Yeah,
I had one of those a million years ago. It was in a Mazda sedan. Crappy handling, pathetic brakes, and an engine with a 5 speed that just wouldn't quit. It looked like a large, ugly, bright yellow potato.
Unfortunately, you have the analogy backwards. Your legs are just like the
piston/crankarm assembly. Pistons go up and down over a rotating crank. Your legs go up and down over a rotating crank.