Elliptigo Elliptical Bike

Elliptigo Review Notes: What do you get when you cross an elliptical machine and an exercise bike? You get an elliptical bike, or, more specifically you get an Elliptigo.

The Elliptigo is the brainchild of Brent Teal a mechanical engineer by trade and his Triathlon training buddy Bryan Pate. After suffering nagging training injuries Pate asked teal if he could come up with a low impact alternative for running.

After making the first protoype Elliptigo in 2005 the first elliptical bike, or cross trainer was sold to the public in 2010 on the Elliptigo Website.

Elliptigo Features and Key Stats

• Stride Length: 4 position adjustable stride length from 17″ to 25″
• Elliptigo Machine Weigh In: 3C model weighs 42 pounds, the 8C model weighs 44 pounds
• Bike Rack Compatibility: Fits on several commercial racks, see Elliptigo.com for details
• Maximum User Weight: 250 pound user weight limit on both models
• User Height Recommendation: Heights ranging from 5′-0″ to 6′-8″ tall
• Elliptigo Speed: 15 mph cruising speed, up to 25-30 mph for advanced riders
• Elliptigo Price: Prices vary, please visit Elliptigo for current pricing

Is the Elliptigo an Elliptical Machine, Elliptical Bike or Cross Trainer?

The Elliptigo is a hard exercise machine to pigeon hole. It looks like an elliptical trainer, but there are no articulating handles. It rides like a two wheel bicycle, but the pedaling motion isn’t “bike like”.

The stride on the machine is more akin to running than anything else. You get a real sense of bounding along like an antelope across the African plains, so I would quantify the Elliptigo as a cross trainer (not that it matters much).

One interesting thing I noticed about the front end design of the machine is that it’s very reminiscent to the handlebars and front fork of the Trikke (no not a trike kiddy bike, I mean the Trikke Scooter) the only noticeable difference is there’s a much larger front tire.

Riding the Elliptigo, Putting Rubber To the Road

I’m a long time elliptical trainer user and owner having owned 3 machines over a 12 year span including an old Nordictrack, an Octane Q45 and currently the Sole E95 Elliptical.

The short story is, when I hopped on the Elliptigo to take it for a spin it was a little bit strange, at first.

It threw me off that there are no moving handles, and although the stride on the bike was similar to my elliptical, it was weird actually moving — and moving fast at that!

The machine isn’t hard to balance or control, it’s a lot like riding a street bike because the Elliptigo has a freewheel and hand brakes — the only big difference is the unusual stride (compared to a bike.

The stride length has four adjustment points on it, and being a guy I decided to have it set in the longest possible length of 25″. Let me tell you, if you’ve never experienced a 25″ stride length it will take some getting use to.

What struck me the most about my ride was how great the visibility is on this machine.  The vertical riding position gives you a great view of the road, which I can see being a big plus in an urban riding environment, allowing you to see possible trouble much further ahead than you could on a street bike.

What About Hills on The Elliptigo,  Are They Hard?

One of my big concerns about the Elliptigo was how it would handle the hills where I live because not everyone lives by the beach in Florida or California where the machine was developed.

To my surprise, the Elliptigo handles the hills in Minneapolis without a problem which probably has something to do with the standing riding position that’s similar to that of a bike. When you come to a hill, you stand up and pedal hard to keep your speed up.

The Elliptigo also has gears to change the resistance, 3 of them of the 3C Model and 8 of them on the 8C model. The gears, combined with the riding position made going up hills no problem.

How about going downhill?

Coming down the hills the machine felt extremely stable and I found that I never got going so fast that I felt out of control. Again, the riding position has something to do with speed control as you’re not in a super aerodynamic position like you would be crouched over the handlebars on a bike.

Elliptigo vs StreetRider What’s the Difference?

Although the Elliptigo is a new product, there is already some competition in the form of the Streetglider that was featured on the Biggest Loser and Doctor OZ.

In my opinion, the Streetrider isn’t in the same league as the Elliptigo because it’s more of an actual elliptical than it should be. The moving handles really become a distraction when you’re outside riding and don’t add anything in terms of enjoyment, it’s more of a novelty that just slows you down.

