Peloton Troubleshooting: Solutions to Common Issues

At one point or another, every Peloton owner is going to be like I am and need to do some cycle troubleshooting.

The issues I’ve had with my Peloton, which I’ve owned since 2016, have run the gamut. Some of the issues I’ve faced included:

• my bike wouldn’t turn on.
• there was a clicking sound coming from the pedals
• I joined a challenge and it wasn’t counting my workouts in the app.

Well, don’t worry.

Because in this blog post I’m going to give you solutions to the most common Peloton cycle problems.

Peloton bike problems to troubleshoot

Think of this as your Peloton troubleshooting FAQ.

Because hopefully whatever is troubling you about your bike, you’ll find answers to your questions here.

Here is a list of some of the Peloton problems I’ll address in this article:

• Peloton not turning on
• Peloton app not working
• Metrics aka stats not showing on Peloton
• Peloton resistance not working
• Peloton touchscreen won’t turn on
• Output on Peloton not showing on screen
• Peloton not showing classes taken
• Profile not loading on Peloton
• Peloton Bluetooth issues

Peloton won’t turn on

Lots of people who end up with the problem of their Peloton bike screen not turning on end up having a cord issue, too.

It could be the cord that connects the tablet to the bike or the one that connects the bike to a power source.

So, how do you troubleshoot in this situation?

Check the Peloton power cable or cord

First, remember that a Peloton cycle is often a lot like your modem.

You know, unplug it, count to 30, let the power cycle all the way through and plug it back in?

Sometimes resetting your bike is as simple as that.

Second, it could be that your power cord is not pushed in all the way.

When in doubt, pull it out, count to 30 and plug it back into the base of your bike.

Third, could you have blown a fuse?

If you don’t have your bike plugged into a power strip, you should.

Plugging the bike directly into the wall could leave it vulnerable to a power surge.

For example, many users find that their metrics don’t work after their home suffers a power outage.

Hopefully, you haven’t fried the bike.

Because if a power surge is bad for a computer, it’s definitely bad for a Peloton bike, which is basically an Android computer.

Screen won’t turn on

Start by checking the cords that connect the monitor to the bike.

Another issue could be that the cords that connect your Peloton tablet to the bike have come loose.

Walk around to the back of the touchscreen and take a look.

This photo shows the cords going into the screen of my original Peloton bike.

Check to see that they are securely plugged in.

If all else fails, reach out to Peloton customer service about sending you a new power cord or tablet screen–or both.

How to turn on a Peloton bike

Going back to the basics, this is how you turn on a Peloton bike.

First, look at the back of the Peloton tablet screen.

Second, find the rectangular button towards the top of the back of the tablet.

The button will be either gray or orange, depending on the age of your bike.

On the Bike Plus, the Peloton power button to turn it on is round, not rectangular.

Third, press and hold down that power button until you see the screen start to turn on.

And that’s it.

That’s how you turn on a Peloton bike and the Peloton Bike Plus–just by turning on the screen.

Peloton profile won’t load

I’ve found that there is probably one simple reason that your profile won’t load on your Peloton hardware. And that reason is this: your Internet connection.

Peloton says that you need to have a speed of at least 10-15 mbps for downloads. Honestly?

I have no idea what my Internet speed is but sometimes I know it’s not good enough. So, my quickest fix and connection hack?

Hotspotting my phone. Hard to believe that you can run a Peloton off an iPhone. However, it consistently works for me.

Another thing that might keep your profile or classes from loading related to WiFi — too many devices on it at once.

Replace the Peloton screen

Some older bikes may need a new screen.

However, if you received your bike fewer than 12 months ago, it is still under warranty.

Therefore, if you’re having issues with the screen not turning on, don’t buy a new screen.

Reach out to Peloton customer service to have this addressed under the Peloton one-year warranty.

More about the Peloton warranty here.

Peloton bike calibration

Someone suggested I recalibrate the Peloton bike to get the resistance levels back to where they should be.

Turns out a calibration kit came with my bike when I bought it in 2016.

Therefore, I could troubleshoot any calibration problems on my own.

I made a video below, on how to calibrate your cycle.

Peloton bike casting troubleshooting

One of the beautiful add ons–free add-ons, that is–with a Peloton bike is that you can cast your screen to a Smart TV.

However, not every Smart TV will work with your cycle.

I learned this the hard way when I tried to troubleshoot my way into getting my bike to cast to my new Vizio Smart TV.

On the other hand, Roku TVs work great with screencasting. One important tip for making this work: the Roku TV and your Peloton bike, Tread or Row must all be on the same WiFi network.

