I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

[DECK SWABBER 58]

WHAT IN THE WORLD.????

GF showed me an ad in the black friday newspaper crap for a virtual bicycle.
The kid sit's on a bike that doesn't move and watches the road/sidewalk whatever, move on a computer screen.

That has to be a truly LOW point for american society. And what percentage of
our adolescent's are obese???

If any young parent's with kid's read's this, PLEASE send your kid's outside
in the fresh air on a real bike.

 

[180shabah]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

My nephew just got one for his 3rd birthday, it really isn't that bad. It is interactive, the faster he pedels, the faster it goes. Of course he still prefers his real bike, but here in southern VA the rainy day/sunny day ratio is about 1:1. If you have ever had a 3yo couped up in the house for 4-5 days in a row, you would knowhow stressful it can get without a way to release a little "energy". As with anything else though, the key ingredients are moderation and supervision.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

WHAT IN THE WORLD.????

GF showed me an ad in the black friday newspaper crap for a virtual bicycle.
The kid sit's on a bike that doesn't move and watches the road/sidewalk whatever, move on a computer screen.

That has to be a truly LOW point for american society. And what percentage of
our adolescent's are obese???

If any young parent's with kid's read's this, PLEASE send your kid's outside
in the fresh air on a real bike.

However did we get along without them !!! LOL

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

If the thing requires actual exercise, I can see it for occassional use.

One of the things that scares me about modern society, is that parents now have to be extremely careful about letting their kids go out to play. With all of the molesters and nut jobs running around, doing what parents did 40 years ago (letting them play unsupervised), isn't always an option.



???

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Virtual skinned knees? Virtual baseball cards in the virtual spokes? Can you ride it far enough where you forget to come home for dinner??

However...... IDK that the Wii system has become extremely popular in physical therapy clinics and retirement homes for exercise

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

One of the things that scares me about modern society, is that parents now have to be extremely careful about letting their kids go out to play. With all of the molesters and nut jobs running around, doing what parents did 40 years ago (letting them play unsupervised), isn't always an option.
???

It is sad. Back when I was a kid, I was out the door after breakfast, grabbed the bike and hung with the neighborhood kids. BAck for lunch and out the door until dinner. Had dinner and was gone again until the street lights came on, then I better have hightailed it home. The folks never worried about me being abducted. That wasn't an issue then. Heck, all the parents in the neighborhood knew all the kids and their parents. Neighbors actually talked to eachother then.

As far as the virtual bike thing, it's a good idea for the winter months if you have 3 ft of snow on the ground. My wife and I ride our bikes on trainers during winter. Beats riding those stationary bikes. We don't go anywhere, but at least we're on a real bike. Seeing "stuff" move on a computer while riding would take the boredom out of just riding looking at a wall. We try to listen to music or even watch tv to make the time pass a little quicker.

But I agree, kids are getting lazier and lazier. These Wii's are a good idea to keep them moving, but it still keeps them in front of a screen. What happened to breathing some "fresh air"? The thing with Wii's or any other video contraption, they're short term. A kid will eventually get bored with it, then they're back on the couch watching tv or sitting on the computer on a boating forum!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

a lot of this stems from housing construction, after WWII, prior to WWII houses were built with front porches, no AC. people congregated on the front porch in the evening, took walks, say their neighbors.

after WWII, house were built with the patio, and fortress of the private back yard. no one see's their neighbors, and when they do, they are late to work. the get in the car, in the garage, windows up, AC on full blast. you are luck to get a wave from them.

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Had dinner and was gone again until the street lights came on, then I better have hightailed it home.

Street lights, hmph. Never had the things. We played after dark - hide 'n seek, kick-th-can. You haven't lived until you catch a cloths line in the mouth at full gallop.

Remember cloths lines?

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Street lights, hmph. Never had the things. We played after dark - hide 'n seek, kick-th-can. You haven't lived until you catch a cloths line in the mouth at full gallop.

Remember cloths lines?

I guess I should have said "street light". In my neighborhood(of a town about 600) there was one light. Unfortunately, it was at the end of our driveway(which was dirt, so were the surrounding streets). So the folks knew exactly when it came on..... How about taking a bath in a metal wash tub???? In the backyard! Now those were some good times....

 

[Boss Hawg]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Street lights, hmph. Never had the things. We played after dark - hide 'n seek, kick-th-can.

You haven't lived until you catch a cloths line in the mouth at full gallop.

Remember cloths lines?

Thats just funny- & true

 

[puddle jumper]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Street lights, hmph. Never had the things. We played after dark - hide 'n seek, kick-th-can. You haven't lived until you catch a cloths line in the mouth at full gallop.