About the only thing the Streetrider has over the Elliptigo is a higher weight limit, so if you’re over 300 pounds it may be worth a look but on the other hand you’ll have to pedal around almost 25% more weight because it’s a hefty machine that tips the scales at almost 52 pounds.

Bottom Line on the Elliptigo, Is It Worth the Money?

The Elliptigo is a well built exercise machine that’s easy on the joints and makes an ideal outdoor cardio and fat burning training partner.

When the weather turns foul, you can take the machine inside, drop in on a CycleOps indoor bike trainer and pedal away to your hearts content while all those other poor souls are out slogging around through the ice and snow.

You can get more information on the Elliptigo and watch some cool videos on their website by clicking here

Best Ellipticals for Home 2011

Who makes the best ellipticals for the home market? What are the best elliptical machines for 2011? The answers to these questions is, it depends on what you need out of your machine.

Let me explain precisely what I’m talking about here. It used to be that elliptical trainers came in one flavor — rear drive machines — started by Nordictrack in Minneapolis MN.

In the past few years elliptical machine designs have grown to include striders, front drive machines, center drive machines, arc trainers and even elliptical bikes. If you want more info on any model you can go read my elliptical reviews.

To add more variables to the mix, manufacturers are now adding in stride length control, incline ramps, articulating pedals and various other improvements that make finding the best home machine much harder than it used to be.

Confused yet? Don’t worry, I’ve been where you’re at on your elliptical shopping quest and I have some good news for you…

I’ve already done all the hard work of reviewing and rating the best ellipticals for home in 2011 and I’m going to share what I learned with you to help you avoid making a costly mistake.

And now without further ado, here’s my obligatory list of the…

Best Home Elliptical Machines for 2011

LifeCore CD 400 Elliptical – Best Compact Elliptical If the small footprint of this elliptical isn’t enough to justify a strong look at this machine, the CD400 packs in a long list of standard features with the two most notable being the Polar Heart Rate Compatibility and the sealed ball bearing pivot points… read my review of the Lifecore CD400 Elliptical get the Lifecore CD400 on Sale w/ free shipping

Schwinn A40 Elliptical – Best Elliptical Under $500 As a rule I don’t like recommending elliptical machines under $500 bucks because you usually get what you pay for. If you have to “go cheap” the Schwinn A40 is the best budget elliptical… see my Schwinn A40 Elliptical Review get the Schwinn A40 Elliptical on sale w/ free shipping

Livestrong LS8.0e Elliptical – Best Elliptical Under $800 Livestrong has a nice machine for just a few bucks more than the Schwinn. If you’re serious about getting in shape at home, but still need to spend less than $1000 the LS8.0e Elliptical is my choice here… read my review of the Livestrong LS8.0e Elliptical get the Livestrong LS8.0e Elliptical on sale w/ free shipping

Sole E35 Elliptical – Best Front Drive Under $1300 A big beefy flywheel, inward sloping ergonomic pedals and heart rate controlled workouts for about $1000 bucks? Yep, and you get one of the most reliable drive systems on the market to boot… see my review of the Sole E35 Elliptical get the Sole E35 Elliptical on sale w/ free shipping

Smooth CE 3.6 Elliptical – Best Rear Drive Under $1300 Nine programmable workout profiles only add to the value of the CE 3.6. Toss an LCD display, ergonomic pedals and a Lifetime frame and brake warranty and you’ve got a great machine… read my review of the Smooth CE 3.6 Elliptical get the Smooth CE 3.6 Elliptical on sale w/ free shipping

Yowza Sanibel Elliptical – Best Elliptical Under $1500 If you’re up for the challenge of a great workout and like the idea of an elliptical that will train your core just as effectively as your legs and butt, I think the Yowza Sanibel is a best buy in this price range — to be honest there’s nothing else quite like it for the money… see my review of the Yowza Sanibel Elliptical get the Yowza Sanibel Elliptical on sale w/ free shipping

Sole E95 Elliptical – Best Elliptical Under $2000 With a lifetime warranty on the frame, 5 years on all parts and 2 full years of in home labor, you have the best elliptical machine under $2000 on the market today and a solid investment you won’t even have to give a second thought to for years to come… read my review of the Sole E95 Elliptical get the Sole E95 Elliptical on Sale w/ free shipping

Yowza Sanibel Elliptical

Yowza Fitness has become pretty well known for designing some really nice mide-level rear drive elliptical machines and then decided to take their two light commercial ellipticals in a new direction.

