Google Maps + Exercise Bike = Virtual Bike Ride

Hook up your exercise bike to Google Maps and turn your boring stationary bike into a virtual reality excursion!

Step 1: Parts List

To do this project, you're gonna need to gather a few parts:

• USB keypad that has arrow keys.
• A wired magnetic window or door alarm.
• Soldering equipment
• An exercise bike and a laptop.

Comments

[mrworf]

Why don't you just drive a real bike?

[techboy411]

You are a GENIUS! You are the best in these things.

[GameNox]

It's not really a "hack".

[alltootechnical]

Upload it to Google Demo Slam!

[godofal]

hmm, im stunned by how people always find new way's to to exactly the same as before! what improvement is there, compared to just grabbing your bike and go out for real? you actually see alot less!! nice idea, and instructable, its just that i think that's a bit odd....

[steve5006]

Things like this are very useful in places such as Canada where the biking season is only about 4 months long on a good year

[Light_Lab]

Last time I went out in the real world on my bike a pack of teenagers in a car had target practice driving past and spitting on me. Anyway I would rather ride a virtual bike around the Grand Canyon or along the streets of Tokyo than around my suburban block for real. Another thing, In my current condition, I think it would be easier for the ambulance driver to find my body at home rather than a nondescript "somewhere around the block" {^..^}.

[jlms]

You don't live in London (or any other big town with poor cycling infrastructure) where it is impractical to just grab your bike and go out.... And clearly you live in a tropical country where snow is not an issue...

[rabidy]

sometimes you want to take a bike ride but its raining, or too hot. or too cold.

[godofal]

iknow, but what kind of wussies are we? we wont melt XD

[Teaeyeem]

bikes rust

[godofal]

if ur bike rusts, u got a bad bike....

[TheChemiker]

No kidding.

[mason0190]

dude bikes rust all the time.

[TheChemiker]

Only cheap ones rust quickly, and if you take care of your bike, it won't rust. I've taken my bike on many rides in the rain, I just bring it inside afterwards and it never rusts. Bikes only rust if you let them sit outside 24/7.

[mason0190]

when you have a garage full of $#!7, a tarp over the bike doesnt work, just leave it out. i have a leaky garage too

[scraptopower]

And everyone knows carbon bikes melt in the rain! ;)

[TobaTobias]

Genius!!!

[warengadia]

nice job i have learn about this project

[johnnyblegs]

How to you turn?

[gigafide]

Eitehr just manually press the arrow keys, or you could wire other alarms up to the other arrow keys.

[mason0190]

or add buttons to the handle bars that connect top the left and right keys!

[dodo91]

GENIOUS!! I SHALL DO THAT!

[geoslim13]

I have seen one that has virtual reality goggls hooked to the computer

[Bayfielder]

Very ingenious! I love the simplicity of it. I feel very bad bringing this up now, but how do you steer this thing? I hate having to stop every once in a while to drop the little man in a new spot. I'm going to monkey around the keypad, maybe wiring an old joystick to it will work. I'm just not that familiar with the google controls.

[mason0190]

or add buttons to the handlebars wired to the left and right keys

[Foaly7]

You could even connect the computer to your tv, but that would probably be more expensive.

[halberdear]

Nope. Aslong as your PC has a good enough graphics card you can use your TV the same way you would use a monitor

[mason0190]

if you have a fancy tv you can even use HDMI from your pc

[kcls]

What happens if you have to turn?

[TheChemiker]

That is what I was thinking.

[mason0190]

add some buttons on the handlebars wired to the left and right buttons?

[mason0190]

G GE GEN GENI GENIO GENIOU GENIOUS GENIOU GENIO GENI GEN GE G .. now where can i pick up one of those alarms? TrueValue® maybe?

[mason0190]

and maybe add some buttons on the handles to turn left and right?

[bumper44]

What brand/model laptop is that. I like it....

[mason0190]

it looks like a MacBook Air

[othar]

simple... and do the job.... mcGyver spirit .... perfect,,, i will do it for my Treadmill

[inchman]

I am trying to figure out the best way to do this on a treadmill. (I will make and 'ible if I figure it out.) My concerns are... 1-How to keep a piece of metal attached to the rubber mat without compromising the mat. 2-The refresh rate of the Google maps it takes upwards of 4 seconds to refresh the image on google maps, yet my belt passes the but the belt takes 1.1 second (at 7 mph) on the treadmill to rotate. So I would need to figure out how to "gear down" the signal or how to get it only to close the contact on ever 4th (or more) rotation.

