Ok, i know this is going to sound really stupid, but here it is anyway :D

This morning I was planning to go out for running but the weather was too bad, raining and windy so i was pissed. Then i decided to at least ride my static bike at home but i always find it boring being between 4 walls all the time.

So... i decided to do something while riding... and fired up my Xbox360 with NBA2k7. I decided to ride the bike for the full game, at 11 minutes per quarter plus interruptions etc, it usually takes me an hour to play a game. An hour of riding at an average pace should be enough exercise to replace the daily running but also as house rule, i decided that every time i used the turbo button for my players to run, i would need to sprint too.

Ok, i started the game, at first worried of not being able to coordinate the hands while playing with the legs while cycling, but it was not a problem at all.

The first two quarters i was more or less ok, the game was pretty tied. But at the end of 3rd quarter i started to feel tired, so i couldn't use the turbo that much, and my playing and coordination was way worse so i started to lose by a 6 to 10 points difference. In the forth quarter i decided to force myself for the last effort, and started to use again more the turbo to create fast breaks (and sprinting myself) and managed to tie again, but in the last 5 minutes i was so tired, with sweat covering my eyes making it so difficult to play, not being able to sprint anymore, etc and i ended loosing by 8 points.

To my surprise, the experience was great and it made me really think twice when using the turbo button, feeling it way more realistic, if i used it, i had to sprint too, making me tired and lowering my accuracy when managing my players and shooting.

Even when it sounds stupid, it was a really fun experience and at same time, the hour of static bike riding was not boring anymore, i need to repeat it... but tomorrow, today i had enough playing time :D

NOTE: Yeah you can imagine my wife's face when she entered in the room and saw me sprinting while playing the console :D

I usually play College Hoops or another game on the 360 when getting my biking time in during the week. It certainly makes the exercise less boring and tedious. I've never tried the whole turbo deal, but I might soon. :)

I usually play College Hoops or another game on the 360 when getting my biking time in during the week. It certainly makes the exercise less boring and tedious. I've never tried the whole turbo deal, but I might soon. :)

ROFL, i'll make my wife to read this and maybe she won't think I'm that crazy for doing it :D

I think when you try to block a shot, you should have to lift the entire bike off the ground.

I know there has been the occasional half-hearted attempt before, but I remain amazed that there is no standard game controller interface for exrecise bikes and treadmills that you can hook up to a 360 or PS3. I'd love to be able to plop an exercise bike in front of the TV and have my pedaling and steering control a bike in game.

I know there has been the occasional half-hearted attempt before, but I remain amazed that there is no standard game controller interface for exrecise bikes and treadmills that you can hook up to a 360 or PS3. I'd love to be able to plop an exercise bike in front of the TV and have my pedaling and steering control a bike in game.

Agree, it could be an awesome training game where you set the distance, level etc or even pre-made races or full tours and you race against AI bikers or other runners... now imagine it online competing against other humans...

Agree, it could be an awesome training game where you set the distance, level etc or even pre-made races or full tours and you race against AI bikers or other runners... now imagine it online competing against other humans...

That would be cool. Xbox Live with leaderboards, etc.

The only issue in this is some sort of standard interface coming out of the bikes for speed and being able to set resistance (for hills, etc).

This thread has me thinking of that Seinfeld episode where George combines sex and food.

"It's only the 3rd quarter, why are you taking a knee?!"

"I'm sorry, but since we finished early, I can't allow my QB to throw passes anymore, and I'm too tired to run the ball, so I'm taking a knee until I can recover."

When I was in college one of our roommates would always wear his motorbike helmet when he was playing whatever fighter pilot game he was hooked on at the time. Said it made it feel more realistic.

We joked that if he hit the pilot eject button, we'd pick up his chair and throw him out the window to help with the immersion. How we laughed.

I know there has been the occasional half-hearted attempt before, but I remain amazed that there is no standard game controller interface for exrecise bikes and treadmills that you can hook up to a 360 or PS3. I'd love to be able to plop an exercise bike in front of the TV and have my pedaling and steering control a bike in game.

I've seen an arcade game with a real bike control a mountain bike in-game...

Today turbo button sprinting, tomorrow Lightning Bolt, Lightning Bolt.

Agree, it could be an awesome training game where you set the distance, level etc or even pre-made races or full tours and you race against AI bikers or other runners... now imagine it online competing against other humans...

http://www.vcycling.com/pages/experience.asp

very cool - I think this is a GREAT idea - in fact if someone did something like this at a gym I think it would be a runaway success.

but aren't you supposed to be regressing TT's!!?!?

very cool - I think this is a GREAT idea - in fact if someone did something like this at a gym I think it would be a runaway success.

but aren't you supposed to be regressing TT's!!?!?

Hehe, i need to do exercise too or my brain will burn :)