ElliptiGO

Last updated
ElliptiGO, Inc.
Company type Private
IndustryBicycles, Elliptical Trainers
Founded2008
FoundersBryan Pate, Brent Teal
Headquarters,
USA
Key people
Bryan Pate, CEO
Brent Teal, CTO
ProductsStand Up and Elliptical Bicycles
BrandsElliptiGO
Website www.elliptigo.com
Two ElliptiGOs ElliptiGO Miller Hiwy jeh.jpg
Two ElliptiGOs

ElliptiGO, Inc. is a manufacturer of stand-up and elliptical bicycles headquartered in Solana Beach, California. Elliptical bikes combine the motion of an indoor elliptical trainer with the outdoor mobility of a traditional bicycle. They are a type of treadle bicycle, powered by treadles (which are attached to the crank via a linkage rod), rather than pedals mounted directly on the crank arms. Treadle drive trains were historically intermediate between highwheeled penny-farthings (which were powered by pedals mounted directly on a crank through the wheel hub, like a modern child's tricycle) and the bicycle chain; Elliptigos, like some other later treadle bicycles, use both treadles and a chain.

Contents

History

Co-founders Bryan Pate and Brent Teal began working on the idea for ElliptiGO out of their garage in Solana Beach in 2005. [1] A patent for an elliptical bicycle was first registered in 2008. In 2010, ElliptiGO subsequently secured the exclusive rights to the patents. [2] An elliptical bicycle is a device that uses a running-like elliptical motion to propel a bicycle. [3] [4] [5] The first elliptical bike prototype, codenamed "Alfa", was completed by mid-2006. [3] [4] [6]

In 2010, the ElliptiGO 8S, the company's first commercially available elliptical bike, was brought to the market. [4]

Initially, the company raised nearly $800,000 from investors, family, and friends, followed by another $500,000 raised for production. [7]

Health benefits

In 2015, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) commissioned an independent study to determine the effectiveness of a workout on the ElliptiGO bike and how it measures up to accepted fitness industry guidelines for improving cardio respiratory fitness and body composition. [8] [9]

For the study, researchers from the University of Wisconsin, LaCrosse, had 16 healthy female and male volunteers between the ages of 18 and 45 participate in three 15- to 20-minute practice sessions on the ElliptiGO bike before completing a graded maximal exercise test on a treadmill and a 30-minute exercise session on the ElliptiGO bike. [9] During the graded exercise test, expired air and metabolic responses were measured, in addition to recording each participant's ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) at the end of each stage of the test. During the 30-minute exercise session, which was only conducted after the researchers deemed the participant proficient on the ElliptiGO bike, heart rate and oxygen consumption were recorded each minute as the subjects exercised at a self-selected pace; session RPE was also recorded. The study subjects exercised at an average of 84 percent of HRmax and 75 percent of VO2max during the 30-minute exercise session.

ACE's study findings concluded that exercising at a self-selected intensity on the ElliptiGO bike met the guidelines on both accounts. [8] [9]

ElliptiGO athletes

ElliptiGO stand up bikes are used by some professional runners who use the bike to cross train, or add non-impact cardio hours to their training routine, [10] including 2012 US Olympians Meb Keflezighi, [11] and Julie Culley, UK 5000 m specialist Andy Vernon, Dutch elite-marathoner Miranda Boonstra, and 2000 French Olympian Marc Raquil. In addition, some collegiate and professional running teams are using ElliptiGO elliptical bicycles with their athletes, including Stanford University, the University of Guelph in Canada, and The Oregon Track Club Elite.[ citation needed ]

Models

ElliptiGO sells seven different product models in three product lines. The first model to be available to customers was EliptiGo's model8s. [7] The long-stride line includes the 3C, 8C and 11R, [12] with 3, 8 and 11 gears, respectively. The compact-stride line includes the Arc 3, Arc 8 and Arc 24, with 3, 8 and 24 gears, respectively. The SUB (Stand Up Bike) is ElliptiGO's newest bike. In October 2021, the company recalled its Arc 3, Arc 8 and Arc 24 models in the United States and Canada. [13]

Riders on EliptiGos can reach 25 miles per hour. [7] They are designed to be used outdoors. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tandem bicycle</span> Type of bicycle

A tandem bicycle or twin is a form of bicycle designed to be ridden by more than one person. The term tandem refers to the seating arrangement, not the number of riders. Patents related to tandem bicycles date from the mid 1880s. Tandems can reach higher speeds than the same riders on single bicycles, and tandem bicycle racing exists. As with bicycles for single riders, there are many variations that have been developed over the years.

