"Whatever these are" is what I thought when I came across these Trikke trikes on my Saturday ride. I had to look them up.
I'm always ticking things off in my mind for what I notice on my rides, hence the feature "Finds from the Grind." But when I don't know what something is, what do I put down on my mental list? "Whatever these are" or "whatever this is." So I looked up these goofy standup trikes that take up way more lane than they should. I suppose Trikke thinks you get good exercise from this, ah, device, but I'm still chuckling at the last dude wearing cycling shorts. What's the padding for, man?
Facepalming. Mind you, in a certain light we are lucky because we are passionate about our sport and don't need to fool ourselves somehow to get out or "be active". Too many cyclists need new 'toys' (whoops will that get you in trouble with Google?) as motivation, when the true reward is riding itself: if they're not enjoying it they should just go look for that one thing that does it for them, because cycling obviously isn't, and neither is that contraption.
ReplyDeleteOTOH I'm a fucking addict :D I even have mood lows when I can't ride. Looking forward to YowaPeda Ep 20 (I caught up! I caught up!)
I've seen that last guy on that trike over the last couple of years winding around the dam near this part of the trail, but I've never seen him go this far up the river. What made the mental image stand out for me was seeing 4 of these things in a row. I don't want to be harsh to anyone on wheels getting exercise, but... they look ridiculous. That's just being objective. It's silly. It may be fun, it may be appropriate for a parking lot or a mixed beach trail, but 35 miles away from Seal Beach up a dried out river? That's ridiculous.
DeleteOho! Yowapeda 20 was good sports anime action!
The one with padded shorts? ^^ Second year in a row and he's infecting others... maybe there's a method to his madness after all!
ReplyDeleteTo me it looks a lot like skating without the elegance and the efficiency. I'd rather pick up inline skating (but to be fair, that's something I always wanted to try!)
...you teaser! You know I'm only going to watch it after the post is published!
Next time stop and ask if you can try it out.
ReplyDeleteI bet you will feel and understand just how much of a total body work out you get from riding a Trikke.
Watch how many different muscle groups are moving and exercising in order to make the Trikke move.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQ4zKg1Lrtg
Before I can truly evaluate something, I have to try it. I would encourage those who don't Trikke to do the same - learn to ride a Trikke. When you can ride 10 miles, then please write an article about the experience.
ReplyDeleteAs for how it looks? People who are confident in who they are, and what they enjoy don't worry about how others perceive them.
And yes, Trikke riding IS good exercise, but don't take my word for it- learn to ride and then do an honest comparison.
For the Trikke spammers, I'll address some points.
ReplyDelete1) I wear colorful tight clothing for hours on end. I'm an expert on what looking ridiculous looks like. You look ridiculous. So what? Are you having fun? Good. You still look ridiculous.
2) I don't care about different muscle groups to get good exercise. I'm an endurance athlete. I care about the specific muscle groups that make me go faster on the bike. How about you do an honest comparison of working efficiently to move faster on your Trikke and what I do on the bike?
3) You are objectively unconfident in how you look on the Trikke, otherwise you would not mention how others perceive it. You would embrace it, or talk about how great it is for your hip flexors.
4) Trikke riding is NOT good exercise for experienced athletes. You will not get the same cardio benefit as from simply running, rollerblading, or bicycling seriously. Soreness from muscles is not the same as fatigue, which is the prerequisite for strength building recovery. You're better off doing 5 reps of squats everyday.
5) Oversensitivity is not an attractive selling point. You've hardened my feelings against the Trikke for delegitimizing my honest feelings. I feel oppressed. Maybe I'll start a petition on Change.org to protest the shaming tactics of Trikke spammers?
"You will not get the same cardio benefit as from simply running, rollerblading, or bicycling seriously."
DeleteDo you have a scientific source for this statement?
Do you have a scientific source contradicting it? I'll show you mine if you show me yours first. Seriously.
DeleteYes. You don't have the attitude to be a Trikker. You've got your Spandex in a bunch.
ReplyDeleteApparently you've got the right attitude for something. And it's lycra these days. Spandex only makes up 25% of the ridiculous colorful outfits cyclists wear.
DeleteTo each their own Joe and you are certainly correct when you refer to the inefficiency of Trikke riding when compared to cycling. That is precisely why riding one can be a good workout. As for it not being good exercise for experienced athletes and comparing it to 5 squats, how is that consistent with your observation about the inefficiency of riding a Trikke?
ReplyDeleteI prefer to stick with a half hour 10km ride at the moment because that's what I enjoy and can keep up regularly but there are those out there that Trikke much further and for longer and do use it as an endurance workout. It's just a different one from cycling which is okay.
There are studies that have looked at the health benefits of Trikke riding but there are no doubt many more looking at cycling or running.
It's a weird looking activity and a different way to exercise but it is exercise and that can't be a bad thing.
I am happy for those that enjoy walking, cycling, running or skating to do so.
