Decoding the Peloton(ihaque.org)
ihaque.org
Decoding the Peloton
https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/10/15/pelomon-part-i-decoding-peloton/
116 comments
(Author here)
The Peloton also has power zone training similar to what you mentioned. With the instructors nattering on in the background, occasionally rotating the dial isn't so bad.
I believe the newer version of the bike does have automatic resistance control, though.
The Peloton also has power zone training similar to what you mentioned. With the instructors nattering on in the background, occasionally rotating the dial isn't so bad.
I believe the newer version of the bike does have automatic resistance control, though.
Does the Peloton have ERG modus? Not only don't I have to mess with gearing/resistance as software can adjust my trainer, but my trainer will also make me keep my power target regardless of cadence. If I spin faster, it will make the resistance lighter such that my wattage stays the same.
(Author here)
There's no built-in mode for constant power. (Nor could there be, on the original Bike that I have, as the resistance control is manual.)
The new one might have it.
At a hardware level I'm not sure how well it would work. Out of the box, the tablet only queries the bike for cadence/power/resistance every 100ms, one query at a time in round robin, so your power reading is only coming every 300ms. However, the bike responds to queries much faster - on the order of 200-300us (https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/26/pelomon-part-ii-emulatin...), so an external device could certainly ask for updates faster. I'm not sure how rapidly the micro on the bike itself actually updates its own measurements and what ultimate time resolution is possible.
There's no built-in mode for constant power. (Nor could there be, on the original Bike that I have, as the resistance control is manual.)
The new one might have it.
At a hardware level I'm not sure how well it would work. Out of the box, the tablet only queries the bike for cadence/power/resistance every 100ms, one query at a time in round robin, so your power reading is only coming every 300ms. However, the bike responds to queries much faster - on the order of 200-300us (https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/26/pelomon-part-ii-emulatin...), so an external device could certainly ask for updates faster. I'm not sure how rapidly the micro on the bike itself actually updates its own measurements and what ultimate time resolution is possible.
"Erg mode" is pretty core to expectations for smart trainers now. It can also lead to a sort of "workout failure death spiral" -- you start to fail at your interval, and your pedal stroke slows down, so the resistance increases to meet your power target, and you slow down some more...
This can end up chasing you up the cassette if you don't get back on top of it, or you don't adjust the workout bias (ie, reduce the overall power targets to something you can hit).
but you really want this, at least for structured training. It may NOT be important if your goal is "spin at home."
(Someone downtopic seems to think drawing a distinction between "people who mostly ride outside fast in pacelines" and "people who mostly just like spin classes" is somehow snobbery, but I don't see it that way at all.)
This can end up chasing you up the cassette if you don't get back on top of it, or you don't adjust the workout bias (ie, reduce the overall power targets to something you can hit).
but you really want this, at least for structured training. It may NOT be important if your goal is "spin at home."
(Someone downtopic seems to think drawing a distinction between "people who mostly ride outside fast in pacelines" and "people who mostly just like spin classes" is somehow snobbery, but I don't see it that way at all.)
No, and the power output is an estimate from calibration. It doesn't actually measure your realtime power.
yes the bike+ is advertised as being able to do that. But I haven't figured out how to take advantage of that.
It’s also apparently a closed protocol, so Zwift and third party apps can’t use it. Maybe peloton will open that up at some point, it would bring it a new market. I have a bike on a wahoo kickr core and it’s great, and I don’t have space for a dedicated bike. If I did, I’d totally go for one of the newer all-in-one bikes (easier, less hassle) and peloton is interesting if it can do the same things as that hardware.
just click the lock button on the workout resistance (can't be live workout)
I'm a road cyclist as well, used Zwift + Wahoo trainer for a few years. My wife really wanted a Peloton so we got one. I've ended up selling my Wahoo and do power zone training on the Peloton. The pedal stroke is smoother, far less vibration and noise. I don't have to worry about keeping sweat off a bike or having a bike on/off the trainer. It's so easy and convenient to get a 45 or 60 minute session in that my FTP is higher than it's ever been.
I came in skeptical but it's been working well for me.
I came in skeptical but it's been working well for me.
There is a ton of crossover. Unsurprisingly, I see quite a few serious Peloton riders who "graduate" to direct-drive trainers and zwift or whatever, but I see just as many who try it and come back, or who migrate from that world TO the peloton.
In particular, I hear a lot of complaints about Zwift getting really boring. I'm not a gamer, but as a Peloton rider, I find the gamification aspect kind of appealing. I like the idea of visually racing someone on the screen, I'm competitive. It's the most appealing part of the platform. Changing gears and attaching my bike to the thing and finding room for it, and getting all teh sensors sorted is definitely NOT the appealing part.
In particular, I hear a lot of complaints about Zwift getting really boring. I'm not a gamer, but as a Peloton rider, I find the gamification aspect kind of appealing. I like the idea of visually racing someone on the screen, I'm competitive. It's the most appealing part of the platform. Changing gears and attaching my bike to the thing and finding room for it, and getting all teh sensors sorted is definitely NOT the appealing part.
Zwift is pretty boring, unless you're racing, but it's at least SOMETHING.
I find that I'm mostly using it to drive the trainer, since I mostly watch a movie or something on the second tablet.
I find that I'm mostly using it to drive the trainer, since I mostly watch a movie or something on the second tablet.
I find that the watts are not the same on the Peloton vs Kickr. Watts seem to read lower on the Peloton. What is your take?
The direct drive trainers of later years are much much better than earlier trainers. The 2018 kickr for instance is much more smooth and silent than earlier models. So you may be comparing an obsolete $ trainer with a $$$ peloton bike.
It seems unfair to impugn the peloton bike as being "$$$" where a direct drive trainer is only "$" when the price difference is far from an order of magnitude, especially when you consider that you still need an entire bike to use with the direct-drive trainer.
Granted, the direct drive trainers and related software have functionality the Peloton does not have, particularly the pre-Bike+ peloton.
Granted, the direct drive trainers and related software have functionality the Peloton does not have, particularly the pre-Bike+ peloton.
The Peloton, as I understand, doesn't dynamically adjust its resistance.
On a $4K machine? The $800 NordicTrack rower we bought automatically adjusts resistance with their iFit programs. So people were just paying for an exercise bike with a big LCD screen? I'm astounded that they stayed in business long enough to release a second version that fixes this. VC money can fix that problem, but I'm also astounded that anyone actually bought one.
