Patent ID: 7648446

Claim:
A stationary bicycle capable of approximately simulating a pedal resistance felt by a rider of a multi-gear, road-going bicycle, the stationary bicycle comprising: a flywheel; a rotatable crank connected to the flywheel such that rotation of the crank translates into rotation of the flywheel; pedals rotatably attached to the crank; an electronically controlled resistance device configured to interact with the flywheel to apply a resistance to the flywheel, wherein the resistance is translated back to the pedals causing a user to exercise, the applied resistance comprising a dynamic resistive load component and a static resistive load component; a display; at least one sensor configured to monitor a pedal velocity of the pedals multiple times during a single revolution of the pedals, the at least one sensor being further configured to output a sensor signal indicative of a magnitude of a change in the pedal velocity between two of said multiple times during the single revolution of the pedals, the dynamic resistive load component of the applied resistance corresponding to the sensor signal; a user input device configured to supply a resistance level selection of a user representing a selected bicycle gear, the static resistive load component of the applied resistance corresponding to the resistance level selection and being independent of the pedal velocity of the pedals; and a processor configured to receive the resistance level selection and the sensor signal and to output one or more control signals causing the electronically controlled resistance device to apply more or less resistance based at least upon the resistance level selection and the magnitude of the change in the pedal velocity between two of said multiple times during the single revolution of the pedals.