I saw a lady on an Eliptigo today. Do you guys dance that?
10-03-20, 10:59 PM
#26
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https://www.elliptigo.com/
You could have done that for yourself. Oh, I think they also have a FB page, too.
I've test-ridden Elliptigos, both the long-stride and short-stride models. Surprisingly easy to ride, surprisingly smooth and stable for something on 20" wheels. The long-stride models are noisy and wear out track rollers in a hurry (I've read). Short-stride is quiet and doesn't need as much maintenance.
Build quality is very impressive.
The experience is quite different because of the gearing; your cadence is much lower.
Long-stride Elliptigos are regularly ridden in serious endurance races like P-B-P, but I don't know how. Aside from the aerodynamics, these machines are far less efficient than DF bikes or recumbents.
They're also selling a lot of SUBs--Stand-Up-Bikes. I just have to laugh at that. For a lot less money you could get an ordinary DF bike, remove the seat and post, put on a set of big platform pedals, and have the same thing.
@Darth Lefty may have seen one of these:
https://www.streetstrider.com/
I have one myself, and it's so much fun you can hardly stand it. Much more fun than the Elliptigo. If you get in a big empty parking lot (plenty of those lately) you can get this side-to-side motion going; they call it 'carving'. Puts a big silly grin on your face and you don't want to quit. Even better than that, though, I find that at the proper cadence and load, my breathing falls into sync with my arm and leg motions, and I get into a sort of flow state that I've never experienced with any other form of exercise. It's a freaking rush. I guess it must be like 'runner's high', though I used to run and never did experience that. Remarkable feeling, and I can reliably get it in seconds, but it requires having a good range of gears. I bought the 3-speed and only rarely and fleetingly achieved this, then I converted it to an 8-speed and can have it all the time.
Trouble is, I get doing this and completely exhaust myself in no time, but I think that's the point. And, it's no speed demon; doing rides in a park, I've noticed I can't reliably keep up with joggers, but that's my poor engine, too.
BIG advantage of the Elliptigos over the Street-Striders is the footplates. The ones on the SS have no raised edges on much of them and my feet tend to shift off to the sides, which is something I plan to do something about.
You could have done that for yourself. Oh, I think they also have a FB page, too.
I've test-ridden Elliptigos, both the long-stride and short-stride models. Surprisingly easy to ride, surprisingly smooth and stable for something on 20" wheels. The long-stride models are noisy and wear out track rollers in a hurry (I've read). Short-stride is quiet and doesn't need as much maintenance.
Build quality is very impressive.
The experience is quite different because of the gearing; your cadence is much lower.
Long-stride Elliptigos are regularly ridden in serious endurance races like P-B-P, but I don't know how. Aside from the aerodynamics, these machines are far less efficient than DF bikes or recumbents.
They're also selling a lot of SUBs--Stand-Up-Bikes. I just have to laugh at that. For a lot less money you could get an ordinary DF bike, remove the seat and post, put on a set of big platform pedals, and have the same thing.
@Darth Lefty may have seen one of these:
https://www.streetstrider.com/
I have one myself, and it's so much fun you can hardly stand it. Much more fun than the Elliptigo. If you get in a big empty parking lot (plenty of those lately) you can get this side-to-side motion going; they call it 'carving'. Puts a big silly grin on your face and you don't want to quit. Even better than that, though, I find that at the proper cadence and load, my breathing falls into sync with my arm and leg motions, and I get into a sort of flow state that I've never experienced with any other form of exercise. It's a freaking rush. I guess it must be like 'runner's high', though I used to run and never did experience that. Remarkable feeling, and I can reliably get it in seconds, but it requires having a good range of gears. I bought the 3-speed and only rarely and fleetingly achieved this, then I converted it to an 8-speed and can have it all the time.
Trouble is, I get doing this and completely exhaust myself in no time, but I think that's the point. And, it's no speed demon; doing rides in a park, I've noticed I can't reliably keep up with joggers, but that's my poor engine, too.
BIG advantage of the Elliptigos over the Street-Striders is the footplates. The ones on the SS have no raised edges on much of them and my feet tend to shift off to the sides, which is something I plan to do something about.
Interesting. I wonder if I should look into Eliptigo or Street Strider. The SS works your upper body, unlike the Eliptigo.
10-03-20, 11:42 PM
#27
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I forgot to mention a strange thing I've noticed: on a familiar rail-trail, I find myself shifting UP (temporarily at least) on mild uphill stretches where I'd be downshifting on my other bikes. Maybe it's something to do with using your arms, and you do notice that.
You'll also probably want to put on a trigger-shifter to replace the stock grip shift. I hated the grip shifter because, pulling and pushing on the arm levers, I kept accidentally shifting it when I hadn't intended to.
10-04-20, 05:30 AM
#29
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I've come across a couple that ride these on a local MUP. I was surprised at the speed they get up to. These seem to be high end models with all the bells and whistles and geas. It doesn't look like fun to me though. I'll stick with my regular style bike...
10-04-20, 05:47 AM
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I don't know why you wouldn't just go for a walk and save your $2200 cost of a basic machine.
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10-04-20, 07:21 AM
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Walking is too simple and old school. Fitness industry needs to make money so it comes up with all kinds of expensive gimmicks and then convinces people that the only way to get fit is to purchase their gimmick.
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10-04-20, 07:32 AM
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Have to wonder if people with bad backs ride elliptigos instead.
10-04-20, 08:56 AM
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Ellipticals are way more popular than bikes or treadmills at the gym. I think this would be even more popular if not for the anticipation of such snide reactions.