On a $4K machine? The $800 NordicTrack rower we bought automatically adjusts resistance with their iFit programs. So people were just paying for an exercise bike with a big LCD screen? I'm astounded that they stayed in business long enough to release a second version that fixes this. VC money can fix that problem, but I'm also astounded that anyone actually bought one.
The bike is 2K for the one without a motorized resistance knob and I bought one despite this feature because it takes me 1 second to turn the knob to the dynamically adjusted value on the display.
It's less than half the price now. That's a pretty big detail to get wrong. You may be thinking of the Kickr bike, which is much more full-featured, and $3500 (so, still not $4k), but doesn't have a screen at all from what I can tell.
I'm actually thinking of their treadmill, which is $4K. But okay, fine; it's "only" $2K. My question is just as valid: "on a $2K machine? My half-that-price rowing machine can adjust resistance on the fly."
Hell, the pricey-but-not-as-pricey-as-Peleton computerized trainer I had almost 15 years ago could adjust the resistance on the fly. I just figured that was table stakes these days.
Hell, the pricey-but-not-as-pricey-as-Peleton computerized trainer I had almost 15 years ago could adjust the resistance on the fly. I just figured that was table stakes these days.
Something that you might want to check out is this kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/shiftsmarttrainer/shift...
Its a device that you set on the Peloton that does the automatic resistance changes to match the hills in Zwift by using a motor to turn the big red knob. Basically it converts your Peloton into a smart trainer that you can use with Zwift without having to mod your Peloton at all.
Note: I am not affiliated with the project but I have backed it.
Its a device that you set on the Peloton that does the automatic resistance changes to match the hills in Zwift by using a motor to turn the big red knob. Basically it converts your Peloton into a smart trainer that you can use with Zwift without having to mod your Peloton at all.
Note: I am not affiliated with the project but I have backed it.
Automatic resistance control is the big difference between the bike and bike+
I do a lot of power training on the Peloton (had it for 4 years now, been doing power training for.. 2.5?)
I agree that "serious outdoor riders are not really Peloton's market", and it comes across in literally every piece of snobbery about how a spin bike can't simulate real road feel and you'll never get your proper position and couldn't possibly train the same muscles and so on. I just smile and nod. The bike world is full of snobbery.
The older Pelotons do NOT adjust their resistance dynamically, you're right. I wouldn't call it baffling. I only change my resistance a handful of times (okay maybe 10, including little tweaks) during a class. Honestly it's kind of nice having those micro-steps. What else are you doing? It's sort of like people who can't be bothered to use their turn signal. I'm just sitting there pedaling away. I might as well turn a knob from time to time.
I agree that "serious outdoor riders are not really Peloton's market", and it comes across in literally every piece of snobbery about how a spin bike can't simulate real road feel and you'll never get your proper position and couldn't possibly train the same muscles and so on. I just smile and nod. The bike world is full of snobbery.
The older Pelotons do NOT adjust their resistance dynamically, you're right. I wouldn't call it baffling. I only change my resistance a handful of times (okay maybe 10, including little tweaks) during a class. Honestly it's kind of nice having those micro-steps. What else are you doing? It's sort of like people who can't be bothered to use their turn signal. I'm just sitting there pedaling away. I might as well turn a knob from time to time.
>it comes across in literally every piece of snobbery about how a spin bike can't simulate real road feel and you'll never get your proper position and couldn't possibly train the same muscles and so on. I just smile and nod. The bike world is full of snobbery.
None of that is actually WRONG, though. A spin bike is its own thing, with its own set of desired features and aesthetics and behaviors. It's not snobbery to say it's different from training done with cycling trainers and "real" bikes.
Your final paragraph is kind of odd, since the questions you asked were already answered. Power interval training for competitive cyclists involves longish (45-120 minute) workouts with many intervals set at different percentages of your functional threshold power.
Manually adjusting for each one is a tremendous pain in the ass. For example, on my workout last night, I would've had to manually adjust it 16 times in 55 minutes.
Smart trainers have more or less taken over for serious riders precisely because they remove this problem.
If this isn't a problem for YOU because you prefer the way spin-type workouts go, that's awesome for you, but it really just points out that serious outdoor riders are mostly looking for a different experience than Peloton sells. Again: not snobbery. Just an acknowledgment that spin <> outdoor cycling.
None of that is actually WRONG, though. A spin bike is its own thing, with its own set of desired features and aesthetics and behaviors. It's not snobbery to say it's different from training done with cycling trainers and "real" bikes.
Your final paragraph is kind of odd, since the questions you asked were already answered. Power interval training for competitive cyclists involves longish (45-120 minute) workouts with many intervals set at different percentages of your functional threshold power.
Manually adjusting for each one is a tremendous pain in the ass. For example, on my workout last night, I would've had to manually adjust it 16 times in 55 minutes.
Smart trainers have more or less taken over for serious riders precisely because they remove this problem.
If this isn't a problem for YOU because you prefer the way spin-type workouts go, that's awesome for you, but it really just points out that serious outdoor riders are mostly looking for a different experience than Peloton sells. Again: not snobbery. Just an acknowledgment that spin <> outdoor cycling.
I have the bike+ and the automatic resistance is great. Unfortunately only available for on-demand classes.
I was floored when I realized the Peloton has no games and it's closed to third-party developers. It seems to just have group classes which couldn't be less interesting to me.
I'd ask "what were they thinking?" but it apparently sells like hotcakes, so it's me who's out of touch.
I'd ask "what were they thinking?" but it apparently sells like hotcakes, so it's me who's out of touch.
Adding games would get "people who want serious exercise equipment that they can play games on" to come to the product, but it might also put off "people who want serious exercise equipment to focus on exercise". In other words, adding games could actually make their market smaller. This is similar to Nintendo's rigourous curation of their platforms - allowing the latest Call of Duty game on the Switch might add a few million in sales, but only at the cost of losing tens of millions of people who like the fact the Switch doesn't have that sort of game. Their market is bigger if they say no to things the market doesn't want to be associated with.
This is a pretty classic problem in product management - you have to avoid adding features what could drive your largest market away from the product.
This is a pretty classic problem in product management - you have to avoid adding features what could drive your largest market away from the product.
Nintendo absolutely would allow it. There are many CoD games on Nintendo consoles.
This. Playing CoD on the Wii (with the rifle Wiimote holder, circa 2008) was astonishing. It really felt like the next step from the arcade shooters and Duck Hunt in terms of the fun/immersion balance, in a way that had been missing from a generation of games.
