Cycling using arms and legs

[Speedywheelsjeans]

I like the design concept, I like the look of it, it looks well designed, well manufactured. I think some people might buy it.... but, I think most people would prefer to stay to the comfort of a normal bike.

You might have to put a questionnaire out there, see who would buy one. I personally wouldnt... but it might be right up some peoples alley.

If you can market it more for mainstream fitness than cycling niche then you could really get the ball rolling! or sell conversion kits so people dont have to buy the complete bike?

 

[jay clock]

I appreciate your positive enthusiasm and the product looks well engineered. I think this might at very best end up as a smaller selling version of the recumbent. ie a bike that 99.99% of the population look at with bemusement but the small minority love with a religious fervour.

Best of luck David!

 

[korbike]

Thanks for all the comments on the Korbike. It's taken a little longer than I expected, but hopefully the changes and new website www.korbike.com will make sense to those of you who see it as a a fitness bike. Riding out of the saddle makes for a great work out. And being able to use the training stand at home, also makes it a convenient full body cardio work out. Some fairing design changes still need to be done, but not much beyond that. Would like too hear any and all comments. Thanks, David

 

[mickle]

Hardly an 'upper body workout' with those little levers. The history of bicycle design is full of well meaning, clever people who invested vast amounts of time and money because they thought they could redesign the bicycle. This arrangement, or something similar, appears every generation. It never catches on. Sorry to be so negative, you obviously put a lot into it a- but i think this is yet another solution to a question which no-one was asking.

 

[korbike]

mickle, Thanks for your reply. You make great points, however, my question is this, how do you balance out an exercise, that only works out your legs? You must admit that the rest of your body is really, just along for the ride. I understand the leg muscle is the largest, but why not share the blood flow with the rest of your body? You don't have to move the levers on the Korbike very far, to realize that balancing around your core, with your arms and legs moving, is quite a work out. My intention is not to replace the bicycle, but to add to an already great cardio exercise, one that includes your upper body. David

 

[mickle]

mickle, Thanks for your reply. You make great points, however, my question is this, how do you balance out an exercise, that only works out your legs? You must admit that the rest of your body is really, just along for the ride. I understand the leg muscle is the largest, but why not share the blood flow with the rest of your body? You don't have to move the levers on the Korbike very far, to realize that balancing around your core, with your arms and legs moving, is quite a work out. My intention is not to replace the bicycle, but to add to an already great cardio exercise, one that includes your upper body. David

I wish you every success with your project. I hope you prove me wrong. Without innovators like you we'd still be riding tall wheels.

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

I probably waste as much money on pointless gimicks and toys as the next man, if not more however this interests me not one little bit. The reason being is I see and appreciate cycling for its social aspects, the handling of the bike, the thrill of fast desents.
I can't honestly see how this contraption would handle better than my bike, or give me that thrill of getting over the bars on long sweeping desents.
In effect it goes against everything I really want and enjoy from cycling. I work my upper body in the gym where I also have the ability to target other area's I want to work. I can't see this as being a total body workout as I can not see how it targets my lower back any more than normal cycling?

good luck though, but im not sure if the product is more suited to cyclists or the viewers of infomercials.

 

[korbike]

V, thank you for your thoughts on this. I assume you also ride your bike for the cardio exercise? For someone that doesn't have the time or interest in working out at the gym, the Korbike exercises your upper and lower body, with the same cardio exercise you would normally just be getting for your legs.

mickle, I do have high hopes for all body cardio, and thank you for your well wishes. David

 

[MrJamie]

It looks interesting, but I can't see it being that popular with cyclists, because I think a drop bar road bike would still be faster and more efficient. I can imagine a few people buying them in order to get fit and to ride around parks etc though.

It'd be worth getting someone to proof read the website too, just to make things look a bit more professional. I thought the random capitalization and odd spelling/typo was noticeable. Oh and in the video the girl riding around in the green top has her saddle so low it makes the bike's motion look really unnatural.

 

[crowley]

V, thank you for your thoughts on this. I assume you also ride your bike for the cardio exercise? For someone that doesn't have the time or interest in working out at the gym, the Korbike exercises your upper and lower body, with the same cardio exercise you would normally just be getting for your legs.

mickle, I do have high hopes for all body cardio, and thank you for your well wishes. David

In your estimation during the pedaling action, what percentage of overall chain drive torque does a user of your arm/leg bike generate with his arms ?

 

[korbike]

Mr Jamie, Thanks for looking through the website. I think you are right. Most cyclist that prefer the drop bar may not be interested. I'm thinking for outside (road) use, maybe the mountain bike, surfer, snow boarder, likes to be different crowd. And indoors, anyone that would like a good, I'm pressed for time, 30 minute workout. I was bothered by the low saddle as well. Still proofing the website, I am the worst at grammar and spelling. You guys have a great forum, thanks for the input. David

 

[korbike]

In your estimation during the pedaling action, what percentage of overall chain drive torque does a user of your arm/leg bike generate with his arms ?

Crowley,
I would say about 15 - 25%. Just a guess. I do see about a 10% increase in speed on flat ground, so maybe its less than that. I should look into it. David
After thinking about it, I would like to correct this a little, and say 10 -20% while seated, and 20 - 35% out of the saddle. Not scientific, but that should be pretty close. Thanks for asking, David

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

V, thank you for your thoughts on this. I assume you also ride your bike for the cardio exercise? For someone that doesn't have the time or interest in working out at the gym, the Korbike exercises your upper and lower body, with the same cardio exercise you would normally just be getting for your legs.

I do not actually cycle for exercise at all and do not need to manage my weight. I cycle for no other reason than I really enjoy it and its ultimately one of the fastest ways to get around the area where I live.
I do spend time in the gym as I find I get better results targeting specific area's with functional exercises such as 'Turkish Getup's' 'pull ups and dips' . I also have a history of back problems as such am unsure if this product offers anything which may improve the strength of my back or impact it in a negative manner.

As cycling is my enjoyment I spend quite a bit of money on it, in general if its light I buy it, if its exotic looking I buy it, if its interesting I buy it... This product lacks that desirable factor, it concerns me from a safety perspective more than it interests me and I do not think it has performance potential. It is for this reason I think that perhaps your potential market are the people who watch shopping channels and similar and want a quick, fun, easy way to the perfect body rather than cycling enthusiasts.

 

[Spinney]

As your company is big enough to have a helipad and its name on a skyscraper, you obviously don't need our help.

Seriously, although I am unlikely to buy one, the post from last year that said why not just use it as an exercise bike is missing something. Some people (like me) don't have the strength of mind to keep cycling for 30 mins in the garage, but will happily do an hour on the roads (especially if California sunshine could be supplied along with the bike!). And I don't go to a gym, so my arms are as girly and puny as you might imagine. So there is a point to having this contraption on an outdoor bike.

However the video seems to show that:
- locking and unlocking the mechanism is not something you can do on the move
- if locked, the hand levers are continually moving
- the alternative to having your hands on the moving levers is to use the very narrow alternative handlebar in the middle
- it looks as if this small bar and the rest of the mechanism would prevent you using what were the original handgrips at the end of the main bar.

It is this last point that would concern me if I was thinking of having one - I normally ride a drop bar bike, and sometimes ride with my hands in the middle, but most often on the hoods or the drops. If I came to a stretch of road where I wasn't happy steering on the moving bars, I don't think I'd be happy steering on the narrow alternative bar either. There's a reason that mountain bikes have relatively wide bars...

 

[Rob3rt]

Absolutely bonkers!