Do you remember whatever became of your old Peloton bike or tread? The at-home fitness company was one of the most famous casualties of the postpandemic bust. After the company made huge bets on home gyms, many of us returned to our in-person or outdoor workouts. Peloton floundered. The company’s equipment was featured as the cause of death in multiple TV shows. CEO and cofounder John Foley stepped down. Amazon, Apple, and Nike were all floated as possible acquirers.
However, under the leadership of new CEO Peter Stern (formerly of Ford and Apple), Peloton’s stock has slowly risen over the past year. This year’s Strength+ app was an agile response to the fact that strength training has become one of Peloton’s leading fitness categories. Today, the company has its biggest launch in years. Peloton debuts a new AI-powered service with computer vision, called Peloton IQ, and is revamping its entire hardware lineup as part of a new Cross Training series meant to help users switch easily between cardio, yoga, and strength.
Together, the AI-enabled subscription service and new movement tracking capabilities purport to offer a dynamic, personalized workout experience, whenever and wherever you want.
Body Tracking
Courtesy of Peloton
Before new Peloton converts can experience Peloton IQ’s full range of offerings, it helps to have the updated hardware (of course). The new Bike, Tread, and Row all have a swivel screen to switch between floor and cardio exercises, as well as enhanced audio and upgraded processors, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth.
The upgraded Plus line in the Cross Training Series comes at a higher price point and includes the movement tracking camera, speakers with a woofer and Sonos tuning, hands-free control, and a fan. Both of the bikes have a new cushioned seat, and the Bike+ has a phone tray.
Peloton gave me a virtual demo of the Peloton IQ, whose movement tracker has clearly taken a lot of learnings from 2022’s ill-fated Peloton Guide. While the Peloton IQ’s movement camera can also correct your form, it has taken a lot of the features from the Peloton Strength+ app, which supports the concept of a self-directed workout plan (informed, of course, by Peloton’s expert instructor-led classes).
Peloton chief product officer Nick Caldwell pointed out in a Zoom interview with WIRED that movement tracking at this level of specificity is unique to Peloton. This is not precisely true; you can get a similar workout tracking experience with a Tonal, and you can get in both cardio and weight lifting with something like a Speediance Gym Monster.