> "people who want serious exercise equipment to focus on exercise"
I don't think that's Peloton's moat at all. For that there are much better alternatives. This is for casual gym goers.
I don't think that's Peloton's moat at all. For that there are much better alternatives. This is for casual gym goers.
> I was floored when I realized the Peloton has no games and it's closed to third-party developers. It seems to just have group classes which couldn't be less interesting to me.
I don't understand what you thought the product was? It's an exercise bike. You do exercise classes on it. It's not a games machine. What were they thinking? They were thinking it's an exercise bike.
I don't understand what you thought the product was? It's an exercise bike. You do exercise classes on it. It's not a games machine. What were they thinking? They were thinking it's an exercise bike.
This is a grouchy reply. The OP obviously isn't trying to get Tekken running on a Peloton.
You can imagine "games" in this sense being competitions played out via the bike, so time trials, race tournaments, etc. Compete with your friends (or others) to get through a race comparable to Tour de France stages -- something like that. Aside from survival, there is no greater motivator for pushing oneself physically than competition. Games facilitate that.
You can imagine "games" in this sense being competitions played out via the bike, so time trials, race tournaments, etc. Compete with your friends (or others) to get through a race comparable to Tour de France stages -- something like that. Aside from survival, there is no greater motivator for pushing oneself physically than competition. Games facilitate that.
Someone should do Doom, though.
> Aside from survival, there is no greater motivator for pushing oneself physically than competition
If you're a competitive person. Not everybody derives motivation from competition.
If you're a competitive person. Not everybody derives motivation from competition.
but there is a segment of the population that does, and thus a market.
> Aside from survival, there is no greater motivator for pushing oneself physically than competition.
That depends.
If you're trying to develop a habit of regular exercise for your health (intrinsic motivation), competition (extrinsic motivation) is just as likely to be harmful to your goal.
In my personal case, removing the competitive element was extremely helpful for me to start doing regular exercise for its own sake.
That depends.
If you're trying to develop a habit of regular exercise for your health (intrinsic motivation), competition (extrinsic motivation) is just as likely to be harmful to your goal.
In my personal case, removing the competitive element was extremely helpful for me to start doing regular exercise for its own sake.
By games, I assume parent was talking about things like zwift, which is even called out in the article. Most exercise bikes that cost similar to peloton support working with external software so you can do things like race on a virtual course. And gamification through badges is pretty standard exercise fair. My parent’s senior community even has gamification via small prizes for how many days you go to the gym.
FWIW Peloton does have some of that gamification stuff, at least for the standalone offering (no bike etc). You get badges for taking different numbers of each type of class, daily/weekly streaks, total minutes, special events etc. They also send a summary email each month showing which days you worked out, badges earned, number of classes/minutes, and deltas from the previous month.
Those are all engagement metrics to make you spend money, not exercise metrics to make you achieve fitness.
I agree, I was responding to this part of the parent comment:
> And gamification through badges is pretty standard exercise fair. My parent’s senior community even has gamification via small prizes for how many days you go to the gym.
I was just pointing out that Peloton does gamification through badges and that it includes an equivalent of days going to the gym.
> And gamification through badges is pretty standard exercise fair. My parent’s senior community even has gamification via small prizes for how many days you go to the gym.
I was just pointing out that Peloton does gamification through badges and that it includes an equivalent of days going to the gym.
peloton has games built in. you get ranked based on your performance for each group class. you can compare yourself to previous classes. you can view your exercise history. etc
Sex appeal. Peloton is built on sex appeal. The instructors lead workouts wearing makeup, jewelry and bikini tops (well, the female ones anyway). Vox has an article [1] looking at SoulCycle and it sounds similar: instructors were good looking and exhorted to be incredibly thin. That said, it's a great way to get a good 30 minute cardio workout in.
[1] https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22195549/soulcycle-decline-reo...
[1] https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22195549/soulcycle-decline-reo...
I'd say simplicity, too. I'm a long-time cyclist and a 4 year Peloton owner. I work in tech (obviously) but I frankly have only the vaguest idea of what combination of computers and displays and sensors and adapters I'd need to use to Zwift. And the slack channels I swim in seem to be full of folks always fiddling with what kinds of sensors to use and how to get them to reliably communicate.
You can just swipe a credit card (or, probably, ApplePay 1 button purchase) and have it show up at your house and work.
You can just swipe a credit card (or, probably, ApplePay 1 button purchase) and have it show up at your house and work.
The Peloton instructors are also universally the best spin instructors I've ever encountered, and I've been to countless spin class in every large US city over the past decade. Some have come close, but being able to have world class spin instructors in my living room has been the huge selling/sticking point for me.
What makes a good spin instructor?
It's pretty difficult to define, and the definition will vary person to person. It's similar to asking what makes a good coach? For me it's a combination of energy, attitude, verbal clarity, and also a personality that I find attractive and pleasant, i.e. the type of personality that I'd enjoy spending an hour listening to and taking instruction from. Also of course a sound knowledge of form, technique, and healthy strategy.
Yes, there are so much incredible bike-software out there. TrainerRoad is fantastic (and check out their podcast!), Zwift is fun (races, group rides), also Sufferfest, Rouvy and others. However, since the resistance of the bike isn't readable or controllable by other software, the Peloton is just for all other usage than the Peloton app just a dumb spinning bike. Instead I'm using a Kickr Core and my normal bike, no lock in there, and much cheaper.
Someone has also now made a physical device to adjust the resistance, so it can be used with other software [0]. I think Peloton really should use ANT+ and open up, would make the bikes usable for many more people. Of course, maybe it's the subscription Peloton wants to make money on, not the bikes?
[0]: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/12/shift-smart-trainer-firs...
Someone has also now made a physical device to adjust the resistance, so it can be used with other software [0]. I think Peloton really should use ANT+ and open up, would make the bikes usable for many more people. Of course, maybe it's the subscription Peloton wants to make money on, not the bikes?
[0]: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2020/12/shift-smart-trainer-firs...
I'd guess that it's actually a classic razorblades model - the real product is the classes and the bike is just a way to be able to do the classes from home.
It's probably not surprising that a group of tech people tends more towards introversion and exercising alone, whereas the general population likes the group aspect for motivation.
It's probably not surprising that a group of tech people tends more towards introversion and exercising alone, whereas the general population likes the group aspect for motivation.