In my Yowza Sanibel Elliptical review I’ll be going over some of the key differences between the Sanibel elliptical and will compare it to the lower end Largo and Captiva machines and the high end Captiva.

How will the Sainbel elliptical compare to the other Yowza ellipticals and strong contenders like Livestrong, Sole and Smooth?

Read my in-depth review and find out for yourself…

Yowza Sanibel Elliptical Specs and Features

• Stride Motion: Rear drive, reversible, silent roller-less action 
• Stride Range: 21″
• Upper Body Motion: Patented counter-rotational Core motion
• Maximum User Weight: 400 lbs
• Minimum Step-up Height: 9″
• Dimensions: 66″L x 33″W x 66″H; Fully extended length: 81″
• Frame: Robotically Welded Steel – Powder Coated
• Resistance System: Electromagnetic Braking System
• Pedals: Sure-Fit™ design with perfect spacing
• Water Bottle Holder: Yes
• Other Features: IPod dock, Hi Fidelity speakers, 3 speed adjustable fan, built in Polar™ heart rate receiver, Grip Pulse handle bars
• Power Supply: DC12v 1.5A adapter which fits regular home 110V outlet Safety   UL/ETL
• Warranty: Lifetime warranty on frame & braking system, 5 years on parts & electronics, 2 years in home labor

Livestrong LS8.0e Elliptical

I have been waiting to do my Livestrong LS8.0e Elliptical review until I got a chance to get on one of these highly rated ellipticals in person and give it a good run-through.

I had that chance last week on a few of their cross trainers so please enjoy my Livestrong LS8.0e, LS10.0e and the top of the line LS13.0e Elliptical reviews.

The Livestrong LS8.0e is the entry level elliptical trainer in their line-up with a price tag well below $1000 and has a number of quality features built-in for an entry level machine.

While the features are plentiful on the 8.0e, it’s not exactly a “forever elliptical” as you will probably end up buying a nicer machine a few years down the road. To find out why, keep reading the review below…

Livestrong LS8.0e Elliptical Specs and Features

Smooth CE 3.6 Elliptical

OK, if you’ve followed my website and blog over the years you’ll know that I’ve been recommending the Smooth 3.0 elliptical for some time. So what do I think of the new Smooth CE 3.6 model you ask?

I think the 3.6 elliptical is a nice, and worthy, upgrade over the 3.0 for a number of reasons I’ll cover now.

Both the 3.6 and 3.0 ellipticals have eddy current breaking, a heavy flywheel, the patented foot pedals and a strong frame, but what sets the Smooth 3.6 apart from the 3.0 is a few extra goodies that I consider ‘must haves’ in a mid level elliptical.

Smooth CE 3.6 Elliptical Key Benefits and Specs

• Nine Programmable User Profiles
• Wireless Heart Rate Monitor
• Upgraded LCD Display w/ Dot Matrix
• Electromagnetic Braking System
• Nine Challenging Preset Programs
• Sixteen Resistance Levels for forward and reverse motion
• Tilt and Go Wheels for easy mobility
• Ergonomic, Pivoting Foot Pedals
• 300 Pound User Weight Capacity
• Lifetime Frame and Electromagnetic Brake warranty

Here’s why the Smooth 3.6 is a better value than the Smooth 3.0 elliptical.

First, there are 9 programmable profiles you can set up on the 3.6. What this means is you can pre-program a specific workout in 9 locations, then hop on the machine and push a button to get started. Now that’s convenient!

Second, with any elliptical in this price range, I consider having wireless heart rate control a necessity. The Smooth 3.6 has wireless heart rate control, where the 3.0 does not and that’s a deal breaker in my book.

