ElliptiGO instead of running?

Zuletzt aktualisiert | last modified: 21. April 2024

Startseite | English | ElliptiGO instead of running?

As a former runner, I switched to stand up bikes/ elliptical bikes. Now I am a quite satisfied user of three bicycles and a stationary trainer from ElliptiGO. On these pages I report on my – sporting and technical – experiences with these extraordinary training devices, also in comparison to running.
I am happy to answer any questions about my bikes or my experience in training and maintenance. I also look forward to exchanging ideas with other users. Just write me a message.
No one needs a saddle!
Jens-Peter

English content…
ElliptiGO instead of running?
Comparison of the ElliptiGO models
How to train with an ElliptiGO?
The ElliptiGO 11R
The ElliptiGO MSUB
The ElliptiGO SUB
ElliptiGO indoor workout
Useful accessories for an ElliptiGO
Feedback (a contact form)
Imprint

Inhalt | Content

ElliptiGO instead of running,
why did I switch?

Below are a few lines about my athletic background, my motivation to use an ElliptiGO instead of running and this website in general.

History

After doing various Asian martial arts in my youth and some years of more fun sports like diving or paragliding, I got into running around 2006 through Nordic Walking. I would now describe myself as an ambitious endurance athlete. Before I switched to ElliptiGO, I ran between 10 and 20 kilometers about three times a week. About eight to ten times a year I took part in running events of distances up to the marathon. My results were mostly in the upper middle field of my age group.

From 2011 to 2018 the blog laufsterne.de was run by me and my family. There we wrote about our impressions of running events. Due to the restrictions associated with the EU General Data Protection Regulation, this project was discontinued in 2018. Videos from this period can still be found on my YouTube sports channel.

The problem

I often had knee problems from the strain of running. I usually had these well under control with the help of sensorimotor running insoles. But there were phases in between when it was advisable to take a break from running. An orthopedist once recommended an orthopedic operation so that I could continue running to old age. However, I rejected this option because of the incalculable consequences for me and after obtaining further medical opinions.

Nevertheless, it was always clear to me that at some point an alternative would be needed to avoid damaging the knee while running. When this caused problems again at the end of 2021, I started to seriously think about changing sport. But I didn’t know which sport to switch to.

And now?

Nordic walking and hiking are nice complementary activities – I still do both sometimes. When you come from running, however, the training effect is marginal. Sportive cycling and gyms have never been my thing – for whatever reason. I also knew that I had to spend a lot more time with classic cycling to get a training effect comparable to running, which I really wanted to avoid. A cross trainer is ideal for this, but I didn’t want to have to train mainly indoors.

I remembered doing some test laps on a ElliptiGO brand bike during the 2015 Berlin Marathon Fair.

This video by the manufacturer/ German importer pretty much sums up my motivation for switching…

ElliptiGO? – Wie entstand der Crosstrainer für draußen?

Dieses Video auf YouTube ansehen

^{Alternatively, use the link to the video on YouTube?}

I came across an interesting offer on a classifieds web portal. Spontaneously bought a set of used ElliptiGO 11R and Fluid 365 trainer in winter 2021/22.

For my work-related second home in the city, the fleet was soon expanded to include an ElliptiGO MSUB. In autumn 2022, a used SUB for outdoor sports in bad winter weather was added.

I had also looked at alternatives to ElliptiGO, e.g. the Streetstepper or the Bionic Runner, which can sometimes be bought used here in Germany. However, these were somehow technically too complex/ dubious, the support or the future of the brand or projects was unclear to me, or I just didn’t like the kind of movement that much.

Today

I don’t run at all anymore. Instead, I train up to three times a week for about one to three hours with an ElliptiGO, which is about the same amount of time I used to run.

I now have a few thousand kilometers and several hours of experience on the three different bikes. Although I was not badly trained by running regularly, the bikes in hilly terrain have sometimes pushed me to my physical limits.

For me, ElliptiGO is closer to running than cycling. I defined a separate discipline for this in my sports diary.

If you are interested, you will find examples of my workouts there.
The lines with a + can be selected for detailed information in my public diary view. On the right under „Tags“ is listed which bike it was.

How I compare the previous running trainings with the ElliptiGO workouts I describe in the article How to train with an ElliptiGO?.

The website

Apart from the rather benevolent representations of manufacturers and importers as well as some initial experience reports and unboxing videos, there is little to be found on the German-speaking web. And if so, more with the ElliptiGO as a leisure or travel device than as a training device.

That’s why I decided to start this website project. In this, I consider both sporting and technical aspects. I will continue to post my experiences on this website, but it is not intended to continually post new content.

In context with my MSUB suspension fork problem, which I couldn’t find anything about on international websites, I decided to translate some content of this website into English. Hopefully this will make my articles easier to understand for international readers. However, this website is of German origin and subject to the relevant German legal framework.

At this point, I explicitly mention that this private, non-commercial website is operated by me as a user. I do not receive any benefits from any company in connection with my publications, and would not accept them if offered to me.

I chose the website title „(Bike) ohne Sattel“ [means without a saddle/ seat], and the Internet address „ohnesattel.de“ because the most frequently asked question of passers-by and interested athletes is „Does it not have a saddle?“.

My conclusion

I can’t hide the fact that overall I’m very pleased with my ElliptiGO bikes.

Despite my improved fitness, my knee problems are a thing of the past. In addition, riding upright is very back-friendly and there is no pain in the buttocks even on longer trips.

Personally, I’m really convinced that an ElliptiGO can be a very good addition or alternative for people with joint problems when running.

I can’t even say which of my bikes I like best. I like all three, each for its own purpose. When making a selection decision, the purpose of use, the degree of desired/ required joint relief, the acceptable maintenance effort and last but not least the purchase price play a role.

By the way, interesting offers can be found regularly on the used market. I only bought my MSUB new.

Except for individual peculiarities, especially with the 11R, the maintenance is mainly the same as that of a traditional bicycle. I service all three of my bikes myself. Although there are certainly some technical specialities, I haven’t needed any „professional“ help yet. The basic requirements are, of course, an adequate amount of tools and some technical know-how. If you don’t want to do the maintenance yourself, you should be able to find a local workshop that is willing to take on an ElliptiGO. Most of the installed parts are usual. However, since the bicycle boom of recent years, many workshops, at least in Germany, seem to be so busy that they either do not maintain and repair bikes bought somewhere else or only do so under certain conditions.

Enjoy browsing!
Jens-Peter