Two months into the year and it’s safe to say that for a number of us, those resolutions we had made prior to the calendar turning over to a blank page have well and truly been shelved. While it’s easy to attack the year with all the motivation of an athlete preparing for their Olympic debut, where results are hard to come by and the realities of scheduled meetings, long work days and family strife get in the way, finding the drive to keep going consistently is often hard to come by. It makes Peloton’s new Lanebreak experience an exciting one. This gamifying fitness experience for Peloton Members sees riders select a level as they then sustain resistance and cadence according to interactive cues that appear animated on the tablet. Suddenly you’re feeling that competitive edge take over you in the best way possible, pushing you to test your own limits and get the most out of every workout. And the best part? It’s so fun you don’t even realise you’re working that hard.
On Lanebreak, players control a virtual wheel. You gain points for reaching various levels and bursts of output that support each lane change while riding the bike. Essentially, Lanebreak is gaming for cycling, with a virtual track that sees you control your cadence with leg speed, while the ability to switch lanes is achieved by turning the resistance knob left or right. You can choose from a number of different levels based on musical genre and workout types, and each level will have difficulties ranging from beginner to expert. According to Dave Packles, Senior Director of Product Management at Peloton, the inspiration behind Lanebreak was to see Peloton continue to evolve and redefine the connect fitness experience. “Years before Lanebreak, we’ve been including gamified elements like our Leaderboard, our achievement badges, the real time interactive metrics from device sensors,” he explains. “Our goal is to always offer Members a different experience, but Lanebreak is definitely the most directly gaming-inspired experience we’ve developed.”
For those Members of Peloton who rarely miss a workout, Lanebreak is still complementary to your fitness routine. “We developed Peloton Lanebreak to complement our instructor-led classes offering a fresh new experience for Members,” says Packles. “We’ll be launching with levels that range from five to 30 minutes – so it’s something our Members can use as a warm up, cool down, or a standalone ride. It’s all about giving our Members different options.”
But perhaps the best part of Lanebreak is music – something Peloton has become renowned for across its members who are able to experience their favourite music genres and tunes while working out. Lanebreak takes it to another level, with the gaming-inspired workouts being rooted in rhythm and levels being powered by the company’s launch partner, Warner Music Group, to bring members their first artist-themed levels featuring the likes of David Bowie and David Guetta. As Packles explains, “Since the early days of Peloton, we quickly realised the power of music and how it’s core to setting your workout mindset, helping motivate and create an emotional connection to enhance the fitness experience. For some Peloton Members, the music played by an Instructor can mean the difference between a chilled class and one that has the potential to set new Personal Records (PRs).
“Music can help structure many fitness classes, often guiding the tempo of a particular routine. This plays a huge role in why music and fitness are so closely linked together. With music at our core, Lanebreak takes inspiration from Peloton classes, fusing a deep and diverse music catalogue with expert instruction. Members can expect many of the same fitness-first challenges they see in classes (intervals, tabata, climbs, low impact, warm ups).”
According to Emma Lovewell, Peloton Instructor, “The way the cues and movement perfectly match the music is one of my favourite aspects of it. It’s also a great addition to our instructor-led classes. I know some days you need that butt-kicking inspiration from one of us instructors, and other days you just want to ride to some killer music without an instructor. I get it.”
It’s something peloton instructor Sam Yo also champions. “Lanebreak is great for increasing your awareness, rhythm and fitness to “overcharge” your wellness. You’re going to get lost in the game-changing experience and forget that you’re even working out!”
Peloton Lanebreak will roll out to Australian members from today. As Packles says, “We’re thrilled to bring this new fitness experience to Australians. We are able to take this a step further with Lanebreak, offering Members an interactive experience that challenges them and rewards them in real time for their actions. We are particularly excited about this as it exposes an audience who may not be as comfortable or familiar with gaming-inspired experiences, to how powerful it can be as a motivator.”
While still early days in the Lanebreak journey, Members can expect to see new mechanics and challenges introduced to Lanebreak. “We’re also actively exploring new platforms and formats. As with everything we do, we look to Members for inspiration and insights, and cannot wait to hear what the community has to say,” says Packles.
At launch, there are currently 20+ Lanebreak levels, but it’s believed that more levels will be released regularly, according to Peloton. The experience is available via the Peloton Bike and Peloton Bike+, with the latter providing something of a more enhanced experience due to digital resistance adjustments and tablet performance.