That's 5 repetitions of 5 squats each. Believe me, when you squat a weight near your strength limit that many times, you're done for the day.
DeleteAlso, I'm glad you're having fun. That's the most important thing to keep you motivated in exercising. If you get that rush from making the wheels turn and get a sense of satisfaction from a particularly good turn or pivot, of course you'll want to do it more.
Have fun, go fast, be safe. Those are the most important things for exercising on wheels. Have fun is first of all.
Agreed. Have fun, go fast, be safe - I like it. All the best.
DeleteAs an avid trikke rider, I'll refrain from judging this post. Felt the need though to mention that I'll be 60 in a few months. 2 weeks ago I set out to do a 100k, succeeded, with average speed of 9.5. Not fast for a bike but certainly up there for a Trikke. 63 miles certainly was exercise. When I really want to get the cardio you say isn't posdible, I usually kick it in gear when I'm 2 - 3 miles from home, averaging over 11 mph. I would challenge you as a 1st timer to go around the block on a windy day with your heart monitor on, and see what happens.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, cheers on your metric century. Doing anything for a hundred km under human power is a big deal. Really, that's a big deal.
DeleteSecond, I know for a fact that I wouldn't get the same cardio benefit on a trike as I do on my bike. The simple reason is because I've training my body for over 10 years on a road bike. Trying something new would have nowhere near the efficiency that my neuromuscular system now has for the same cardio effort. I just would not be able to get my heart rate up to its near-threshold rate and hold it for two hours employing muscle groups that I'm not used to. This has nothing to do with the machine but with the athlete.
Here's an example - I ride hundreds of miles a week, but every couple of weeks I walk up a hill and down it for 3 km. Guess which activity makes me sore for a couple of days. The walking, because I only do it a couple times a month instead of almost daily like my bike. It's not the activity, its the specialization. So I definitely would not accept your challenge except to say that my heart rate doing it wouldn't match what I can already do on the bike. If I rode a trike for 10 years, maybe, but I'm not sure the physical activity on the trike employs the largest muscle groups like running or riding do, so perhaps even then the cardio output would be lower. The heart only beats fast if it has to supply a lot of blood somewhere.
There are those who bike/roller blade/walk/Trikke at a leisurely pace, not breaking a sweat, barely raising their heart-rate. Others push themselves and get a great workout. It is all about what you put into it!
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly right. Those people in the video were putting in a good effort up a pretty steep hill.
DeleteExert from Product News and Reviews:
ReplyDeleteBurns More Calories Than Running
Trikkes are a hot item and have been since 2002 when Time magazine named it one of the best inventions of the year. It’s an incredible aerobic fitness machine. A 2006 study in Germany found that a 9 mph ride on a Trikke burned 520 calories per hour, while a light jog burned only 350 calories per hour. Riding the Trikke at near top end speed of 12.5 mph burned a whopping 1,000 calories per hour.
Not Just for the Relaxed Fit Generation
Unlike jogging, riding the Trikke is a zero impact sport, and unlike bicycling, you can do it standing upright. This has made it a huge hit with the 50+ crowd who are looking for ways to keep fit and get outdoors without torturing our joints.
I love my Trikke, don't knock it if you haven't tried it, it is a great way to keep active.
See my 4) point. The key word is "seriously." Not light jogging. Also, I can ride my bike standing up. Just don't ask me to do it for more than 10 minutes climbing a 10% grade. Riding a bike with the proper fit is also zero impact, however some people with lower back problems will have issues keeping the proper form. That's okay. I'm not telling people to knock road cycling if they haven't tried it. I'm not that rude.
DeleteMetric century guy here again. Just for the heck of it, ask the next Trikker you see if you can try it out. You don't have to mention this post or any other incriminating evidence of your identity : )... most of us are more than willing to let folks have a shot at it. We won't try to convert you, promise!
ReplyDeleteHa! I appreciate that. I'll probably have to take off my cycling shoes first, though. If you want to see ridiculous, check out us cyclists in our funny clothing trying to walk around a coffee shop in our cleats. I've seen ducks more graceful.
DeleteWell, interesting debate, including the troll posts. What is a shame is the inability of some to have an discussion without disparaging others who disagree with them. I used to ride a road bike for distance years ago until a car accident. Now cycling is no longer feasible for me, so I swim and ride a Trikke (for fun and getting together with others). I note that the Trikke riders in the video are really swinging their handlebars quite far to the left and right; that's typically done to move up a hill and not done so much on flat terrain. I think everyone should exercise with whatever works best for that individual, whether it is running, cycling or whatever.
ReplyDeleteAll good points. Too bad about the car accident. It's always sad to hear about one less lycra-clad warrior on the road. Now you can say you're into cross fitness!
DeleteThose guys were on a pretty steep hill, although it doesn't look like it. I'm always amazed how the POV camera shot seems to flatten out the terrain, but then you look at a far shot of the same road and you get surprised at how the angle of pavement relative to the bottom is much more severe.