Are you a fitness freak like thousands of other people who also like to improve their performance using an activity tracker watch? You will be delighted to know that you can now connect your Apple Watch to the Peloton bike.
In fact, using the GymKit technology, you can connect your watch to just about any gym equipment that supports Bluetooth connectivity and it is GymKit enabled. It can be a treadmill, elliptical, or indoor bike.
What’s the benefit of connecting Apple Watch to your Peloton bike and the digital app it comes with?
You can use the bike the way you do and the watch will monitor the distance covered, your cadence, calories burned, and the power exerted. Not only this, you will also be able to visualize your performance and improve your workout routine depending on your daily fitness goals.
And now the most important question, how to connect Apple Watch to Peloton bike and app. This is exactly what we are going to explore today. So, if you have been facing any problems in this regard, you can fix those issues and start enjoying your spinning classes.
So, let’s get started with the guide.
What is Apple GymKit?
Apple GymKit is a platform allowing Apple users to connect their Apple Watch with various cardio machines. Why do you need this when the watch itself is able to track the metrics?
Well, for starters, the Apple Watch is not very good at tracking pace and distance, especially for indoor workouts that include spin bikes and treadmills. These machines provide you with that data quite accurately; however, they do not support heart rate monitoring.
So, to address these shortcomings, Apple came up with a solution in the form of GymKit. By using this platform, you can pair up your watch with the newer Bike+, start a workout, and get access to the post-workout data on your Apple Watch when you end the session.
Several cardio machines now support this technology including Peloton Bike+. Other than Peloton, some other brands that support GymKit include Matrix, TechnoGym, Schwinn, Life Fitness, and StairMaster.
If you don’t have a bike at home but you want to enjoy the benefits of pairing up an Apple Watch with the equipment, you can find a gym in your area that offers these newer machines.
A lot of people, however, are switching to Bike+ solely because of GymKit integration and to enjoy all the perks. However, you need to know that Peloton has now removed its support for bike bootcamps to be used with Apple GymKit. So, the only way to pair up the two devices is by joining a cycling class.
The reason Peloton gave for this downscaling is to improve the overall experience but a lot of users have found it disappointing.
Another point to keep in mind is that GymKit only works with a single cardio machine at any given time. If you want to use mixed workout training and track the metrics on your watch, you won’t be able to use GymKit for this purpose.
Is It Possible to Connect All Peloton Equipment to Apple Watch?
The Apple Watch pairs directly with the newest Peloton Bike+. However, it is important to note that you can only sync the watch with your bike when you join a cycling class. For other types of workouts, syncing is not possible.
Moreover, if you are using the older version of the Peloton or any other equipment by the company like Tread or Tread+, you will have to use the built-in workout app on the watch and connect it to the equipment.
There are many apps available for this purpose. These include BlueHeart, ECHO Heart Rate, and HeartCast. Since more apps are being added to the AppStore, there can be others as well. However, you need to check whether they are free or paid.
Currently, HeartCast is the only app that is free and easy to use as well. It has received a good rating from the user and therefore we will be using this app for our guide.
So, let’s have a look at the step-by-step guides so you can pair up your Apple Watch with the bike.
Syncing Your Peloton Bike+ and Apple Watch
There are two ways to achieve this and we will discuss both methods here.
1. Syncing Without Using the Peloton App
When you’re ready to join a new class on Bike+, all you have to do is hold your Apple Watch (which is GymKit compatible) near the screen of the bike and it will connect automatically.
Here is the detailed step-by-step guide to connecting your Apple Watch with Peloton Bike+ if you don’t want to download the Peloton app.
Step #1 – Enable Pairing for the Watch
For this step, you are going to need your phone. Open the Apple Watch app on your phone and then go to the Workout tab. There will be an option of “Detect Gym Equipment” under that tab. Tap this option to enable pairing.
Step #2 – Start a Live or On-Demand Cycling Class
Now, back to the bike. Choose a cycling class from the touchscreen of your bike and join it. Remember to pair the watch when the countdown clock reaches 1 minute. If you try to pair it sooner, it may not work.