Campagnolo is an Italian manufacturer of high-end bicycle components with headquarters in Vicenza, Italy. The components are organised as groupsets (gruppi), and are a near-complete collection of a bicycle's mechanical parts. Campagnolo's flagship components are the Super Record, Record, and Chorus groupsets with all three representing their recent shift to 12-speed drivetrains. Super Record and Record are the top groupsets, followed by Chorus, Potenza, Centaur and Veloce. Campagnolo also produces aluminum and carbon wheels, as well as other components.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle chain</span> Roller chain that transfers power from the pedals to the drive-wheel of a bicycle

A bicycle chain is a roller chain that transfers power from the pedals to the drive-wheel of a bicycle, thus propelling it. Most bicycle chains are made from plain carbon or alloy steel, but some are nickel-plated to prevent rust, or simply for aesthetics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle pedal</span> Bicycle part which the rider pushes with their foot to turn the wheels

The pedal is the part of a bicycle that the rider pushes with their foot to propel the vehicle. It provides the connection between the cyclist's foot or shoe and the crank allowing the leg to turn the bottom bracket spindle and propel the bicycle's wheels. A pedal usually consists of a spindle that threads into the end of the crank, and a body on which the foot rest is attached, that is free to rotate on bearings with respect to the spindle.

Indoor cycling, often called spinning, is a form of exercise with classes focusing on endurance, strength, intervals, high intensity and recovery, and involves using a special stationary exercise bicycle with a weighted flywheel in a classroom setting. When people took cycling indoors in the late 19th century, whether for reasons of weather or convenience, technology created faster, more compact and efficient machines over time. The first iterations of the stationary bike ranged from the vertical Gymnasticon to regular bicycles on rollers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Track bicycle</span> Bicycle optimized for racing at a velodrome or outdoor track

A track bicycle or track bike is a bicycle optimized for racing at a velodrome or outdoor track. Unlike road bicycles, the track bike is a fixed-gear bicycle; thus, it has only a single gear ratio and has neither a freewheel nor brakes. Tires are narrow and inflated to high pressure to reduce rolling resistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the bicycle</span>

Vehicles that have two wheels and require balancing by the rider date back to the early 19th century. The first means of transport making use of two wheels arranged consecutively, and thus the archetype of the bicycle, was the German draisine dating back to 1817. The term bicycle was coined in France in the 1860s, and the descriptive title "penny farthing", used to describe an "ordinary bicycle", is a 19th-century term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliptical trainer</span> Stationary exercise machine

An elliptical trainer or cross-trainer is a stationary exercise machine used to stair climb, walk, or run without causing excessive pressure to the joints, hence decreasing the risk of impact injuries. For this reason, people with some injuries can use an elliptical to stay fit, as the low impact affects them little. Elliptical trainers offer a non-impact cardiovascular workout that can vary from light to high intensity based on the speed of the exercise and the resistance preference set by the user.

SRAM LLC is a privately owned bicycle component manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, founded in 1987. SRAM is an acronym comprising the names of its founders. The company produces a range of cycling components, including Grip Shift, and separate gravel, road, and mountain drivetrains from 7 to 12 speed. SRAM developed the Eagle line of mountain bike specific drivetrain components intended to improve shifting performance. SRAM was also the first to release a dedicated "one by" drivetrain with a single front chainring for road bikes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rowbike</span>

A rowbike is an example of a rowing cycle, hybrid fitness/transport machine that combines a bicycle, and a rowing machine. "Rowbike" is a trademark of the Rowbike company. The Rowbike was invented by Scott Olson, the creator of Rollerblade inline skates. "Rowling" is a combination of rowing and rolling, and is sometimes used in place of rowing when describing a Rowbike.

