A 42-year-old man named Brad keeps showing up in the live-streamed Peloton classes, and not everyone taking the classes from home is amused.
The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Brad Holcman, 42, began riding the Peloton regularly in 2017, and that he soon learned which bike to choose if he wanted to make sure he was in the shot when the class, filmed in a Manhattan studio, went live.
“I’m living my best life on this bike. It’s so surreal to see how the community has taken to me,” Holcman said. (RELATED: George W. Bush Photobombs Sports Reporter)
Holcman added that his ultimate goal, aside from his own fitness, was to help motivate other riders. As he lip-synced and danced through the classes, though, not everyone saw his constant presence as a net positive.
Check out the Wall Street Journal today for a piece on Brad Holcman, a man who has “both delighted and infuriated thousands of riders” by lip-syncing and dancing during live-streamed Peloton cycling classes. @PatKiernan takes a look in the papers to share the story. pic.twitter.com/2sAdsbpEkg
— Spectrum News NY1 (@NY1) May 7, 2019
Some guy named Brad is pissing off Peloton riders by sitting in the shot during tons of classes https://t.co/N83BDVrjrY
— Myles Udland (@MylesUdland) May 7, 2019
“We’re paying for Peloton user experience and content, not someone’s attention-seeking antics,” Lauren Hynds, a rider from New Hampshire told the WSJ. She suggested that the studio assign bikes randomly in order to make sure that the same person couldn’t take the same bike for every class.
The cost for riders is steep — the bike alone costs $1995, but taxes in some states bring the total to over $2200. Special cycling shoes add another $125. And membership, which is required for at least the first year at $39 monthly, adds $468. The total cost is estimated at around $3000 for the first year and $500 for every year after that.
Some riders say they simply try to work around the classes and instructors Holcman frequents, but others have resorted to more creative methods of avoidance.
Lauren Mencarini Essig, from Maryland, puts a Post-it note on her monitor to cover Brad.
Ugh, not everything needs to have “creators” or “influencers”…like Peloton. I just want to ride in peace. https://t.co/MYrMI7xzUk
— Ken Yeung (@thekenyeung) May 6, 2019
From @dhm, Peleton has been (rightfully) cursed with its own Marlins Man https://t.co/Dim7zoM9Uo
— Drew Magary (@drewmagary) May 7, 2019
Finally, someone has exposed to the world the obnoxious dancing of Brad from Peloton. Read @akaneotani‘s latest A-Hed: https://t.co/X0Q8sFT4Qp
— Ben Eisen (@BenEisen) May 6, 2019