A bike with no Pedals.

OK, a break from Technology for a few minutes.   As most of you know I love exercise.  I really like being outside. The Gym isn’t for me unless that is my only choice.  Working for Microsoft we have a great benefit they will pay for some of our Stayfit expenses each year.  We can spend it on health club memberships, equipment for our own home Gym, or a Bike.  yep a Bike.   I have several Bicycles.  A road one that I use in my Triathlons, a recumbent one(that’s another story), and last year I got a 29er mountain bike(very large off-road thingy for non-bikers).  Yes I ride some strange 2 wheeled things.

Well I have had my eye on www.rowbike.com for some time. I have even seen a couple of them being used. I had never been on one.   Well I used my Stayfit funds this year to help towards this new ride I got this week:

I have been on 3 rides now. Man what a workout.  Those things up front aren’t pedals, they are feet rest. Yep your feet stay still.

Yes the seat rolls back and forth.   Have you ever used one of these rowing machines at a Gym, well this is similar, but way more complicated.  The Power bar (says rowbike.com on it in picture) is how it all works. On the bottom it pulls chain around the back wheel.  At the top of the bar is the handlebars(hard to see in picture).   But you hold on and pull bar back and that makes it go.   Now interesting you pull back left or right on the handle bar to steer. How the heck does this work? It is done with cables. See the  2 black cables in the middle of the bike. That is used to turn the front wheel.   Also on the handle bars are the hand breaks, and gear shifter.  Yep all these run with cables  out of the bar to the appropriate part on the bike. 

It does take a huge amount of concentration and coordination to make this thing go where you want it to go.   I love warning #2 on the bike, DO NOT ride on the street with CARS!  They did this because it’s hard to steer, I think they did it, because people stare at you and will crash into you!

Now for the workout.  How long can you go on a row machine?  checked your heart rate after 15 minutes of no stop rowing?  Yep, same experience here but because you are outside (and you have to get home) you will ride longer.  Anything up hill and against the wind is extreme. I think this thing uses every muscle in your body! Yes it has 7 gears like a normal bike to adjust the workout.

I will post more after I ride it some more.