At New Year, I decided to dust off my Peloton Bike+. After reactivating my membership, which is £40 a month, I browsed some classes. I was then prompted to install a software update.
I did this but the touchscreen stopped responding. I went through all the troubleshooting suggestions, ran the various diagnostics and even did a factory reset, all to no avail.
Customer services staff told me that because the bike is out of warranty the screen will cost £710 to replace. I don’t think this is fair. It was broken by its update.
I have found similar stories in online forums and some people suggest this is a known problem.
My wife is pregnant and keen to use the bike to manage gestational diabetes.
NH, London
A Peloton is a very expensive piece of kit: you paid £1,700 for yours in 2021 using buy now, pay later to spread the cost.
The touchscreen has a one-year warranty so, with the bike at nearly three years old (and despite what you report has been light use), you are facing a repair bill higher than the price tag on a new (non-Peloton) exercise bike.
You feel certain that the screen problem was caused by the update, and it would be interesting to hear if other readers, who splashed out on a bike, have faced similar issues.
Luckily for you, Peloton was sympathetic when I contacted it. “Our No1 priority is delivering a great member experience,” it said. “To resolve this member’s issue with the Bike+ touch screen, our team will be swapping it free of charge.
“Our field quality engineering team will investigate the cause of the member’s issue further, once the screen is returned to us.”
I am loathe to recommend an extended warranty but if, like Rishi Sunak, you are a big fan of Peloton workouts, within the first year you can buy an extra 27 months’ cover (taking it to 39 months). For the Peloton Bike+ this costs £225 and would shield owners from shock bills like this.
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