Is Peloton Rowing Machine Coming Up?
Hints that the treadmill maker is finally seeking a presence in growing rowing arena.
In June 2021 a new equipment manufacturer, Hydrow, was reported on as the “Peloton of rowing.” At that point it had already been at least two years since business reviewers stated Peloton would actually be entering the rowing machine market, but nothing developed. Now some app reading suggests Peloton’s really working in this area.
It’s come through a 9to5Google.com posting decoding Peloton news, including two signals in the Android app that could indicate rowing. One is code-named “Mazu,” which some say is a pointer because it’s the name of a major Chinese water deity. Then there’s material that’s been decoded by using the “Caesar cipher.” Finding sentences like, “This is the final position of your stroke. Sit tall on the rower with your arms straight and your back upright,” in Peloton’s updated Android app, “confirms the existence of ‘the rower,’” the 9to5Google writers said.
Other “hints” that Hydrow and others could truly be seeing competition shortly include Peloton “job listings mentioning a rower.” And why would the CEO refuse to deny the development of a Peloton rowing machine? In an interview early this year John Foley was asked to define what he classified as “all the different modalities you would expect us to come out with.”
“But does that mean a strength training machine or a rowing machine could be next?” he was asked next.
Foley’s answer started, “Uhhhh…… Those are good guesses. I can’t confirm or deny”— and he didn’t really define further.
When Peloton’s asked to confirm or deny 9to5Google’s findings, its response was, “While our R&D team is always working on new ideas, we have no new products to announce at this time.”
