Peloton Studio NYC Reopening: Everything You Need to Know

A lot has changed since I attended the media preview in June 2022 for the reopening of Peloton Studios NYC for in-person classes, the soft opening later that summer and then my return trip in October 2022. I’ve since been back one more time in December 2023, so this update is long overdue.

In this article I’ll share my experience of taking the first live cycling class in the studio for broadcast. It also happened to be my 1,500th ride.

If you know anything about milestone rides, it’s great to get recognized. So I was thrilled that I got a nice little shoutout from Robin Arzon about six minutes into the class.

Sidebar about shoutouts: During this 30-minute pop ride, Robin mentioned that there were 1,500 milestones on the ride.

No wonder instructors can never get to everyone. I think the only reason I got mine is because it showed that I was there in the studio.

If you ever wondered what the screen looks like with milestones, on my trip in December 2023, you could see other people’s milestones and birthdays on your own bike screen. I was there on my birthday and took this picture below.

What’s new at Peloton NYC studio

In addition, I’ll describe the new studio setup at Hudson Yards, on Manhattan’s west side. Also, I’ll explain what you need to know for taking in person classes live with instructors going forward. 

Also, I found out that Peloton Studios London was having the same media day as we were here in New York. So I imagine that what I’ll describe about my experience and the classes you can and cannot take live with an instructor will resemble London.

Here is my article about the London studios.

Where is the Peloton studio in NYC

Up until 2020 the Peloton studio was on 23rd Street in NYC. That’s in the Chelsea neighborhood. This is where I’d always gone to ride live in person with instructors.

However, in early 2020 Peloton moved the studio to Manhattan’s West Side.

Now the studio entrance is on 10th Avenue between 32nd and 33rd Streets. The street address is 370 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY.

It’s technically in Hudson Yards and close to the High Line and The Vessel, which you may have seen in Project Runway.

Fun Project Runway sidebar: designer Brittany Allen is a Peloton member and has become friendly with many Peloton instructors. In fact, she’s frequently making clothing for them, especially Jess King.

Finally, if you’re wondering if there is parking at Hudson Yards, here’s what I found out: on West 30th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues, there is a parking garage. Also, there are a few more garages farther west towards the Hudson River.

Update on health protocols at Peloton studios

After the pandemic and the studio closure, Peloton put certain health protocols in place. This included having to show a COVID vaccine card to enter Peloton Studios. Those restrictions were still in place when I visited in October 2022. However, by the time I went back in December 2023, Peloton confirmed that this was no longer the case.

If it’s your first time at PSNY, you have to sign that waiver. On the other hand, repeat visitors do not need to sign the waiver again.

Also, it used to be that the employees at the doors on 10th Avenue would only let you into the studios if your name was on a list. Now, that list is gone, just like the COVID protocols. If you are taking a class at PSNY, you can walk right in the doors.

Checking in at the studios before heading to class

Signing this waiver is one of the things you’ll need to do while checking in before going to your class. In addition, the staff will give you a silicone wristband to put on. This wristband is your “ticket” to get into class and then to take pictures with the instructor afterwards.

This wristband color or colored pattern changes every day and for every class. So don’t take it off or try to reuse it. 

Also, if you’re lucky enough to have gotten multiple classes on a single day, you’ll need to get a new wristband for each class. That means heading back to the lobby to check in again for your next class.

How the wristband bracelets work

Some people have been able to keep their silicone wrist band as a veritable Peloton souvenir. Others were asked to give them back.

During my recent visit, I was able to keep all of my silicone bracelets from the three rides I took. Woo hoo, Peloton souvenirs!

Crystal O’Keefe, one of the co-hosts of The Clip Out podcast, gave me permission to share a picture of the bracelets she got on a recent Peloton studio visit. She told me that the purple wristband was for a Jenn Sherman ride. The green one was a run with Adrian Williams and DJ John Michael.

These bracelets remind me of those yellow silicone bracelets from LIVESTRONG that were all the rage years ago.

Getting equipment for your live Peloton class

I’d brought my cycling shoes from home for my live ride with Robin Arzon. However, if I hadn’t, I could have checked in at the shoe “rental” window to get a pair of shoes. 

The rental doesn’t cost anything, by the way. Also, the set up looks exactly like when you get shoes at the bowling alley.

Don’t worry–they disinfect shoes in between riders, just as they do the studio.

Finally, I’m told that the shoes available include the Peloton Altos cycling shoes (now available on Amazon). These are basically Peloton bike shoes 2.0.

I’ve heard they’re comparable to Nike Super Rep spin shoes.

I tried a pair on at my local Peloton store recently. They are super comfy!

