The exercise bike gets a makeover, and millions
Expresso Fitness, which makes a programmable stationary bike for gyms that comes somewhat close to the feeling of riding a real bike, has raised $9.3 million in a third round of funding.
The news was reported in VentureBeat.
The company's bike simulates a real ride better than typical stationary bikes, at least according to my short test rides. Users punch in a road profile--hilly, race, etc.--and go. It also downloads maps so you can ride through a simulation of a real course. More importantly, the company has spent a lot of time on the mechanics so that pedaling it feels more like a real bike. Users shift gears.
The screen shows riders their progress, heart rate, distance and other information. You can get videos and entertainment too. Here's a video we took of the bike at the Intel Developer Forum.
The difficult part for Expresso will be finding a market. It costs $4,995, a lot for something that's going to get encrusted with sweat and nose rockets. Thus, home users may not be likely to buy it; it's a lot cheaper to mount your bike on a $200 trainer. Gyms have invested a lot of money in spinning bikes and other equipment in recent years. Internet-enabled exercise bikes have also flopped in the past.
But for an exercise bike, it's a good ride.
