(Translated from the original article in German from Mein Magazin – The Official Magazine of Hannover 96)
After experiencing knee injuries, Bryan Pate could no longer run for exercise. He tried switching to bike riding, but sitting on a bike created pain for him, as well. He tried using an elliptical trainer at the gym, but working out inside became too boring. That’s when he decided to create his own piece of sporting equipment, and the ElliptiGO was born. Hannover 96 Captain, Steven Cherundolo met Bryan in the U.S. and presented this new and unusual fitness tool to Ingo Geissler, Norbert Düwel and Valerien Ismael back in Hannover. Thanks to Steven, all the players on the Hannover 96 soccer team can now cross-train on the ElliptiGO.
The ElliptiGO is like a bicycle without saddle, powered by elliptical movements of the legs, similar to the motion of an indoor elliptical trainer. The top ElliptiGO model has 8 gears, weighs 18 kg, and is made of high-quality components and materials. It can handle hills with inclines of 20-30% with no problem.
The ElliptiGO has been sold online in the U.S. since 2010, and is now available in Canada, Australia and Europe. For English soccer team Everton F.C., this new cross-training tool is already in use. Over the next few weeks, the Hannover 96 players will ride the ElliptiGOs through Hannover and around the Maschsee to thoroughly test them out for themselves. “It trains several muscle groups at once better than other forms of exercise,” said Captain Steven Cherundolo.
