Bryan Pate, cofounder of Elliptigo, explains how injuries sidelined him from running, but he didn't want to cycle for the rest of his life.
"I was a long-time runner. Before that, I was a Marine officer, and I put a lot of abuse on my body through contact sports," said Pate. "Sitting on a bike seat, sort of hunched over, you're sort of low, you're duking it out with traffic."
Similar to the elliptical trainer at the gym, Elliptigo was created to mimic running in low impact style.
"We lengthened the stride, and then we changed the recovery to feel like running as opposed to shuffling," said Pate.
If you can ride a bike, getting started is easy. Brakes and gears on the handlebars can be changed at anytime without the pedals moving.
"We actually have a 71-year-old former Marine who is riding across the country right now," said Pate.
If you're wondering about calories, Pate had University of California, San Diego compare energy expenditure on a road bike versus the Elliptigo. They found that the Elliptigo burns 33 percent more calories.
As an athlete, Pate burns 800 to 1,000 calories in an hour going about 18 mph and up hills. But you can certainly beach cruise.
If you want to try before you buy, or spend time renting, a trip to Santa Monica can get you going.
You can rent one for $10 an hour, $17 for 2 hours or $25 for a day. You can get them at Casa del Mar in Santa Monica. Call the hotel and ask for the beach activity center to reserve. Pick your Elliptigo up in front of Shutter's Hotel, the sister property next door.
And if by chance you work up a sweat, Hotel Casa del Mar also sells adult snow cones in flavors like strawberry mint, apple grape, and raspberry blackberry with varied spirits for $12 each.
