When you order a Peloton bike, you wait several weeks before a truck arrives and the delivery driver sets up your new equipment in its designated area. Just a few minutes later, you sign some paperwork and the driver leaves you alone with your new toy — and hours upon hours of on-demand content.
There’s so much content, in fact, that it can feel overwhelming. I remember scrolling through the classes after my Peloton bike delivery. I found myself wondering: Who are the best Peloton instructors? Pelton employs 20-plus cycling instructors who are stationed around the world. Each brings to classes his or her own style, personality and approach to leading a workout. There’s truly something for everyone, but it takes a while to identify the coaches that you like most — the styles, personalities and approaches that connect with you.
I tried one class. A short one. I didn’t want to invest too much time with an instructor I didn’t know. It was OK. Not great. I did some research online. I asked some friends who have Peloton bikes who they like riding with. And now, after 100-plus rides, I have finally winnowed down the 20-plus coaches to a group of 5 with whom I do the majority of my rides.
If you’ve taken the plunge and purchased a Peloton, or even if you’re just thinking about buying one, you’re likely to wonder at some point who the best Peloton cycling instructors are — just like I did. Only you can determine which coaches are best for you, and that takes time. But, to help you accelerate the process, I thought I would share my best Peloton instructors ranked.
If you are interested in buying a Peloton bike, get $100 off your purchase by using my referral code: 4DKE36. In the meantime: Who is the best Peloton instructor in my mind? See my list of best Peloton cycling instructors below.
1. Ally Love
You’re likely to hear during an Ally Love class: “Yes? Or yes?”
What do people like about Peloton? I mean, really, what could make someone pay thousands of dollars for a bike, and then 40 bucks a month for access to content afterward.
These are good questions. These are valid questions. So, let me explain what I like about Peloton, why I paid that amount up front for the bike, and why I pay that amount each month for the content.
In February of 2021, an ice storm hit my hometown of Austin, TX. The temperatures dipped, not just below freezing, but into the teens and single digits. I couldn’t run outside on ice. So I went into the sunroom where we keep our Peloton for an hourlong bike ride.
I dialed up a “feel good” ride — one of Ally Love’s signature rides. It was a 60-minute version.
Ally Love does a lot of fun rides. Her Sundays With Love have a spiritual and uplifting feel to them, complete with virtues that she highlights throughout the ride. Her Boss rides are challenging classes that push you to go harder and do more. (They are not, as I first assumed, rides set to Bruce Springsteen music — but I still like them.) Her Feel Good rides invite the rider to do whatever feels good, as the name would suggest — anything goes.
Except for the relentless-hard-work portion of the Feel Good ride. That part is a little bit different.
This 60-minute Feel Good ride started off normally. Ally Love, like most Peloton instructors, brings a presence and charisma to her work that you would expect out a television personality. What made Dick Clark successful? Or Katie Couric? Or Oprah? I don’t know. They just have “it” — an intangible that puts the audience at ease and makes them comfortable. Ally Love has “it.”
The ride starts with smiles and music and dancing. Ally Love mentions the 12 minutes of relentless hard work to come at the end of the ride, but it’s kind of like reading about mid-term exams when you get a syllabus in August. There’s a long way to go until October, right?
Ally Love tells riddles throughout her Feel Good rides, things like:
- What question can you never answer “yes” to? (Are you sleeping?)
- What gets wet as it dries? (A towel.)
- What is ahead of you but can never be seen? (Your future?)
The riddles keep the ride moving forward. She plays Gloria Estefan and music from the film The Greatest Showman. It’s nice to get lost in a 60-minute ride, because you’re getting quality exercise without counting each second.
But here’s what I like about Peloton (and what I think makes Ally Love Peloton’s best instructor). About 47 minutes into the ride, she flips a switch. The smiles disappear and the music gets just a little edgier. She starts talking about a “warrior mindset,” and she invites riders “into the jungle.” Fun time is over, and the 12 minutes of relentless hard work have begun.
