Going Hands (And Feet) On With The Virtual Reality Exercise Bike VirZoom

When most of us work out using cardio equipment or go running, we distract ourselves to make the pain and tedium less noticeable. Whether you pop in your earbuds as you run through the park or throw Netflix on your iPad when you jump on the Stairmaster, we're always looking for ways to trick our brains into being more accepting of exercise. Now, several stationary bikes provide you with a screen to give you new sights to see as you pedal miles upon miles. VirZoom, a company based in Boston, has decided to take that concept to a whole new level by integrating virtual reality into the experience.

I recently tried out VirZoom's upcoming stationary bike controller and walked away impressed and sweaty. The bike may look small and thin-framed, but I never felt as though it was unstable or not able to support my weight. As I pedaled, I noticed how quiet the bike is. With most stationary bikes, you get either the noise from the internal fan or squeaking from the rotation of the pedals. With VirZoom, I didn't notice any of that – granted, I was using one that I assume is a brand new unit.

For the purposes of the demo, I strapped on a PlayStation VR headset, one of three headsets that VirZoom will support (Oculus and Vive being the others). Once in a world, I could look at the full 360 degrees surrounding me. I could also lean left or lean right to change the position of my character in the games. Leaning is also used to select the experience within the main menu. Each handle features a trigger, which performs a variety of functions depending on the game you're in. There are also four face buttons on the front of the handles.

I was able to try three games during my brief time with VirZoom. You can read my impressions of each title below.

Stampede!

The first game I played placed me on a horse in the wild west. The faster I pedal, the faster my horse gallops. We're chasing down raiders who have been ravaging the town. I pedal fast to catch up to the pack of criminals who are trying to escape. I lean to the right to steer my horse closer. When I get within a certain radius from the fleeing crook, I press a button and my character brings up a lasso. Once I'm twirling the lasso over my head, I must time a button press correctly in order to successfully wrap up the enemy and pull him off his horse.

I repeat this for the rest of the wave before I need to pedal faster to catch up to the next group of enemies. I repeat the process with this group. Each successive group of bandits gets harder and harder. While this is the only mode I was able to try, each game features multiple challenges centered around the same general concept.

Go Fast Car

The second demo I tried put me in the cockpit of a souped-up race car. Before I put the vehicle in motion, I lean to the left and right to look in my side mirrors. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, but something's off. I'm a dog. Not an anthropomorphic dog like the characters from Star Fox, but an actual, realistic looking dog with my tongue hanging out. It's strange and funny and cute all at the same time and adds a small dash of charm to the otherwise grueling racing experience.

The timer begins and I start pedaling as fast as I can. The dashboard tells me whether I'm in high gear or low gear, as well as how fast I'm moving. As I enter the first turn, I shift to low gear by pulling one of the triggers on the handle and lean to steer the car through the turn. The further I lean, the sharper the vehicle turns. When I come out of the corner, I shift into high gear and speed down the straightaways. After I finish my first lap, a ghost vehicle mimicking my best lap appears to challenge me. This pushes me to go faster, and after three laps, I can feel the sweat beginning to gather on my back. Though it's simple, it was very enjoyable.

Pegaso

As I enter the third and final demo in VirZoom, I'm once again galloping around on a horse. This time, though, I'm riding along a gorgeous cliff side. I look ahead to see a defined trail that I can follow. I look out to the left to check out the superb view, but I notice something odd: This horse has wings. I pick up some more speed and pull the trigger and my Pegasus takes off. I control the altitude by pedaling faster and using the trigger. I'm able to explore this open area as much as I'd like, or I can simply stay the course I was on and gallop around while taking in the beautiful vistas. Naturally, I decide to explore. Hidden throughout the world are items, which I can make my goal to collect. 

After several minutes of exploration, I jump to another mode in Pegaso where my goal is to eat the apples on screen as quick as possible. In order to do this, I must vary my pedal speed and change my altitude, all while leaning to steer my steed in the direction it needs to go. The mode is fun to play and feels like interval training at times as I need to start and stop pedaling regularly in order to get my Pegasus to where it needs to be. The final mode I try is a variation where I need to do the same thing, only my Pegasus has a limited amount of energy. Eating apples is the only way to give it a boost in energy, and the objective is to stay off the ground. I make it no longer than five minutes before my exhausted horse plummets to the earth and my game is over.

I train on an exercise bike fairly regularly, but I was still sweating a good amount and breathing heavily at the end of my 20 minutes on VirZoom. The controller feels good and the games are made to make you forget you're exercising. I hope the company provides more depth for these games in the future, but for now, they fulfill their purpose. VirZoom is set to hit in the first half of 2016. For pre-order information, you can check out the news of the announcement here.