I didn't want to make (yet another) reply, but I was tempted to ask the parent what they were comparing "group classes" to. I mean, .. individual classes? You're riding at home. By yourself. What's group about it?
Yes, pre-pandemic, there were other people in the room where they recorded the classes. And likely there are other people taking the same class as you, right now. You can see where they're at on the leaderboard. But they're also irrelevant to you. You can just ignore it. You take the class any time you want, and there's one instructor, and the fact that someone in south america happens to be watching the same stream as you isn't really relevant to your experience.
I'd say in the Zwift world, where you race other people on-screen is more of a "group" experience, but again, both of these workouts are highly individual.
Yes, pre-pandemic, there were other people in the room where they recorded the classes. And likely there are other people taking the same class as you, right now. You can see where they're at on the leaderboard. But they're also irrelevant to you. You can just ignore it. You take the class any time you want, and there's one instructor, and the fact that someone in south america happens to be watching the same stream as you isn't really relevant to your experience.
I'd say in the Zwift world, where you race other people on-screen is more of a "group" experience, but again, both of these workouts are highly individual.
It's not about introversion, it's the format of the workouts. There are so much more that could have been done with the hardware, instead of limiting to this small use case.
For instance I bike with my club on Zwift using Discord in a group setting. I participate in Zwift races against others. All social stuff, just different.
All the mainstream exercise gear seems to be pretty locked down AFAIK. In the rowing area, even the latest Concept2 controllers look to be pretty old school though they do seem to have a way to connect to phone apps these days. (Though there still isn't a lot there.)
Hydrow goes for the more immersive experience--haven't used one; don't know if it has any third-party support or not.
Hydrow goes for the more immersive experience--haven't used one; don't know if it has any third-party support or not.
> All the mainstream exercise gear
Most stuff I use for cycling speak ANT+, so it can be combined as one wants. My indoor trainer, my cadance sensor, power meter, speed sensor, HR monitor, watch, head unit, phone, computer all can send or receive through ANT+. That's why you will find most cyclists oppose the Peloton bikes, they are impossible to combine with existing gear.
Most stuff I use for cycling speak ANT+, so it can be combined as one wants. My indoor trainer, my cadance sensor, power meter, speed sensor, HR monitor, watch, head unit, phone, computer all can send or receive through ANT+. That's why you will find most cyclists oppose the Peloton bikes, they are impossible to combine with existing gear.
(Author here)
And that's why this exists! (Though it's BLE, not ANT+.)
And that's why this exists! (Though it's BLE, not ANT+.)
Apparently there is a indiegogo or other crowdsourcing company that is making a conversion of peloton to allow people to use zwift by putting some hardware on top. Not ideal but gives the bike more function. Will be interested to seee if it’s any good. Clearly not as good as my wahoo kikr
It wouldn't be too hard to make a modification to the PeloMon that allowed this. Right now it is a listen-only device, but with an added UART it could just as well control the Bike.
Much more importantly, the bike is a way to lock you into one single provider of classes.
That's an underrated point.
I, and most consumers that've been repeatedly burned, go out of our way to avoid products that lock us to them. I'm in the market for an exercise bike, but a lifetime of $35+/mo for classes, in addition to a $2k+ bike with questionable repairability in 1,2,5,10 years, is not something I'll ever want.
I, and most consumers that've been repeatedly burned, go out of our way to avoid products that lock us to them. I'm in the market for an exercise bike, but a lifetime of $35+/mo for classes, in addition to a $2k+ bike with questionable repairability in 1,2,5,10 years, is not something I'll ever want.
I had one (on a bad recommendation from an SV friend) and sold it, because in addition to being totally closed, the music in the classes is also utterly abysmal.
I dumped it on craigslist and replaced it with a $250 "dumb" spin bike, a $10 tablet mount, and an Apple watch I already had. I don't get cadence data, but I could with a pedal magnet thing if I actually cared.
Their reddit is also heavily astroturfed, which makes me never want to do business with them again.
Kudos to them for figuring out how to make 100%+ margins, I guess. It's just very much not for me.
I dumped it on craigslist and replaced it with a $250 "dumb" spin bike, a $10 tablet mount, and an Apple watch I already had. I don't get cadence data, but I could with a pedal magnet thing if I actually cared.
Their reddit is also heavily astroturfed, which makes me never want to do business with them again.
Kudos to them for figuring out how to make 100%+ margins, I guess. It's just very much not for me.
It's easy for me to shake my fist at them, but if I think about it, maybe their subscription business model might be one of the only things that work.
For example, if they opened up their platform, then people could just choose other content sources that are free or pay money into someone else's pocket, like other group classes.
Otherwise Peloton could try the eShop approach where their group classes compete on an eShop where they take 30% of the cut, but that market is tiny and still has to compete with just using your iPad while you pedal.
On the other hand, I'd consider buying one if there was more to do than group classes and maybe I'm not alone. I'm not cocky enough to think I know what the masses want, but it does seem like their lack of ambition about what can be done with the bike could be leaving a lot of money on the table.
For example, if they opened up their platform, then people could just choose other content sources that are free or pay money into someone else's pocket, like other group classes.
Otherwise Peloton could try the eShop approach where their group classes compete on an eShop where they take 30% of the cut, but that market is tiny and still has to compete with just using your iPad while you pedal.
On the other hand, I'd consider buying one if there was more to do than group classes and maybe I'm not alone. I'm not cocky enough to think I know what the masses want, but it does seem like their lack of ambition about what can be done with the bike could be leaving a lot of money on the table.
And for even more fun, you can use all the money you saved not buying a Peloton on an enormous television and spin in front of that.
You'd think building a competitor would be easy; build a bike with bluetooth i/o and an app for phone, tablet, laptop, smart TV etc. And open the API for developers, so they can hook their games up to it as much as they please.
I'm guessing Peleton is winning at the minute because of it being an integrated unit and having the marketing.
I'm guessing Peleton is winning at the minute because of it being an integrated unit and having the marketing.
That wouldn't be a competitor, unless one of the 'games' was a constant stream of extremely slick and professional live and on-demand classes with exceptional instructors. IMO that's their differentiator.
The product isn't really the hardware, it's the classes. Or at least it's the classes + hardware.
Being able to put hardware together that "does the same thing" is only a fraction of a competitor.
What you describe might work well for a different market.
Being able to put hardware together that "does the same thing" is only a fraction of a competitor.
What you describe might work well for a different market.
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Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon have all the resources needed to quickly fling out a gamified bike that appeals to more segments than peloton. Lost opportunity.