A Kanye song kicks off the most difficult part of the class. You can see that something is different, that something has changed, just by looking at Ally Love’s face. She’s working hard and sweating right along with everyone else taking the class. She’s sharing encouragement in a staccato that loosely mirrors the song and that borders on poetry. With 47 minutes elapsed in the class, the Kanye song becomes a Nicki Minaj track.
“This song is a vibe,” Ally Love says as she climbs.
The class is told to rise and to push harder, to speed up cadence and amp up resistance. It really is hard work. But it feels good. It feels really good. And for 4-and-a-half minutes, I push my body along with virtual strangers taking the class on-demand around the globe. My heart rate climbs into the 160s, sweat drips off my body, my legs ache. And I’m having a blast.
For those 4-and-a-half minutes, there’s a convergence of high-quality equipment, high-quality software, an amazing instructor, a desire to get healthy, to get fit, to push my body, and to become a better version of myself.
Those 4-and-a-half minutes — that’s why I like Peloton. That’s why I think it’s worth the money.
Let’s also keep in mind that Peloton has mastered the art of virtual group fitness. Ally Love taught this class in July of 2020. She presumably walked out of the studio into a hot New York City summer afterward. I took the class (along with dozens of other riders at the same time) 7 months later and a time zone away, in the comforts of my own home while a once-in-a-century ice storm swirled around me. And I couldn’t have felt more connected.
You may not be into Ally Love as an instructor. You may not like Kanye or Nicki Minaj. But your 4-and-a-half minutes are out there waiting for you, somewhere in the Peloton universe. There are dozens of instructors who coach classes with all genres of music. You will find yours sooner rather than later if you ride regularly.
Beyond those 4-and-a-half minutes of hard work that’s actually fun, Ally Love is my No. 1 coach because she knows how to flip the switch. She gets me to flip the switch, too.
And there’s more than that. Ally Love combines the small things that I like about other instructors. In baseball, a 5-tool player is someone who can run, field, throw, hit for average and hit for power. I consider a 5-tool Peloton instructor to be someone who:
- Inspires
- Motivates
- Exudes a quiet, laidback confidence (energetic without being over the top)
- Understands and shares the science behind working out on a bike
- Plays great music
Emma Lovewell is inspirational, something akin to a life coach on 2 stationary wheels (and Ally Love is, too). Alex Toussaint motivates, overwhelming riders with a desire to rise to the occasion (and Ally Love does, too). Olivia Amato is chill, an instructor who makes it feel like you’re going for a ride with a good friend (and Ally Love is, too). Matt Wilpers knows and shares a lot about technique and what’s going on with your body during a ride, which is why he’s one of the best Peloton instructors for beginners (and Ally Love does, too).
Peloton cycling instructors come in all different personalities and energy levels and approaches to coaching. There’s a perfect instructor out there for you, too. But I would recommend trying an Ally Love class first (and before all others) as you seek out the perfect coach for your rides.
2. Emma Lovewell
You’re likely to hear during an Emma Lovewell ride: “Make it bigger.”
I’ve been a huge Texas Rangers fan my entire life. My favorite Ranger of all time is Michael Young. But here’s the funny thing about Michael Young: He wasn’t the Rangers’ best player in any of his 13 seasons with the team. But he was always the face of the franchise — a well-rounded player, the guy who featured heavily in television promotions, and the guy who beat reporters turned to for a good quote.
And that’s how I see Emma Lovewell and Peloton. She might not be the best instructor, but she’s the face of the franchise. I mean, she was even in a Super Bowl commercial:
What do I like best about Emma Lovewell’s classes? She’s an inspirational instructor. All Peloton instructors tell stories during rides. But many of the stories are apropos of nothing, just time fillers. Emma Lovewell tells stories that ultimately tie back to the ride, to the workout, to the music, to life.
During an Arcade Fire ride, she talks about listening to the band while living in China in her 20s — and she invites riders to reflect on the changes in their own lives over the past few years.
During a recovery ride, she talks about her mother’s meditation advice of treating thoughts like clouds floating by — and to not get too attached to any of them.
During many classes, she reminds riders to avoid sweeping the challenges of life under the rug — because you’ll just end up with a lumpy rug.
