Taking Stationary Bikes to a New Age

Living a high tech lifestyle doesn’t necessarily make someone a couch potato. In fact, when looking for the best bike trainer, or stationary bike those who want more than a basic cycling experience have experienced more luck than the average gym goer. Early on, stationary bike manufacturers have attempted to keep up with the desires of those who wanted music, monitoring, and even a visual experience while on a make believe ride. Now, along with some bikes offering virtual training sessions online, at least one company is hopping on the VR train, and alleviating bike boredom in style.

Not Your Typical Stationary Bike

The reason we want some action as we take a ride to nowhere is easy. The human brain doesn’t like not having anything to do. The automatic motions necessary for cycling aren’t enough of a distraction to keep you from mentally doing your taxes while riding. This can actually add to the fatigue that’s natural after exercise, and it’s discouraging. One of the top reasons people start to break down, and drop off the exercise bandwagon is boredom. Like Gear VR, which came out last year, VirZoom has the cure for the workout doldrums with a virtual experience as you ride.

Everyone Wants the Same Thing

When you break down what riders want it sounds a little crazy. We want to take the bike out of the pleasant countryside, or beautiful mountain road into a gym, then recreate the more natural experience through virtual reality. While this seems counterintuitive at least, or somewhat perverse at worse, there’s a method to this exercise madness. The gym is more accessible to most of us than a nice country lane or a mountain road, and it’s possible to return to work after you are done without anyone accusing you of taking a long lunch.

Above and Beyond

With AirZoom forget the mountain roads. Where you are going you don’t need roads. The games this company has ready for you are included in the cost of the bike. Try auto racing, a wild west horse race, and a ride on a Pegasus. This is a great escape from the day, and it comes with the benefits of getting cardio without having to listen to the news, and completely distraction from starring at the weird bump on the back of the person in front of you. The glasses give you a sense of privacy, and the games give you a reason to keep your heart rate up.

The Platforms for Your Ride

The VirZoom connects to three of the most commonly hoped for VR platforms, including Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and Playstation VR. This leads to the first bad news regarding the AirZoom. Like all VR products it’s often years between the time the device is announced and the product actually finding its way into stores. Working with the three major VR companies the makers of this bike were hoping to have available by the early part of 2016, but this hasn’t happened yet. They aren’t giving up, so those who want their very own private Pegasusride will have to keep watching for their chance.

The Bike

The only other source of complaint some cyclists might have is the bike itself. This is a light weight station bike, and there are few differences between its design and bikes at a similar cost of less than $500. This is really more a case of VR games simply attached to a stationary bike, than it might be with a more top of the line model that had some bells and whistles of its own. Anyone expecting a more revolution riding experience will find disappointment with the Airzoom. Still, if getting standard exercise along with entertainment is the goal, this is one piece of equipment, and gadgetry that’s worth the wait.

With so many new possibilities on the market, it’s hard to make the right decision. Having the right information can help. Whether you are looking for the best bike trainer, or want to explore new technology, we can help you locate it quickly, with our comprehensive, interesting reviews and product comparisons.