Peloton has a web browser and there have been hacks to make games run on the browser.
e.g. https://medium.com/@cezarbabin/hacking-the-peloton-bike-to-p...
or even running Stadia on the peloton
https://www.reddit.com/r/Stadia/comments/gj4aut/wireless_sup...
e.g. https://medium.com/@cezarbabin/hacking-the-peloton-bike-to-p...
or even running Stadia on the peloton
https://www.reddit.com/r/Stadia/comments/gj4aut/wireless_sup...
Their demographic is people who do "Spin" (SoulCycle, Orangetheory are good examples), which are (usually) intense group sessions led by an instructor.
So they are mostly emulating that experience.
So they are mostly emulating that experience.
Seriously, if they created an ecosystem and allowed 3rd party apps on there, that could sprout some really cool stuff like games that might even convince me to get one of those bikes. But yeah, it'd be a challenge to make that as profitable as their current business model.
Just get an indoor bike with ANT+ FEC if you want to avoid the real bike + trainer form factor, plenty of those available (e.g. the Wahoo Kickr Bike).
Peloton isn't a hardware company, it's a company that sells streamed sessions with hot spin instructors. The hardware is merely tool for them and creating an ecosystem of competitors on top of the hardware is a definitive non-goal for them. But hardware companies do exist.
Peloton isn't a hardware company, it's a company that sells streamed sessions with hot spin instructors. The hardware is merely tool for them and creating an ecosystem of competitors on top of the hardware is a definitive non-goal for them. But hardware companies do exist.
almost entirely unrelated but I would love some way to play Synth Riders with AR goggles instead of VR. On expert/master levels a good song is a serious aerobic workout but I can't do more than 1-2 songs at a time because sweating in VR sucks. Heck, probably just standing in front of a polarized 3D display with polarized 3D glasses and VR motion controllers would work. I find it extremely fun and would be happy to do it as a workout.
Peloton is a fad and will be dropped for the next exercise fad in 2-5 years, just like SoulCycle was. For now, they are feasting.
You can ridicule fads, but I think it's interesting. I know people will pay a reasonable price for a product they might not even need, but an unreasonable price? How the hell does that happen?
When they’re trapped in their homes, gyms are closed, and they have disposable income from not being allowed to travel, the range of “reasonable price” expands quite a bit.
Good point. But the company was doing quite well before the pandemic, no?
it's a spin class you can do from home. Plenty of people already pay high prices for spin classes, and it adds the convenience of being able to participate from home. It makes sense that it would be popular, especially among the middle class demographic spin classes are usually aimed at.
Is it unreasonable? My wife bought the Peloton bike for us 4 years ago. What were they, $2k? I think the first year's subscription was free, and now she pays whatever the monthly fee is. $40, I think, right?
Why's that unreasonable? When I was trying to get back into shape and add some strength training, I started seeing a personal trainer, which I honestly, probably stuck with for too long. Given per-session costs, it was costing me upwards of $500/mo. Of course that includes use of gym facilities and 1:1 training and advice. Probably one of the best things I ever did.
Basic gym memberships have gotta be at least $100/mo. I'm sure there are countless people paying $200/mo and up. Obviously you get access to a lot more equipment, but you have to go there, too.
I just don't see $40/month as a lot. Maybe I'm strange.
Since then, my wife also added a Peloton treadmill to the mix, which is over 4k. It uses the same subscription. As do the Yoga and stretching and bodyweight strength classes.. and meditation if you're into that. Both of us, 2 pieces of equipment, unlimited classes, on your phone, appletv, whatever. $40/mo.
On the average evening we've got the treadmill and bike going at the same time and when she finishes with her run she's doing stretching and core stuff in the living room while I do more on the bike. The subscription starts to sound like a pretty good deal. But don't tell them that, because we're locked in thanks to the hardware :)
Why's that unreasonable? When I was trying to get back into shape and add some strength training, I started seeing a personal trainer, which I honestly, probably stuck with for too long. Given per-session costs, it was costing me upwards of $500/mo. Of course that includes use of gym facilities and 1:1 training and advice. Probably one of the best things I ever did.
Basic gym memberships have gotta be at least $100/mo. I'm sure there are countless people paying $200/mo and up. Obviously you get access to a lot more equipment, but you have to go there, too.
I just don't see $40/month as a lot. Maybe I'm strange.
Since then, my wife also added a Peloton treadmill to the mix, which is over 4k. It uses the same subscription. As do the Yoga and stretching and bodyweight strength classes.. and meditation if you're into that. Both of us, 2 pieces of equipment, unlimited classes, on your phone, appletv, whatever. $40/mo.
On the average evening we've got the treadmill and bike going at the same time and when she finishes with her run she's doing stretching and core stuff in the living room while I do more on the bike. The subscription starts to sound like a pretty good deal. But don't tell them that, because we're locked in thanks to the hardware :)
The demographics for these kind of products is very different. It's either those who do have enough money not to care about the cost or the so called aspiring ones: who don't have money but want to fit in or relate to the better off groups. It reminds me when the latest Iphone came out( the most expensive version). Guess who bought it? Our CEO and a member of my team,who was probably on the lowest salary in the company. Peloten is no different to this.
I've actually found most CEOs I know have beat to crap old smartphones.
I tend to look down on the classist assignment of folks' motivations for buying things. It's almost always projection. How many years did we have to hear about the "status symbol" of a starbucks cup? If only $2 for a cup of black coffee could buy you status, right?
I tend to look down on the classist assignment of folks' motivations for buying things. It's almost always projection. How many years did we have to hear about the "status symbol" of a starbucks cup? If only $2 for a cup of black coffee could buy you status, right?
This is generally what I notice also. Seems to be less about riding the actual bike and more about telling people you have a Peleton.
Fads (at all price classes) are interesting. There are definitely products/activities that become very popular for a time and then just sort of fade out for no discernible reason.
One good example is in-line skating/rollerblading. It was a very popular activity--at least in urban areas--a number of years back and it just sort of petered out. You rarely see someone skating these days.
One good example is in-line skating/rollerblading. It was a very popular activity--at least in urban areas--a number of years back and it just sort of petered out. You rarely see someone skating these days.
Skating/rollerblading is coming back into style, at least here in coastal California. Everything old is new again, and everything new becomes old at some point.
If you were already spending >$200/mo on spin classes, the price of a peloton is very reasonable as an alternative.