Emma Lovewell is also quick with an enlightening one-liner during the hardest parts of her classes. During a climb, she might say: “Change is inevitable; growth is optional.” Aside from the benefits of working out, I can leave a ride with something to think about and apply to life.
Emma Lovewell was also the first instructor who showed me that cycling can be a full body workout. She often includes “tap backs” into her rides, a move where the rider comes out of the saddle and then taps his or her butt back onto the seat in rhythm with the music. It’s really hard to do at first — and it really taxes your core. It’s during these tap back moments that Emma Lovewell asks riders to “make it bigger.”
The final thing I really enjoy about Emma Lovewell’s classes is the music. My musical taste is most aligned with the selections of Ally Love and Emma Lovewell. I gather that many of Peloton’s instructors have a background in dance, and Emma Lovewell likes to have some fun by dancing on the bike. You’ll often hear her say, “Body rolls optional.” And then she, of course, engages in body rolls. It makes things fun.
In the 2000s, Michael Young hit for average a little bit of power each season. He made a few All-Star teams. He was never the best player on the Rangers, but he was the player most identified with the Rangers.
Today, Emma Lovewell is much the same type of player on the Peloton team. She chooses good music. She tells good stories. She shares thoughts and quotes that inspire and that get riders thinking. And she makes her classes fun.
3. Alex Toussaint
You’re likely to hear during an Alex Toussaint ride: “Validate your greatness.”
Alex Toussaint is a personal trainer straight from central casting. He brings big personality and big energy to each and every ride. And some Peloton users swear by him. Carson Daly did a full Today Show segment on how much he loves Alex Toussaint classes:
On the Today Show, Carson Daly said that he takes Alex Toussaint classes almost exclusively. And I think that’s pretty common. Given that classes are available on-demand, you can find just one coach that you like, and then take that coach’s classes over and over. I know someone who takes mostly Denis Morton classes, and I know someone who takes Emma Lovewell classes almost exclusively. There’s nothing wrong with that.
I prefer having a set of coaches that I like, which was the genesis of this blog post. But there are no rules when cycling on Peloton. Want to take classes from just one coach? Great. Go for it. Want to try them all? You can do that, too.
I’ve actually started “stacking” multiple classes together. For example, I might do 3 15-minute rides to get a 45-minute workout. My stack might include a low impact ride to get started and then 2 climb workouts. And I often include Alex Toussaint’s climbs in my stacks.
Alex Toussaint is a motivator, someone who invites you into the music and into the workout, and someone who overwhelms riders with energy. He gets you to want to push harder and do more when taking one of this classes. He invites you to “validate your greatness” during almost every workout, no matter how long or how short.
You might be like Carson Daly. Alex Toussaint might be the only Peloton instructor you ever need. For me, he’s brings something different and serves as a valuable part of my rotation of favorite coaches.
4. Olivia Amato
You’re likely to hear during an Olivia Amato ride: “What’s good?”
I have a never-take list of Peloton coaches. There’s nothing wrong with these instructors. They just aren’t really my style. For the most part, I find them to be a little over the top.
And that’s what I’ve always appreciated about Olivia Amato. She’s energetic and motivating without going over the top. Taking an Olivia Amato class is more likely going on a ride with a friend who’s pushing you to get better. While going a million miles an hour, she shouts out milestones by asking users, “What’s good?” And, amazingly, she never seems to get winded.
Olivia Amato teaches a lot of power zone classes. Rather than aiming for a certain resistance, you aim for a specific output. Different output ranges match up to power zones 1 through 7.
How do you find your power zones? Take a 20-minute FTP class with Olivia Amato (or another instructor), and then enter your average output into your Peloton preferences. Then, when you ride, you’ll see your power zones listed just below your output.
There are tons of different types of Peloton cycling classes. You can do intervals. You can do climbs. There are warm-up and cool-down classes. There are classes with weight training built into the middle. You can’t do power zone classes every day, but they are fun and different. I would highly recommend taking the FTP test to get your power zones listed — and I would highly recommend working Olivia Amato’s power zone classes into your rotation.
