So many of us don't exercise as often as we think we should because we just don't feel motivated. At the same time, we also probably feel a little bit guilty about how much TV we watch instead. One man invented a way to solve both problems, with a stationary bicycle that will stream Netflix for you, only if you keep on pedaling.
This bike is a clever commitment device, a concept economists and game theorists love in which commits do a thing they don't necessarily want to do (exercise) in exchange for something they want (Netflix). On his Instructables blog, Ronan Byrne says he invented his Cycflix to teach himself computer coding with python and "maybe (a big maybe) get me using the exercise bike."
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Byrne rigged the bike to his computer so that he can enter how long he wants to exercise and how fast, also allowing for different speed intervals. Once he selects what he wants to watch, the video will play when he begins to pedal. If he stops or slows down below the goal speed, a dialogue box appears to warn him, and then the video pauses.
Before you get out your credit card, let's explain that this isn't a bike or an app you can buy at the moment. It's more of a DIY project that you can try to replicate at home if you're not intimidated by rewiring things and coding.
For those who don't want to build their own bike, there are two options: wait until a cycle manufacturer picks up this idea as the next big thing or trick yourself into thinking it exists already by restricting your Netflix viewing to the gym.
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