[JonnyDude2008]

1) Attach magnet to your shoe. 2) Attach the receiver part to the right/left (depending which shoe you placed the magnet on) of the rotating mat. This way whenever you take a step the switch will be triggered.

[Squirrelfriend]

Purchase a replacement lawnmower wheel and build an arm which holds it in contact with the mat, Attach the magnet to the wheel

[Light_Lab]

Use a piece of the flexible rubber magnet from a refrigerator door seal stuck on with contact glue designed for rubber. Set the Keyboard repeat properties in windows to a Long Delay and Slow repeat. You will be running in slow motion on the screen put you can pretend you are really an Inchman with legs 1/4 scale {^..^}.

[amando96]

That keypad has BS button, would come in useful.

[alltootechnical]

Is there an alternative to a magnetic reed switch?

[therevoltaconyoutube]

cool

[salasrcp90]

so smart!!!

[garczi]

this is damn creative!

[instruct39]

Great instructable! this is so cool and easy, i voted for it in the usb contest.

[Light_Lab]

It's pretty easy to pull the chip out off an old full keyboard. Even an old keyboard that has succumbed to the combined effects of gravity and hot coffee. By connecting a switch between a pair of the control pins on the chip any key on the full keyboard can be emulated. In this way you could put in steering etc etc. The chip is usually already on a circuit board complete with USB cable and LEDs. A few toggle switches and a joystick you could make a combined Exercise Machine Games Console. Great for deflabbing those teenagers (and others) hooked on computer games.

[tripl3x]

Lol, just figured out a nice use for this. Riding bicycle in GTA San Andreas, and you could use 2 switches on the handle bars for turning. In GTA San Andreas to cycle faster you have to press the Up key (or W) many times fast so it's quite nice to try like this :P.

[dark sponge]

I like the simplicity of this project. If I were directed to make something like this without any instructions, I probably would have a microcontroller interfacing with a computer in a complicated way that only experienced people would even attempt this project. But with your idea, almost anyone can do it, and for that I give you 5 stars.

[Wesley666]

Plus, because of simplicity people can add to it. If you added two momentary switches to the sides of the bike and to the left and right arrow keys you could turn corners if you wanted to.

[gummypaul]

This way when you fall off your bike you don't get road rash. Better wear your helmet though : )

[T3h_Muffinator]

Super neat! How about adding statistics like how fast you're going and how far you've traveled??

[matstermind]

too bad streetview doesn't run smoothly

[cowscankill]

That's awesome! I would sooo build that if I had the money... I've been wanting to get in shape but it's so hot here.

[TSC]

Cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sc lightning]

It would be neat if you placed laptops on either side of you. it facing the side of the road then it would be a little more realistic

[Ben.land101]

personally, i find that hilarious. but you should also mention that you need to go to the street view on google maps.

[ih8gates]

Nice. I think I saw you demo this at the Durham NC Maker Faire!

[zascecs]

That's pretty neat!

[1stthings1st]

Sweet idea! How do you think of these things? There is a laptop holder that mounts on the handle bars on any bike. This would put the laptop right at your finger tips. It is called a FitDesk. I have one and can post a photo if anyone wants to see it.

[robot117]

This is a cool idea, but why not just go out side for a bike ride. I heard that the graphics are really good :p

[valhallas_end]

The real world is not HD :-P. ...unless you have 20/20 or better...hmm...alright, I'll try this "real world"

[Chowmix12]

or any vision enhancement peripherals aka glasses or contacts...

[nickodemus]

A nice adaptation would be of Eric's treadmill desk! :D

[nickodemus]

I would try this... But I can't get StreetView to render fast enough to be enjoyable...

[Jareth247]

Y'know, this could have potential in the arena of computer gaming. And if you know how, maybe use a head-mounted display in lieu of a monitor (maybe make one?).

[timweaver17]

awesome sir.

[your dog]

wow thats a neat idea!