The Cult of Peloton: Reinventing the Fitness Industry, and Becoming a Microcultural Phenomenon

High-tech cycling platform creates a connected community

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Until a month ago, I had never taken a spin class. While friends and colleagues made regular pilgrimages to boutique fitness studios like SoulCycle or Flywheel, the allure of sweating buckets and feverishly cycling en masse to the beat of Beyoncé as an all-too enthusiastic instructor shouts encouragement about “feeling the burn, baby!” eluded me.

Mostly, I prefer to exercise alone.

But there I was at Peloton’s New York cycling studio. Inside the windowless room one wall was lined with mirrors while discreetly located cameras trained on the high-octane instructor.

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This story first appeared in the May 28, 2018, issue of Adweek magazine. Click here to subscribe.