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Indoor Cycling Just Got A Lot Less Boring


January 9, 2015 | Rhett Jones

Let’s face it, indoor cycling is boring. Especially in a city like New York, where you could be out getting exercise and seeing the teeming life around you all while actually getting somewhere. That prospect seems a lot better than sitting in a gym next to a flabby stranger, watching Fox News on an overhead TV. But sometimes it’s snowing or you want a new environment or you happen to be in a place that doesn’t have great bike options. Enter the ebove™ B\01 by Activetainment.

This new riff on virtual reality capabilities turns that exercise bike into a video game in which the resistance the rider faces and the motions of the bike correspond to the terrain in the virtual world displayed. Cyclists can choose to display the games graphics on a tablet or in VR goggles.

While the video embedded above goes off into some odd, over-the-top demonstrations that stretch credibility, the product is quite real and was just unveiled at CES, according to the company. While it’ll never be a substitute for the real thing, it could go a long way towards making gyms less awful.

(Photo: Activetainment)