Exercise system and method

1. A method for providing live and archived cycling classes to remote users comprising:

providing information about available live and archived cycling classes that can be accessed via a digital communication network by a first user using a first stationary bike at a first remote location for display at the first remote location via an interface that includes a display screen, whereby the first user can select either a live cycling class or select among a plurality of archived cycling classes to be displayed on the display screen;

receiving from the first user a selection of one of the available live or archived cycling classes for display on the display screen at the first remote location;

providing digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class to a computer at the first remote location for display to the first user on the display screen;

detecting a plurality of performance parameters from the first stationary bike at the first remote location at a particular point in the selected cycling class;

displaying at least one of the plurality of current performance parameters detected from the first stationary bike at the first remote location on the display screen;

detecting a plurality of performance parameters from a second stationary bike used by a second user at a second remote location at the same point in the selected cycling class; and

displaying at least one of the plurality of performance parameters detected from the second stationary bike on the display screen at the first remote location such that at least one of the performance parameters from the first stationary bike at the particular point in the selected cycling class and at least one of the performance parameters from the second stationary bike at the same point in the selected cycling class are presented for comparison on the display screen at the first remote location.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital and audio content sent to the computer at the first location is streamed for display to the first user in substantially in real-time.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital and audio content sent to the computer at the first location is archived content provided from a database.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying the digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class on the display screen at the first location.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class is displayed via a user interface.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising displaying the performance data in secondary windows via the user interface.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the performance data includes pedal cadence.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the performance data includes power output.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the performance data includes heartrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending video chat data from a server to the computer at the first remote location for display to the user on the display screen at the first remote location.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising receiving video chat data from the computer at the first remote location.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising sending the video chat data from the computer at the first remote location to another user.

13. A method for providing live and archived cycling classes to remote users comprising:

providing information about available live and archived cycling classes that can be accessed via a digital communication network by a first user using a first stationary bike at a first remote location for display at the first remote location via an interface that includes a display screen, whereby the first user can select either a live cycling class or select among a plurality of archived cycling classes to be displayed on the display screen;

receiving from the first user a selection of one of the available live or archived cycling classes for display on the display screen at the first remote location;

providing digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class to a computer at the first remote location for display to the first user on the display screen;

detecting a plurality of performance parameters from the first stationary bike at the first remote location at a particular point in the selected cycling class;

displaying at least one of the plurality of current performance parameters detected from the first stationary bike at the first remote location on the display screen;

detecting one or more performance parameters from each of a plurality of other stationary bikes used by a plurality of other users at a plurality of other remote locations at the same point in the selected cycling class; and

displaying at least one of the one or more performance parameters detected from each of the plurality of other stationary bikes on the display screen at the first remote location such that at least one of the performance parameters from the first stationary bike at the particular point in the selected cycling class and at least one of the performance parameters from each of the plurality of other stationary bikes at the same point in the selected cycling class are presented for comparison on the display screen at the first remote location.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the digital and audio content sent to the computer at the first location is streamed for display to the first user in substantially in real-time.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the digital and audio content sent to the computer at the first location is archived content provided from a database.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising displaying the digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class on the display screen at the first location.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the digital video and audio content comprising the selected cycling class is displayed via a user interface.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising displaying the performance data in secondary windows via the user interface.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the performance data includes pedal cadence.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the performance data includes power output.