Given that today is April 2nd, directly following April Fool's, it seems like an ideal time to bring up the treadmill bike - a odd piece of exercise equipment which appears to be legit, but could very well be a hoax.
So what is a treadmill bike? It's rather self-explanatory, really - "a treadmill on wheels."
And what's the point of this gadget, you might ask?
According to the company selling the product, Bicycle Forest:
"Have you ever wished you could get a quality treadmill workout without paying expensive gym prices? Look no further than the Treadmill Bike by the Bicycle Forest. The Treadmill Bike offers the same fat burning benefits of a conventional treadmill without the membership fees!"
I guess I have two points of opposition to this marketing pitch:
1) If I want a treadmill workout without paying "expensive gym prices" I could just purchase my own treadmill, which would provide me with exactly what I want: a treadmill workout.
2) An even easier and cheaper alternative is to go for a walk or jog outside - like a treadmill workout, but much more enjoyable!
Further, as the treadmill bike is selling for $2500 online, I'm not convinced it is really such an inexpensive alternative.
Lastly, while viewing their comedic promo video (see below), I get the impression riding/running(?) the treadmill bike would be rather uncomfortable. Imagine running on a normal treadmill while holding onto the front the whole time. If you've ever tried it, you know how awkward this feels.
On a day like today, just save yourself the $2500, and go for a nice long walk/hike/jog with your loved ones. That's my plan! Enjoy the sunshine!
Peter
(Thanks to @ferrisjabr for bringing this silly gadget to my attention)
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What's with you guys? It's April 2nd, or you across the International Date Line. Funny though. Check out the webpage link that says "Take it off some sweet jumps!" http://www.bikeforest.com/tread/index.php#
Clearly just a joke some kids put together. They probably do engineering as a hobby and decided to make a video for it, and then though "what the hell, let's sell it online and see what happens." They're laughing during the video, especially during the more patently ridiculous lines, and the website clearly took zero effort. This is not a real business.
first thought crossing my mind when i saw the photo: you are one day late ;)
They're planning to release an elliptical model on next April F[strike]irst[/strike]ool's day.
But what if I wanted to get all the exercise of a treadmill bike in my gym? Could I get a stationary treadmill bike?
On the other hand, their couchbike looks promising...
This gadget is as silly as bottled water. Go google "chindogu" :) .
Plug this baby into a television, X box, playstation or computer, and we have a winner.
This is silly stuff, BUT I LOVE my SpinDesk. www.spindesk.com
I jog on my treadmill every day. I love exercise with music. The lyrics I enjoy best are motivational along with the tempo that changes for the workouts i'm doing.
Clearly just a joke some kids put together. They probably do engineering as a hobby and decided to make a video for it, and then though "what the hell, let's sell it online and see what happens." They're laughing during the video, especially during the more patently ridiculous lines, and the website clearly took zero effort. This is not a real business.