Fifty Plus (50+) - Kickbikes

Yesterday I volunteered at a club sponsored ride and one of the club members brought her Kickbike. After registration was over and we were waiting for the riders to start returning she let all of us take a spin on her bike. Wow! Does that thing ever use different muscles. I'm glad I was wearing sandals and couldn't go too far.

She said she uses it for cross-training and her longest ride to date is 15 miles. Anyone else had a chance to give this things a try?

http://www.kickbike.ca/kbs.html

I have a Sidewalker City. It is a 26" scooter. I would of got the Kickbike but I didn't know it even existed at the time. It is a different kind of work out and a lot of fun. A 10 mile ride can be a good workout.

there was a kickbike thread in February. My comment:
A fellow did last October's Hilly Hundred (Southern Indiana) on one. He has won some major races in Europe, according to a newspaper story about him. He was slow up the hills but, on the last major downhill of the Hilly, my wife and I were getting up to a pretty good speed on our tandem when he came from out of nowhere and passed us going REALLY FAST!

Does anyone have any more personal experiences with these things. I've been giving serious thought to ordering one.

I saw an article on them on a major news site saying they were gaining in popularity.

My LBS has been selling some, I see them in use around campus.

Whatever happened to the guy who gave 2 or 3 or 4 to 50+ forum members a couple of years ago?

Don't know, Tom, but I wouldn't mind hearing from the recipiants. I got to do a very short ride on one a few years back. Lots of fun, but I don't know how I would feel after a half hour or so.

I saw an article on them on a major news site saying they were gaining in popularity.

My LBS has been selling some, I see them in use around campus.

Whatever happened to the guy who gave 2 or 3 or 4 to 50+ forum members a couple of years ago?

I'm not sure what happened to 'Moses', but I believe one of the 50+ recipients (of a red Footbike?) has already contributed to this thread.

I also am one of those folks. I started with the recumbents at about the same time so my Kickbike has not seen much use, yet.

I don't use mine too often but I'm not ready to part with it just yet.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_0726.jpg

Daughter & Footbike.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r152/crankyolddude/IMG_1369.jpg

For more info, try here...http://www.footbikeusa.com/
I think there is even a forum on the site.

I'm not sure what happened to 'Moses', but I believe one of the 50+ recipients (of a red Footbike?) has already contributed to this thread.



As you can see at the moment the red one is hanging in the garage along side my daughter's Townie:)

I love the workout it gives you but I only use it when riding with the young granddaughters (5 and 7)on their bikes or scooters. They think their grandmother has a really cool scooter.

As you can see at the moment the red one is hanging in the garage along side my daughter's Townie:)

I love the workout it gives you but I only use it when riding with the young granddaughters (5 and 7)on their bikes or scooters. They think their grandmother has a really cool scooter.

They've got a pretty cool Grandmother too!

They've got a pretty cool Grandmother too!

Awww.....thanks, Cranky:)

I've seen them before. I think they are more popular in Europe. Do they have braze ons for fenders? That would be neat to see go cross country pulling a trailer.

I've seen them before. I think they are more popular in Europe. Do they have braze ons for fenders? That would be neat to see go cross country pulling a trailer.

Here's where the third and final freebie went to....http://theblackbaron.blogspot.com/2008/04/two-wheeled-weirdness-update.html#more

I haved some detailed pics someplace, if you really want, I'll look through them tonight and post those that may be pertinent to your questions.

For more info, try here...http://www.footbikeusa.com/
I think there is even a forum on the site.

Thanks for the lead. I had been thinking Kickbike was the only brand out there. The Footbike seems a better piece of equipment in every respect. But pricey, for not having cranks, chains, and the whole schmear. I'm not quite sure I want it bad enough to pay for it. Looks like fun, though.

Here's where the third and final freebie went to....http://theblackbaron.blogspot.com/2008/04/two-wheeled-weirdness-update.html#more

I haved some detailed pics someplace, if you really want, I'll look through them tonight and post those that may be pertinent to your questions.

Unfortunately, I had to part with mine last year, we were forced to move to another place and I had no room to keep it, so it went home with Rober Shutz of http://www.schutzgymnastics.com/ which has a footbiking page with a few reviews.

He already has a few and he seemed more than happy with it, it even shows up on his website: 142268

Still has the rack I put on it and everything...

I think if one lived within a mile or two of a town, that they would be a nice option to run errands or commute. Fun to go out in the park with children.

Thanks for the link Cranky. Must be fun to ride one of those. I wonder how far you could go with that Footbike or Kickbike? Just curious.

How far might depend upon how good of a shape your knees are in. You take some shock from each step/stroke, and the other knee is supporting all of your weight.

