Peloton Tread
Having revolutionised the spin-bike world, Peloton now hopes to do the same for the treadmill… so marathon runner Kieran Alger spends January going nowhere fast
Basically an indoor pavement
£2295 + £39/m / stuff.tv/tread
Peloton’s swapped the equipment but the angle is the same: get reluctant gym-goers off the sofa by combining a cardio machine with workouts beamed into your home. Only this time it’s about running, not cycling.
If you like the sound of that, you’ll need deep pockets to join the Tread revolution: for full annual access to all the classes plus extra accessories such as dumbbells, you’re looking at a combined outlay of £2870. So is it worth it? Or should you, well, run a mile?
I’m putting it to the test for four weeks to find out – and the first victory is discovering that it comes assembled. As treadmills go, it’s a looker, with cleaner lines and less bulk than most gym monsters. Into the spare room it goes.
The 150cm-long belt offers plenty of roomy running space and a road-firm running surface. Kicking off with a 90-minute half marathon, it’s no trouble at all: unique controls make shifting tempo and incline a doddle. One roller changes speed in 0.1mph increments, to a maximum of 12.5mph; a second adjusts the incline from 0 to 12.5% in 0.5% increments. Each roller also houses a button for 1mph speed and 1% incline jumps.
The rollers are easier than stretching for a touchscreen, but it’s not always easy to hit the precise increases that trainers often recommend. We’d like a button to jump down in steps too, because coming off an all-out sprint into an easy jog requires tricky backward rolls of the knob (said with a straight face).
The sweatproof touchscreen is bright, sharp and responsive, with a built-in camera for connecting with training buddies. You can tilt it for floor exercises too. The loud four-speaker sound system, meanwhile, is really bringing the studio vibes.
Final note: you’ll need reliable Wi-fi. Even the on-demand experience is streamed rather than stored locally, and a poor connection causes buffering that wreaks havoc with your stats.
It has cleaner lines and less bulk than most gym treadmills, and the belt offers plenty of roomy running space
DAY 07
I’m immersed in a connected and coached fitness universe. There’s a bias towards beginners but it’s easy to go from rest to a sweaty mess inside 45 minutes, including getting changed.
The Apple-esque interface makes other treadmills feel old, with filters for duration, intensity, workout type and difficulty. Sessions last up to an hour and go way beyond running, with HIIT, strength and even yoga workouts available. During workouts you get pace, speed and distance stats in a customisable layout; there’s also session breakdown, time remaining, real-time heart rate and a leaderboard.
DAY 11
The real-time readouts that show if you’re ahead or behind your PB are brilliant, if excruciating, because chasing records every time you train isn’t smart.
If you need someone whooping in your ear the whole time, you’ll love the coaching. Prefer to zone out? It really won’t be your cup of glucose… and there’s only so many times you can hear stories about a trainer’s new puppy. Some days I’ve opted for subtitles, or uncoached runs with scenic videos – how zen.
DAY 23
It’s time to dissect my end-of-run stats in greater detail. They’re less comprehensive than Garmin or Strava, but you get charts for heart rate and speed along with pace splits and overall position, plus badges for challenges.
You can connect to Spotify or Apple Music, but only to like tracks heard during a class – you can’t play or control your own music. You can forget Netflix too.
DAY 29
A broader selection of goal-based running programmes would be nice: Couch To 5K and Road To Your 26.2 (the latter in the Peloton app) are currently the only options.
Overall it’s a top experience, though – friendly, engaging and motivating, provided you’re smart about mixing the intensity of your sessions. Solid hardware and slick software provide a potent mix; and if your goal is general fitness, the Tread dishes out coaching with unrivalled convenience.
It’s a powerful weapon in the war on repetitious (and ineffective) treadmill cardio, and a brilliant way to unleash those happy chemicals that come with high-tempo workouts. It’s just a shame it comes with such a big price tag.