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My partner might as well have joined a cult with how obsessed she is with not just the peloton but the culture of the peloton class. That being said, she argue

My partner might as well have joined a cult with how obsessed she is with not just the peloton but the culture of the peloton class. That being said, she argues she’s never felt healthier in her entire life and so I can’t complain if she’s happy!

zaptrem 5y ago
I've heard the same thing about "Peloton Culture" elsewhere, but not a good explanation of what that culture is. Can a HN Peloton user elaborate?
- tannedNerd 5y ago
  The peloton subreddit is a good place to start. It’s easier to see it in the posts than explain it.
- ohgodplsno 5y ago
  Take HN's hive mind tech bro culture, and apply it to overpriced classes that are basically a youtube video.
  - jmeister 5y ago
    If you have even the tiniest bit of curiosity, there are users, on this very page, describing how it’s much much more than a “YouTube video”.
    - geodel 5y ago
      Of course, It is more than a "Youtube video" who are part of Peloton cult. It would be rather normal if cult members never describe cult as "Oh it is just a typical cult with some suspicious ideology, providing dubious benefits and led by a charismatic charlatan"
  - AlwaysRock 5y ago
    Unfortunately there are not good alternatives. I have a fairly nice bike at home and a standing desk that I can fit it under comfortably. I told my partner we don't need a Peloton because I could find spin class videos online. Nope. There really isnt any quality content out there. I guess I could just sign up for the Peloton platform with my own bike but I was surprised there wasnt at least a handful of Youtube videos of spin class instructors. It seems similar to Yoga where you can find incredible quality online but its really not.
    - deleted 5y ago
      [deleted]
    - ohgodplsno 5y ago
      You do not need spin class videos. There is nothing technical about stationary biking. Yoga ? Sure, poses might be tricky to understand. Calisthenics ? Same thing. But a stationary bike ? Pump the difficulty on a timer and play some loud music on your own. Congratulations on your very own spin class.
      - loudtieblahblah 5y ago
        These are people who need to consume and "belong" their way to fitness. These people always burn out once the gimmick wears off. Then they go searching for the next thing and the next. Throwing money hand over fist bc they cant figure out to eat better and put the proverbial foot to the concrete. I'm sure they were all convinced their apple watch was going to keep them on track. These are the people who ran out and bought those stupid finger-toe running "shoes". They thought the Wii Fit Board was going to revolutionize things. These are people who have perfectly matching and stylish gym outfits. they buy endless supplements to enhance performance or weight loss. Just go do some hiit. Lift some weights. Take a yoga class. Quit eating like a jackass. Nutrition and fitness can be complicated but beginner to intermediate changes aren't. 90% of people have an effort and habit problem. And the western world thinks in consumerism terms. That fitness is something you buy at the store and name drop the brand to your friends. And it's why they'll yo-yo their efforts all their lives before just giving up entirely
  - chucksta 5y ago
    Yeah, and a geo metro is basically a Ferrari
    - ohgodplsno 5y ago
      You're right, you can actually own a Geo Metro and drive it and fix it on your own, as opposed to the Ferrari which is nothing more than an expensive toy you cannot take out for anything useful. At least the Ferrari doesn't have a subscription (aside from the one you'll take at your gas station to make up for the 30L/100km that it gets)
      - chucksta 5y ago
        exactly, basically the same thing
- sharkweek 5y ago
  I don't personally get it as I'm too cynical, but my partner says it's a very positive and encouraging culture. It's also gamed very well to encourage DAU so someone like my partner who loves getting her "dots" is incentivized to keep participating every day. I reiterate though, it's working well for her health journey, so I'm all for it.
  - biztos 5y ago
    Totally off topic, but TIL about DAU whilst forgetting what would abbreviate Daily Active Use(rs) and trying out the search things. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Acquisition_University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Acquisition_University
- snapetom 5y ago
  The positivity and encouragement is one thing, but it's also a very interactive and immersive experience. Sure, there's a large catalog of pre-recorded classes, with different instructors, different styles, different music, and different languages. However there's also live classes where you can be seen and interact with people. They also gamify the experience with a live leaderboard even if you aren't in a live class. The tech is also pretty well rounded. You can get pretty much all info that the bike has at any time on the app. During a workout, the Apple Watch communicates back biometrics. I'm a pretty cynical and skeptical person, but after just getting one, I can definitely see the appeal.
- ttcbj 5y ago
  My wife fits the “almost in a cult” description. I think she loves the positivity, and feels engaged by the classes. She started with bike, but now also does peloton outdoor runs. She is focused on the Peloton power zone classes. For power zone, you take an FTP test every 6 weeks which measures your ability to produce power output over 20 minutes. The bike then knows your 7 power output zones, from easy effort to max output. Based on that, Peloton instructors design classes which are zone based, and drive improvement at whatever your level is. I tried powerzone after seeing my wife do it, and although it’s only a part of my exercise, I really like it. You can really see the improvement. I’ve never liked exercise classes in the past, but I like the powerzone classes and instructors. My wife also signed up for some third party website (I forget what) that is essentially like a team based and powerzone based training plan. It motivates her over longer periods. Having tried it, I think the peloton bike product is really good. It may have pulled forward a lot of demand and grown too much, but it offers a lot of real value.
- loudtieblahblah 5y ago
  Pelton Culture is like Crossfit meeting the Cult of Mac. Its just where fitness and trendy luxury brand peacocking intersect.

