Patent ID: 7220219

Claim:
A free motion bicycle riding facilitating assembly, comprising: (a) a treadmill having a front and including a belt having an upper surface that is adapted to support a user riding a bicycle, said cycle having a limited range of forward and rearward movement 15 cm (½ foot) while on said treadmill; (b) a sensor adapted to produce a signal related to said bicycle's present and previous positions on said treadmill; (c) a belt rotation assembly adapted to rotate said belt at a speed responsive to said signal; (d) a motion-allowing force application device, adapted to apply a controlled rearward force on the bicycle, responsive to said signal, without preventing fore/aft motion, wherein said device is controlled so as to mimic physical effects felt by a cyclist on a stationary surface, where such effects include inertial resistance and wherein inertial resistance to actual fore/aft motion comprises a portion of the total apparent inertial resistance felt by an assembly user; and (e) wherein said motion allowing rearward force application device applies a rearwards force to a bicycle or rider on said belt in approximate proportion to said bicycle's acceleration relative to said belt upper surface, simultaneously with said bicycle's actual forward motion through said limited range of movement, in order to mimic the effects of inertia on said bicycle and rider.