A group of virtual cyclists tour a winding country road at Enhanced Fitness in McMurray

Buzz Gardner wants to get children in prime physical shape using the same video game technology that helped make them so sedentary in the first place.

At a time when childhood obesity has reached epidemic levels and “adult onset” diabetes is no longer uncommon in juveniles, Gardner combines stationary cycle-riding with computer-generated backgrounds ranging from the Tour de France to the breathtaking coastal outskirts of Durban in South Africa. He has created a virtual reality indoor bike system, called Vcycling which he believes can help kids – in fact people of all ages – win the war against obesity.

Essentially a bicycle connected to a computer, the rider on the Vcycle can see herself or himself on screen competing against their own previous records or real-live opponents pedaling their Vcycles. Each rider soon realizes that the faster they pedal, the faster they move on screen.

An astonishingly accurate recreation of a real-life bicycle race, I rode through a computer recreation of the French countryside, and was able to cut through the grass, weave around other racers, and even fall off my bike when I screwed up. Climbing a slight grade, I felt the resistance, and on a steep grade, my legs started burning. If a rider prefers to opt out of the competitive grind, she can simply take a scenic tour, through, say, the heart of Paris.

By giving the rider a physical and mental connection to the virtual environment, combined with the excitement of competition, the Vcycle offers an absorbing alternative to the typical LED readout simply displaying the distance still to go. With the Vcycle, the rider sees an open road ahead and other people on bikes trying to pass. And that’s the appeal Gardner says to a generation who would rather compete at Madden Football 2007 in their living rooms than play sandlot football.

“Some people think of technology as the enemy,” Gardner says, “but if you take what kids like to do, and let them compete, and tie it to exercise, then you can make a difference.”

From Banking to Kids’ Business
A former executive at Citigroup, Gardner retired in 2003 intending to take a year off to compete in triathlons and cycling events. During that time, he began to learn what an epidemic childhood obesity, ADHD, and Juvenile Diabetes really have become in America, and he decided he could try to impact these epidemics.

“I wanted to create a business that could make a difference for kids, but also for people of all ages,” he says.

Through cycling circles, he learned of a Dutch company, Tacx, that had created a virtual cycling system to help serious riders train year-round. Gardner loved the product, but he couldn’t understand why it wasn’t being marketed to a wider audience.

“That’s just not our customer,” he was told.

He worked out an arrangement to combine the Tacx system with Landrider bicycles and that became the first incarnation of the Vcycle. By adding some other technology he developed it into a commercial, group application.

The product was a hit with almost everybody who tried it. The non-profit group PE4Life endorsed the system as an effective way to get kids interested in exercise again and a great measurement tool to monitor improving fitness levels. Vcycling has also partnered with the President’s Council for Health and Fitness through its President’s Challenge Program.

Pedaling into the Future
Now Gardner and his associate Bill Pierce are trying to gain approval to get the Vcycle into schools and fitness centers. The complete system, with bike, computer, trainer and steering unit costs about $5,000, although somebody with an existing bike and a capable computer could buy the trainer, steering unit and software for about $1,000. Gardner has already agreed to include Vcycles at the new Strive Fit Center opening this fall on Valleybrook Road.

The Jersey Shore Area School District in Eastern Pennsylvania recently was awarded a PEP Grant and will be ordering 30 units. The Montoursville School District has had Vcycles up and running for a year, and they’ve proven hugely popular with students, staff and local residents. They open their modern facility to the public at certain hours.

Vcycling has become part of the Modern PE Programs that PE4LIFE promotes. In this PE curriculum, heart rate activity and other training data is captured and reviewed to track improving fitness levels.

In the long term, Gardner sees schools organizing virtual cycling competitions against other districts using a Vcycling system and internet lines, in much the same way that kids at home can play Xbox games against other kids across the country.

Gardner is also in talks with former pro cyclist and coach, Robbie Ventura. They are talking about setting up Vcycling virtual racing centers around the country and around the world where people could train and compete on the Vcycling system.

To increase appeal to those not as interested in the competitive aspect of virtual cycling, Gardner is adding virtual tours to his system. This will give a person who just wants to get some exercise the opportunity to pedal through the streets of Rome while a narrator points out the sights.

“It can be a beautiful, fun, and educational way to get some cardio fitness training,” Gardner says.

For more information visit www.Vcycling.com.