It was a wedding anniversary that Tom Roberts won’t forget. He’d been searching for a way to regain the “runner’s high” he missed after giving up running due to meniscus tears in his knee and arthritis in his hip. He’d tried cycling (just not comfortable) and detested the gym (outside is better!). He learned about ElliptiGO from a friend of his sister-in-law and researched online, noodling it over for a year, but the cost kept him from making a purchase.
Little did he know that his wife secretly arranged for test rides for the two of them on the anniversary of their nuptials. They took to the road, and the rest was history.
“After a few minutes of getting used to the elliptical motions, the glides and the gears, we both were able to cruise down a trail located close to the store. After a couple of miles of riding along, I was able to crank up the speed and confirm that this machine would certainly give me the intensity I was looking for and I loved the standing position – it was a blast!” Tom said.
“In a short time, I was fairly giddy over the thing, and this of course had to do with the emotion of realizing this machine I was experiencing truly was a viable substitute for the feeling of running. The $2,500 cost melted away as an obstacle. ‘How much would you pay to get the feeling of a good run again and enjoy your workouts?’ had been my wife’s argument to me and I’m glad she forced the issue!”
Five years and 7,000 miles later, Tom is still putting in the miles on his 8C. He typically covers 13-18 miles after work, 2, 3 or 4 times a week, and goes longer on the weekend, riding 25 to 60 miles. Roberts calls his elliptical bike a “game changer,” saying, “It has never injured me because there is no impact on the joints, and because of that, I actually get in longer and more frequent workouts than I did with running.”
Tom got his youngest sister, Ann, on board after an unfortunate mishap. “Ann was literally seconds from getting into her car to go run in the Chicago Marathon when her happy German Shepard puppy plowed into the side of her planted leg and tore her MCL,” Tom said. “Ann was in a walking boot for four months and not allowed to run for a year. As part of her rehab, she was encouraged to use an elliptical machine and her physician gave his approval of the ElliptiGO bike. She and her husband took a test ride and she too came home with an 8C. Her husband told her ‘just buy it, you know it’s worth it to you.’”
The ElliptiGO bike helped Ann rehab and return to running, and now she has incorporated her 8C into her routine as she trains for marathons. She alternates ride days and run days, and if she tweaks something running, she immediately switches to all rides until the problem passes. Tom’s other sister Lynn also joined the ElliptiGO party, getting her own 8C when she started experiencing back issues. She now is able to run without impact as well.
Tom believes the ElliptiGO bike is beneficial for any runner. “In my experience, the ElliptiGO bike, unlike most fitness devices, will get used. It gets you outdoors, it’s fun and it’s a great workout. If you can’t run or you want to improve your running, this is money well spent.”
