Treadmills haven't changed much in the last few years, maybe even decades. Screens were added, then screens improved a bit along with the materials you run on and the technology that allows you to do so. But, as Bloomberg pointed out, the basic principle is always that of the very first treadmills, invented in the Victorian age by the engineer William Cubitt, to give prisoners something to do (who were sometimes forced to use them). Despite the many and objective improvements of the following decades – for example in the absorption of the energy discharged on the roller while running – treadmills still have that basic problem: making it interesting to sweat without moving, “bouncing” on a sliding belt.
However, there are some companies that want to try to change, as much as possible, the treadmill market, which has a total value of over one billion euros. Some companies, such as Studio and Aaptiv, are focusing on software, offering rich and detailed catalogs of training plans; others, such as Zwift on the offer of interactive experiences, in which you race against others, not against yourself (the company is known above all for its app that allows, with a racing bike and special rollers, to compete on certain routes with other users). Other companies focus on comfort, with treadmills that take up little space, or on practicality: the Mini-Walk folding treadmill, from the Chinese company IPO Sports, for example, adapts its speed based on the run of those who are using it, and not the other way around.
Bloomberg, however, has identified in Peloton, a company founded in New York in 2012, the company that has produced the most advanced treadmill possible: the one with the best technologies and functions to try not to think about the fact that you are sweating indoors. bouncing on a sliding roller. The CEO is John Foley, who is 47 years old and was CEO of Evite.com and Barnes & Noble online, the site of the large US bookstore chain. He says he is inspired by Apple, Tesla and “other software and hardware platforms that are vertically integrated, reach the consumer directly and are revolutionizing their respective markets.” Peloton has raised about a billion dollars in funding, has 900 employees and about 32 stores around the world, which according to brand manager Laura Petro follow the “Tesla approach”: “You probably won't enter the store by going out with a treadmill, but it's a great place to try it ». Before launching its treadmill – on the market since October – Peloton was noted for its advanced exercise bikes, which cost around $ 2,000 each.
The Peloton treadmill will cost just under four thousand euros, because: it has a 32-inch HD screen with an audio system that is defined as “immersive”, a roller composed of 59 parts of aluminum and rubber, specially designed – with a system patented by Peloton, of which however many details are not known – to ensure greater comfort in the ride (those who have tried it say that it is noticeable). The treadmills also offer a variety of metrics to analyze your exercise and the ability to participate in interactive lessons, to vary the pace, follow the advice of an instructor, alternate running with other exercises (Peloton also sells weights) and compare your own. results with those of other users. Peloton treadmills also have knobs, instead of buttons: just lightly touch them to increase or decrease incline and speed: but you can also do it with the touch screen or by selecting one of the customized settings.
Speaking of the knobs, Foley said: “Nobody wants to hit the same button twenty times to run faster.” Foley told Bloomberg, “Gym equipment is in a category that has been very sleepy, and hasn't been able to evolve. Sometimes it still happens to see in front of you screens with dots that fill up as you approach the end. It is an interface that has existed since 1979 “.
Peloton is recording 7,000 hours of lessons and aims to live stream up to 10 lessons per day. Foley explained that he is aiming for gyms, but also for private individuals: because the company also offers weights and personalized courses to make Peloton the center of your training on multiple parts of the body, to replace the gym subscription.
Trending this #NYFW: the Peloton Tread. Coming this fall. Photo for @ELLEmagazine pic.twitter.com/m0dPfva7Bq
– Peloton (@onepeloton) September 5, 2018
