About 2.2 million defective Peloton bikes are set to be recalled because they are fitted with potentially dangerous seat posts.
According to NBC, the seat posts on these exercise bikes could potentially break. Owners are being told to immediately stop using the bikes until they can be repaired. This recall affects Peloton model PL01 sold from January 2018 through this month.
Defective Peloton Bikes Recalled
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) states that Peloton has received 35 reports of the seat post breaking and detaching from the bike during use, accounting for 13 reports of injuries. The injuries included a fractured wrist, lacerations, and bruises due to falling from the bike.
Consumers are asked to immediately stop using the exercise bikes and contact Peloton for a free repair. The company is also offering consumers a free seat post that can be self-installed. Anyone with questions can call Peloton at 1-866-679-9129 or visit their website. This recall only affects the original Peloton Bike sold in the United States. The recalled products were sold at Peloton and Dick’s Sporting Goods stores nationwide and online at Onepeloton.com, Amazon.com, and Dicksportinggoods.com from January 2018 through May 2023 for about $1,400.
Peloton Treadmill Injuries and Death
The latest recall involving defective Peloton bikes is not the first for the company. In 2021, CPSC warned consumers to stop using Peloton’s Tread Plus treadmill after dozens of safety incidents, including one child’s death. Earlier this year, Peloton agreed to pay a $19 million fine for failing to report these safety issues with its treadmills. Peloton ended up recalling 125,000 units after 72 reports of injury to adults, children, and pets.
Specifically, children and pets ran the risk of being pulled under the rear of the treadmill. A 6-year-old child died after being sucked under the rear of the treadmill. There were 29 incidents reporting injuries to children. Those injuries included second and third-degree abrasions, broken bones, and lacerations. This week, CPSC and Peloton have agreed to a rear guard repair to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
The guard has a “breakaway design” that turns away from the treadmill and shuts off power when someone hits it. The system will be available starting this fall as part of a free repair. The CPSC also notes that there have been an additional 279 incidents and 61 injuries reported since the treadmill recall. This brings the totals up to 351 and 90, respectively. No additional deaths have been reported.
The Surge in Popularity of Exercise Equipment
During the coronavirus pandemic, many Americans canceled their gym memberships and began to find ways to work out at home. Peloton has become a leader in at-home exercise equipment, with its products surging in popularity during this time period.
Data collected by Medicare Advantage shows that at-home exercise injuries that resulted in a visit to the emergency room increased by more than 48% from 2019 to 2020, the year of the pandemic when most people started to exercise more at home. Nearly 30% of all exercise-related injuries suffered at home were among individuals aged 65 or older, the statistics show. Treadmills and exercise bikes were the equipment most associated with at-home injuries.
Sale of fitness equipment grew by 170% during the pandemic as Americans installed pull-up bars in doorways, Peloton bikes and treadmills in bedrooms and living rooms, and replaced Netflix with at-home workout videos. But this trend also brought an increase in related injuries. There were about 25,349 exercise-related injuries inside the home in 2019 that sent people to the emergency room. In 2020, that number shot up to 37,522, reflecting a 48% increase, the Medicare Advantage study shows.
Preventing Injuries While Working Out at Home
There are several ways in which you can prevent injuries while working out at home:
- Make sure you are wearing proper footwear. This is important to maintain balance and traction while also providing added protection if you drop a dumbbell or other equipment on your foot.
- Clear out some space before you begin your workout so you don’t come in contact with furniture, the wall, or other objects. Such mishaps could also result in falls.
- Working in front of a mirror is helpful in terms of adjusting your posture, which is critical to avoiding injury. Investing in a full-length mirror for your home workout space, if feasible, can be an investment in your safety.
- Use a workout mat, which can help absorb some of the pressure of heavy and fast movements while also providing some cushioning to land in the event of a fall.
- Cross-training or doing a variety of exercises and switching up your routine is not only good for fitness, but it is also key to avoiding injury due to overuse.
Faulty Equipment and Negligence
Regardless of how much care and caution you use while working out, there are times when an injury is simply not avoidable for reasons that are outside your control. Often, this happens with defective equipment, such as the defective Peloton bikes involved in the latest recall. If any of the equipment you are using has been recalled, it is important that you stop using it right away and contact the appropriate party to get the problem fixed or to get the equipment replaced.
If you have been injured as the result of malfunctioning exercise equipment at a gym, the business can be held liable for failing to properly maintain the equipment. For example, if you are exercising on a stationary bike and the seat breaks because the equipment was not properly maintained, then the gym owner/operator can be held liable. However, if the bike seat breaks because of an inherent product manufacturing or design defect, then the manufacturer of the exercise bike can be held responsible for your injuries and damages.
When you suffer injuries while using a defective Peloton bike, treadmill, or any other in-home exercise equipment, it is important that you get prompt medical attention and contact an experienced product defect lawyer in California who can help you hold the negligent manufacturer accountable and assist you with receiving compensation for your injuries, damages, and losses.
