Work Up a Sweat With Video Games

Healthy and video game aren't often in the same sentence unless it's to point out their incompatibility. But a new gaming peripheral aims to change that: With the Gamebike, invented by two orthopedic surgeons, you pedal to power your play.

The accessory version works with your Sony PlayStation or PS2. The $140 device is not all-inclusive; you need your own bike and trainer to hold up your rear wheel. A self-contained "fitness cycle" (which still requires a game console) costs $350.

The Gamebike, from a company by the same name, made its debut at the 2000 Electronic Entertainment Expo. The product only recently shipped.

Hardware Review

It's a sturdy set of equipment designed to make working out more enjoyable, and it even adds a level of depth to gaming.

The front piece of the Gamebike is a heavy swivel that holds the front tire. As you turn your bike left and right, it translates into steering commands for the game. You also hook up a speed sensor on the rear wheel frame that keeps track of rotations. Your pedaling converts to acceleration.

A PlayStation controller mounts onto your bike's handlebars. It's a bit awkward to use when you're pedaling full tilt, but it's there if you need it. Demonstrating some excellent forethought, the maker of the Gamebike provides a hard plastic cover for the controller to protect it from sweat.

The result is certainly a more interactive experience than a typical stationary bike.

"I don't even realize that I'm working out when I'm using it," says Dr. Craig Davis, one of the surgeons behind the device. He says it's geared toward road and mountain bikers with PlayStations, and its inventors hope it will also help combat child obesity.

"Child obesity is an epidemic in this country," Davis says. "And it's clearly a problem that is getting worse while video games are only getting more popular." With a Gamebike, kids can work out and still play games, he says.

Pedal Test

The Gamebike is much more fun and absorbing than just riding to nowhere, Davis says. And there's much to be said for an entertaining workout--both for kids and adults. I took the Gamebike for a spin, so to speak, with a variety of PS2 driving games and even some outside the racing genre.

The Gamebike is at its best in pure racing games of any form, from MX 2002 and Downhill Domination to NASCAR simulators or the Splashdown series of Jet Ski racers. I never got as good at racing as with a pure PS2 controller, but it was definitely a lot of fun. And you could easily hook up two of the devices and race against (and exercise with) a buddy.

You may not need the usual PlayStation controller; you can attach a handy programmable button near your bike's brakes using a hook-and-loop fastener. It's most useful as an in-game brake, but you can also set it for another action. When I was zipping around in the excellent Rumble Racing (where braking is a less-used option), it worked quite well for dropping bombs rather than slowing down.

Playing With Your Mind

The in-game acceleration is an on-off situation--you can adjust the sensitivity so you have to pedal harder to turn on the acceleration, but you can't accelerate gradually like on a real bike; it's all or nothing. Still, I often found myself instinctively pedaling harder to try to catch an opponent or climb a hill.

And the time? Well, it just flew by. Before I knew it, that sweat cover was coming in handy. I'd burned more calories in one race than I had in a month of shooters.

And speaking of shooters, the Gambike falls a bit short in a first-person shooter scenario. While I could move around well enough in SOCOM Navy Seals, it was clear the bike was out of its element--I got taken down rather quickly in the first encounter.

It's not the least expensive PlayStation peripheral on the market, but if you're looking to get more out of your gaming than just mental stimulation, or if you want to alleviate the boredom of winter bike training, the Gamebike isn't just spinning its wheels.