is a senior reporter and author of the Optimizer newsletter.She has more than 13 years of experience reporting on wearables, health tech, and more. Before coming to The Verge, she worked for Gizmodo and PC Magazine.
Peloton has been angling for a redemption arc ever since its status as a pandemic darling started faltering when the world reopened for business. It tried to steady the ship with a series of layoffs, a pivot to subscriptions, and a leadership shuffle. Now, Peloton’s hoping to kick off a new era with the Cross Training Series, a total refresh of its product lineup consisting of a new Bike, Bike Plus, Tread, Tread Plus, and Row Plus.
“The impetus behind the Cross Training series is, ‘Let’s just give people one place to do all the strength and cardio workouts in one spot,” says Nick Caldwell, Peloton’s chief product officer. “We now make that convenient, all in one.”
The Cross Training Series takes the swivel display from the original Bike Plus, enables it to spin 360 degrees, and spreads it across the entire product lineup. Meaning, a Peloton machine is no longer for cardio alone. In a smaller space, the display can swing out so you can do strength training or other types of exercises alongside running, cycling, or rowing. The new lineup also adds better audio, updated processors, and improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. The Bike and Bike Plus will also get a new, cushier seat — a feature that Caldwell says was hotly requested from the Peloton community.
This AI treadmill is $6,695.
The Plus models add even more upgrades. That includes a movement tracking camera so the device can provide form feedback, rep tracking, and suggested weights. The speakers now include a woofer, presumably so the bass drop hits harder in a class, and Peloton partnered with Sonos on the specs and tuning. The machines will also support an “Ok Peloton” voice command that will let members skip moves or pause classes. Meanwhile, the Bike Plus will get a dedicated phone tray that attaches to the handlebars.
The Plus models sort of feel like the company decided to squish the Guide — Peloton’s little-known strength training camera — into its exercise machines. When I suggest this to Caldwell, he says that was basically the feedback Peloton got on the original device. “People who got the Guide put it on their TV and actually used it. They love it. It’s one of our highest-rated products,” he says. “The problem is it having to be plugged into the TV all the time. People really wanted an integrated solution.”
Caldwell says Peloton has also refined some of the features that were first introduced on the Guide. The Plus models support form feedback across a wider range of exercises and the camera has been improved. The devices also have more storage, so they can run larger machine vision models.
This AI rower is $3,495.
Given all the upgrades, these machines won’t come cheap. The two Bikes are the most affordable at $1,695 for the base model and $2,695 for the Plus. It only gets more expensive from there. The Row Plus will cost $3,495, while the regular Tread will cost $3,295. The Tread Plus is a whopping $6,695. At a small New York City launch keynote, CEO Peter Stern also noted that Peloton’s subscription would also be increasing from $44 to $49 per month. Despite the hefty cost, the company’s diehard fans often cite the hardware as a key reason why they love the platform.
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