Can You Put Your Peloton Bike on Carpet?

It’s not always going to be possible to set your exercise bike up in a fancy home gym. What if you want to use it in your bedroom or lounge, for example? Can you put your Peloton bike on carpet safely?

It’s generally not good practice to put Peloton bikes on carpet, as it’s an unstable surface. You’ll also sweat into it, and it’ll likely make lots of noise if you have neighbors below you. We’ll explore this problem in more detail below!

Why Carpet Isn’t Ideal for Your Peloton Bike

You may have the thickest or most buoyant carpet around, but over time, it won’t hold up to a Peloton bike. Even if you use it sparingly, you’re at risk of causing damage, and may even risk injury if you don’t use a Peloton bike mat. 

We recommend using a specialist mat designed to go underneath a Peloton. Peloton mat dimensions will fit your bike perfectly and hold the weight of both you and your unit. We’ll cover a few other options a little further down.

Here are some reasons why running a Peloton bike on carpet just isn’t a good move.

Carpet is Not a Stable Surface

Medium to thick pile carpet can be fairly uneven, regardless of how it appears. An uneven Peloton bike is going to be dangerous to ride! 

You need to make sure you level your bike properly before you use it, and to ensure that all three feet are firmly on the ground before you sit down. Otherwise, you’re at risk of falling off, injuring yourself, or even causing harm to others.

You need to stabilize Peloton equipment carefully during setup. Is your bike likely to hold your body weight during intensive exercise?

Peloton bikes are fairly heavy and may be steady on some carpet if it’s low pile. Do also consider how much you will rock your bike during intensive exercise. A wobbly Peloton isn’t going to be much fun to ride, either!

You’ll Sweat a Lot (Not Great for Carpet)

No matter your activity level, it’s likely you will work up a sweat on your Peloton! Even if you don’t think you’ll cause much of a smell, if you use your bike a lot on a carpeted surface, your sweat will gradually drip down and soak into the pile.

That’s not only going to smell gross, your carpet will start to look less desirable over time. It’s also going to be a nightmare to clean up. If you don’t have some form of sweat catcher covering your carpet over years of use, you may need to replace it altogether.

With a mat or hard flooring, you can just wipe off any sweat you produce and shake off. A high-quality mat may even soak up sweat so you don’t have to get down and scrub!

If you have no option and have to ride your Peloton without an exercise equipment mat, invest in a sweat headband. This will catch any perspiration you produce from around the top of your head. Consider investing in sweatbands for your wrists and ankles, too.

It’ll Make Lots of Noise

If you live above neighbors, placing your Peloton on a flat carpet is likely to cause a lot of noise and vibration. The same applies to hardwood or vinyl flooring, as you won’t have anything in place to absorb the noise. 

It’s another reason why you should consider using a Peloton bike mat. Imagine being the downstairs neighbor, especially if you enjoy Peloton workouts at all hours of the day!

You never truly know what people do during the day. With many people now working from home, the sound of your exercise bike could be making their lives harder. It’s worth using Peloton matting or some simple yoga mats just to buffer the noise.

Vibration can also cause damage to flooring over time. It’s best to protect underneath your bike, whether you have a carpet or a hardwood surface. If you come to sell your home, you’ll be thankful for the protection!

What Can I Use Instead of Carpet Underneath a Peloton?

You can still enjoy riding a Peloton on a soft surface, but ideally, it’s not your carpet. Here are a few ways to protect your floor while working up a sweat.

A Peloton Bike Mat

A bikemat designed for use with Peloton or other exercise bikes will help to reduce noise, damage and keep you stable. Bike mats are also easy to wipe down if you sweat. You can also move your bike mats around if you need to relocate your Peloton elsewhere in your room or across your home.

Peloton themselves offer an official bike mat that we highly recommend. Measuring 72″ x 36″, this black, easy-clean mat is long, wide, and resilient enough to keep you on the level while riding. 

We recommend the official Peloton mat as its design arrives with the bike in mind. However, brands such as Crostice and POWRlabs also manufacture well-rated mats that are perfect for your ride.

Plywood Flooring

There are no rules against setting a Peloton bike up on plywood flooring, but you’ll face similar problems with carpet. Riding on a hard floor may risk damaging the surface, and there’s still the risk of creating noise for anyone living below you. 

However, you can use plywood floor tiles on your carpet if you wish. Simply pop them under your bike’s feet and ride away.

This is a good option if you don’t want to invest in special mats. However, you’re still placing your Peloton on the carpet – just with a couple of tiles in between. It just isn’t going to be very stable!

Using plywood tiles can also be awkward and timely to set up. It may also be costly compared to simply buying a mat you can slide underneath and roll up if you need to move the bike.

General Exercise Mats

If you’re already an exercise fanatic, you may have some yoga mats or other equipment to slide underneath your Peloton. Using a general exercise mat avoids the noise pollution caused by a Peloton on carpet at least!

However, third-party mats aren’t always the best if you want to absorb sweat, or increase stability. These mats offer support during exercise off the bike. The designers weren’t thinking of Peloton during creation!

Still, it’s a safer and more protective solution compared to simply using a carpeted room or hardwood floors. Use basic mats as stopgaps until you invest in specialist Peloton mats for the best results.

Low Pile Carpet

If you absolutely have to ride your new bike on a soft surface, a low pile carpet may offer some support. However, like thicker piles, you’re still not going to reduce sweat soaking in.

The best solution for cycling indoors on a carpet at low pile is – again – to invest in the best mat for your money.

How Can I Improve My Bike’s Stability?

You should ideally follow Peloton’s stabilization process when you first set up your bike. Otherwise, if you have to set up on carpet, you can try a few things to keep your rides from wobbling.

If you’re using a mat or a piece of plywood, try weighing its outer edges down with free weights. You may have kettlebells or dumbbells, for example, that you can place at the corners.

Of course, we only recommend this as a temporary fix – get your Peloton off the carpet!

FAQs

How Do I Level My Peloton Bike?

Make sure that all three of your Peloton’s feet are level and all position firmly on the same level ground. You’ll need to stabilize and level your bike every few months so that it’s still safe to use.

If you’re unsure how to stabilize your Peloton bike properly, always consult their user guides. Alternatively, here’s a helpful video tutorial we recommend you watch.

Can I Use a Yoga Mat Underneath My Peloton Bike?

You can, but you may damage your yoga mat – and you may not get the stability you need from a standard exercise mat. Try and invest in a specific mat when you buy a new Peloton bike.

Investing money in exercise equipment isn’t just ensuring longevity, it’s keeping you safe, too. Poor quality mats may cause injuries as well as see damage in a short space of time.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has helped you find somewhere safe to ride your Peloton bike! Where possible, avoid riding your Peloton on carpet. It’s unstable, it’ll create a lot of friction and noise, and it’ll soak up lots of sweat as you work out.

Thankfully, Peloton mats help to keep you safe, stable, and soak up sweat. Try and invest in a mat that’s built with the bike in mind for the best results. Otherwise, a yoga mat may offer temporary support, as might a hardwood or plywood surface.

Do you know anyone looking for somewhere new to house their Peloton bike? Do share this guide and steer them away from carpeted bedrooms and lounges! Not all of us are lucky enough to have home gyms – but you shouldn’t have to risk your safety, or your flooring.