Step #3 – Hold the Watch Near the Touchscreen
Step #4 – Hit OK to Pair Up the Two Devices
2. Syncing With Using the Peloton App
Another way to connect your watch to Bike+ is to download the Peloton app to your iPhone and the Apple Watch. This app is available for watches running WatchOS 6 and later. Here is a step-by-step guide to connecting the two devices using this method.
Step #1 – Download the App on Your Phone
Visit the Apple Store and search for the Peloton app. Once you have it on your phone, launch it, and go to the “More” tab. Select “Apple Watch” and enable all the stats including location services. Smartphones running iOS 13 and later are compatible with this app.
If you don’t see the option of Peloton app in Apple AppStore, you need to replace your phone with a newer one.
Step #2 – Subscribe to Peloton App
To be able to use the app on your phone, you need to have Peloton App subscription. Launch the app and create an account from the login screen. The subscription fee is $12.99 per month.
Step #3 – Sync the Watch with the Bike
Just like the previous method, sync the watch with the bike by bringing it closer to the screen and choosing a workout. See that it’s connected by looking for the green fitness symbol. Now you will be able to view your workout history on the Peloton app including heart rate, total calories burned, best and average pace, distance covered, and elevation.
Some of these metrics are only available for running and walking, while others are available for all class types, such as heart rate.
How to Connect Apple Watch to Original Peloton Bike?
Since Bike+ was only recently released, a lot of people are still using the old Peloton bike. However, the good news is you can easily pair up your Apple Watch with the older version of the bike. The only difference is that there is no direct option to achieve this.
You can make use of one of the third-party heart rate monitor apps on your iPhone to sync your watch with the bike. These include;
- HeartCast
- ECHO Heart Rate
- BlueHeart
These are the top 3 apps listed on the Apple AppStore when you search for “heart rate monitor for Peloton”. Download HeartCast on your iPhone and launch it.
Now open HeartCast on your watch and begin synchronizing. This process will typically be completed within a few seconds. On your watch, press the HeartCast toggle to make sure your heart rate will be monitored.
Make sure the HeartCast app is open and visible on your iPhone to sync your heart rate across the three devices: the watch, the bike, and your iPhone.
Make sure Bluetooth is turned on for both your iPhone and the watch. You will be able to see the available devices on the bike screen when you choose a heart rate monitor. Choose HeartCast from the list.
In case you don’t see the HeartCast app under available devices on your bike, try restarting the Apple Watch. Also, make sure all permissions are granted to exchange data with Health. If it still doesn’t work, try using another one of the apps listed above.
How to Connect Apple Watch to Peloton App?
While GymKit is only available for Bike+, the good news is you can still pair the watch with the Peloton digital app and measure all the metrics.
You will be following the same method as discussed in the section “Syncing with using the Peloton app” under “Syncing your Peloton Bike+ with Apple Watch”. The only difference is that you are not syncing the bike now. Instead, you will be starting the workout on the Peloton app installed on your phone.
It is recommended to turn the low power mode off on both the phone and the watch. This step will allow you to view all the metrics you need on your watch. When you are done with your exercise, end the session on the phone.
Remember, you can only view heart rate data and some other workout stats while working out on the bike. It is not possible to view any post-workout data on the watch because it acts only as a companion device.
Parting Shot…
A good number of people who go to the gym or have a Peloton bike at home also own an Apple Watch to track their performance and make adjustments to their fitness routine to do better.
Although the watch can be connected to the smartphone for viewing insightful data about your workouts and daily activity, if you specifically use a Peloton bike and would like to know how you perform on it, you can do it by syncing the bike with your Apple Watch.
In this article, we looked at how these two devices can speak to each other to exchange data and give you a complete picture of your spinning performance. This is particularly useful when you want to monitor your heart rate while working out but don’t have an external monitor to connect to the bike.
If you own an Apple Watch and a Peloton bike (Bike+ or the original version), you can pair them up and get access to all the activity tracking metrics the watch comes with!
Just follow the steps mentioned above and you are good to go.
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