Will it be around in 20 years? Probably not. Does that make it a fad? I don't know. I've had one for 4 years and I'll certainly be riding it for another 4. That's good enough for me. I tend to be allergic to fads and trends, but as long as one is happy with what they get for the price paid, what's the problem?
I said that exact same thing, and passed on an offer from them- 4 years ago. I am not exactly kicking myself- at the time I was not an exercise bike enthusiast, and my few trips to Soul Cycle with my wife really turned me off- and regardless, I ended up landing a more lucrative role, even factoring in what stock grants would have been worth. About a year and a half ago, the wife bought a Peloton, and I rolled my eyes about our new expensive coat hanger, and I am currently on a 42 week streak.
I don't think you can pass this off as a fad- Soul Cycle first hit the scene around 2009, its still around- and they have just released a bike and service as well. Other look alikes have come on the market as well- Tonal and Mirror being the biggest. This is looking less like a fad and more like they were the leading edge of a smart exercise equipment industry.
Sure the specific piece of equipment that is in vogue might come and go, but I think Peloton is here to stay. This doesn't mean that gyms are going to close in the long run, but workout equipment as a service is a class of product that I feel is with us for the long haul.
I don't think you can pass this off as a fad- Soul Cycle first hit the scene around 2009, its still around- and they have just released a bike and service as well. Other look alikes have come on the market as well- Tonal and Mirror being the biggest. This is looking less like a fad and more like they were the leading edge of a smart exercise equipment industry.
Sure the specific piece of equipment that is in vogue might come and go, but I think Peloton is here to stay. This doesn't mean that gyms are going to close in the long run, but workout equipment as a service is a class of product that I feel is with us for the long haul.
SoulCycle basically collapsed and is just starting to come back from the brink: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22195549/soulcycle-decline-reo...
Its success was mostly due to its novelty and exclusivity. After a while, copycats and their push for growth did them in.
Peloton is the same. They are first to market and have cultivated a level of exclusivity, but there is nothing unique about them that other businesses can’t copy over time (it’s already happening — most exercise companies now have their own Peloclones).
Its success was mostly due to its novelty and exclusivity. After a while, copycats and their push for growth did them in.
Peloton is the same. They are first to market and have cultivated a level of exclusivity, but there is nothing unique about them that other businesses can’t copy over time (it’s already happening — most exercise companies now have their own Peloclones).
Interestingly, I have something of an inside view on this- my wife was one of the early enthusiasts, and I guess you could accuse her of being one of the "cliques" discussed- I have been to an instructor's house, a friend of ours is a publicist of sorts for someone prominently mentioned in the article, she will be in the wedding of someone she met at Soul that used to work the front desk (and I guess not coincidentally loves bright red lipstick) and would frequently have her bike moved to the front row.
She used to spend a jaw dropping amount on Soul- it was her favorite activity to take her clients to. Around the time they IPO'ed, she felt a change- the expansion took her favorite instructors out of her favorite studios, and often even out of the area as they helped open up locations in LA, Miami, etc. The new ones never had quite the same magnetism- which is of course subjective- most people have their personal favorites, and while there was some overlap, this could differ substantially from person to person. They used to give gifts to their top riders at the end of the year in the form of free classes, that went away, replaced with "charitable donations" and eventually just dropped altogether. Top instructors tried to branch out on their own, some successful, some not, but the point being is that really it was over expansion and IMHO brand dilution, which I guess you could call exclusivity (though I personally feel its a bit different than just exclusivity) that really sent them into a downward trajectory. She went from taking 4-5 classes a week, to mixing in Cycle Bar and other studios, to finally in October 2019 just deciding to get a Peloton.
All that said, they still had 1.62 million rides in 2019... which while down from ~1.8, that's not exactly a fad or a dead business- I actually thought their drop would be far bigger to be honest. Personally though I feel this was less of an effect of a fad, than the more typical story of the bean counters moving in and pursuing growth and next quarter's numbers at the cost of the quality of the brand.
To be honest that article was quite eye opening- I guess what I thought was a unique experience and fandom by my wife was something that the culture carefully cultivated.
She used to spend a jaw dropping amount on Soul- it was her favorite activity to take her clients to. Around the time they IPO'ed, she felt a change- the expansion took her favorite instructors out of her favorite studios, and often even out of the area as they helped open up locations in LA, Miami, etc. The new ones never had quite the same magnetism- which is of course subjective- most people have their personal favorites, and while there was some overlap, this could differ substantially from person to person. They used to give gifts to their top riders at the end of the year in the form of free classes, that went away, replaced with "charitable donations" and eventually just dropped altogether. Top instructors tried to branch out on their own, some successful, some not, but the point being is that really it was over expansion and IMHO brand dilution, which I guess you could call exclusivity (though I personally feel its a bit different than just exclusivity) that really sent them into a downward trajectory. She went from taking 4-5 classes a week, to mixing in Cycle Bar and other studios, to finally in October 2019 just deciding to get a Peloton.
All that said, they still had 1.62 million rides in 2019... which while down from ~1.8, that's not exactly a fad or a dead business- I actually thought their drop would be far bigger to be honest. Personally though I feel this was less of an effect of a fad, than the more typical story of the bean counters moving in and pursuing growth and next quarter's numbers at the cost of the quality of the brand.
To be honest that article was quite eye opening- I guess what I thought was a unique experience and fandom by my wife was something that the culture carefully cultivated.
Genuinely curious as to what would have to be different for it _not_ to be considered a fad? Seeing as they have been going for 8 years and, and, after having a quick look, have been doubling revenue for a number of years previous to Covid19.
Doom on a bike could become a thing, I suppose.
Author here. This work actually dates back from August-October of last year for the most part, but I didn't get to finish writing it up till the holidays. Happy to take questions here or on Twitter (see my profile).
If anyone is interested in building their own PeloMon, a full BOM is present at the bottom of the third post in the series (https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/28/pelomon-part-iii-hardwar...), and the GitHub repo (https://github.com/ihaque/pelomon) has both Fritzing board layout files and the source code for the device.
If anyone is interested in building their own PeloMon, a full BOM is present at the bottom of the third post in the series (https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/28/pelomon-part-iii-hardwar...), and the GitHub repo (https://github.com/ihaque/pelomon) has both Fritzing board layout files and the source code for the device.
Nice work. In September / October of last year I was inspired by someone else doing this and showing off they could Zwift with their PTON bike.
