Elliptigo commuters

[efdaut]

I am considering to purchase an Elliptigo bike (https://www.elliptigo.com/) to commute to work from Glover Park to Federal Triangle.

Are there any Elliptigo commuters out there that could offer me advice?

I’m concerned about their agility (or lack of agility) in traffic and ease of climbing “hills” (just up to Glover Park).

Topic

[n18]

Please don’t buy one. It seems like a fun tool, but seems to require more workout than a bike, and you could get a fancy bike for a much lower price. Besides, there doesn’t seem to be a way to attach panniers to them, so you can’t carry groceries, or work stuff on them if you need to.

[mstone]

I tend to see a lot of new people on them. That is, I don’t often see the same person twice.

[AliasXIII]

Do you mind if I ask why you’re interested in one? I’ve never understood them, and I’m curious what I’m missing.
(Or maybe they’re super awesome, and I’m better off not knowing? I have enough n+1 ideas already…)

[accordioneur]

This reminds me very much of the kayak vs. SUP (paddleboard) arguments I’ve been a part of. Maybe “more workout” (or at least a different workout) is what the OP is looking for. And while generally I’m a believer that bikes should be equipped to carry things, on my commute I use a backpack rather than panniers.

I have no experience with the Elliptigo, but efdaut, please don’t be dissuaded by the bike-biased comments here.

[Judd]

I don’t recall seeing an Elliptigo commuter around here, but I’ve seen several out on the trails on the weekend. I’ve also seen folks on Elliptigos on RAGBRAI and on century rides. I didn’t notice anyone having agility issues while riding one, although I’d assume that the higher center of gravity might impact steering a bit.

My best advice on getting one up a hill is to take one on a test ride up a hill and see if you make it.

If you do test ride or buy one, I’d be interested in hearing how it works out.

[Vicegrip]

I tried one for a short ride so this opinion is based on that only. I was curious to see how it rode and felt. I found it to be heavy and took more effort to go the same distance a bike could. It is a good bit less maneuverable than a bike but not unsafe or ponderous. Somewhere between a standard diamond frame bike and a tandem bike. I did not bomb down any big hills to test the high speed handling. You ride standing bolt upright and it has a VERY large wind signature. There was a normal slight breeze the day I tried one and the return lap was into the wind. The extra effort was considerably more than the same headwind on a bike. If you ride enough you learn that the wind and the amount of aero drag you have makes a big difference in the effort going from here to there. They also take up a good size footprint when parked or stored away. My take away was only get one if for some physical reason you could not ride a bike.

[Crickey7]

I see a rider on the Capital Crescent Trail on a fairly regular basis. He seems to go about 2/3 the speed of conventional cyclists. My sense is that for a commute of 5 miles or less, it’s quite doable.

[dasgeh]

I used to see a guy on Virginia Ave quite regularly. (Like once a week for at least 4 months, but about 2 years ago). Not sure what happened to him.

[jrenaut]

I saw a couple on them at the top of this climb in the Wine Country Century.

[AliasXIII]

This reminds me very much of the kayak vs. SUP (paddleboard) arguments I’ve been a part of.

I can totally see that.

Also, I think of kayaks as the bicycles of the sea. But maybe that’s just me.

[Author]

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