It’s raining, you want to ride, but your kit’s already soaking and your favourite trails are a hippo’s wet dream. The XBox is looking a good proposition. But there is another way.
We’ve just clapped eyes on the XDream exercise bike, designed to bridge the gap between the virtual world and those muddy trails.
With moving handlebars, cleated pedals, and the actual bike built by Giant, this isn’t your standard, utterly pointless gym machine.
Key to its appeal is the integrated computer which allows you to compete in virtual mountain bike races as you pedal. There are trails of every level, and even secret routes you have to do jumps to get to.
Greg Minnaar and Missy Giove train on them and the UCI is interested in some kind of worldwide indoor race next year.
When we took delivery of one, Jamer and Ric from Mountain Biking UK were soon battling it out on ‘pro’ level.
At £5,995 a pop you’d have to be seriously minted to fork out for one. But gyms are starting to pick them up, as well as some schools.
Trixter, the company behind XDream, also do cheaper versions for the home, starting at £699. They come without the computer, but you can buy add-on kits to allow you to use XDream training DVDs on a PSP or iPod while you’re pedalling.
Check out the vid of our boys in action on the XDream below and find out more at www.x-biking.com.
Trixter x-dream