Whither the Segway

Hey, wait for me!The other day in New York City, we saw someone, er, pedaling a crazy contraption like this, southbound in traffic, alongside whizzing yellow cabs and hulking delivery trucks. It was a funny moment, like seeing a trailer for the forthcoming scary movie Escape From The Gym! (starring Will Ferrell, of course). If the extraterrestrials are studying earthling behavior, what would they make of this odd collision of instincts: the narcotic effect of spinning has taken bikers inside, while the concrete-jungle-inspired elliptical machine, an urban gym fixture, has been re-configured for the out of doors? Chicken, egg....

Well, it turns out, that one model, the ElliptiGo, was invented out of necessity.  In 2005, company co-founder and former cyclist and Ironman triathlete Bryan Pate could not longer run because of hip and knee injuries. A lifetime of contact and endurance sports had caught up with him, and by the ripe age of 32 he could only engage in low-impact exercise. He considered returning to cycling but he'd always found the saddle of a bike and the riding position seriously uncomfortable, and besides, cycling workouts take too much time. So, he started using the indoor elliptical trainer. He he liked the exercise, but he hated being locked in a gym. To solve this problem, he decided to buy a low-impact running device he could ride on the street. Foreshadow next new fitness craze........

Meanwhile in Britain, great minds think alike. 

Annals of Cross-Training: Golfer as Cyclist

Camilo Villegas in full stretch on the greenOnce upon a time, elite tennis player Andre Agassi dismissed the bourgeois pass time of golf, saying, in effect, any game that can be played well while drunk is not a sport. (Darts, anyone?) But in the meantime--thanks in no small part to the pre-scandal-era Tiger Woods--the sport has become not only more athletic but, at the top level of competition, it demands an extremely high level of fitness. Consider Camilo Villegas, 15th on the PGA Tour, whose sinews and contour would do Rudolf Nureyev proud. As part of his exercise regimen, the 28-year-old Villegas (5' 9"; 160 lbs) rides a bike--and we're not talking spinning class. When he returns home to Colombia, he races Tour de France-level courses, which might help explain the lean physique and the power his legs give his drives. His personal trainer reports that he has a resting heart-rate in the high 30s. Ah, the health powers of exercise.