Tunde and Kirsten’s BHM 2-for-1 Ride was Powerful and Positive

Tunde and Kirsten’s BHM Ride: A Lesson in Sisterhood

Tunde and Kirsten’s BHM 2-for-1 ride was a lesson in friendship, sisterhood, and lifting each other up. It celebrated community and connection, showcasing the powerful bond between two prominent instructors.

Check out their shoes!

A Historic Pairing of Instructors

Tunde Oyeneyin has long been a Peloton Bike instructor and is no stranger to 2-for-1 rides. She has participated in special classes for Black History Month for several years, becoming a familiar and powerful voice during these events.

Tunde’s first 2-for-1 appearance in this epic ride with AT back in 2020

Kirsten Ferguson, however, celebrated her first Peloton two-instructor ride with this class. While new to this format, she is not new to the fitness world. Before joining Peloton, Kirsten built a strong reputation as a top independent spin instructor. She was known for her high-energy classes and dedicated following. When she first joined the Peloton team as a Tread instructor, she shared that she had some misgivings about not being on the Bike. Those concerns proved misplaced, as she quickly became beloved by runners, walkers, and hikers.

What made this Tunde and Kirsten BHM 2-for-1 class historic, as Tunde noted at the end, was that it was the first time two Black women led a ride together at Peloton.

Authentic Chemistry and Good Vibes

This was a fun class with some touching moments. Tunde introduced the playlist as a collection of songs she and Kirsten listen to when they get ready to go out together. Their chemistry is undeniable, and if you follow them on their Instagram accounts, you know their friendship is genuine.

They had some loose scripting, asking each other if there were stories they could share about their exploits on vacations in Miami and Turks and Caicos. Both deferred, not wanting to spill too much tea. This came up again toward the end of the ride, as they asked each other for “PG-13” versions of their stories. While they didn’t share specific details, the sly smiles between the friends said plenty.

The Playlist and The Party

The instructors chatted throughout the ride, and the playlist reflected their storytelling. The “getting ready to go out” vibe was on high with Beyoncé’s “End of Time.” They got into the music with top-tier “lip-sync karaoke” and expressive dancing but, to their credit, did very little actual singing out loud. It was a party, but an in-tune one, as they let the artists’ voices shine. In fact, toward the end of the ride, the in-studio members got into it, singing some choruses. Kirsten urged them to go for it, but the instructors never took over.

The music alternated from moody to energetic, and the class plan aligned with that approach. Emotional songs during recoveries, like Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down” and Beyoncé’s “Brown Skin Girl,” had them talking about past relationships and being there for each other when things didn’t end well. They talked about mothers and daughters, and in a seemingly unscripted moment, Kirsten was brought to tears as Tunde shared how proud she was of her for raising her daughters. Later, Tunde was inducted into the “Ratchet Aunties Club.” Between them, there was real, generous love, and it was wonderful to watch.

During more energetic songs, like Ciara’s “Level Up,” Tunde had riders pushing hard and doing count-based choreography. The studio riders were working hard, but they were also smiling, dancing, and whooping it up. Tunde thanked all the members for braving the blizzard that was on New York’s doorstep to come to the studio, especially acknowledging members of Black Girl Magic and My Brother’s Keeper. There were 1,600 riders live on the LB during the class.

Pure joy at the end of this ride!

A Sign of Things to Come?

There were several times when Tunde called for appreciation for Kirsten, and the studio was exceptionally enthusiastic in its response. We hope this is an auspicious sign that Kirsten will join the Bike team soon. While Tunde led most of the instruction, which differed from the back-and-forth of other 2-for-1 rides, witnessing their friendship was great in its own way.

Toward the end of the ride, as they thanked DJ John Michael for his custom mixes, Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” played. They noted the date of the ride, toward the end of Black History Month, served as a bit of a torch-passing to Women’s History Month. As Tunde and Kirsten spoke throughout the class about lifting others up, particularly within the Black community, this felt like just the right note to end the party on. (Though two more songs remained, as we cooled down to Alicia Keys and then Tunde drew out the post ride chatter to wait to hear Aretha’s “I Say a Little Prayer” which felt very meaningful.)

What do you think of this honest and historic instructor pairing?

Tune in to The Clip Out every Friday to hear Tom and Crystal’s take on this and other hot Pelotopics. We’re available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeart, TuneIn. Be sure and follow us so you never miss an episode. You can also find the show online on Facebook.com/TheClipOut. While you’re there, like the page and join the group. Lastly, find us on our YouTube channel, YouTube.com/TheClipOut, where you can watch all of our shows.

See something in the Peloton Universe that you think we should know? Visit theclipout.com and click on Submit a Tip!