Well, obviously I'm displeased. The bike was shipped FedEx Home, and instead of going to the main office of my apartment and having the building manager sign for it, they came to my apartment door and left a doortag.
So I figure, no big deal, I'll go pick it up tonight at the package center. So I call FedEx to set it up.
Nope. FedEx Home packages don't go back to the delivery center. They also don't deliver Sunday.. or Monday. And I can't go pick it up anywhere on Sunday, or Monday either.
So to avoid that whole fiasco again I've asked them to hold the package at a FedEx Shipping Center, but it won't be delivered there till Tuesday. Arg.
Not impressed - I've never heard of a package being held hostage on a Monday.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
The Bike Arrives Tomorrow!
Just a quick update - I ordered the bike last Saturday evening and it'll be arriving tomorrow. Can't wait!
I've been playing my baby Worgen Warrior with the release of Cataclysm. Should be interesting playing a melee class with the PC bike. And the real question is.. does "Charge" count as cheating if I'm on the bike? ;)
I've been playing my baby Worgen Warrior with the release of Cataclysm. Should be interesting playing a melee class with the PC bike. And the real question is.. does "Charge" count as cheating if I'm on the bike? ;)
Monday, December 6, 2010
Choosing the Bike and Add-ons
So while I wait on the PCGamerBike to get here, I thought I'd go into a little background on how I picked the specific bike and setup.
The PCGamerBike is built around the Magnetrainer, a similarly-shaped mini bike for exercise. As far as I can tell, the PCGamerBike is just some sensors and accelerometers added on to the Magnetrainer base. Now this is good news as far as the bike is concerned - the Magnetrainer has quite a few positive reviews at Amazon (as opposed to the PCGamerBike which only has 4).
After looking at the Magnetrainer and seeing it had a "PC Connection Kit" for $50, I wondered if I shouldn't just get the Magnetrainer + PC Connection Kit and save about $20. However after quite a bit of poking around I found, buried in the PCGamerBike site, that the Magnetrainer + PC Connect would only support forward movement - not backward movement, and not the speed toggle from walk to run and vice versa for RPG-style games. The PCGamerBike seems to have additional sensors to support these modes (this is me trying to sound like I know the technical basis for any of this).
The site also claimed the PCGamerBike (PCGB) would be 'more responsive' than the Magnetrainer + PC Connect, but it's unclear how much more responsive the PCGB is, or if that's more of a marketing spin. Since I knew I wanted to use the PCGB primarily for WoW and other MMOs that could use the added PCGB features, I decided to go for the actual PCGamer-branded bike.
As for add-ons, I eventually decided to also buy the "large pedals with velcro straps" add-on for the bike. I'm thinking I'll likely want to use it barefoot or with socks quite a bit, and the larger pedals look a lot more supportive of the full foot (whereas the small pedals seem like they could hurt on a bare foot, if they started digging in over time). Just say no to bruised arches. This may have been an unnecessary purchase, but I'll post some pics of both sets of pedals when I get them for better comparison.
The PCGB also offers "handle" add-ons to give you something to hold on to as you pedal. I wasn't interested in these since I plan to be using a keyboard and mouse. An optional "gamepad" was also offered, but if I want to play using a gamepad I'm more likely to use an Xbox360 Controller so I also decided against the controller.
Now, to back up a little, the company that makes the PCGamerBike also makes a full 'bike conversion' kit called the "XRGameKit" (no idea what the 'XR' stands for). The kit seems to be made for people who have a current stationary bike they like to use - you attach sensors from the kit to your existing stationary bike and it transmits the data to the PC to indicate if you're moving forward or back. This seemed interesting for people who already have a bike, but I don't, so I didn't much care. However what did peak my interest is the XRGameKit also comes with the 'GameHat' - a baseball-style hat with a sensor that can tell when you tilt your head left/right/forward/back. This sounds like it could add a whole new element to the game - I could picture myself wheeling around Azeroth, head tipping slightly to the left and right to navigate, bumping my face towards the ceiling to jump, and glancing down to toggle 'Sneak'.
