Social Media Reacts to the Peloton Recall News
Some people are pleased. Others aren't. Many were hilarious.
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When Peloton announced its voluntary recall of the Tread and Tread+ on Wednesday, mainly due to the injury risk it poses children, it was huge news with some big reactions: The company’s stock has dropped more than 14%, “Peloton” is now a trending topic on Twitter, and the Official Peloton Member Page on Facebook has blown up with posts and questions about the announcement.
(If you’re a Peloton owner curious about what this means for you, we’ve got you covered.)
Look, we’re not parents. We’re not even treadmill owners! (Though, one of us does own the bike… and, would feel pretty triggered if someone tried to take it away.) So we don’t have a dog in this fight. But here’s what we’re seeing about how runners are reacting.
Peloton owners are an impassioned bunch, and we weren’t the only ones curious to see their reactions on social media.
I reactivated my Facebook account just to see the reactions to the Tread recall in the Peloton group and the first comment I saw was someone saying their treadmill is the latest victim of cancel culture
— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) May 5, 2021
The idea that a safety recall might have something do with cancel culture may seem silly, but it’s not uncommon. This reminder that safety recalls happen all the time, with all sorts of things, made us laugh.
Some Peloton owners are out there saying that the recall is “cancel culture.” I just can’t wait to see their reaction the next time that spinach is canceled; I hope they take to the streets.
— Jessica (@jesserca) May 5, 2021
Speaking of laughs, there were plenty of jokes made and memes shared—and as always with Peloton news, the viral “Peloton Girl” has made an appearance.
A Peloton can’t kill you if you only use it as a coat rack. pic.twitter.com/AleznXVV98
— Blake Hammond (@BigRadMachine) May 5, 2021
🎶 I think she did it but I just can't prove it 🎶 pic.twitter.com/l3XmQG6Uxk
— Kimberly 🧜🏻♀️ Dinaro💲 (@KimberDin) May 5, 2021
There’s also the question of exactly how Peloton is going to pull this off. The Tread and Tread+ are big machines, and they have sold a lot of the $4k+ treadmills.
I cannot quite imagine the logistical nightmare of recalling 125,000 treadmills. These things required 3 delivery people each, which is a reason Peloton stopped delivering early in pandemic.
People can't mail them. Or drive them to the store.
— Dan Primack (@danprimack) May 5, 2021
People are genuinely concerned about the physical aspect of this whole thing; even the bikes are quite heavy.
Moving our peloton bike like four feet required one of my greatest feats of strength in recent memory, I have absolutely no idea how you physically recall 100,000+ treadmills
— Tom Gara (@tomgara) May 5, 2021
At the core, there are basically two main sides to the debate: Many people claim that the problem is less with the design and more with owners being careless. Lots of Peloton owners aren’t thrilled with the recall. They love their Tread+ and want to keep it.
I am not a shareholder of @onepeloton, but I LOVE my Tread (I have the original, not the Tread+).
— I keep the lock key unplugged
— I do not allow children in the room when using it
— I think there should be a PIN CODE to turn it onThis would give 3 ways to protect folks
— jason@calacanis.com (@Jason) May 5, 2021
I know they are gong to make folks sign waivers who choose to keep the Tread+ and move it to a room "without kids".
Because the room you had the treadmill in, in the first place should have been a room without children (especially unattended).— Kasey (@bastylefilegirl) May 5, 2021
And while it’s true than the one death reported was a child, 29 of the more than 70 injuries reported were children—meaning that many injuries reported were, in fact, adults. The debate of design flaw vs. lax parenting is raging across social media, but some owners are glad that the recall will make the popular equipment safe.
VERY happy to see Peloton voluntarily recall all treadmills, including the Tread.
I happened to be testing the Tread when the news of the safety issues with the Tread+ surfaced.
It went back to the company ASAP. With a 3 year old around, I just didn’t want it in the house.
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) May 5, 2021
Others argue that for such an expensive machine (Pelotons are known for costing more than their competition, at $4,300 per treadmill plus a $40 monthly subscription fee), safety features that come standard with other treadmills should absolutely be included.
(Warning: Adult language below.)
Yeah, parents need to watch their kids, blah blah, but this treadmill also lacked a crucial safety feature that would have prevent a child from getting sucked into it.
You can make shit and sell shit, it just needs to hold up to widely imposed safety standards.— zplerhop . (@zplerhop) May 5, 2021
In not so surprising news, many supporters are standing by their brand. Fans of the Tread who haven’t had any problems are sharing the safety “rules” they implement themselves to ensure the recall won’t affect them.
We hope that no matter what treadmill you’re using, at home or at the gym, you’re being safe. And now that the weather’s warming up (and we can be mask-free on our outdoor runs!), maybe it’s as good of time as any to press pause and get in some outdoor miles?
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