Innovative standup bike turns heads
- On April 20, 2012
- By JR Rehab
- In Industry News, News
0
Christy Lynn takes the ElliptiGo out for a ride in Coal Harbour Thursday. The three-speed model sells for $1,800 and the eight-speed sells for $2,600. Photograph by: Nick Procaylo, PNG , Vancouver Sun
Outdoor elliptical trainer puts runners on wheels without stressing their knee joints
“Whoa, what is that?
If you like to create a trail of comments along those lines, then gliding around town on the latest California fitness trend could be for you.
The ElliptiGo, an outdoor elliptical trainer, looks like a standup, seatless bicycle. Users appear to be running, propelling the machine by pumping two narrow foot platforms with their feet.
“The target groups are athletes who are looking for low-impact cross-training and marathoners looking for something different that’s outside,” said local sales representative Christy Lynn, who gets lots of questions and attention as she cruises around town drumming up interest in her unusual mode of transportation.
The ElliptiGo, which has been on the market for less than two years, was created for the sore-knee set.
Bryan Pate, a former long-distance runner with knee injuries, enlisted fellow athlete and engineer Brent Teal to start working on the project about seven years ago in Southern California’s Solano Beach.
After a number of prototypes were built in a local garage, they hit the market with a limited number of machines in 2010.
That’s about when University of B.C. psychiatry professor Dr. Derryck Smith saw one while on a trip to San Francisco.
There was no Canadian distributor at the time, so he tracked one down for a test run during a subsequent visit to the U.S. That led to a day riding around New York’s Central Park and a done deal.
He’s an avid cyclist – with bad knees – and riding it on the seawall around Stanley Park and False Creek gives him a change of pace.
“I bought it because it gives you a different workout than on a bike. It sort of feels like running and I can’t run because of my knees.”
He hasn’t had to fix it so far, but says any potential repairs could be the only drawback because it’s an unusual piece of equipment.
The ElliptiGo is manufactured in Taiwan. Co-founder Pate said in an email that he doesn’t want to give out specific figures, but thousands have been sold in the first two years.
The most popular eight-speed model costs $2,600 with a three-speed avail-able for $1,800.
Former Olympic long-distance runner Peter Butler says the price won’t be an issue for people who spend that much on bikes.
The founder of Forerunners sports stores in Vancouver says it’s a boon to athletes.
“If you’re an aging runner and you’re starting to develop injuries, it’s a way to stay fit without the pounding.
“It’s much more like running. When you cycle, a lot of the time you’re gliding, there’s a lot more coasting. In this, you’re getting a much better workout in one hour.”
The ElliptiGo is heavier than a road bicycle at 40 pounds or 18 kg, but Lynn says it can get up to 48 km/h on flat roads. It comes with hand brakes and a handle-mounted gear shifter.
And it gives people a different perspective.
“Your vision is much higher. A lot of people are more comfortable on the ElliptiGo in traffic. Since you’re standing up, drivers have a better opportunity to see you and you have a better opportunity to see them.”
She says it could work for commuters, but only if they don’t have to carry a lot of gear since the ElliptiGo isn’t set up for saddle bags. On shorter commutes, there’s no need for special clothing.
“You could wear a skirt … but I wouldn’t recommend heels.”
A ElliptiGo is on display at the Fore-runners store in Kitsilano. Distributors hope to have some available for rent near Stanley Park this summer.
For more information, visit elliptigo. ca.
eellis@vancouversun.com