Remember cloths lines?

I can just imagine that.

That,s just it, good kids now days sit at home and play video games so they cant get into trouble.

I think they need to get out even with the risks of modern day society and brake some windows (playing base ball). Its part of growing up.

PS i don,t even think the kids to day know how to play kick the can.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

One of the things that scares me about modern society, is that parents now have to be extremely careful about letting their kids go out to play. With all of the molesters and nut jobs running around, doing what parents did 40 years ago (letting them play unsupervised), isn't always an option.

It is sad. Back when I was a kid, I was out the door after breakfast, grabbed the bike and hung with the neighborhood kids. BAck for lunch and out the door until dinner. Had dinner and was gone again until the street lights came on, then I better have hightailed it home. The folks never worried about me being abducted. That wasn't an issue then. Heck, all the parents in the neighborhood knew all the kids and their parents. Neighbors actually talked to eachother then.

It is VERY sad what thing's have come to. Forty yrs. ago I was 11, mom was a stay at home mom as were most, and all the kids were out until dark with all the neighbors and parent's (who knew each other) watching from the front porch. No one worried about anything happening to us except scrapes and bruises. How time's have changed.

 

[26aftcab454]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

it is a diffrent world-
as a kid we would lay in the rear deck in the back window of the car on family road trips- never wore a bike helmet- my high school gave away shotguns as door prizes to students- there were ever smoking and dippin' areas for students. we would actually sit at a kitchen table for a home cooked meal- we had 3-TV stations.
no cell phones-computers-text message???

all the kids I see today are texting somebody- I do not even know how to do it.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Yup, a lot of us remember when you walked home a mile or more from school, actually made it without being abducted, dumped the books in your room and went out to play until supper time. You were then called home by a whistle, a cow bell or some other loud device .... well, except for the kid down the street, who's mom had a gawd awful screech and sounded like she had a bullhorn surgically implanted.

"bob .... beeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!"

When you got home, you were greeted by your mom, who pronounced you "filthy dirty" (which you were), told you to go wash up in a tone that made it sound as if you were radioactive (and was exactly the same tone as every other night of your life) and insisted that you "hurry!" BTW, she also looked like her own version of June Cleaver and your dad, Ward, was probably in the living room, reading his paper and smoking a pipe with some totally nasty smelling tobacco in it.

It was a simpler time and I often miss it.



???

 

[tommays]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Well

Way back when the battery powered outdoor toys were the rage i was allways the Bad father becasue i would only by pedel powered things for my children and you could get some pretty cool stuff like the littel tykes car

They thank me for it now that there adults

 

[ENSIGN]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

I saw my nepheu on thanksgiving,takes up half the counch,really sad

 

[dave11]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

There is a training program for bicyclists to use. They hook up their bike to a computer and an ergometer. You can pace yourself, have the computer provide you with a competitor, or you can race with a friend who also has the same set up. It is not a toy at a couple grand, but it is an excellent training tool.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

There is a training program for bicyclists to use. They hook up their bike to a computer and an ergometer. You can pace yourself, have the computer provide you with a competitor, or you can race with a friend who also has the same set up. It is not a toy at a couple grand, but it is an excellent training tool.

Go out in the fresh air and sunshine.

 

[DECK SWABBER 58]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Yup, a lot of us remember when you walked home a mile or more from school, actually made it without being abducted, dumped the books in your room and went out to play until supper time. You were then called home by a whistle, a cow bell or some other loud device .... well, except for the kid down the street, who's mom had a gawd awful screech and sounded like she had a bullhorn surgically implanted.

"bob .... beeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!"

When you got home, you were greeted by your mom, who pronounced you "filthy dirty" (which you were), told you to go wash up in a tone that made it sound as if you were radioactive (and was exactly the same tone as every other night of your life) and insisted that you "hurry!" BTW, she also looked like her own version of June Cleaver and your dad, Ward, was probably in the living room, reading his paper and smoking a pipe with some totally nasty smelling tobacco in it.

It was a simpler time and I often miss it.



???

I used to walk or ride my bike a mile to school each day.
LOL, My dad used to sit on the couch, reading the paper, smoking his pipe, waiting for dinner.

I miss those time's too. Their both gone now.

 

[dave11]

Re: I Can't Believe I'm Seeing This

Go out in the fresh air and sunshine.

I agree, now. I used to live in up the Northeast.We had 5 or 6 months of HARD Winter. You really don't want to ride a bicycle through the salt, slush, snow, and ice on a bike that costs more than your car.