Peloton Bike+#

Peloton’s flagship indoor smart bike. The Bike+ is distinguished from the original Bike by its rotating 24-inch screen (enables off-bike floor workouts), auto-follow resistance, and — most relevant to this setup — native Apple GymKit support, which allows the Apple Watch Ultra 1 to connect directly to the bike over Bluetooth LE for bidirectional data exchange.

In the Network#

In the Peloton scenario, the Apple Watch Ultra 1 connects directly to the Bike+ via GymKit — no Watchlink bridge is needed. The Bike+’s built-in speakers handle audio; no phone or headphones are required.

graph TB
    subgraph Bike["🚴 Peloton Bike+"]
        Peloton["Peloton Bike+"]
    end

    subgraph Wrist["Wrist"]
        Watch["Apple Watch Ultra 1"]
    end

    Internet["Peloton Cloud"]

    Peloton -- "GymKit  ·  Cadence, Output, Calories" --> Watch
    Watch   -- "GymKit  ·  Heart Rate"                --> Peloton
    Peloton -- "Wi-Fi"                                                                        --> Internet

Connection	Protocol	Direction	Data
Apple Watch Ultra 1	GymKit (Bluetooth LE)	Bike → Watch	Cadence, output, calories, distance
Apple Watch Ultra 1	GymKit (Bluetooth LE)	Watch → Bike	Heart rate
Peloton Cloud	Wi-Fi	Bike → Internet	Class streaming, leaderboard, workout upload

Key Specifications#

Frame & Drive#

Attribute	Spec
Frame	Steel
Drive system	Belt drive (direct drive, no chain)
Flywheel	27.8 lb (12.6 kg)
Resistance type	Magnetic, 100 levels
Auto-follow resistance	Yes — Peloton instructors can push resistance targets during class
Adjustments	Seat height, seat fore/aft, handlebar height, handlebar fore/aft
Weight capacity	297 lb (135 kg)
Bike weight	140 lb (63.5 kg)
Dimensions	59" L × 22" W × 59" H

Display#

Attribute	Spec
Screen size	24 inch HD touchscreen
Anti-reflective coating	Yes
Screen rotation	Yes — rotates 180° for off-bike floor workouts
Camera	5 MP (front-facing, for video classes)
Speakers	2.2-channel stereo with rear-facing subwoofer
Volume	26 W total

Connectivity#

Protocol	Use
Wi-Fi	802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) — streams classes, uploads workout data
Bluetooth 5.0	GymKit (Apple Watch), Bluetooth headphones, heart rate monitors
ANT+	Third-party heart rate monitors
USB-C	Tablet charging port

Apple GymKit Integration#

The Bike+ is one of a small number of Peloton products supporting GymKit — Apple’s protocol for bidirectional data exchange between Apple Watch and certified gym equipment.

When the Apple Watch Ultra 1 connects via GymKit:

Bike → Watch: cadence (rpm), output (watts), total calories, distance
Watch → Bike: heart rate from the Watch’s optical sensor
The Watch’s Workout app records a full activity automatically
Workout closes on both devices simultaneously when the Peloton class ends
Activity Rings on the Watch receive credit for the workout

This replaces what the Watchlink does for the outdoor bikes — but GymKit is a direct, native integration rather than a bridge hack. No third-party hardware is required.

Output Metric#

Peloton measures effort in Output (watts). The Bike+ uses a power meter built into the resistance system. Output is displayed on-screen in real time and shared with the Apple Watch Ultra 1 via GymKit.

Peloton also displays:

Cadence (rpm)
Resistance (0–100 Peloton scale)
Speed (mph/kph, derived from cadence × resistance)
Total Output (kJ — kilojoules, the cumulative power over the ride)

Auto-Follow Resistance#

A Bike+ exclusive: during supported Peloton classes, the instructor can push a resistance target to the bike, and the bike automatically adjusts the magnetic resistance to match. The rider can override at any time.

This is purely mechanical — it operates via the Bike+’s internal motor controlling the resistance magnet, with no wireless protocol involvement from the user’s perspective.

Audio During Indoor Rides#

The Bike+’s built-in 2.2-channel stereo speakers handle class audio. No phone or external headphones are needed.