BowFlex, Inc., formerly Nautilus, Inc., located in Vancouver, Washington, United States, is the American worldwide marketer, developer, and manufacturer of fitness equipment brands Bowflex, Schwinn, and JRNY, its adaptive fitness platform. The company changed its corporate name from Nautilus, Inc. to BowFlex, Inc. in 2023. BowFlex Inc. is a publicly traded company listed on the OTC Markets Group as BFXXQ, and formerly on the New York Stock Exchange. The company's products are sold globally to customers through e-commerce, call centers, and retail stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Health club</span> Place which houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise

A health club is a place that houses exercise equipment for the purpose of physical exercise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Treadle bicycle</span> Historical bicycle powered by a treadle

A treadle bicycle is a bicycle powered by a treadle instead of the more common crank. Treadles were one of the mechanisms inventors tried in order to position the pedals away from the drive wheel hub before the development of the bicycle chain or instead of it. Treadles have also been used to drive tricycles and quadracycles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electronic gear-shifting system</span> Method of changing gears on a bicycle

An electronic gear-shifting system is a method of changing gears on a bicycle, which enables riders to shift with electronic switches instead of using conventional control levers and mechanical cables. The switches are connected by wire or wirelessly to a battery pack and to a small electric motor that drives the derailleur, switching the chain from cog to cog. An electronic system can switch gears faster and, because the system does not use Bowden cables and can calibrate itself, it may require less maintenance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicycle drivetrain systems</span> Systems used to transmit power to bicycles and other human-powered vehicles

Bicycle drivetrain systems are used to transmit power on bicycles, tricycles, quadracycles, unicycles, or other human-powered vehicles from the riders to the drive wheels. Most also include some type of a mechanism to convert speed and torque via gear ratios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">StreetStrider</span> Fitness equipment company

StreetStrider is the brand name for a mobile elliptical trainer. The StreetStrider consists of a T-shaped lower frame to which two front wheels and a rear wheel containing a drive assembly are attached, and an upright frame to which two reciprocating arm levers are attached. Two elongated foot platforms on either side of the lower frame are attached to cranks as part of the drive assembly, which, as with bicycle drivetrain systems, also includes a hub, a rotating axle, and an internal hub gear system translating the axle rotation to the hub. The StreetStrider drive assembly is either chained or chainless direct drive, depending on model. The lower end of each arm lever is attached to the front end of each foot platform, which, by connection in the rear to the rotating crank arm and in the front to the pivoting arm lever, moves generally in an elliptical path. The device also includes a leaning mechanism for steering, as well as brakes and multiple gearing. It was developed by David W. Kraus, who wrote the patent for the device.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Star Bicycle</span>

The American Star Bicycle was invented in 1880 by G. W. Pressey and manufactured by the H. B. Smith Machine Company in Smithville, Burlington County, New Jersey. It was characterized by a small wheel in front to avoid the problem of tipping forward inherent in other high wheelers. A Star bicycle was photographed being ridden down the steps in front of the United States Capitol in 1885 to demonstrate its longitudinal stability, and Star bicycles were used for the sport of bicycle polo in the mid-1880s. Pressey sued Smith in 1887 for royalties. The name "Star" was attributed to the double star arrangement of the spokes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gearbox bicycle</span>

A gearbox bicycle is a bicycle that uses a gearbox to convert torque and rotational speed from the power source, usually the rider's legs, to what is desired at the drive wheel. The gearbox is usually incorporated into the frame near the crank, and it may be used in addition to or instead of derailleur gears or a hub gear. Cited advantages include improved shifting performance, protecting the gearing from damage and exposure to dirt and moisture, as with hub gears, plus locating the additional mass between the two wheels and on the frame where it may be suspended, unlike with hub gears.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Workouts (Apple)</span>

Workouts is a fitness companion and activity recording application developed by Apple Inc. for Apple Watch devices, used to start workout tracking and view metrics while an exercise activity is in progress. The app was first introduced alongside watchOS 1 on April 24, 2015, and is tightly integrated into the operating system's health tracking features. All workout history and deeper workout metrics can be viewed from within the Fitness and Health apps on a connected iPhone.

References

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