It sounds pretty cool - but it could also be downright annoying depending on how sensitive it is. Too sensitive and you end up with a stiff neck trying not to lean left or right. Not sensitive enough and you'll get whiplash from lolling your head around in a desperate attempt to navigate a switchback trail up a mountain (not to mention you just look plain stupid - a valid concern for those of us who share a living space with others and may be open to ridicule.)
After some deliberation I decided not to purchase the XRGameKit. Although the hat sounded interesting and immersive, there was no real added value to it in terms of exercise, and I would have had to shell out another couple hundred dollars to buy a bike to stick the sensor clips on to. However, I have decided if after 6 mos I'm still merrily pedaling around Azeroth, I'll pick up the XRGameKit and clip the sensors to my PCGamerBike. This will let me test out the Game Hat as well as directly compare the sensitivity and responsiveness of the XRGameKit sensors/software to the PCGamerBike.
The PCGamerBike is built around the Magnetrainer, a similarly-shaped mini bike for exercise. As far as I can tell, the PCGamerBike is just some sensors and accelerometers added on to the Magnetrainer base. Now this is good news as far as the bike is concerned - the Magnetrainer has quite a few positive reviews at Amazon (as opposed to the PCGamerBike which only has 4).
After looking at the Magnetrainer and seeing it had a "PC Connection Kit" for $50, I wondered if I shouldn't just get the Magnetrainer + PC Connection Kit and save about $20. However after quite a bit of poking around I found, buried in the PCGamerBike site, that the Magnetrainer + PC Connect would only support forward movement - not backward movement, and not the speed toggle from walk to run and vice versa for RPG-style games. The PCGamerBike seems to have additional sensors to support these modes (this is me trying to sound like I know the technical basis for any of this).
The site also claimed the PCGamerBike (PCGB) would be 'more responsive' than the Magnetrainer + PC Connect, but it's unclear how much more responsive the PCGB is, or if that's more of a marketing spin. Since I knew I wanted to use the PCGB primarily for WoW and other MMOs that could use the added PCGB features, I decided to go for the actual PCGamer-branded bike.
As for add-ons, I eventually decided to also buy the "large pedals with velcro straps" add-on for the bike. I'm thinking I'll likely want to use it barefoot or with socks quite a bit, and the larger pedals look a lot more supportive of the full foot (whereas the small pedals seem like they could hurt on a bare foot, if they started digging in over time). Just say no to bruised arches. This may have been an unnecessary purchase, but I'll post some pics of both sets of pedals when I get them for better comparison.
The PCGB also offers "handle" add-ons to give you something to hold on to as you pedal. I wasn't interested in these since I plan to be using a keyboard and mouse. An optional "gamepad" was also offered, but if I want to play using a gamepad I'm more likely to use an Xbox360 Controller so I also decided against the controller.
Now, to back up a little, the company that makes the PCGamerBike also makes a full 'bike conversion' kit called the "XRGameKit" (no idea what the 'XR' stands for). The kit seems to be made for people who have a current stationary bike they like to use - you attach sensors from the kit to your existing stationary bike and it transmits the data to the PC to indicate if you're moving forward or back. This seemed interesting for people who already have a bike, but I don't, so I didn't much care. However what did peak my interest is the XRGameKit also comes with the 'GameHat' - a baseball-style hat with a sensor that can tell when you tilt your head left/right/forward/back. This sounds like it could add a whole new element to the game - I could picture myself wheeling around Azeroth, head tipping slightly to the left and right to navigate, bumping my face towards the ceiling to jump, and glancing down to toggle 'Sneak'.
It sounds pretty cool - but it could also be downright annoying depending on how sensitive it is. Too sensitive and you end up with a stiff neck trying not to lean left or right. Not sensitive enough and you'll get whiplash from lolling your head around in a desperate attempt to navigate a switchback trail up a mountain (not to mention you just look plain stupid - a valid concern for those of us who share a living space with others and may be open to ridicule.)
