Wednesday
May042011
Why Bother
Wed, May 4, 2011 
You love the boredom of an Elliptical Treadmill, but prefer the outdoors; maybe an ElliptiGo 3C is right for you. I look at stuff like this and ask myself, “Why Bother?”
I will admit you would probably get one hell of a workout, but at what cost. You can neither enjoy the experience of running, or a good bike ride. And at a price tag of $1,800, you could buy a pretty nice bicycle for that much.
The people at Bicycle Forest made the Treadmill Bike as a joke; ElliptiGo is just as funny except I believe the makers are dead serious.
Reader Comments (15)
"You can take it on the bus" (really?), "protects your feet from dirt and contaminants typically found on the earth's surface... very practical" and "the future of urban transportation". At least it doesn't waste battery power like Segways ("the leader in personal, green transportation".
No bias against man's greatest invention?
I would get dizzy bouncing up and down and moving forward! That thing needs a flat 6, 2 doors, and a pair of comfy leather racing seats!
I got a healthy chuckle from someone posting one of these things on craigslist. "Better than a bike" it says!
Wide as they are, these things are surprisingly good bikeway neighbors. They may be large and somewhat slow, but unlike rollebladers, small children, and dog walkers, they hold a predictable line and aren't yet blocking both lanes by riding(?) two abreast.
too funny...
Somewhere Sheldon Brown is smiling.
Why criticize something that gets people outdoors, active, and healthy? I know people who ride these things and love them, including runners for whom they are great non-impact cross-training. They have been successfully ridden in tough cycling events like the Death Ride and Hell's Gate Hundred. I have ridden in pelotons with these in the mix, too, and we all got along great. Posts like this are a waste of cyberspace.
Chris,
Waste of cyberspace? That’s a new one. Try writing two or three fresh and interesting posts a week on a single subject for over six years; one thing I have learned is that you can never, never ever please everyone.
Not the best thing I have written I’ll be the first to admit, but I have never seen one of these things on the road. It took me many years to become even somewhat tolerant of the recumbent, and only then after seeing people use them.
Is it just me? Can no one else see the absurdity of driving in an automobile to a gym, then ride on a stationary bike, or walk or run on a treadmill. To climb stairs on a machine after using an elevator all day to get to upper floors.
Then to take one of these gym machines and turn it into a bicycle, which is what the ElliptiGo is; this is taking absurdity to a whole new level. What next? Maybe the Bowflex Bike, so we can take the whole body workout on the road, even ride in pelotons.
Incidentally, there should not be pelotons on public highways, remember it is illegal (In most places.) to ride more than two abreast; but that is another subject that has the potential to piss off even more people.
Dave
I've got to ask.... is the pace of one of these steady or appear as to cyclicly lunge forward as the old Shimano Biopace chainrings caused someone to do? Do any other roadies or trackies have trouble on an elliptical machine? I look as though I am bouncing out of control on one, perhaps from the muscle memory of riding circles (no need for Biopace here) for so many years.
Have not seen one like this YET! but on the trail in Parker, I see several that are on whats looks like skis, They sway all other the place, very hard to get pass them. But have to agree at least they are NOT watching tellie and there is some exercise involved. But then what's wrong with a bike? what's the advantage?
Dave,
This is certainly not my cup of tea, but look at it from this perspective. I will rewrite your post and change a few words.
You love the boredom of a stationary bike, but prefer the outdoors; maybe a road bicycle is right for you. I look at stuff like this and ask myself, “Why Bother?”
I will admit you would probably get one hell of a workout, but at what cost. You can neither enjoy the experience of running, or a good hike up a mountain side. And at a price tag of $1,800, you could travel to Colorado and climb a couple of 14ers for that much.
The people at Bicycle Forest made the Treadmill Bike as a joke; a road bike is just as funny except I believe the makers are dead serious.
David
Ingenious but stupid.
Well on MY bike I can hold a Guiness in one hand and a fag in the other and still get some where!
"Not the best thing I have written I’ll be the first to admit, but I have never seen one of these things on the road. It took me many years to become even somewhat tolerant of the recumbent, and only then after seeing people use them."
Dave, your comment reflects the weird, anti-recumbent attitude shared by so many bicyclists which has always perplexed me. Even more so now that I've been on some club rides with my new, dual 700c recumbent on which I'm leaving people behind on descents, easily riding with the pace line on the flats, and passing all but the strongest riders on their sub-20 lb bikes on climbs. The evidence is clear: aerodynamics matter and a well-designed recumbent is more aerodynamic and comfortable than any road bike.
I just wonder what this thing does on a hill. Can it climb?
I've seen one on the bike path. It was going at a good clip - maybe 22 kph. However, it was squeeking fairly loudly. I could hear it from 100 yards away. Could be fun, but way too expensive when considering its practicality.