Virtual Cycle Rides - Bike Through the French Alps - for indoor cycling, treadmill and running workouts

Connected a rather old portable DVD player to a huge HD capable TV using a regular (none HD) cable. The DVD starts up with a start up screen enabling to make a selection of different "Walks". That screen isn't near to HD quality and of course it ain't "Walks" but "Drives". So the content isn't one long scenic drive but rather a couple of still considerable relaxing drives. Relaxing though sometimes the scenery passes by at a speed I certainly wouldn't make when driving through the Alps. Either the cameraman was a very fit biker or the camera was mounted on a motorbike. Each "Walk" can suddenly change scene but the videographic 'peeling' of the screen (scene transition) doesn't make that change too disturbing although it is unclear what made the scene change necessary. I wouldn't mind even longer continuing scenes.Each "Walk" goes into a loop: you can keep watching adinfinitum. The "Walks" itself are from a considerable higher image quality then the introduction screen, even when not watching in full HD. The sounds are enjoyable. I assume; can imagine; natural background sounds; maybe at moments enhanced.An enjoyable experience. Might be the start of a new collection or rather I'll go and visit these places myself.

Virtual Cycle Rides is very expensive for what it is.... i.e. a relatively slow film using a FIXED camera position, of a drive around sections of French countryside.... I didn't expect the pace to be so slow, neither did I expect the camera angle to stare blindly into the distance as the road swings left or right..... I realised when I ordered the 'film' that I would have no control over the speed but I did expect the 'director'* to be aware that whether walking, running or cycling the 'traveller' looks around the bends as the corners reveal! Interestingly the sequences are called WALKS 1, 2 & 3 which perhaps says a lot about the thought put into the product by the 'producer'* (note that I use the terms 'producer' and 'director' as a courtesy title considering little thought has gone into the ambience a cyclist would require - The DVD title suggests it is targeted at cyclists )The only thing that saves this from a one star is the attractive countryside..... won't be buying any other films from this company 8-(

A good idea, quite well executed. As others have said, if you are bored with riding your exercise bike or pounding your cross trainer this DVD will, to some extent, persuade you that you are actually getting somewhere and that you want to get to your destination before you stop. The image quality is not bad - certainly not realistic enough to fool you, but makes me wonder whether it might work equally well (as an incentive to keep pedalling) if the image was a cartoon and you were in a cartoon race. Well worth buying, anyway.

I play this on my laptop whilst cycling on my bike hooked up to a turbo trainer in our garage. Whilst I much prefer cycling outdoors I'm recovering from a fractured foot just now so I can't do much and the routes on this DVD are perfect. The scenery is so much nicer than looking at the boxes in my garage and the approximately 20 minute time of each of the workouts is perfect for what I can manage at the moment. I'm now looking forward to being able to build up to doing them twice or more at once. I can't see me getting bored of these anytime soon, so far I've spotted something different each time I've used the DVD!

Amazing! item arrived within 2 days well done, plus exercise bike which was gathering dust in garage has been used everyday. Its made it so interesting am cycling through pretty French villages, through mountain scenery, complete with flying birds, birdsong, cowbells, rolling countryside. Exercise doesn't feel like a chore really look forward to doing it now and twenty minutes flies by. Only tried first programme of four, others are swiss mountains, and coastal beach. describes as 'walks' who says can't cycle along the beach!! For those like me who find exercise bike a bore get this, it brings a whole new meaning to your daily workout.

It was exactly as described. Good for indoor cycling. Footage of the roads, nothing else. I add my own music. Seems a little expensive for what it is- but they all are

Great scenery and helped to ease boredom of indoor training. Actually got quite into it and found myself really pushing hard to climb the hills whilst using moutain program on my static bike.

really good DVD and makes indoor cycling a little less boring