Turn Your Old Exercise Bike Into a Smart Indoor Cycling Experience

CycleRun makes any exercise bike smart — for free. Use your webcam for cadence detection, ride real-world videos, and track your training. No sensors or upgrades needed.

Your Exercise Bike Deserves Better

There are over 60 million exercise bikes in homes worldwide. Most have one thing in common: they're boring to use. A basic display showing time, speed, and calories isn't enough to keep most people motivated beyond the first few weeks.

The fitness industry's solution? Buy a new smart bike for €1,000+ and subscribe to a platform. But what about the perfectly functional bike you already own?

CycleRun's philosophy: don't replace your bike — upgrade the experience.

How CycleRun Upgrades Any Exercise Bike

Without CycleRun

Staring at a wall or TV show. No feedback loop between effort and environment. No sense of progress or destination. Easy to quit after 10 minutes.

With CycleRun

Riding through real-world scenery (mountains, coastlines, cities). Video speed matches your pedaling effort. Real-time metrics: speed, cadence, distance, time. A destination to "arrive at" — completion motivates continued effort.

The Webcam Advantage

Your laptop, desktop, or tablet camera becomes a cadence sensor. CycleRun's computer vision algorithm identifies your leg/pedal motion areas, tracks pixel changes frame-by-frame, calculates half-pedal-cycles to determine RPM, and feeds RPM into a physics engine for speed calculation. All processing happens on your device.

Works With Every Type of Exercise Bike

Upright Exercise Bikes — Most common type. Side webcam gives best results.

Recumbent Exercise Bikes — Side camera at leg height works great.

Folding Exercise Bikes — Even compact €100 models work fine.

Air Bikes / Fan Bikes — Focus detection zones on knees to filter arm motion.

Under-Desk Pedal Units — Works if webcam can see pedal motion.

Why People Abandon Exercise Bikes (And How to Fix It)

Research from the fitness industry shows: 67% of home exercise equipment is abandoned within 6 months. The #1 reason: boredom. Adding visual engagement increases long-term adherence by 40%. Progress tracking adds another 25%.

CycleRun addresses both: engaging real-world videos + comprehensive metrics.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make my old exercise bike smart?

Yes! CycleRun turns any exercise bike into a smart indoor cycling setup. Your webcam detects your pedaling cadence, and the app provides virtual routes, speed tracking, and training metrics. No hardware upgrades needed.

Does CycleRun work with a recumbent exercise bike?

Yes. Position the webcam to the side where your legs are visible. The side camera angle works well for recumbent bikes since your legs extend forward. Set up the detection zones over your knees.

Can I use a cheap exercise bike with CycleRun?

Absolutely. CycleRun doesn't care about your bike's price or features. A €100 Amazon exercise bike works just as well as a €2,000 smart trainer. All that matters is that your legs move visibly.

How does CycleRun calculate my speed on an exercise bike?

CycleRun uses your cadence (detected via webcam), selected gear/resistance level, rider weight, and bike weight to calculate speed using real-world cycling physics. The formula accounts for rolling resistance, air drag, and drivetrain losses.

Is indoor exercise bike training effective for weight loss?

Yes. A 30-minute moderate indoor cycling session burns approximately 200–400 calories depending on intensity and body weight. Indoor cycling is low-impact, making it suitable for people of all fitness levels. Combined with CycleRun's engaging video routes, you're more likely to stick with regular training.

Can I use CycleRun on my TV?

Yes! Connect your laptop to your TV via HDMI, or use CycleRun's phone camera pairing: scan a QR code with your phone, enter a 4-digit code, and your phone's camera streams to your computer while you view the ride on your TV.

Ready to Ride?

Open CycleRun in your browser — free, no signup, no download.

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