If you’re looking for an elliptical in this price range, the Smooth CE 3.6 is my best buy recommendation…

get the Smooth 3.6 Elliptical on sale w/ free shipping

Spirit EL 455 Elliptical

With the Spirit 455 elliptical, we’re finally getting up to the big leagues of ellipticals I would actually consider owning.

For starters, the 455 has a club quality 20″ stride length that will comfortably accommodate users from 5′-4″ to about 6′-4″ (sounds an awfully lot like me and my wifes heights).

In addition to the long stride length, this machine’s wheels run on dual chrome rails that you usually don’t find on machines under $2000 (the chrome rails make for the smoothest elliptical action you can get, and cut down on maintenance issues).

Spirit EL 455 Elliptical Trainer Features and Specs

• Eddy Current Magnetic Break System
• 3 adjustable foot pedal positions reduce ankle and knee stress
• 16 levels of resistance
• 30 lb. flywheel and a high gear ratio
• Telemetric heart rate controlled workouts
• 350 pound user weight capacity

There are more important things on an elliptical than a long stride length (over 18″) and chrome rails such as; the number of adjustable resistance levels, ergonomic pedals and a heavy flywheel to avoid a jarring elliptical motion.

No problem there, the Spirit 455 has you covered on all fronts, and for good measure they’ve built this machine like a tank which allows for an unheard of 350 pound user weight capacity.

If you’re capped at $1000 for an elliptical, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more solid and reliable elliptical than the Spirit 455.

get the Spirit EL 455 Elliptical on sale w/ free shipping

Gazelle Elliptical by Tony Little

If you haven’t seen the Tony Little Commercial about his new Tony Little Gazelle you must be living under a rock, either that or you go to bed before 11:00 p.m. and aren’t up early on weekend mornings.

With all the hype and buzz surrounding this elliptical over the last several years, there have been very few complaints about the Tony Little products.

With that said, what is my take on the Tony Little Gazelle elliptical?

I recommend it, but with reservations. You see the Gazelle isn’t a true elliptical in every sense of the word. For starters, the motion of the machine is more like walking on the moon, than running or walking.

The resistance on the Gazelle elliptical is also lacking, as this elliptical machine relies on gravity (or a small piston depending on the model) for resistance instead of magnetic or eddy current resistance like a traditional elliptical machine does.

Ton Little is a bit over the top on his infomercial with that crazy long pony tail and weird getup he wears, but his Gazelle elliptical does have some merit and is worth considering for a select few users.

The Gazelle is a solidly built, low priced machine that will give you a decent workout if used properly. And depending on which of the 10 exercises you choose to perform, you can get a low impact strength training workout on this machine.

Some people have knocked the Gazelle because it starts to squeak in the pedals after extended use, but that’s because they haven’t done any routine maintenance or used any lubricant on their machine since they bought it.

I have a high end Sole E95 elliptical trainer in my home gym, and guess what? It squeaks sometimes when I don’t have the rails lubricated, DUH!

If you’re a die hard workout nut, the Gazelle isn’t for you —  you’d be better off with a reputable elliptical like this, but if you’re strapped for cash, or just looking to have some fun on a unique elliptical trainer, you should take a close look at the Tony Little Gazelle…

get the Tony Little Gazelle on sale w/ free shipping

True TSX Elliptical

True has made a name for itself in the treadmill market, but has been a little behind the curve with their elliptical trainer line. The new True elliptical looks to change all that, and to make an impact in the commercial market that’s currently dominated by Cybex, Precor and Life Fitness.

The new True TSX elliptical with its’ two side housings looks vaguely reminiscent of a tank at first inspection. The two “treads” are actually part of the machines function that house the pedal mechanism.

True decided to used a fixed stride length of 21″ on this elliptical which is a good middle ground length that should allow most users a comfortable ride. They also outfitted the elliptical with newly designed softstep orthopedic pedals to help minimize ankle numbness and fatigue.

