For what it's worth, I thought I'd share a quick review of my experience test riding one of the Kickbikes that Grant has blogged about. A few weeks ago I went with a friend of my who wanted to try them out. She used to do a lot of riding but an ear problem that has led to bouts of vertigo has kept her off the bike. She thought this might be a reasonable alternative.
The first thing I'll say is that the only real resemblance between bike riding and a Kickbike is that they both have the word "bike" in them. Using the Kickbike is essentially like riding a skateboard with a bike wheel. That being said, it's a killer workout. I think it was designed in Finland, I'm guessing as off-season training for cross- country skiers. To use it, you kick a few times with one foot, switch feet and repeat. It didn't take me long to discover I'm significantly weaker on my non-dominant side. You can get it with front wheels in both 700c and 26 inch. I think it would be possible to put a rack on the front; you can also put a basket on the front. Legally I don't know if it is considered a bike and whether you could use it on the road. We test rode a couple of models. The one my friend bought is poorly made and comes with low quality components. They are introducing new models that cost a few hundred more and hopefully have better components. If I had a decent place to ride one, I'd consider picking one of these up cheap off Craigslist or Ebay. But for me, I'll save my money for another bike. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