5. Matt Wilpers
You’re likely to hear during a Matt Wilpers ride: “Pedal stroke economy.”
One of the many reasons I appreciate Ally Love’s classes is that she seamlessly weaves in reminders about form, technique, efficiency and the science behind cycling. Only Matt Wilpers rivals Ally Love as a cycling technician — making him the best beginner Peloton instructor (along with No. 1 on this list).
Matt Wilpers comes from a competitive cycling background. Take his beginner rides when you’re first getting started, and he’ll shower you with tips and tricks to coax the most out of your body. I also like taking Matt’s recovery and low impact rides, where he talks about things like “pedal stroke economy.” One of his go-to moves is to have you unclip one of your shoes and pedal with a single foot for a short period — then switch. He’s also fond of high-cadence work because he believes we get better (and more efficient) with each stroke.
Like the other instructors listed above, Matt Wilpers also has an engaging personality — and a contagious laugh. You can tell he’s having lots of fun, even when he’s deep into the science of cycling. Just like Olivia Amato, Matt Wilpers teaches a bunch of power zone classes. Make sure to take your FTP test so that you can get the full power zone experience. Matt Wilpers also teaches a lot of classes that run 60 minutes or longer, so he’s a good choice when you want a longer ride.
Honorable Mention: 4 More of the Best Peloton Cycling Instructors
I don’t limit my rides to the 5 instructors listed above. There are others I take from time to time. Here’s a look at my next tier of favorite Peloton coaches:
- Denis Morton: Denis has as super laidback, my-good-friend-from-college vibe to him. Lots of classic rock and jam bands, which I enjoy from time to time. Good coach — and a seemingly good due, too.
- Kendall Toole: Kendall is a really fun, high-energy coach. Always a smile on her face, she makes rides enjoyable — even during the hard work portions.
- Irène Scholz: Irène leads most rides in her native German, but you can follow along with English subtitles as needed. She does a few in English — including a 20-minute recovery ride that is one of my favorites. She and Robin Arzón are a lot alike to me: positive, encouraging, vibrant. Both are quick with a smile.
- Robin Arzón: I touched on Robin a bit in the bullet above. I discovered her through specific rides that piqued my interest — a ride set to music from Hamilton and a post-Thanksgiving turkey burn ride. She also offers a bunch of pre-natal rides, which my wife took advantage of while expecting our third child.
How to Find the Best Peloton Instructor for You
Looking to test out a bunch of different coaches as quickly as possible? Here are 2 approaches for discovering the best Peloton instructors for you — fast:
- Multi-coach classes: I love a good multi-coach class. Denis Morton and Matt Wilpers did a 60-minute power zone ride together in January 2020. My two favorite Peloton instructors, Ally Love and Emma Lovewell, teamed up for a 30-minute ride set to Prince music in August 2020 — a must-take. And a bunch of different coaches (something like 10 or 12) did a 45-minute All For One class in July 2020, which was fantastic for testing out new coaches. This is the class where I discovered Irène Scholz.
- Stack classes: It took me a while, but I finally started to stack classes. What does this mean? Peloton allows you to stack several classes to roll through during one sitting/biking. For example, say you want to workout for 30 minutes. You can stack 3 10-minute classes or 2 15-minute classes. Stacking classes helps long workouts pass by quickly, and they are great for investing a small amount of time into trying a new coach. I’ve even stacked 6 10-minute classes to make an hourlong workout pass by faster. (Start with a low-impact ride, find 4 climbs, and then finish with a cool-down ride — it works great.)
Ready to Find the Best Peloton Instructors for You?
My wife and I had talked about getting a Peloton for many months before we actually pulled the trigger. Here’s the thing: Yes, the bike is expensive, and, yes, there’s a monthly cost. But the total cost of buying a bike and paying for a couple years of monthly content is less between the two of us than paying for the gym memberships we previously had.
You’ve likely heard a lot about Peloton (or else you wouldn’t be reading this post). If you’re ready to take the plunge, get $100 off your purchase when you use the code 4DKE36. Start shopping now.
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