futuristic fitness
Designer Eric Villency rose to fame in the fitness world by designing high-tech workout bicycles for SoulCycle and Peloton. This year, the 43-year-old innovator is branching out with the first workout bike released from his own company, Villency Design Group. The aptly named VDG Bike — which is made out of carbon steel and offers the possibility of customised colours, seats, handlebars, and pedals — will be available to both fitness studios and consumers.
“We took so much inspiration from outdoor bikes,” Villency says of the bold black design. “There’s a gracefulness to them, and we wanted to create a visual appearance informed by outdoor bikes.” Villency envisions his new model as an exercise tool that will be useful for fitness consumers, indoor cyclists and workout-oriented individuals who don’t always have time to go to the gym.
To that end, the VDG bike will come with a fitness app that tracks performance, speed, power, and other key metrics. The app — designed by Villency — personalises each individual ride and stores vital fitness information in the cloud.
Bikers may also appreciate the bike’s nearly silent belt drive — a novel magnetic braking system that’s calibrated to each user — and multifunctional holders that can effortlessly stow everything from weights to water bottles. For exercisers at home, the bike allows individuals to forgo a gym membership while still having access to the high-tech features they would find in bikes at the gym.
If there’s one thing Villency believes his bikes demonstrably prove, it’s that workouts don’t just have to be painful exercises; they can also be fun. “Indoor cycling has made fitness more fun and engaging to people,” he says.
The sleek fitness bike will cost between US$1,900 and US$2,300 (RM7,895 to RM9,558) depending on the customisation options that the buyer chooses. Bikes can be purchased through Villency Design Group.
