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In June, Peloton pushed out its Tread Lock feature, which automatically shut down inactive treadmills and required a 4-digit passcode. The update was part of Peloton’s promised safety measures following a voluntary recall of its treadmills (one due to injury reports, the other due to display issues). There was just one problem: Tread Lock disabled the ‘Just Run’ feature for anyone who wasn’t a paying Peloton subscriber. However, according to a Verge report, the company is now saying the feature should work for all Tread owners.
While Peloton hardware is essentially a vehicle for the company’s digital content, its bikes and treadmills also have a ‘Just Ride’ or ‘Just Run’ feature that allows you to use the device without taking classes. The June update caused a bit of an uproar, as Tread Lock was a mandatory update that effectively required people to have a Peloton subscription to use devices they had already paid for and owned. Some accused Peloton of using consumer safety as a way of coercing people to pay for a membership. However, the company said the problem was merely a temporary technical issue — it simply hadn’t figured out a way to enable Tread Lock for those without Peloton memberships. It then issued three free months of membership for all Tread+ owners.