After some digging around, and figuring out how they encoded the data it was trivial to implement this in a project that was used to keep Flywheel Bikes working.
https://github.com/ptx2/gymnasticon
The changes I introduced which now include support for the Peloton can be found here: https://github.com/ptx2/gymnasticon/pull/12
After some digging around, and figuring out how they encoded the data it was trivial to implement this in a project that was used to keep Flywheel Bikes working.
https://github.com/ptx2/gymnasticon
The changes I introduced which now include support for the Peloton can be found here: https://github.com/ptx2/gymnasticon/pull/12
Yeah! I saw your blog post about reviving your Flywheel and decided to finally take this project on. Thanks for the inspiration!
(No thanks for writing your code in Node ;) https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/28/pelomon-part-iii-hardwar.... The gymnasticon code was helpful to see before I tracked down the XML specs for the BLE characteristics, though!)
(No thanks for writing your code in Node ;) https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/28/pelomon-part-iii-hardwar.... The gymnasticon code was helpful to see before I tracked down the XML specs for the BLE characteristics, though!)
By the way, do you know if anyone in the gymnasticon community has cracked the meaning of the initialization packets sent at bootup? I have a partial decoding of the first two packets: the second includes bike ID and some other stuff, but no idea on the first.
Avid mountain biker here. I like to ride outside 4-5 days a week in good weather when I can. I only own a mountain bike and had been looking all summer for a way to get hard core cardio during the winter months. Also, as a resident of the PNW, this year we experienced horrific fires, oppressive smoke, and awful air quality for a significant chunk of September. This meant no cycling.
Mountain bikes generally don't work too well with trainers so I started looking at spin bikes. I researched the Peloton and honestly, it's kind of a rip off. Huge upfront cost, limited classes for West Coasters (when I looked, anyway), and that pesky monthly fee. You are paying for brand exclusivity, IMO.
I ended up getting a Schwinn IC4 for < $1,000 and no monthly fee. I hook it up to Zwift and an iPad or my TV for structured riding. Overall, I'm very happy with my decision. I would still have preferred the Peloton's integrated screen but at literally twice the price of the IC4 (plus ongoing fees for classes if you choose to utilize them), I just couldn't justify it.
Mountain bikes generally don't work too well with trainers so I started looking at spin bikes. I researched the Peloton and honestly, it's kind of a rip off. Huge upfront cost, limited classes for West Coasters (when I looked, anyway), and that pesky monthly fee. You are paying for brand exclusivity, IMO.
I ended up getting a Schwinn IC4 for < $1,000 and no monthly fee. I hook it up to Zwift and an iPad or my TV for structured riding. Overall, I'm very happy with my decision. I would still have preferred the Peloton's integrated screen but at literally twice the price of the IC4 (plus ongoing fees for classes if you choose to utilize them), I just couldn't justify it.
Granted, Peloton Digital classes are more expensive than Zwift, but if you're ever interested, there's a whole culture of folks who use Peloton content on other bikes. Search for "Peloton app riders".
It looks like the IC4 supports power, so I highly recommend doing power training on Zwift, particularly for mountain biking. (I'm an ex-PNWer :) )
It looks like the IC4 supports power, so I highly recommend doing power training on Zwift, particularly for mountain biking. (I'm an ex-PNWer :) )
Pretty similar to what I did given the weather issues (right down to the Schiwnn IC4 purchase). However, I'm more of a road biker and so definitely haven't felt great about the lack of dynamic resistance but better than not biking at all.
We even had the Peloton subscription for a little while but opted for other classes in the end.
We even had the Peloton subscription for a little while but opted for other classes in the end.
This might be the best place to ask. I recently got a Recumbent exercise bike which is compatible with iFit.
Does anyone know any apps which are able to communicate with iFit compatible equipment without needing to use the iFit app? I've got a 1 year free account with them but after that it doesn't really feel like their all offers enough for the monthly cost. Really just looking to log my workouts automatically to save needing to manually add them into something like Google Fit.
Does anyone know any apps which are able to communicate with iFit compatible equipment without needing to use the iFit app? I've got a 1 year free account with them but after that it doesn't really feel like their all offers enough for the monthly cost. Really just looking to log my workouts automatically to save needing to manually add them into something like Google Fit.
While I applaud this fine hacker job I am curious about practicality of this.
If the goal is to use to use the bike part with the other applications would not it be simpler for user to simply buy any pedal / crank based power-meter. Going this way one can also choose way less expensive spin bikes.
If the goal is to share Peloton Bike with the person who actually uses it as originally intended then power meter I think is still valid and less intrusive approach.
If the goal is to use to use the bike part with the other applications would not it be simpler for user to simply buy any pedal / crank based power-meter. Going this way one can also choose way less expensive spin bikes.
If the goal is to share Peloton Bike with the person who actually uses it as originally intended then power meter I think is still valid and less intrusive approach.
Back in October another hacker and myself spent some time figuring all this stuff out as well and made a more practical application of the results here: https://github.com/ptx2/gymnasticon/pull/12
You can already use a rPI and a RS232 USB device to pull metrics off the bike and transmit those signals via BT.
You can already use a rPI and a RS232 USB device to pull metrics off the bike and transmit those signals via BT.
(Author here)
Power meter pedals are significantly more expensive than the bits that went into this project. (There's a complete BOM in the follow-up post: https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/28/pelomon-part-iii-hardwar...).
Also, there's no fun in just buying it ;)
Power meter pedals are significantly more expensive than the bits that went into this project. (There's a complete BOM in the follow-up post: https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/28/pelomon-part-iii-hardwar...).
Also, there's no fun in just buying it ;)
Wonderful! I've got one of these things and love it, but hate the classes and never do anything but Just Ride while I watch the news. Seems silly to be paying $40 a month, so at some point I want to find a way to get my stats without a connection to a Peloton server.
This is probably too late if you have already invested into getting peloton bike, but at that price and considering you don't use classes, I'd rather get decent entry-level road bike and a turbo trainer. So I could train on Zwift, which is 20$ and imo is more fun freeriding experience. And then for data, connect Zwift with Strava so all of it would get uploaded there for tracking the progress.
Sorry, this kind of turned into rant/preaching, I'm just biased against Peloton
Sorry, this kind of turned into rant/preaching, I'm just biased against Peloton
Agreed, the prices are crazy.
