Presidential Fitness

Could Peloton hardware pose a national threat?

The question was raised because President Joe Biden stays fit with the connected fitness company’s stationary bike.

The bike’s built-in camera and microphone sparked concerns about foreign powers listening in on top-secret matters. 

In the end, it should be fine — particularly as the Secret Service and National Security Agency plan to alter the bike to ensure it meets security requirements.

Biden is not the first U.S. president whose recreational plans meant changes to the White House:

• Franklin D. Roosevelt put in a heated swimming pool in 1933.
• Dwight D. Eisenhower commissioned a putting green outside the Oval Office.
• Richard Nixon added an underground bowling lane in 1973.
• Bill Clinton installed a jogging track and new practice green.
• Barack Obama got his own basketball court for regular pick-up games.
• Donald Trump designated an entire room to a golf simulator.

The new president’s implicit endorsement is another win for Peloton, which exploded last year as at-home fitness options grew in popularity. 

The company’s total revenue for fiscal year 2020 was $1.8 billion, a 100% increase year-over-year. Its membership base grew to approximately 3.1 million users, compared to 1.4 million members in the prior year.