An Amusement & Diversion for The Genteel Cyclist. Daily.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Pedal-powered time machine!

At bike shops and bike races all over the country this summer, we're seeing lots of virtualization software attached to bikes on trainers. The idea is to connect wattage meters on trainers with powerful software. The whole operation mimics various race scenarios.

But the idea isn't that new. Consider this "LaserTour" device from 1982--noticed today by the geeks at Boing Boing-- that effected the same experience 25 years ago.





Personally we'd rather ride, you know, an actual bike on an actual road. But we dig the polo shirt, the running shorts, and the whole microfiche-machine vibe of this thing. If today's training gizmos looked anything like this rumpus-room relic, we'd sign up for a watt meter in a heartbeat!

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