zaptrem 5y ago

I've heard the same thing about "Peloton Culture" elsewhere, but not a good explanation of what that culture is. Can a HN Peloton user elaborate?

tannedNerd 5y ago
The peloton subreddit is a good place to start. It’s easier to see it in the posts than explain it.
ohgodplsno 5y ago
Take HN's hive mind tech bro culture, and apply it to overpriced classes that are basically a youtube video.
- jmeister 5y ago
  If you have even the tiniest bit of curiosity, there are users, on this very page, describing how it’s much much more than a “YouTube video”.
  - geodel 5y ago
    Of course, It is more than a "Youtube video" who are part of Peloton cult. It would be rather normal if cult members never describe cult as "Oh it is just a typical cult with some suspicious ideology, providing dubious benefits and led by a charismatic charlatan"
- AlwaysRock 5y ago
  Unfortunately there are not good alternatives. I have a fairly nice bike at home and a standing desk that I can fit it under comfortably. I told my partner we don't need a Peloton because I could find spin class videos online. Nope. There really isnt any quality content out there. I guess I could just sign up for the Peloton platform with my own bike but I was surprised there wasnt at least a handful of Youtube videos of spin class instructors. It seems similar to Yoga where you can find incredible quality online but its really not.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - ohgodplsno 5y ago
    You do not need spin class videos. There is nothing technical about stationary biking. Yoga ? Sure, poses might be tricky to understand. Calisthenics ? Same thing. But a stationary bike ? Pump the difficulty on a timer and play some loud music on your own. Congratulations on your very own spin class.
    - loudtieblahblah 5y ago
      These are people who need to consume and "belong" their way to fitness. These people always burn out once the gimmick wears off. Then they go searching for the next thing and the next. Throwing money hand over fist bc they cant figure out to eat better and put the proverbial foot to the concrete. I'm sure they were all convinced their apple watch was going to keep them on track. These are the people who ran out and bought those stupid finger-toe running "shoes". They thought the Wii Fit Board was going to revolutionize things. These are people who have perfectly matching and stylish gym outfits. they buy endless supplements to enhance performance or weight loss. Just go do some hiit. Lift some weights. Take a yoga class. Quit eating like a jackass. Nutrition and fitness can be complicated but beginner to intermediate changes aren't. 90% of people have an effort and habit problem. And the western world thinks in consumerism terms. That fitness is something you buy at the store and name drop the brand to your friends. And it's why they'll yo-yo their efforts all their lives before just giving up entirely
- chucksta 5y ago
  Yeah, and a geo metro is basically a Ferrari
  - ohgodplsno 5y ago
    You're right, you can actually own a Geo Metro and drive it and fix it on your own, as opposed to the Ferrari which is nothing more than an expensive toy you cannot take out for anything useful. At least the Ferrari doesn't have a subscription (aside from the one you'll take at your gas station to make up for the 30L/100km that it gets)
    - chucksta 5y ago
      exactly, basically the same thing
sharkweek 5y ago
I don't personally get it as I'm too cynical, but my partner says it's a very positive and encouraging culture. It's also gamed very well to encourage DAU so someone like my partner who loves getting her "dots" is incentivized to keep participating every day. I reiterate though, it's working well for her health journey, so I'm all for it.
- biztos 5y ago
  Totally off topic, but TIL about DAU whilst forgetting what would abbreviate Daily Active Use(rs) and trying out the search things. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Acquisition_University https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_Acquisition_University
snapetom 5y ago
The positivity and encouragement is one thing, but it's also a very interactive and immersive experience. Sure, there's a large catalog of pre-recorded classes, with different instructors, different styles, different music, and different languages. However there's also live classes where you can be seen and interact with people. They also gamify the experience with a live leaderboard even if you aren't in a live class. The tech is also pretty well rounded. You can get pretty much all info that the bike has at any time on the app. During a workout, the Apple Watch communicates back biometrics. I'm a pretty cynical and skeptical person, but after just getting one, I can definitely see the appeal.
ttcbj 5y ago
My wife fits the “almost in a cult” description. I think she loves the positivity, and feels engaged by the classes. She started with bike, but now also does peloton outdoor runs. She is focused on the Peloton power zone classes. For power zone, you take an FTP test every 6 weeks which measures your ability to produce power output over 20 minutes. The bike then knows your 7 power output zones, from easy effort to max output. Based on that, Peloton instructors design classes which are zone based, and drive improvement at whatever your level is. I tried powerzone after seeing my wife do it, and although it’s only a part of my exercise, I really like it. You can really see the improvement. I’ve never liked exercise classes in the past, but I like the powerzone classes and instructors. My wife also signed up for some third party website (I forget what) that is essentially like a team based and powerzone based training plan. It motivates her over longer periods. Having tried it, I think the peloton bike product is really good. It may have pulled forward a lot of demand and grown too much, but it offers a lot of real value.
loudtieblahblah 5y ago
Pelton Culture is like Crossfit meeting the Cult of Mac. Its just where fitness and trendy luxury brand peacocking intersect.