Peloton is a firm based in New York City that has brought an innovative exercise bike to Kickstarter, and the product boasts an extremely impressive list of features.
At Peloton, we love two things: technology and fitness. We believe the fitness category has been under-served by technology for too long. At first, we considered just developing the right software platform, but we quickly discovered that by being “vertically integrated” (creating both the hardware and the software, like Apple), we would be able to deliver a dramatically better experience for our consumers. And so, we embarked on the challenging (but super fun) journey of creating The Peloton Bike.
According to the Kickstarter page, the Peloton Bike integrates a carbon steel monocoque design with a 21.5″ full HD touch console that is also sweat resistant. The bike also has a full Android-powered 1.5 Ghz computer within, including 802.11 b/g/n wireless networking and Bluetooth connectivity. The screen boasts a front-facing camera and microphone for interacting with friends (or instructors) as you exercise.
The bike has no chain, opting instead for a belt drive. The project creators say that this choice results in an “extremely quiet and smooth ride.” A magnetic resistance system removes the need for brakes and reduces the need to replace any parts in the future.
On paper, it’s quite the impressive machine.
In tandem with the Kickstarter campaign, the Peloton team plans on launching an indoor cycling studio in NYC where instructors will stream live classes to the Peloton masses. Classes can also be played back on-demand. Backers of the campaign will receive a full year of classes free. Peloton has also launched a campaign seeking to hire the top 10 cycling instructors in the NYC area.
This has to be one of the most ambitious crowdfunding campaigns we’ll see this year, but it seems there is a very capable team behind the project. Peloton is headed by John Foley, who can boast being the former President of Barnes & Noble among other accomplishments. (You can read more about Foley on CrunchBase) He has built a team of former C-level executives that plan on executing this vision of bringing high-end cycling fitness to living rooms around the country and the world.
With almost a month to go, the Peloton has amassed over $100K thus far from 100 backers. Early-bird units can be preordered for $1,500, and international backers can expect to drop $2,000 on their own Peloton. Chances of delivery seem high based on the pedigree of the team, but as with all crowdfunding offerings there is risk. Still, it seems backers are undeterred. With the cost of a single unit and the feature set of the product it’s possible that this one could take off.
Have a crowdfunding offering you'd like to share? Submit an offering for consideration using our Submit a Tip form and we may share it on our site!