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10-04-20, 09:13 AM
#34
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I regularly see two folks using them around here (not together). They don't look to be as maneuverable as a regular road bicycle, I've wondered how well you can balance on them considering you don't have a body part firmly planted on it (like your butt on a regular bicycle), and they look pretty limited in where you can ride them (hills could be an issue, as previously mentioned). And $2200 is more than I'd spend on one of those unless I could rent one for a while for the experience.
10-04-20, 09:27 AM
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I tried one, they are a workout. More of a flat land ride.
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10-04-20, 09:41 AM
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10-04-20, 09:51 AM
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I regularly see two folks using them around here (not together). They don't look to be as maneuverable as a regular road bicycle, I've wondered how well you can balance on them considering you don't have a body part firmly planted on it (like your butt on a regular bicycle), and they look pretty limited in where you can ride them (hills could be an issue, as previously mentioned). And $2200 is more than I'd spend on one of those unless I could rent one for a while for the experience.
Another thing I forgot to mention about the SS is that they can't do very tight turns; they have a 7' turning radius. You only notice this once in a while, though.
10-04-20, 10:19 AM
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First saw them a few years ago during CHicago's Bike-the-Drive. About three or four riders. Must have been a club or shop that sold them.
There's a young family that I've seen on our local path in mid summer. . We've seen them going out and coming back to their parking spot.. Mom takes out the eliptical and goes for a 3 mile loop. Looks like a lot of work. The man and a little guy tear off on their own with a hitch hiker rig for about a 8 mile loop.
There's a young family that I've seen on our local path in mid summer. . We've seen them going out and coming back to their parking spot.. Mom takes out the eliptical and goes for a 3 mile loop. Looks like a lot of work. The man and a little guy tear off on their own with a hitch hiker rig for about a 8 mile loop.
10-04-20, 10:31 AM
#39
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Not true with the StreetStrider; you can carry a straight line perfectly well on it. I think you mean those things with roller-skate wheels, though. Like this?
https://www.amazon.com/AODI-Wheeled-...YYMHR32PWMN971
https://www.amazon.com/AODI-Wheeled-...YYMHR32PWMN971
Yea- I was referring to two different things. The eliptigo can move like the normal bike or trike, just pedaled with different motion. The trike in your link cannot go in a straight line which makes it very difficult to pass .
10-04-20, 10:35 AM
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As they say, YMMV, but there are people who hill-climb on Elliptigos a lot. My local terrain has a lot of steep little hills on it, and I find that using the arm levers on the SS adds considerable power for climbing. The SS will unquestionably give a better upper-body workout. I'd say that hill-climbing ability on either is mostly a matter of endurance.
This guy has probably done about as much as anyone could with Elliptigos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvF...ttmVjQg/videos
I can't seem to find any similar in-depth info on the SS, but they have an FB page where fans go gaga.
This guy has probably done about as much as anyone could with Elliptigos:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvF...ttmVjQg/videos
I can't seem to find any similar in-depth info on the SS, but they have an FB page where fans go gaga.
10-04-20, 03:17 PM
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In a world full of faster/lighter it is more of a workout. I'm sure you could get more out of it than I did. I wouldn't mind having one for the exercise but it isn't going out on a group ride for sure.
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10-04-20, 03:32 PM
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I followed a gal on one of those for a few minutes one day. The view was incredible.
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10-04-20, 04:33 PM
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I saw a guy start the Triple Bypass on one a couple years ago. That's 120 miles and 11k of climbing.
No idea if he finished since bicycle speed and eliptigo speed is quite different.
I wonder how that beast is on Colorado descents?
No idea if he finished since bicycle speed and eliptigo speed is quite different.
I wonder how that beast is on Colorado descents?
10-04-20, 07:50 PM
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10-05-20, 01:25 PM
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Not sure if it was that brand but I came across an older gentleman riding one a road near Watsonville with some rolling hills; some with pretty decent grades. While he wasn't going very fast he did not seem to have any problems managing the grades.
Whatever gets people outdoors and active is OK in my book.
Whatever gets people outdoors and active is OK in my book.
10-05-20, 02:11 PM
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But how is it going down a hill?
10-05-20, 02:59 PM
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See my comment above. I remember a kid back in the 1970's in my home town who, for whatever reason, didn't have a seat on his bike so he rode it standing up.
10-05-20, 03:21 PM
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There was a sizeable crew of Elliptigo riders at Paris Best Paris 2015. Quite a few finished within the 90 hour time limit. That's 1200km or around 760 miles in 90 hours including sleep. PBP is not flat.
At least one of the riders wrote a blog. IIRC they ran close to the time limit, and managed on little sleep. That speaks to the athleticism of the riders as much as to the capability of the platform.
At least one of the riders wrote a blog. IIRC they ran close to the time limit, and managed on little sleep. That speaks to the athleticism of the riders as much as to the capability of the platform.
10-05-20, 04:17 PM
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If there is an option to drop the stem while riding sorta like a "dropper stem", it can place you in an aero position.
In my indoor elliptical bike at home, it has two handle bars. One puts you in an upright position and another puts you in an aero position with the back fully horizontal.
Although admittedly, the aero standing position in an elliptical bike is going to be uncomfortable, even painful to those who isn't used to that position.
In my indoor elliptical bike at home, it has two handle bars. One puts you in an upright position and another puts you in an aero position with the back fully horizontal.
Although admittedly, the aero standing position in an elliptical bike is going to be uncomfortable, even painful to those who isn't used to that position.