Why Peloton is telling thousands of customers to get off their bikes

If sweating it out on a Peloton helps you stay fit, be sure to see if you’re affected by a major new recall from the exercise bike maker.

Peloton issued a major recall for some bike models on Thursday, warning that the seat posts of affected models could break and potentially injure their users. The recall is based on three reports of seat post malfunctions. In two of those incidents, Peloton users were injured after falling off the bike. Though the number of incidents is very small, the recall applies to 833,000 units manufactured in Taiwan and sold in the U.S.

The recall affects Peloton Original Series Bike+ units with model number PL02 and serial numbers that start with “T.” The bikes were manufactured between December 2019 and July 2022 and were sold through Peloton, Dick’s Sporting Goods, eBay, and Amazon from January 2020 through April 2025. Another 44,800 units sold in Canada were also recalled, though no falls or malfunctions were reported outside the U.S.

“The integrity of our products and our Members’ well-being are our top priorities,” Peloton said in a statement provided to Fast Company. “We are taking this opportunity to make replacement seat posts available to all affected Bike+ users, and we encourage them to contact us to receive the redesigned seat post as soon as possible.”

To find your bike’s serial number, look inside the front fork, behind the front fork, or behind the flywheel. Once you locate it, you can look up the serial number on Peloton’s website to see that bike model’s history. 

Peloton users with affected models should take a break from cycling until they are able to get a fix from the company. Happily, that fix is pretty straightforward: Peloton will send you a new seat free of charge. Just order the replacement seat post online or contact customer service by phone. Installing the new post looks pretty straightforward, and owners can follow an instructional video from Peloton to do it themselves at home.

The new recall is the second time the company has had to issue a warning about the safety of its seat posts. In 2023, Peloton announced a voluntary recall of seat posts for its original Bike model, similarly sending out replacement parts due to worries about the post breaking and causing people to fall off. Peloton said the seat post problem posed a risk to users with larger builds who weighed 250 pounds or more, though no injuries were reported at the time. 

Peloton says that bikes manufactured after 2023 include redesigned seats that eliminate the risk associated with both seat post recalls. “At a high level, the design and quality enhancements include a fail-safe mechanism intended to ensure that in the rare event of a break, the seat will not detach from the post, mitigating the risk of injury,” a Peloton spokesperson told Fast Company. “We feel confident about the quality of our redesigned seat post. We are also committed to continuously innovating on our product quality and designs.”

Peloton will report its quarterly earnings later on Thursday, though that call will likely turn toward the new recall as well, and not just be about the company’s financials.

Peloton pedals in some new directions

Last month, Peloton announced that it would raise prices across its subscriptions and its workout hardware. The company is also throwing its weight behind advanced tech on new high-end equipment options that integrate computer vision and AI to track users’ movement and personalize their workouts. 

Peloton also recently launched a new “Pro” line of commercial workout bikes, treadmills, and rowing machines designed for high-use areas like hotel gyms, where wear and tear can add up much more quickly than on an at-home machine that sees a fraction of the use. 

“Today’s consumers want the flexibility to work out anytime, anywhere, and that means they expect top-tier fitness amenities in the places where they live, work, and travel,” Peloton chief commercial officer Dion Camp Sanders said of the company’s new line, which paired with the launch of a new commercial business division.

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