What time studio doors open before class

When you make a reservation for a studio class, Peloton asks that you check in 60 minutes before a class begins. Why? Let me explain.

About 30 minutes before the class starts, the doors open.

Then, 15 minutes before class start time, they close the doors for good. So make sure you pee beforehand.

When we were let into the studio, we were told we could choose any bike we wanted. This is a big change from the 23rd Street Chelsea studios.

There you would book a specific bike when you made your reservation. Then, when you got into the studio, if there were empty bikes after studio doors closed, you were allowed to move.

Boarding passes to enter the studio

Getting into the cycling studio is now a lot like boarding an airport. How?

Well, when you check in at the front desk, you get a “boarding” card. You’ll get a card with either A, B or C.

Here is what I learned about the different letters:

A = you have a milestone to celebrate so you get let into the studio first*

B= it’s your first time at the studio so you get let in second

C= everyone else

I added an asterisk to the A card description because you have to tell the front desk that you’re there for a milestone class. My first ride at my latest visit to PSNY was for ride 1,600 in Denis’ class.

I didn’t know what to tell them, and they didn’t ask. Now I’ll know better so I can get a better position in the studio.

ABC is now silver, red, black and white

The boarding cards to get into class, any class at PSNY, are now four different colors. Here’s what they mean. I’ve listed them in the order in which you’re let into class.

• Silver card: guest of the instructor
• Red card: first time at the studio
• Black card: milestone or birthday (you tell the front desk this when you check in)
• White card: repeat visitor to take in-person classes

Note: when I visited in December 2023 for my birthday, I received a black card. That’s because it was my birthday. Had I shown up for a cycling class without a milestone to celebrate, I’m pretty sure I would have gotten a white card since this was my third time in 18 months to visit PSNY to take in-studio classes.

Getting set up on your bike in the studio

Everyone started cycling and warming up as soon as they chose their bikes. There are studio personnel there to help you adjust your settings.

Pro tip: take a picture of your settings at home so you’ll know where to put your seat and handlebars once you get in.

Next, you’ll want to log into the tablet on the bike. Another pro tip: make sure you remember your Peloton password.

I’m sure you know your leaderboard name. However, if it’s been a long time since you had to log into your bike at home, you may not remember your password.

You will need that to have your studio ride count towards your total rides. Obviously, you’ll need this information as well to log into the Tread, if you’re taking a class on that equipment.

When the instructor enters the studio

As I mentioned, the studio doors close at 15 minutes before the class starts. And it was shortly after that when a Peloton staff member introduced Robin Arzon, our instructor.

Robin entered from a different door into the studio. At 23rd Street, the instructors came in the same door that riders did.

Robin spent a few minutes chatting with the audience and then got on the bike. This pre-show chat seems to be common behavior.

For example, I took Christine D’Ercole’s first class with riders back in the studio. I took it live so I was able to see the preshow. And she definitely took a few laps around the studio stage before getting on the bike.

Once the instructor is clipped in, the control room will talk to them. You can hear them over the speakers.

They’ll do a mike check and then they’ll ask the instructor to pose for “thumbnails.” Those are the pictures you see that accompany the cover photo of a class before you choose it. So Robin did a couple of poses.

When class starts

Finally, it was time for class to begin. But here’s what took me by surprise: I’d signed up for an 8 a.m. class. However, class started at 7:55 a.m.

I’d never noticed this before that class actually starts early. My guess is they do this so that when it broadcasts live out to the rest of the world, the software has had a chance to generate closed captioning.

Here is my article that explains how Peloton closed captioning works.

On camera or not?

As you know, any class that you take at Peloton studios is being filmed. There are cameras all over the four different studios.

Now that I’ve taken classes in each of the four studios, I can offer additional advice. If you do not want to be on camera during class, here’s where you should find a spot in each studio.

Studio 1 Cycling Studio

In order to avoid the cameras in the cycling studio, you should sit furthest away from the instructor’s podium. So, no front row spots or any bikes near the wall of mirrors.

Studio 2 Yoga Studio

This is the smallest studio at PSNY. It’s where they hold yoga classes. There are four mats on one side of the room and three on the other. To avoid being on camera, avoid the first two mats closest to the instructor. I grabbed one closest to the door where we entered just to be safe.

Studio 3 Strength, cardio and rowing

Studio 3 is another smaller studio. Most of the cameras are on the wall facing the instructor. However, if you take a rower or spot on a mat near the back wall of the studio — the wall behind where the instructor is — you have a greater chance of showing up on camera.

Studio 4 Tread studio

Like the cycling studio, the Tread studio has a whole wall of mirrors behind the instructor. So, naturally if you set up on a Tread near those mirrors, you’re going to be on camera. I’ve found that the Treads positioned almost behind pillars in the room are the ones least likely to show up on camera.

