Peloton has no shortage of incentives for its riders. There’s badges as you might expect for hitting certain goals. Hidden badges (Quests) for riding past classes based on Instagram clues. And, from a recent software update, community-driven hashtags to bring like-minded people together during classes.
Then there’s the big one, at least for me a fairly new Peloton owner:
- The Peloton Century Club
Per the name, you receive this achievement when you complete 100 cycling workouts on the Peloton bike.
I hit the milestone over the weekend, and today (Monday) received the email everyone is dreaming about, welcoming me to the fabled Century Club:
I’m telling you, during lockdown it’s the little things. The rays of light. Glimmers of hope. And the laughs here and there when possible.
But a free shirt?
I’m taking it.
Not because it’s a t-shirt, but because it represents a new fitness regimen myself and Loni Stark find ourselves thanks to the wild, unexpected and sad circumstances of 2020.
Our gym closed — the least of worries to be sure. And like many we had to take fast action: Peloton was part of that unexpected life of lockdown. Now I find myself chasing badges and, more importantly, health goals like a lower resting heart rate, and a targeted amount of miles cycled every week. Peloton has helped keep my motivated while adhering to shelter-in-place. I now dig into apps that were previously unused on my iPhone, analyzing metrics as my OCD self is wont to do: Apple Health and Activity, Fitbit, Strava, and HeartWatch.
I should point out that the Century badge is a bit misleading, at least for me as it includes many short 5-minute rides like a warm-up or cool down. Nevertheless, you have to celebrate the little things, right? After all, it’s still 100 rides.
In any case, it’s been interesting watching at-home fitness companies like Peloton, Echelon, NordicTrack and others attack this new market with gusto — with a lawsuit here and there to keep things spicey.
Recently, Peloton began “Live from Home” classes which, as the name implies, are recorded in an instructor’s home. At first I thought the idea would diminish the high quality Peloton experience (multiple cameras and angles, beautiful studio sets, high quality lighting, etc.) and look somewhat unpolished.
But I was wrong.
As is the case during the Zoom era, getting a glimpse into someone’s living space can add charm and interest to our otherwise socially distanced situations. So that plant in the corner, that certain book or piece of art, or that some other splash of personality can make you smile and make life without contact a tiny bit more palatable.
100 rides. A “free” Peloton shirt. 2020… achieving fitness goals however we can, one ride at a time. And cursing Alex Toussaint the entire way.
