Peloton Axes Free 'Just Run' Feature From Treadmill, Bricking It for Non-Subscribers
Peloton has removed a free feature from its treadmill products—the ability to just run. Instead, the company is requiring owners to pay for a monthly subscription to get the function, though it says it's working to once again allow the Just Run option.
It sounds absurd, given that the Tread+ once sold for $4,295. But the treadmills from Peloton are no ordinary exercise machines. The company also sells video exercise programs for the treadmills through a subscription service, which can cost $39 a month.
The removal of Just Run is related to a voluntary recall it issued last month for the Tread+ and Tread product after the machines caused injuries to multiple children. In response, Peloton created a locking feature to prevent unauthorized access to the equipment. But the change came at the expense of Just Run, which once sat as a virtual button on the Tread+ screen.
In a statement, Peloton told PCMag that "in our ongoing work to ensure our products are even safer, as part of our voluntary recall in collaboration with CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), we released Tread Lock, a four digit passcode to secure Tread+ against unauthorized access,” the company said. “Unfortunately, Tread Lock is not yet available without a Peloton Membership, which means Tread+ owners without a subscription cannot access Just Run at this time.”
