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If you bought Flywheel's home bike, you can trade it in for a free Peloton
One of Peloton's biggest competitors, Flywheel Sports, announced today that it is shutting down its online classes. The company sent an email informing its users that it would stop its Flywheel At Home service effective March 27th 2020. The bikes can still be used of course, but without the live and on-demand coaching, which makes them not much better than ordinary stationary bikes. Peloton, however, is offering a deal where Flywheel customers can turn in their bikes in exchange for a "like-new" Peloton bike at no cost to them, though they'd still have to pay Peloton's monthly subscription fee.
Peloton told it can't countersue music publishers over high workout music prices
Peloton has failed to convince the court that the National Music Publishers Association violated federal antitrust laws. If you'll recall, the NMPA sued Peloton in early 2019, accusing it of using songs in its workout videos without obtaining the proper licenses for them. Peloton's workout subscription members, who pay $468 a year, had to deal with a limited selection and "terrible tunes" as a result.
Echelon made a more-affordable smart rowing machine
If you've heard of Echelon, it's probably in the context of its cheaper-than-Peloton connected spin bikes. The company also makes smart exercise mirrors, and here at CES, it was showing off its forthcoming Echelon Row rowing machine. After spending a few minutes on the show floor rowing, I think I might be smitten with this quite affordable, pretty clever machine, which is a world away from what I'm currently using.
Peloton's Fire TV app guides you through living room workouts
Peloton isn't just adding an app for your wrist -- there's now one for your living room as well. The fitness firm is releasing a Fire TV app (the exclusive app for TVs, Amazon said) to guide you through live and on-demand fitness classes, particularly those beyond its signature bike and treadmill. While there are bike and treadmill workouts for those who'd rather use their own gear, the emphasis is on strength training, yoga and other more complementary exercises. You can hit the weights after you've built up your heart rate on the bike, or practice meditation to clear your head after work.
Peloton's Apple Watch app will offer detailed metrics for indoor runs
If you're a Peloton fan, you might be pleased to learn the company has released an Apple Watch app. Though you would have already been able to view exercise data via Watch's native workout tracker, the Watch app should offer more options and detailed metrics.
Peloton users stuck with 'terrible tunes' following licensing lawsuit
Connected exercise bike maker Peloton was hit with a $150 million lawsuit last month for playing unlicensed music, and now its customers are feeling the fall out. Owners of the machines, which cost up to $4,000 each, have taken to the internet to complain about the poor music selection now accompanying their $468 annual workout membership.
Peloton slapped with a $150 million lawsuit for playing unlicensed music
Music publishers are suing Peloton, the maker of the connected exercise bike, for failing to license songs it plays in its streaming spinning classes. The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday by the National Music Publishers Association in the U.S. District Court of the Southern District of New York, and seeks $150 million in damages.
A Peloton bike motivated me more than any gym membership could
Peloton and its connected bike have become the poster child for a new era of on-demand exercise. Specifically, it promises all the camaraderie and structured routines of a real-world spin class from the comfort of home. Peloton's workout library is extensive. However long you have to sweat, whatever your ability level, favorite music genre or preferred workout style, there are countless classes to match all criteria. Between the $2,245/£1,990 bike and the $39/£39-per-month subscription, though, it's an eye-watering investment. And the biggest question for me was: Can it turn the gym averse into a spin-class convert?
JAXJOX's smart kettlebell is a gateway to its subscription classes
You may already know JAXJOX as a clunkily named purveyor of home workout gear, but the brand has only really flirted with tech before. Though it's put its stamp on a fitness tracker and smart scale, the company is beginning a whole new connected push at this year's CES, starting with its $349 smart kettlebell. As you'd expect, the thing will keep track of your reps, sets and workout time; plunk it on its charging base and you can also change its weight from between 12 and 42 pounds. Simply recording your workouts is only part of the proposition, though. Following in the footsteps of Peloton and several others, send another $30 per month JAXJOX's way and you'll get access to live and on-demand fitness classes that are intended to help you get the best out your equipment.
Peloton’s connected spin bike comes to the UK and Canada
Peloton has its eyes on a global expansion, and the first stops outside the US for its stationary connected bike are the UK and Canada -- but not Quebec. Peloton's bike, which streams subscription-based fitness classes via an attached screen, will be available in those countries in the fall.
Peloton's $4,000 treadmill comes with a 32-inch TV
There's just something about spinning classes that inspires a level of cultish devotion in its followers, like the bond shared between the denizens of SoulCycle. Peloton is another such company, which launched a static bike that offered a live stream of classes from the company's New York fitness studio. Now, years after its initial 2013 launch, the company is branching out into a very different form of fitness: the treadmill.
Fitbit now gives you credit for VR bike rides
Fitbit will soon log your biking miles even when you're on a virtual road stuck in your living room. The company has partnered with VirZoom, a company that turns dull old stationary cycling into a tank, sports car or Pegasus ride via VR. We thought that gamifying fitness was a nice idea when we tried it back in 2015, but Fitbit makes it possible to incorporate it into your regular routine. The device will not only capture and log your workout duration, distance pedaled and calories, but sync it to your Fitbit account and give you credit toward your goals.
Peloton's spin-class bike now works with Strava
Peloton, the high-end connected bike that lets you follow along with indoor cycling classes, has announced that it'll let you sync your stats on Strava. Riders can join the Peloton Club on the service where they can track workout data like cadence, power output, speed and heart rate. They can also, of course, share that information with friends and family to keep themselves motivated, as you do. Strava Premium Members also get something out of this: exclusive access to a selection of Peloton's best workout videos that'll drop later in the spring.
Peloton's Android-powered static bike lets you spin from home (video)
Here's some gear that'll ensure you'll never again have to fight for space in that hyper-competitive spin class. The Peloton Bike is two grand's worth of static bike that's designed to bring the gym experience to your home with a number of innovative touches. First up, the Android 4.1-running unit is controlled by a 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4470 with 1GB of RAM and 16GB storage with 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, ANT+, Bluetooth 4.0 and Ethernet. It's connected to a 21.5-inch 1080p multitouch display, which'll let you stream classes from Peloton's NYC studio live and on-demand. The display also holds a webcam and microphone, so you can still swear at your friends / the instructor as if you were there in real life. Secondly, the New York design house has abandoned the bike chain -- replacing it with a belt drive that'll prevent your training getting too noisy, and a magnetic resistance system to reduce wear and tear on the flywheel. The company has taken to Kickstarter to raise funds for the initial production run, requesting $250,000 before it can release the hardware. Pre-ordering now means that you can get the bike for $1,700 with a year's worth of subscription to the spin classes, after which point will cost you $40 a month. Interested in learning more? There's a video after the break.
