I had always thought that biking was one of the most satisfying exercises possible. I love the great outdoors, and biking gave me a way to experience them while getting fit and in shape. Then, one day, tragedy struck. I was involved in a major collision. I was not critically injured, but I was laid up in the hospital for several weeks. It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life, and when I was out of the hospital, I found I could not bike anymore. I would have panic attacks every time I got on my bike. I thought I would never be able to bike again until I got a lifecycle exercise bike.
I used to think the life fitness exercise bike was a stupid idea. It seemed like such a waste of time. Why would you bike towards a TV and move nowhere at all, when you could be enjoying the great outdoors? But after my accident, my lifecycle exercise bike was a blessing. I could not get on a real bicycle without feeling dizzy and panicked, so lifecycle exercise bikes were as close as I could get to a real outdoor bike riding experience.
Of course, I never saw the lifecycle exercise bike as an ends, but as a means. I planned the whole thing out while I was recovering. At first, I would only get on the lifecycle exercise bike for a few minutes at a time. You see, even sitting on an exercise bike would make me feel attacks of anxiety. Slowly, over a matter of months, I built up to longer and longer times. When I finally could stay on the lifecycle exercise bike for 20 minutes without feeling more than a slight bit of anxiety, I started the next stage my plan.
I started watching movies to simulate riding through an actual city. It may sound silly to you, but for recumbent bike enthusiasts they make videos to make it look like you’re actually on a real bike. They offer a first person perspective showing rides through Central Park, Golden Gate Park, and other famous scenic routes. The first time I tried one of these videos with my life cycle exercise bike, I was terror struck. I had to stop immediately. Soon, however, I was able to watch it for longer and longer. After that, it was only a matter of time before I ditched the lifecycle exercise bike and got back on my road bike.