The company also needs to convince users to buy into a $39/month subscription that gives them access to Peloton's instructor-led workout videos and exercise-tracking software.
As such, the bikes ship with a tablet that comes preloaded with Peloton's own software. Users aren't supposed to be able to use other apps that could stream competitors' workout videos or other entertainment on their Peloton tablets. But by "rooting" their devices, users can get around that and stream third-party content while working out.
The tablets that come with Peloton bikes run on an Android software. While there's not an intuitive way to exit Peloton's app and access other Android apps, users on the Peloton subreddit have discovered a way to do so.
While Peloton warns that making "modifications that are unauthorized or not recommended by Peloton" aren't covered in the touchscreen's 12-month warranty, there's a full walkthrough of how to install Netflix and other apps on the Peloton tablet on the subreddit. Following these steps will apparently refigure the app's home screen, making it resemble a more traditional Android interface with an easily-accessible browser and other apps.
When Peloton users take a "class" led by a virtual instructor, they can see statistics on other users' performance who took the same class, including a leaderboard of users with the highest energy output. However, for years, Peloton users have publicly pointed out that the people at the top of leaderboards consistently have outputs that seem impossibly high.
Peloton bikes calculate energy output as a function of users' pedaling speed and the bike's resistance setting. While Peloton doesn't disclose exactly how this calculation is made, users can use their energy output to gauge how much they're improving from session to session.
One Reddit user noted that the top seven riders in a class on Dec. 23, 2018 posted energy outputs that the user estimated were two to three times the amount of energy expended by competitive cyclists in the Tour de France.
Another user, writing under the handle Okraball, posted in March 2018 that they were disheartened by unrealistic figures at the top of their class' leaderboard.
"Frustrating and demotivating. Not even worth looking at anymore. Until Peloton figures this out, I am done with the leader(fake)board," they wrote.
Some users have speculated that some peoples' cycles are simply miscalibrated, while others guessed that cheaters are using mechanical tools like cranks to artificially climb the rankings.
Users say they reported these problems to Peloton in posts dating back to 2017. A Peloton spokesperson declined to comment, citing the company's quiet period leading up to its IPO.
"These readings are taken at the time of manufacture and due to manufacturing variability, we expect ~10% bike-to-bike variability in Output readings. The Peloton leaderboard and Output readings are intended to be fun and useful tools offering directional performance measurement that helps riders motivate and achieve their individual fitness goals," the website says.
2 states where home prices are falling because there are too many houses and not enough buyers
US buys 81 Soviet-era combat aircraft from Russia's ally costing on average less than $20,000 each, report says
A couple accidentally shipped their cat in an Amazon return package. It arrived safely 6 days later, hundreds of miles away.
9 health benefits of drinking sugarcane juice in summer
10 benefits of incorporating almond oil into your daily diet
From heart health to detoxification: 10 reasons to eat beetroot
Next Story