Exercise bicycle brake assembly for providing variable braking signals

An exercise device comprising:

• a frame supporting a handlebar and a rotatable element;
• a pair of pedals coupled to the frame, the pedals to drive the rotatable element;
• a brake assembly coupled to the handlebar, the brake assembly comprising:
• a hood body coupled to the handlebar and defining an internal hood cavity;
• a brake lever movably coupled to the hood body;
• and
• a transducer disposed within the internal hood cavity and configured to generate a transducer output in response to movement of the brake lever, the transducer output corresponding to a current position of the brake lever, wherein the transducer is a linear potentiometer comprising a slide and the transducer output further corresponds to a position of the slide;
• a variable resistance device supported by the frame to control a resistance of the rotatable element to being driven, the control of the resistance being based on the transducer output;
• and
• wherein the brake assembly further comprises a plunger assembly disposed within the internal hood cavity, the plunger assembly comprising:
• a housing defining a housing cavity;
• a plunger disposed within the housing cavity and coupled to the brake lever such that the plunger is translatable within the housing cavity by movement of the brake lever;
• a guide extending from the plunger and coupled to the slide of the linear potentiometer such that translation of the plunger translates the slide;
• and
• a spring disposed within the housing cavity and biasing the plunger such that the brake lever is biased into a rest position.