Here's a novel way to while away the time and burn away some calories during those interminable long-distance flights: an exercise bike suitable for inflight use.
The airline which brought us an award-winning toilet in the Airbus A380 has now created an aircraft-ready stationary exercise bike for frequently-flying fitness fanatics.
Boffins at Lufthansa Technik – Lufthansa's engineering, maintenance, repair and overhaul service division – revealed the bike at the close of last week's Aircraft Interiors Expo at Hamburg.
It uses the same lean-back recumbent design as seen in many lifestyle gyms, but don't expect to hit the same rpm as you would on the ground due to the cabin pressure at altitude and lower oxygen concentration in the air.
FlightGlobal reports that Lufthansa Technik took an off-the-shelf product made by Italy-based Technogym and modified it to satisfy aviation regulations.
"For example, several of the standard components failed the fire protection rules and needed to be redesigned with materials that are more resistant to combustion. This was the case with the plastic seat structure, which has been replaced by an aluminium construction with honeycomb panels."
We're more interested in asking if there's a shower for a post-cycle wash, so fellow passengers don't have to put up with a sweaty seatmate...
David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.
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