London residents too busy to hit the gym every once in a while will soon get the chance to work out during their commute, thanks to a fleet of ingenious fitness buses packed full of stationary bikes.
“The Wheels on the Bus” children’s song is going to have a whole new meaning once British fitness company 1Rebel launches its new Ride2Rebel buses on the streets of London. The modified public transportation vehicles will feature stationary bikes instead of seats, allowing commuters to spin at their hearts’ content on their way to work. Buses will travel from four pick-up points in north, east, south and west London along the city’s most popular commute routes, all the way to the 1Ride studio where riders can come in for a shower and a smoothie before work.
The idea for these Ride2Rebel fitness buses was developed by 1Rebel co-founders, James Balfour and Giles Dean. “It is an absolute no brainer for us that we can create more efficiency in people’s routines by transforming their commute,” Balfour said. “For those who want the components of a class, but perhaps don’t have the time to commit during the day, this provides a great solution for them to maximise time they would otherwise be spending just travelling to work.”
Ride2Rebel basically leave workaholics who claim to be too busy to work out with no more excuses, and 1Rebel, one of London’s most popular fitness companies, confirms that interest in their novel idea is through the roof. “This morning interest peaked so much that the registration website crashed and had to be moved to a separate server,” Balfour told CNBC, last month. According to the Ride2Rebel website, there are currently 8121 people in line for tickets, and the service hasn’t even launched yet.
As for when the fitness buses will actually launch, it all depends on whether the plans get signed off by the government, but 1Ride claims Rid2Rebel will hit the city streets later this year. Apparently, safety concerns are the biggest obstacle in the way of this project becoming a reality. The bikes mounted in the buses do not currently include seatbelts, and Balfour made no mention of helmets, CNBC reports. “We are working with bus companies and the government to establish all health and safety conditions,” the co-founder said. “As this is such an innovative idea there are no established norms but due to the high levels of interest this is something that all our partners are focused on.”
If, and when Ride2Rebel launches, passengers can expect to pay £12 to £15 for a 45-minute ride.
1Ride is not the first to come up with the idea of a fitness bus full of stationary bikes. Last year, Boston company Bike Bus made headlines with a similar service.