After some deliberation I decided not to purchase the XRGameKit. Although the hat sounded interesting and immersive, there was no real added value to it in terms of exercise, and I would have had to shell out another couple hundred dollars to buy a bike to stick the sensor clips on to. However, I have decided if after 6 mos I'm still merrily pedaling around Azeroth, I'll pick up the XRGameKit and clip the sensors to my PCGamerBike. This will let me test out the Game Hat as well as directly compare the sensitivity and responsiveness of the XRGameKit sensors/software to the PCGamerBike.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Journey Begins
Yesterday, after reading every online review I could find, I ordered the PCGamerBike Mini
:
So maybe it doesn't look like much. But I have high hopes this will be the key to finally getting in shape, using the only hobby I've consistently loved since I was 12.
Gaming.
And especially, MMORPG gaming (massively multiplayer games, like World of Warcraft). I admit to being a bit of an MMO addict. Not to the extent that I've lost my job and am living in my Great Aunt Mildred's basement subsisting on pork beans in a can, my only monthly bill paying for the fiberoptic internet connection. No, I haven't fallen quite that far.
But I have been known to take a week of time off work for the opening of a new MMO. Or to play 16-hour marathon sessions on the weekends in search of a particularly desirable piece of loot (curse you Zul'Gurub.. curse you.)
So back to the story. How is something that looks like a cross between a stationary bike for oompa loompas and a paintball gun (what is that hole on the back for?) going to help me get in shape, while still indulging my World of Warcraft (and Lord of the Rings Online.. and Final Fantasy XIV..) addiction(s)?
Well, Observant Reader, notice the coiled USB cord next to the bike. Yes, that plugs straight into a PC. And translates forward pedal-motion and backward pedal-motion into two distinct keypresses. (Translation - you can pedal forward and send the 'forward arrow' to the game, moving your character forward. You can also switch to pedaling backward and send the 'back arrow' to the game, moving your character back).
So you're getting the basic idea. Pedal around Azeroth while lounging in an armchair and controlling the forward/back movement with your feet, and turning, spell casting, etc with the standard keyboard and mouse controls. But is it really a workout?
Since I just ordered it and it's not yet here, I'll post more detail and personal experience when I get to try it out first hand. But what made me finally decide to buy the machine is that it offers a 'toggle' buttonpress when you hit a certain speed. This can be matched up with the walk/run toggle button in games like World of Warcraft. So, for example, you can set the bike to toggle 'walk' until you hit 10mph on the bike, and then toggle to 'run'. This provides an incentive to actually pedal with some energy, and from the reviews I've read translates pretty fluidly into WoW. If you get absolutely worn out, you can pedal as slowly as you want, and you'll continue forward at the 'walk' speed till you speed up again. (Anyone who has played WoW knows how aggravatingly slow that 'walk' speed really is... I use it to swagger around Dalaran when I get new armor, and for not much else.)
So how awesome is that? I speed up pedaling - my character speeds up. I slow down - my character slows down. I go backwards - my character reverses. It actually sounds fun. And this is coming from someone whose idea of daily exercise is taking the 3 flights of stairs up to her apartment.
The resistance on the bike can be set as well, so in addition to controlling the speed you pedal at, you can make it harder or easier to reach a set speed. From the online reviews it seems the higher resistance levels are enough for a good workout for semi-fit people, so I suspect it will be plenty for me.
With all the hype around 'exergaming' since the DDR craze and more recently, Wii Fit, I was really surprised this kind of system hasn't been getting more press. On Amazon it has 4 reviews. There are a few reviews from gaming sites when it was released in 2007, mostly positive. A feature on 'XPlay' with Tony Little (that leads to a dead link on the G4TV site). And not much else.
So have I just been bamboozled? Swindled by the promise of fun and exercise combined into one glorious activity? Blinded by the promise of losing weight while farming for those pesky Justice Points? By the idea that I can play WoW for 4 hours and then tell people I biked 50 miles (and maybe not mention half of that was running in terror from dragons)?
Maybe, maybe not. But that's why I'm creating this blog - to provide more information about the PCGamerBike system, its pros, cons, quirks, ways to set it up for maximum MMO gaming enjoyment, as well as quantitative metrics: weight lost, miles biked, and (approximately) hours played. Yes, I will post weekly on how much weight I lose each week biking through WoW. I do not intend to change my diet, or to set specific hours to play - my only 'rule' is, if I want to play WoW or any other MMO... I'll be doing it on the bike.
