Forget instructors — Peloton Lanebreak is the video game you've been waiting for

Update: Check out our full review of Peloton's new Lanebreak game.

It’s been a rocky old ride for Peloton this year — first Mr. Big’s heart attack, next shares plummeted as the tech darling of the pandemic halted production of their bikes and treadmills, and an announcement of a company reshuffle, which made 20% of the workforce redundant.

Putting all that aside, Peloton’s biggest draw has always been its instructors and their classes, and despite the news headlines, for Peloton users, nothing has changed.

With that in mind, it’s interesting that Peloton’s first major software update of the year doesn’t involve any instructors. The new feature is called Lanebreak, and it turns bike rides into a video game. This is Peloton’s first step into gamified fitness, and it does sound fun.

a screenshot from Peloton Lanebreak — (Image credit: Peloton)

What is Lanebreak?

When using the Lanebreak feature, Peloton riders on the Bike or Bike+ can ride along a virtual track, gaining points for hitting specific beats, or sustaining their resistance. There are around 20 levels to start, all of which include playlists of popular music. At the launch, you can choose from 5-minute cool-downs and warm-ups, as well as classes ranging from 10 to 20 minutes.

At present, Peloton isn’t positioning Lanebreak as the main sell of its bike app — you’ll find it under the ‘More Rides’ tab, where you normally find Scenic Rides. This makes sense, as, like every Peloton rider will tell you, the bike’s main selling point is its classes, and video game-style riding won’t appeal to everyone.

Lanebreak only works on the Peloton Bike and Bike+ and isn’t available on the Peloton Tread, or the mobile Peloton app. There’s also no visual Leaderboard, instead, you’ll have to wait till you’ve finished the class to see where you rank.

Lanebreak was first announced last summer, but it is now rolling out as a software update to Peloton bikes in the US, Canada, UK, Germany, and Australia.

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy.