Ever wondered how a bike trip around the streets of Italy, Japan or California will go? Now you can with the Le Tour de France Indoor Cycle, an exercise bike that will tilts forwards and backwards to mimic any trail you’re training for.
Made by Pro Form, the bike does regular stationary pedaling machines one better by incorporating more than resistance to the equation. Instead, they also adjust the angle of the riding platform to model the incline or decline of the route you’re taking, giving users a more realistic road feel (less the potholes, of course).
The Le Tour de France Indoor Cycle comes with a control panel in front, where you can manage the 24 digital gear controls for personalizing your workout. The showcase feature, of course, is the Google Maps tie-in, which allows you to trace any street route on the integrated display panel and have the bike automatically adjust based on the road’s steepness profile. A selection of 24 pre-mapped routes are included, so you can get cracking right from the get-go.
Aside from that, it also adjusts based on wind resistance, as well as your height and weight, to replicate the aerodynamic drag you’re bound to experience on the road. Maximum incline is limited to 20% both front and back, so we doubt you can pretend to be riding up Mount Everest on this thing (you’ll need voodoo magic for that), but it should be plenty usable for more normal bike trails.
When it comes to training like a pro while holing up in your cave, we doubt it gets any more advanced than the Pro Form Le Tour de France Indoor Cycle. It’s available now, priced at a reasonable $1,299.
[ProForm]