Bring your own drink; they provide the towel

When I took my first few classes at the Peloton Chelsea studios, Peloton provided you with two things. One, two water bottles (plastic, not refillable). And, two towels for sweat.

Then, they stopped providing plastic water bottles so you had to bring your own. I took the picture below in the old studios.

At the Hudson Yards studios, you still get a towel to use during your class. You have to return it afterwards.

There are bins outside the studio to toss them. It was the same at the 23rd Street studios.

Also, you’ll need to bring your own water bottles to quench your thirst during class. There were bottle refilling stations outside the studios.

You can buy Peloton merch, including different kinds of Peloton water bottles, ahead of your ride on Amazon.

Where is the cycling studio within PSNY

There are four studios where you can take classes at the Peloton Studio NYC. Here’s a roadmap of the inside about where the studios are.

Studio 1 is the cycling studio and the first one you’ll pass when you enter the building from the 10th Avenue entrance. It is adjacent to where you pick up your shoes.

The other studios are for yoga (which is where they also film barre and Pilates classes). That is Studio 2.

Studio 3 is where they teach strength classes. Because there isn’t a Tread or bike to sign into when you take a strength class, you’ll use these tablets outside Studio 3 to sign in.

Why do you want to sign in before entering? One, so you get credit for taking the class. And, two, in case you have a milestone like I did.

My recent glutes and legs class with Logan Aldridge was my 650th strength class. This leaderboard screen showed everyone in the studio, plus their milestones. There was also another screen with everyone with milestones.

The picture below is of the strength studio aka Studio 3. It’s simple, with a mat and weights for participants.

Finally, at the back of the first floor, which is where all of the studios are located, is the Tread studio (running and walking). It is Studio 4.

I took my very first class on a legit Tread during my last visit to PSNY. It was a 30-minute walk with Marcel Dinkins. If anyone ever tells you that walking is not exercise, I dare them to take a Tread walking class and then get back to me.

When will Peloton studios reopen

Update: It’s official: August 19th, 2022 is when Peloton NYC studios reopened. Classes cost $35 per session.

This article provides step-by-step instructions for booking a live, in-person class at Peloton.

In addition, it addresses the waitlist for Peloton classes.

The days you can ride live

After I’d published this article, Peloton’s PR team reached out to correct the days of the weeks with and without riders in the studio. Here’s what they wrote to me:

“When Peloton Studios New York reopens later this summer, the public will be able to book classes Friday through Sunday. Both Peloton Members and non-Members will be able to take classes at the studio on these days. From Monday through Thursday, our production team will focus on producing classes with no live audience.”

However, recently Peloton has added Monday and Thursday to the schedule when people can take classes live. Therefore, only Tuesday and Wednesday are the days with just instructors and no participants in class.

Many people complained about taking older classes and seeing people in the background. They called it distracting.

Well, for me, it was all I ever knew until March 2020, since we’ve had our bike since 2016. I’m so glad that Peloton is balancing the mix of classes.

Here are tips for what to bring with you when you visit the Peloton Studio.

How many people are in classes

At the old Peloton Chelsea studio, there were 48 bikes in the cycling class. At the new NYC Peloton Studios, there are 39 bikes. 

Even though the cycling studio is smaller than the Chelsea studio, it doesn’t feel as cramped. Maybe that’s because during my ride, I hopped on Bike 13.

My bike was in a row by itself, one row back from the platform where Robin was teaching. There was no one besides me. Behind me, there were just two bikes.

Class participants in other Peloton disciplines

As I mentioned, aside from cycling, you can only take classes live with instructors teaching on the Tread, the mat for yoga and also the mat for strength. Bootcamps, boxing and more will continue to be instructors only.

During the media preview we were able to peek inside the other studios. Here are how many people can sign up for those other three kinds of classes:

• Strength: 6 8 (there were 8 people, including myself, in my class)
• Yoga: 7
• Tread: 16

Interesting fact about the Tread studio: the instructor is teaching on the original Tread or the Tread+. However, members are running on the newer iteration of the Tread.

How many Peloton studio locations are there

As of right now there are two Peloton studio locations. One is in New York City aka NYC, and the other is in London.

Some people have asked if there are studios in Chicago or Los Angeles. Not at this time nor did they give any indication that there would be in the future.

The newest change at PSNY is the addition of rowing classes. They are held in Studio 3, the Strength studio. I know because I took a 30-minute rowing class with Alex Karwoski during my December 2023 visit. This is what Studio 3 looks like with the Peloton Row in them. There are eight spots for people wanting to take in-person classes on the rower.

