ElliptiGO
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Bicycle manufacturing |
| Founded | 2005 in Solana Beach, California, United States |
| Founder | Bryan Pate, Brent Teal |
| Headquarters | Solana Beach , United States |
| Products | Elliptical bicycles, stand-up bicycles |
ElliptiGO, Inc. is a producer of elliptical and stand-up bicycles, with its headquarters located in Solana Beach, California. Their elliptical bicycles blend the movement pattern of indoor elliptical machines with the versatility of conventional bicycles. These treadle-driven bikes operate using treadles connected to the crank mechanism instead of pedals affixed directly to the crank arms, incorporating both treadles and a chain drive system.
History
Bryan Pate and Brent Teal, the company's co-founders, initiated the development of ElliptiGO in 2005 within their garage in Solana Beach. The firm obtained exclusive rights to the elliptical bicycle patent in 2010, following the original patent filing in 2008. This bicycle employs an elliptical motion resembling running to generate propulsion. By mid-2006, the initial prototype named "Alfa" was finalized.
The first commercial release, the ElliptiGO 8S, debuted in 2010. Early financial backing included close to $800,000 sourced from investors, family members, and friends, with an additional $500,000 raised to support manufacturing efforts.
Health benefits
In 2015, the American Council on Exercise (ACE) sponsored research assessing the ElliptiGO bike's impact on cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition improvement. The study involved 16 healthy adults from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, who participated in practice sessions, a graded maximal treadmill test, and a 30-minute workout on an ElliptiGO bike. Variables measured included heart rate, oxygen consumption, and subjective exertion levels. During the ElliptiGO exercise session, participants worked at an average intensity of 84% HRmax and 75% VO2max.
Results indicated that workouts on the ElliptiGO meet recognized fitness criteria, validating its effectiveness as cardiovascular exercise equipment.
ElliptiGO athletes
Professional runners often utilize ElliptiGO bikes for cross-training and low-impact cardiovascular conditioning. Prominent athletes endorsing these bikes include 2012 US Olympians Meb Keflezighi and Julie Culley, UK 5000m runner Andy Vernon, Dutch marathoner Miranda Boonstra, and French Olympian Marc Raquil. Additionally, collegiate and elite teams such as Stanford University, University of Guelph, and The Oregon Track Club Elite integrate ElliptiGO bicycles into their training regimens.
Models
ElliptiGO's product range consists of seven models divided into three categories. The initial market offering was the model8s. The long-stride series features the 3C, 8C, and 11R models equipped with 3, 8, and 11 gears respectively. The compact-stride collection includes Arc 3, Arc 8, and Arc 24 models with gear counts of 3, 8, and 24. The latest model introduced is the SUB (Stand Up Bike). In October 2021, ElliptiGO issued a recall for its Arc 3, Arc 8, and Arc 24 models across the US and Canada due to structural frame concerns.
Designed for outdoor environments, ElliptiGO bicycles can reach speeds up to 25 miles per hour.