I was buzzing when I climbed off my winged unicorn. I’d spent the previous 20 minutes soaring through clouds, Pegasus’ wings beating to keep me aloft. I couldn’t stop grinning — who cared about melted foundation and a skinny jeans wedgie when I’d literally been on top of the world? As a longtime She-Ra fangirl, riding a modern-day Swift Wind was a dream come true.But seeing as winged unicorns don't exist in the real world, you'd be right to realize there was a catch: I’d been flying in virtual reality. I was riding the web-connected VirZoom fitness bike, with a high-end VR headset strapped to my face. How strongly I pedaled directly correlated to how far and fast I "flew," so when I slacked off, I drifted dangerously close to the ground. While I’m sure I looked incredibly dorky pedaling into the air, the physical and visual stimulation kept any embarrassment at bay. Controls are built into the bike’s handlebars, so the ride felt seamless — I barely noticed that I’d built up a sweat.Linking fitness equipment with virtual reality is a logical move. It’s an immersive alternative to the TV screens that fill every gym, and builds on the DDR and Wii Fit craze of the early 2000s, which essentially tricked people into exercise through entertainment. “There’s an element of escapism,” Spencer Honeyman, VirZoom’s director of business development, says. He says the experience is an extension of people who use iPads to work out, but instead of using music or video to distract you, there’s a 360-degree world to explore.What makes the VirZoom experience particularly effective is how responsive it is — when you shift left or right, the bike tilts with your weight, your display avatar mirroring your movements. When you move your head, the movement is reflected in your visual experience.At 39 pounds, the bike — which costs $399.95 — is easy to move around, but feels sturdy. “We promote interval training, using your body as the locomotion device,” Honeyman says. He says that 20 to 45 minutes is the average playtime.That’s enough time to speed around a track or use a tank to shoot down enemies (or friends, if you’re in multiplayer mode). VirZoom is packaged with five games, all with a distinct arcade feel — simple shooters and Wild West settings. The developers have added a bunch of endearing quirks; in the Go Fast car game, your racing competitors are puppies — and a slobbering Labrador is your wing mirror reflection. The handlebars have built-in heart rate sensors, which can sync calorie and energy data to your computer via Bluetooth. The bike can also be used as an emulator for regular VR games (though I’m not sure I’d want to pedal my way through Half-Life 2).