More about buying the Peloton Row here.

Finally, only the NYC Peloton studio has yoga classes. London does not.

So if you’re wondering about the Peloton yoga studios reopening, they are at the Hudson Yards location in New York City. As of right now, Peloton London is not offering yoga classes.

Previously, both yoga and Tread classes were held in another studio in Manhattan’s West Village, on Christopher Street. Now everything is under one roof.

FYI, you can earn a new special event badge for taking a class at Peloton Studios New York.

Changes from the Peloton Chelsea studio

Having been fortunate enough to ride in the Chelsea studios a handful of times, I wanted to spell out differences you may notice when you visit the new Peloton studio to workout.

Peloton NYC Studio square footage

• Chelsea: 8,000 total
• Hudson Yards: 35,000 total

Bike tablet

• Chelsea: Only showed the leaderboard of riders in the studio. No live metrics or high fiving available.
• Hudson Yards: Global leaderboard with the option to see just the studio riders or everyone on the ride. Also, you can high five everyone.

Food and drink

• Chelsea: Snack bar in the lobby area where you could preorder a drink and it would be waiting for you after class.
• Hudson Yards: grab and go beverages and food. I did purchase a delicious iced coffee in the lobby area where those grab-and-go items are located. If this doesn’t satisfy you, there is a gigantic Whole Foods market next door. It’s where I grabbed two cucumber sushi rolls for lunch one day after my classes.

Locker room, lockers and showers

• Chelsea: Small locker room with lockers to store your belongings. Maybe three shower stalls and five toilets. Towels and personal care products to use in the shower and afterwards.
• Hudson Yards: Large locker room with lockers in two separate spaces, easily three times the space of the Chelsea locker room. Locker room is fully stocked with towels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, cotton swabs, hair ties, bobby pins, plastic bags for putting sweaty clothing in, and more. I counted at least a dozen toilets and nearly as many shower stalls. There are also lockers in the lobby. Finally, lockers come with their own locks built into the door so no need to bring a lock from home. One last thing: the Peloton studio website will say that they have no space to store luggage. That’s true. However, if you have a smaller suitcase, it will fit in a locker. See mine in this picture here.

Shopping at Peloton store in NYC studios

• Chelsea: There was a Peloton store at the front of the studios.
• Hudson Yards: There is a small retail space upstairs from the studios. However, across the Plaza there is a much larger Peloton store.

This article on Peloton stores and showrooms explains more about shopping Peloton brick and mortar locations.

Pictures with instructors

After class was over, everyone was able to take a picture with the instructors. However, unlike at the 23rd Street studio, you’re not crammed into a small corner of the lobby.

Now, there is a large P for Peloton icon where you can stand for your picture. The instructor is on one side and you are on the other. 

Also, before you could hand your phone to a Peloton employee to take the picture. Not anymore.

Now someone takes the picture. Then, later in the day they email you a link to download it. This is what the site with instructor pictures looks like.

Here is the picture I got with Robin after my ride 1500. If you look closely, you can see how red my face still is. Thank goodness Robin wasn’t wearing yellow!

New collection of Peloton Studio classes

Peloton just announced a new Collection of the newest classes at Peloton Studios that feature live, in-person participants.

Of these classes, they seem to be evenly split between the London and the NYC studios. Also, they span all of the languages.

You’ll find:

• rides in Spanish with Camila Ramon at the New York studios
• runs in German with Tobias Heinze from the London Studios
• rides in German at the London Studios with Charlotte Weidenbach

This is just a small assortment of these classes from PSNY and London studios.

You’ll also find yoga, meditation, strength, cycling and running classes–again, all with in-person participants. Of course, the class I took with Robin Arzon is in the Collection, too.

This post helps you find hotels near the Peloton NYC studios.

Special events

There are lots of people who have been able to book group visits to the studios, such as for milestone rides or big birthdays.

For example, this could fit in with 40th birthday trip ideas, if you want to head to New York City and you’re a Peloton user.

Peloton even has a special team devoted to doing these group bookings.

Final thoughts on new Peloton studio NYC

While the location is different, the experience of riding in the studio was as great as it was in the old location. I found myself pushing harder than I do at home.

I was one point off a PR. Plus, I just love the energy in the room with all the other riders. 

Also like the old studios: the music is very loud and the studio is freezing. But five minutes into class you’ll be thankful it’s so cold in there, because you’ll be sweating your ass off.

Again, here is my article that offers step-by-step instructions for booking a live ride at Peloton. You will have the option of choosing Peloton NYC or Peloton London.

Let me know if I haven’t answered any questions you came to this article to discover.