Abstract: An exercise bicycle including a frame having a seat and handlebars, a high-inertia flywheel having a hub at a center of rotation, the flywheel being rotatably supported on the frame at the hub, and a drive train including a drive sprocket, a crank arm attached to and extending from the drive sprocket, and a pedal attached to the crank arm, the drive train being rotatably supported by the frame. The drive train also includes a slave sprocket fixed to the flywheel at the hub, with the drive and slave sprockets connected in a direct-drive relationship, the drive train driveable in a forward and rearward directions to cause the flywheel to rotate. A clutch mechanism is positioned in engagement with the slave sprocket and the hub to create a frictional engagement between the sprocket and the hub, and to establish a break-free force threshold.