offering a refurbishment program or accepting used Bikes for parts so if you are in this situation as well, just be aware that there isn’t a return / exchange option available directly through Peloton.
If you don’t know anyone who wants to take your rusty Peloton you can always donate it, but be aware that you could be responsible for getting the machine to the donation processing center. If your Bike is too far gone like ours was and you don’t have the ability to move it and/or a vehicle large enough to transport it, our recommendation is to hire a removal service such as 1-800-Got-Junk or LoadUp to do the [literal] heavy lifting for you.
I don’t want this post to serve as a deterrent from making a Peloton purchase, but moreso as an honest review of our experience and raising awareness around this issue. We’ve been very pleased with our machine and the Peloton experience otherwise; it’s just been a unfortunate circumstance. If you create a lot of sweat, I recommend getting some protective gear for your bike because it’s just not worth risking the potential for rust and be sure to perform the proper routine maintenance to keep your machine running at it’s top performance.
*UPDATE April 2026* I feel that it’s worth including this recent article for additional information about the rust situation.
I hope that this information [and transparency!] helps you make a decision on whether or not a Peloton will be right for you, as well as serving as a cautionary tale to remind you to…
wipe . down . your . exercise . equipment .
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
Thanks for this! I have been trying to contact peloton to see what can be done. My bike is only 2 and we wipe it down religiously however it is severely rusting- can’t believe that this would happen to such an expensive piece of equipment.
Ugh, it’s so frustrating!! Good luck!
I am so sorry you are experiencing this situation. I am going through the same problem and I am convinced Peloton is not being truthful. It has caused me a huge deal of frustration and anguish. Fitness equipments are supposed to withstand sweat, wear and tear from prolonged use. Have you ever heard of rust issues with nordictrak or other renowned brands? I have my own personal battle with Peloton and am hopeful that smart consumers will simply send the message to these companies that take advantage of them and are not pro-customer by not paying for their products/services. As my bike is rusting in my home gym, I decided to purchase an ergata rower. A year into it, the delivery was immediate and service superb (there was an alert with a sensor and they sent a replacement no questions asked within 5 days). Peloton has a smart model, but I trust competing companies whose equipment is backed by a trusted brand will ultimately come out ahead. Peloton does not deserve to earn a profit at our expense. Check out some news that came out last year on finance outlets about the “tinman” project and Peloton’s attempt to cover up their sale of subpar bikes.
Which products did they recommend? The widget is not working on the site.
Hey, David!
Thanks for your patience; I’ve been out of town and unable to update this post until today. I just re-linked all products in the widget (hopefully the links are working properly now!) as well as provided the product name for the rust inhibitor products. I also linked everything here for your added convenience: https://www.shopltk.com/explore/natalieriendeau/posts/d80df351-d9b0-11ee-ad34-0242ac110019
Hope this helps and best of luck!
My bike was rusted out as well, it looked just like yours, however I wipe it down after each use. Because my back baring broke, I was lucky that peloton swapped the frame.
Oh, you’re lucky! Glad to hear that they swapped the frame for you. Such a pain, especially for the price we pay for them!
Thanks for sharing your rust experience in such detail and with such a clear and fair-minded view. It has to have been extremely frustrating to have the bike degrade so badly.
I have owned my Peloton since Jan 2020 and wipe it down after every workout. I too sweat heavily during workouts so this was an absolute must-do. Even with this, I ended up on hands and knees recently, reaching for something under the bike and discovered rust on the bottom of some parts of the frame, in tough to reach areas. No way one could inspect these areas unless you’re on the floor looking from below.
I’ll use some of the guidance provided and hope to have good success removing the rust. My Peleton helped get me through months of gym closures during 2020, a total knee replacement and helps me maintain cardio, leg strength and a clear mind. I want to keep it running well as long as I can.
Thanks for a great thread to share our experiences with this issue .