StreetStrider

StreetStrider - The StreetSrider is an elliptical cross training machine on wheels. Now the exercise that you could only experience in a gym, can now be enjoyed in the great outdoors. The Summit 8r was developed in conjunction with NBC’s hit reality show “The Biggest Loser” and has steadily grown in popularity now that it has become available to the general public.

Striding was very easy to pick up on my first try. It felt like a combination of low impact jogging, skiing, and cycling, and the unit was easily maneuverable given the lean-to-steer design. This machine can really fly once you get going. In fact, it can go as fast as 43 mph. You have complete control over your speed and can handle all sorts of terrain and inclines given the built in 8 Speed Shimano Nexus Transmission with Twist Grip Shifter. This machine can accommodate riders weight of up to 400 lbs. This model comes in 3 colors: Lava Red, Breakwater Blue, and Galaxy Black.

According to elliptigo.com, The Fitness Outlet is its only dealer in the South Sound. The company started carrying the devices late last year and has sold one.

ElliptiGos sell for about $2,400, and for another $350 you can buy a trainer that allows you to ride the device in place like a traditional elliptical trainer. McLendon says a high-quality indoor elliptical trainer, his most popular seller, goes for that much or more.

The ElliptiGo was invented by former triathlete Bryan Tate and mechanical engineer Brent Teal. Tate hatched the idea when his body could no longer handle the impact of running.However, he wasn’t the first with this idea. In 2003, Pasco brothers Walt and Steve Krul built a similar device called the WitFit. In 2005, when The News Tribune covered the launch of their devices, the WitFits were being promoted as the world’s only elliptical devices.The Kruls were successful in getting a patent for the WitFit, but their business never seemed to prosper. The biggest difference between the WitFit and the ElliptiGo is that the earlier device had four wheels instead of two and moving hand rods instead of bike handle bars. Another device, the 3-wheeled StreetStrider, was invented by University of Alabama physiologist David Kraus in 2007.