So, tap settings on the upper right hand side of the screen or tablet or monitor on the hardware to double check they’re on the same network. And if they’re not, switch it so they are.

Here is my article with steps to cast your Peloton to a Smart TV.

Peloton not showing classes taken

I’ve found that there are two times when I might feel frustrated that my Peloton or the Peloton app isn’t showing classes I know I’ve taken.

For example, when I’m in the middle of a Peloton challenge — especially the annual challenge when I want my minutes to add up — and they’re not, I want to lose my mind.

So, what do you do when Peloton is not showing classes taken for a challenge?

On the one hand, if you wait until the end of the day and then check back, I’ll bet it will be there.

On the other hand, you can always leave the challenge and then rejoin.

That always works for me.

No, your minutes will not be lost.

Troubleshooting Peloton wireless headphones

One of the most common troubleshooting questions with a Peloton bike is getting the Peloton wireless headphones to work.

And when I say wireless headphones, I mean issues with the Bluetooth headphones.

I wrote a blog post all about Peloton Bluetooth headphones.

Finally, I don’t know about you, but I can NEVER get my Apple AirPods to pair with my bike.

They’ll connect to my iPhone sitting across the room, but not my bike.

Same with our newer Bike Plus.

So, I can’t offer you a solution if you ended up here looking for those answers. Sorry!

But wait: I figured it out. You have to press and hold the little white circle on the back of the AirPods case. This is how you get it to communicate with the bike to connect and work. Problem solved!

Peloton app not working

When I say the Peloton app, keep in mind that there are three places where you can access the Peloton app:

• Tablet
• Phone
• Smart TV/Roku TV

Recently, I’ve had issues with the Peloton app, mostly on my Roku TV.

I’ve learned that it’s important to check to see if there is a Peloton outage.

That is usually the solution to the issue–if there is an outage, you just have to be patient.

Troubleshooting when Peloton metrics not working

First, let me explain what the Peloton metrics are.

They are the numbers that you see on the screen when you’re riding.

We’re talking:

• speed or cadence
• resistance
• output
• distance
• calories

Sometimes, if there is a Peloton outage, the screen will freeze or high fives won’t work.

Or you keep getting kicked out of a class.

Other times it could be that Peloton has pushed out a software update, and you haven’t done the update yet.

I find that these updates, while a pain, usually fix any metrics or other problems that I’ve been trying to troubleshoot.

Look in the bottom, right, of your tablet to see if there is an update waiting to be installed.

Another solution when the metrics go out.

Exit the class you’re currently taking.

Then, select it again.

The bike will tell you that you have a class in progress.

Just rejoin, and you should be good.

Peloton heart rate monitor not working

This is a big issue among Peloton users.

It centers on the heart rate monitor from Peloton that comes with the accessories package.

I’ll just come right out and say it–that heart rate monitor is crap.

In fact, I say so in my blog post about the best heart rate monitor for Peloton.

And that best HRM is the Scosche rhythm heart rate monitor, which I love and have reviewed in the post above.

Why are my Peloton pedals making a clicking sound

If you’re ever spent time on the Official Peloton Members Facebook page–which is filled with negativity–then you know that lots and lots of people ask questions about clicking Peloton cycle pedals.

Guess what?

It’s not your pedals.

It’s most likely the cleats on the bottom of your cycle shoes.

They need to be tightened.

That’s it.

All it takes is an Allen wrench to do the tightening.

Want more info about the Peloton pedals?

Here’s my blog post that answers these common questions about Peloton pedals.

Peloton bike maintenance

It’s a good idea to maintain your Peloton bike on a regular basis.

This can help you avoid common problems and make your bike last longer.

Here is my blog post about maintaining a Peloton.

Troubleshooting the Apple Watch

One of the benefits of the Bike Plus is that it pairs with the Apple Watch.

However, I do not own an Apple Watch.

As far as troubleshooting the Apple Watch, I would start with the Apple Watch FAQs page on the Peloton website. 

Don’t forget your Peloton warranty

As I mentioned earlier, if you’ve owned your bike for under 12 months, it’s still under warranty.

So, any issues you’re having with it, don’t try to troubleshoot it on your own.

Call Peloton or chat with their customer service on the website.

Take advantage of your Peloton warranty while it’s still good.

Final thoughts on Peloton troubleshooting

Have I missed any burning issues you’ve been trying to troubleshoot for your Peloton? Are there bike problems I haven’t addressed but that you’re experiencing?

If so, please post a comment below. Once I find the answers, I’ll update this post accordingly.

Or, if all else fails, reach out to Peloton customer support.