True TSX Elliptical Key Specs and Features

• Polar heart rate control
• 21″ fixed stride length
• Softstep orthopedic pedals
• 25 levels of resistance
• Maximum user weight of 350 pounds

The True elliptical has some nice features for the money, some of which they copied from the Octane line (x-mode on the Octane) and some of their own.

The elliptical motion, ergonomics and function of the machine are all respectable, and I like the fact that the True comes standard with Polar heart rate control (especially nice for club use).

The only area where I think the True elliptical missed the mark is on the display console. For this kind of money, I expect a display console to be much more sophisticated.

The new True elliptical is a step in the right direction for their elliptical line, but the high price and limited buying options may scare off many of the customers they’re trying to attract.

For about half the price, I’d get a Sole E95 Elliptical that’s a proven winner, then take the two grand I saved and outfit the rest of my gym to the nines.

Stamina Elliptical Trainer

Making an bargain basement machine like the Stamina Elliptical Trainer should be outlawed. It would be like selling a car that only goes 10 miles an hour and won’t last more than 1 year – oh yeah, they did that already, it was called a Yugo…

The folly of shoppers who buy a Stamina Elliptical from one of the big box stores like Walmart is that they think they’re being smart by getting a bargain machine (hey, Walmart wouldn’t sell any junk right?) when in fact they’d be better off blowing the money on video games and candy.

There’s not much reason to get an elliptical like the Stamina unless you’re a glutton for punishment. Want me to list the reasons NOT to buy a cheap elliptical trainer?…

Reasons you should NOT buy a cheap elliptical like the Stamina

• manual resistance
• resistance level set too low to offer a challenge
• no heart rate monitor
• no resale value
• not durable and prone to break downs
• low user weight capacity
• short or nonexistent warranty

I could go on and on about reasons not to buy a Stamina Elliptical Trainer but I think you get the point.

If you’re stuck in this price range for a cardio machine either save your money for a rainy day or increase your budget and checkout my best elliptical page and get a decent machine!

Sole E95 Elliptical

The Sole E95 Elliptical is the club level version elliptical trainer in the Sole model lineup that also includes the Sole e25 elliptical, and the Sole e35 elliptical trainer.

When Sole introduced the e95 elliptical trainer to the market, they hit the ball out of the park.

There’s no other elliptical trainer under $2000 that can give the e95 a run for its’ money – it’s not even a close contest.

Putting the technological and ergonomic factors aside for a moment, when you get on the Sole e95 elliptical you’ll have a hard time believing that your not on an health club elliptical that costs over $4000.

With it’s huge 400 pound weight capacity and solid, stable ride, the Sole e95 is what an elliptical trainer should be. Quiet, fluid, and comfortable to use for long workouts.

And then there’s the technology in this machine, with the wireless heart rate monitor, large balanced flywheel and 20 levels of digital resistance – I’m shocked that Sole can sell this elliptical so cheap, it almost seems to good to be true.

Sole E95 Elliptical Trainer Key Features and Specs

• Eddy Current Magnetic Break System
• Foot pedal angle adjustment not found on any other elliptical 2 degree inward slope of foot pedals reduces ankle and knee stress
• 20 levels of resistance
• 30 lb. flywheel and a high gear ratio
• Heart rate chest strap
• Wireless heart rate control workouts
• 400 pound user weight capacity

The Sole E95 has a long list of features that would cost you hundreds or thousands extra on a machine from any other manufacturer (if you could even find them for that matter).

Sole has also developed an exclusive foot pedal adjustment angle mechanism that you can customize to fit the exact way you walk (saves wear and tear on your ankle and Achilles tendon) and sets you up in the proper bio-mechanical form for exercise.

To top it off, the E95 has molded hand grips with incline & resistance buttons to change your workout on the fly, shrouded rear rail guards with dual rear wheel glides that provide improved machine stability and safety, and a club style display console that is second to none.

With a lifetime warranty on the frame, 5 years on all parts and 2 full years of in home labor, you have the best elliptical machine under $2000 on the market today and a solid investment you won’t even have to give a second thought to for years to come…

get the Sole E95 Elliptical on sale w/ free shipping