Quick comparison: Peloton bike EUR 2145 + EUR 39/month - gets you courses and indoor riding
or: Canyon Endurace AL Disc 6.0 as an example of a very solid entry level road bike - EUR 1299
Kickr Core direct drive turbo trainer (good turbo trainer, there are cheaper ones if you go without direct drive) - EUR 799
Combined EUR 2098 + EUR 15/month for a Zwift membership or something comparable. Gets you excellent indoor training AND now you have a bike you can use when the weather gets better! Spend the rest of the up front money on a big fan for indoor training or clothing for outdoor riding.
Quick comparison: Peloton bike EUR 2145 + EUR 39/month - gets you courses and indoor riding
or: Canyon Endurace AL Disc 6.0 as an example of a very solid entry level road bike - EUR 1299
Kickr Core direct drive turbo trainer (good turbo trainer, there are cheaper ones if you go without direct drive) - EUR 799
Combined EUR 2098 + EUR 15/month for a Zwift membership or something comparable. Gets you excellent indoor training AND now you have a bike you can use when the weather gets better! Spend the rest of the up front money on a big fan for indoor training or clothing for outdoor riding.
I really struggle to justify EUR 1300 as 'entry level'. It might be entry level for being competitive, but if you just want exercise on something decent you can get road bikes for half of that. I have bought (good) cars for less than EUR 1300.
I think that it is more effective to think relative to absolute luxury. The bikes they ride in the Tour de France are $10,000 and so a $1,000 bike is an order of magnitude. Same for cars, and entry level car is like $20,000. An order of magnitude away from Ferraris and Lamborghinis. The $100 bike that most people think are entry level just simply are not worthy of being called exercise/riding material. You will spend more time doing maintenance (fixing the chain and derailleurs) than actually riding the bike. For those that aren’t in the biking world, the components (not the frame) is where most of the money goes. These cheap bikes are only worth it if you never change gears which is ok for the majority of people but then you may as well just get a fixed gear bike.
Very practical solution would be to take the old beater bike and mount it on direct drive or wheel based trainer permanently. Old used bike can be had for close to nothing
1299 is not an entry level price for a bike, goodness me.
Unbelievable that the peloton costs that much, what benefits do they actually offer over any alternative?
Unbelievable that the peloton costs that much, what benefits do they actually offer over any alternative?
Kinda depends on the perspective - if you want to take up road riding as exercise somewhat seriously, it's the price point where the component quality levels off.
Above that price point, component quality goes up in terms of performance, weight, etc, below that price point it requires compromise you notice even when just riding for exercise (lower durability, bad shifts, sluggish ride feel and so on).
In the world of road bikes, I'd propose roughly these categories:
100-400: bad cheapo bikes. Will ride, but no fun and will break and give you headaches soon.
700-1000: Decent bikes, but you have to make some compromises. Fun can be had, will not randomly break because of bad quality components.
1000-1400: Good stuff, not extravagant. Won't have to compromise on much, you can be satisfied with this forever unless you want to be competitive, and even then it'll do fine.
1500-2500: "Premium", lighter weight, carbon stuff, really nice.
2500-4000: Same, but you can have cool carbon aero frames and stuff and lighter components.
5000+: Pro bike worthy.
Above that price point, component quality goes up in terms of performance, weight, etc, below that price point it requires compromise you notice even when just riding for exercise (lower durability, bad shifts, sluggish ride feel and so on).
In the world of road bikes, I'd propose roughly these categories:
100-400: bad cheapo bikes. Will ride, but no fun and will break and give you headaches soon.
700-1000: Decent bikes, but you have to make some compromises. Fun can be had, will not randomly break because of bad quality components.
1000-1400: Good stuff, not extravagant. Won't have to compromise on much, you can be satisfied with this forever unless you want to be competitive, and even then it'll do fine.
1500-2500: "Premium", lighter weight, carbon stuff, really nice.
2500-4000: Same, but you can have cool carbon aero frames and stuff and lighter components.
5000+: Pro bike worthy.
Yes, and the way they try to shame you every time you turn on the bike without a subscription is infuriating. It discourages use, which is not what you want from your exercise equipment.
I never used their classes. Nothing I used had a technical need for a subscription.
But they still want me to pay $40/month to show me a web app with stats my bike sends it to tell me which days I've used it and how I'm doing on my streaks and distance and duration. This information can all be stored locally (and is, presumably, both before and after you send it to them but only with a subscription).
I really hope that decoding the Peloton hardware leads to freeing my exercise bike from it's corporate overlords.
I never used their classes. Nothing I used had a technical need for a subscription.
But they still want me to pay $40/month to show me a web app with stats my bike sends it to tell me which days I've used it and how I'm doing on my streaks and distance and duration. This information can all be stored locally (and is, presumably, both before and after you send it to them but only with a subscription).
I really hope that decoding the Peloton hardware leads to freeing my exercise bike from it's corporate overlords.
https://github.com/ptx2/gymnasticon/pull/12
I've already done this.
I've already done this.
Starred. Thank you!
You'll be disappointed because despite the outrageous price for that hunk of metal, they've totally skimped on the power accuracy part of it.
The new version of the bike is much more accurate according to reviews. However, the signal is now transmitted over USB-C, and probably not nearly as hackable.
Great read so far, but part III doesn't seem to be there.
Broken link, try: https://ihaque.org/posts/2020/12/28/pelomon-part-iii-hardwar...
Argh, sorry! Must have typoed the link in the header. Should be fixed now.
Certainly SOME of my riding pals do spin during the week, but most of them are doing structured workouts using TrainerRoad or TrainingPeaks or Zwift and a smart trainer attached to a real bike. (Mostly, it's their old bike, because cyclists nearly always have more than one bike.)
Indoor training for cyclists has, for the last 15 or so years, generally been focused on power targets. You do some fitness tests to determine your maximum hourly wattage, and then your workouts are expressed as a series of X minutes at Y% of your max power, etc.
This is tedious if you're using an old-style, fixed-resistance trainer, because you're watching the clock during the intervals and then shifting on the bike to achieve higher or lower levels of resistance in order to hit the right power target at a reasonable cadence. Honestly, this SUCKS.
Smart trainers take that out of it by dynamically adjusting the resistance for each segment during the workout, so all you really have to do is keep pedaling at the desired cadence (typically 90-95 rpm); sometimes it's harder, and sometimes it's easier. You don't have to manage anything. It's awesome. (I watch bad movies on the trainer now.)
The Peloton, as I understand, doesn't dynamically adjust its resistance. I'm baffled by this, given how home training is for go-fast cyclists, but maybe that's just not a thing spin people want.