: |
| The PCGamerBike stock image in all its glory. |
So maybe it doesn't look like much. But I have high hopes this will be the key to finally getting in shape, using the only hobby I've consistently loved since I was 12.
Gaming.
And especially, MMORPG gaming (massively multiplayer games, like World of Warcraft). I admit to being a bit of an MMO addict. Not to the extent that I've lost my job and am living in my Great Aunt Mildred's basement subsisting on pork beans in a can, my only monthly bill paying for the fiberoptic internet connection. No, I haven't fallen quite that far.
But I have been known to take a week of time off work for the opening of a new MMO. Or to play 16-hour marathon sessions on the weekends in search of a particularly desirable piece of loot (curse you Zul'Gurub.. curse you.)
So back to the story. How is something that looks like a cross between a stationary bike for oompa loompas and a paintball gun (what is that hole on the back for?) going to help me get in shape, while still indulging my World of Warcraft (and Lord of the Rings Online.. and Final Fantasy XIV..) addiction(s)?
Well, Observant Reader, notice the coiled USB cord next to the bike. Yes, that plugs straight into a PC. And translates forward pedal-motion and backward pedal-motion into two distinct keypresses. (Translation - you can pedal forward and send the 'forward arrow' to the game, moving your character forward. You can also switch to pedaling backward and send the 'back arrow' to the game, moving your character back).
So you're getting the basic idea. Pedal around Azeroth while lounging in an armchair and controlling the forward/back movement with your feet, and turning, spell casting, etc with the standard keyboard and mouse controls. But is it really a workout?
Since I just ordered it and it's not yet here, I'll post more detail and personal experience when I get to try it out first hand. But what made me finally decide to buy the machine is that it offers a 'toggle' buttonpress when you hit a certain speed. This can be matched up with the walk/run toggle button in games like World of Warcraft. So, for example, you can set the bike to toggle 'walk' until you hit 10mph on the bike, and then toggle to 'run'. This provides an incentive to actually pedal with some energy, and from the reviews I've read translates pretty fluidly into WoW. If you get absolutely worn out, you can pedal as slowly as you want, and you'll continue forward at the 'walk' speed till you speed up again. (Anyone who has played WoW knows how aggravatingly slow that 'walk' speed really is... I use it to swagger around Dalaran when I get new armor, and for not much else.)
So how awesome is that? I speed up pedaling - my character speeds up. I slow down - my character slows down. I go backwards - my character reverses. It actually sounds fun. And this is coming from someone whose idea of daily exercise is taking the 3 flights of stairs up to her apartment.
The resistance on the bike can be set as well, so in addition to controlling the speed you pedal at, you can make it harder or easier to reach a set speed. From the online reviews it seems the higher resistance levels are enough for a good workout for semi-fit people, so I suspect it will be plenty for me.
With all the hype around 'exergaming' since the DDR craze and more recently, Wii Fit, I was really surprised this kind of system hasn't been getting more press. On Amazon it has 4 reviews. There are a few reviews from gaming sites when it was released in 2007, mostly positive. A feature on 'XPlay' with Tony Little (that leads to a dead link on the G4TV site). And not much else.
So have I just been bamboozled? Swindled by the promise of fun and exercise combined into one glorious activity? Blinded by the promise of losing weight while farming for those pesky Justice Points? By the idea that I can play WoW for 4 hours and then tell people I biked 50 miles (and maybe not mention half of that was running in terror from dragons)?
Maybe, maybe not. But that's why I'm creating this blog - to provide more information about the PCGamerBike system, its pros, cons, quirks, ways to set it up for maximum MMO gaming enjoyment, as well as quantitative metrics: weight lost, miles biked, and (approximately) hours played. Yes, I will post weekly on how much weight I lose each week biking through WoW. I do not intend to change my diet, or to set specific hours to play - my only 'rule' is, if I want to play WoW or any other MMO... I'll be doing it on the bike.
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