North County Company Launches Elliptical Bicycle as Alternative to Running

Brent Teal, left, and Bryan Pate co-founded ElliptiGO Inc., which makes the ElliptiGO 8S, a cross between a bicycle and an elliptical workout machine found in most fitness facilities.

About four years in the making, the world’s first elliptical bicycle created by a pair of North County entrepreneurs is being marketed to runners who want to remain active but can no longer take the pounding on their leg and hip joints.

“The buyers of these bikes would be former runners who have lost their ability to run generally because of knee issues they’ve developed over many years of running, cyclists with lower back problems, and people who just want to get out of the gym,” said Bryan Pate, who co-founded ElliptiGO Inc. with longtime friend, Brent Teal.

The partners call their invention an ElliptiGO 8S, a cross between a bicycle and an elliptical workout machine commonly found in most fitness facilities.

Pate, a former Marine Corps officer who quit competing in triathlons (races that combine swimming, running and bicycling) because the workout regimen took up too much time, said he was forced to stop running a few years earlier because of the damage the constant impact was having on his knees and hips.

Seeking an alternative exercise Pate, 37, took up cycling, but he found that to get the kind of workout he wanted, he had to ride many miles and spend extended time on a bicycle seat, which made him uncomfortable.

To stay in shape, he began working out in a gym, but he never really enjoyed it.

Elliptical Motion With Wheels

“I hated the whole gym experience,” he said. “I hated working out next to people and then having to drive home sweaty … It wasn’t the same kind of experience that I was used to when I was running.”

Yet Pate did get a decent workout with the elliptical trainers. He just missed being outside, breathing fresh air and being mobile. There has to be an exercise device out there that combined the elliptical motion and wheels, Pate thought.

When his search failed to find the device he was seeking, Pate turned to a friend and engineer he worked with at Palomar Technologies Inc. in Carlsbad — Teal. Not only was Teal, like Pate, an avid runner and Ironman triathlon competitor, he was an excellent mechanical engineer, Pate said.

“It started with a handshake (in July 2005), and it took about a year to get our first prototype built,” Pate said.

The first model worked surprisingly well right out of the gate. “The first time I got on it, I went for a 20-mile ride, and it performed well,” he said.

Before the friends committed to manufacturing their invention, they spent considerable time researching to determine if there were any similar products on the market or any patents covering similar concepts in an effort to avoid future problems.
They also lined up a few dozen investors to provide the capital required to launch the business. Pate declined to reveal the exact amount he and Teal raised, saying only that it was more than $1 million.

Manufacturing in Taiwan

Initially, the partners tried to make the bikes in this country but quickly determined that would cause the price tag to go well beyond the $2,000 to $2,500 target that they set. Even with the manufacturing being done in Taiwan, the bikes retail for $2,199, above what most people would spend for a quality road bicycle.

“Practically no bikes are made in this country that sell for less than $2,000 … and the majority, maybe 75 percent, are made either in Taiwan or in China by companies based in Taiwan,” Pate said.

While the first ElliptiGOs did well enough, Teal continued to change the frame, the propulsion system, the gearing system, and the stride length through four more versions before the partners were ready to begin production.

ElliptiGOs are propelled by riders striding on platform pedals that turn a crank above the rear wheel. Like an elliptical training machine, the motion of the platform pedals simulates a running motion. However, unlike a training machine which is fixed, the running motion of the rider drives the rear wheels and propels the bicycle forward. Equipped with an eight-gear system, made by Shimano Inc., riders use trigger shifters on the handlebars to change gears. The bike has a 54-inch wheelbase with handlebars that can be adjusted from 50 to 56 inches in height and is equipped with brakes.

Pate said the bikes, which weigh 40 pounds, can be folded up and fit into the back of average size SUVs, on roof racks and bike racks, and in some car trunks.

Skeptical Personal Trainer

The company initially arranged to produce 85 bikes, finding most of its customers via its Web site, elliptigo.com. At the end of this month, it will also sell the bikes from its Solana Beach office/warehouse.

Last month, the first 60 ElliptiGOs were delivered to initial customers who heard about the device by word of mouth. The firm has yet to purchase any advertising.

Michael Geraghty, a Solana Beach personal trainer, says when he first saw the new device, he was skeptical it was going to work. “But when I got on it I was surprised how easy it was to use, and that it gave me a more strenuous workout than the indoor elliptical machines,” Geraghty said.
Among the advantages of the new bikes is the lack of special equipment needed to use the device. Except for a helmet, riders don’t need to wear specialized clothing or shoes as is sometimes required when riding certain types of traditional bicycles.

The bikes also are safer than regular bicycles, Geraghty said, because riders are standing while they’re pedaling, making them far more visible to drivers.

Geraghty reported that several of his clients tried the bikes and liked the workout they got and the way the bikes handled. His clients purchased two bicycles each so they could work out with someone else.

World Championship Race

Pate says he plans to do his first real marketing push for the product at the Los Angeles Marathon, March 19 and 20, where the company has rented a booth at the LA Marathon Expo. When sufficient numbers of the elliptical bicycles are in the market, Pate envisions a world championship elliptical bike race, perhaps as soon as late this year.

As for projected sales, Pate thinks an even 2,000 ElliptiGOs is a realistic sales goal this year, meaning revenue for the company could exceed $4 million. If things move accordingly, employment at the company could increase from seven to 12 or 13 employees, he said.

In the end, the goal of the partners was to create a new device that replicates the workout of a good run without the pounding that accompanies that exercise form, says Teal.

“As everyone knows, the pounding of running causes a lot of injuries,” he said. “By eliminating the impact, the ElliptiGO provides the most comfortable and effective outdoor workout experience available today — one that anyone can do day-in and day-out without damaging their body.”

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