Greetings --
We thought we would never come back to this Forum after our President was banned last year from talking about our Footbikes. Then we met with the owner of this Forum at Interbike 2008 and personally invited us to come back, "because we were so awesome"..........?? We were out training, so we never got around to it.

Fast forward to our website Google Analytics and we are getting hit after hit on referrals from the BF.net. So we came back in to have a look. We drew straws and I was voted to make myself available and see if I could provide some insight to why we are kicking this thing around.

You guys mention two of our most senior racers on this thread. Gary 'GrayHound' Schmitt of Indiana. Numerous World Records and heroics taking it to the Europeans and winning at 59 years young. Robert 'BobCat' Schutz at 68 years young is the first footbiker to cross Northern New Jersey. He did find a FB from somebody here after kicking around on a Diggler for a few years. He never knew he could find such a scooter in the Footbike. Suffice to say he became addicted and earned himself a slot at TeamFootbikeUSARacing.

We will attempt to be diligent to answer any questions, objections, or concerns about the sport of footbiking. Thanks for your time.

Spartacus Oakie--Current US Record Holder in the Marathon Distance----40-49years Men.

Don't normally post in 50+.....usually in Alt Bike.......But I am 57, and have been building custom style bikes for a few years. WARNING: Be careful with the Footbikes, Kickbikes. Because they are VERY addicting! They're a great way to get in shape. But you don't have to be in shape to start "kickin". Are they worth the money.....Let me see, I just spent Sunday scootin around the neighborhood with my two youngest grand-kids. That ALONE makes it worth every penny. you can go as fast as you want or as slow as you want. Also my wife has a Kickbike City Cruiser, so we can go for "romantic" rides:love:.......... instead of romantic walks.:notamused:
I bike 10-15 miles a day, and have used the Footbike a few days a week. Guess what, this has made me a stronger cyclist (not an athlete, just like to ride). Legs are definitely stronger, even the one with the new knee. For me, I can't leave anything "untouched". This is my version of an Express.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff182/KOTA777/003-15.jpg

Don't normally post in 50+.....usually in Alt Bike.......But I am 57, and have been building custom style bikes for a few years. WARNING: Be careful with the Footbikes, Kickbikes. Because they are VERY addicting! They're a great way to get in shape. But you don't have to be in shape to start "kickin". Are they worth the money.....Let me see, I just spent Sunday scootin around the neighborhood with my two youngest grand-kids. That ALONE makes it worth every penny. you can go as fast as you want or as slow as you want. Also my wife has a Kickbike City Cruiser, so we can go for "romantic" rides:love:.......... instead of romantic walks.:notamused:
I bike 10-15 miles a day, and have used the Footbike a few days a week. Guess what, this has made me a stronger cyclist (not an athlete, just like to ride). Legs are definitely stronger, even the one with the new knee. For me, I can't leave anything "untouched". This is my version of an Express.

http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff182/KOTA777/003-15.jpg

Nice looking bike. Mine will be coming down off the winter storage rack just as soon as those two young granddaughters of mine are out of school for the summer. I scoot around the neighborhood with them and sometimes venture to the local ice cream stop:) They ride their bikes and I'm slow on the Footbike so we don't have too many problems traveling at the same speed.

Is that a regular bike rack you have installed on it?

Nice looking bike. .....

Is that a regular bike rack you have installed on it?

I assume a rack like that could be found at a recumbent accesory site. Many trikes have small rear racks like that one.

I got a chance to kick the Kickbike Cross Max around on a parking lot... certainly a weird experience with the front suspension fork. Feels like it's draining a lot of energy, but could be worth it in single track riding/kicking.

Kickbikes are based on the old kicksled design, used in the Swedish and Finnish archipelago during winters and when there's not much snow on ice. I've done a bit of kicksledding, though not on the crazy futuristic Kickspark (http://www.kickbike.fi/index.php?mid=93) models (made by the Kickbike manufacturer). It's a nice, relaxing way of moving over the ice, but I suspect when you turn it into a sport, it's the same difference as with Dutch utility bike compared to a road bike. Apples to oranges.

--J

The rack is an "outback" from Target, about $15. It's for a 26 inch bike. I just cut it down and reconfigured it to fit. The bars were changed from a straight bar to one (alloy) that has about a 5 inch rise.
Juha, personally I wouldn't use a suspension scoot on the street, I think you're right about using to much energy, might be great for downhill.
I have found room for both, cycling and kicking. Two totally different experiences, I feel it more in the muscles of my legs, NOT the knees, like a bicycle. ....ONE mistake we made, initially, was trying to go as fast on the scooter, as you do on a bike. I lasted about 500 feet. Now I go at a steady pace and can do a few miles.
KOTA