Over a decade ago, we brought a brand new sport to life with the launch of the very first ElliptiGO bike. Since then, we’ve watched the stand up cycling category take flight across the country and the world! Lately, we’ve been hearing about another sport with a similar following to our bikes – one that has equally enthusiastic participants, a vibrant community, and health benefits no matter your goals. We’re talking about pickleball.
Though this sport has been around for over 55 years, it’s experienced a spike in players in recent years. In fact, for the second year in a row, the The Sports & Fitness Industry Association named Pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America.
If you’re unfamiliar with pickleball, it’s played on a similar-sized court to badminton, with a net resembling those used in tennis, paddles that resemble those used in ping-pong, and a ball that resembles a Wiffle ball with 26 to 40 holes.
We noticed many members of our ElliptiGO community were picking up the pickleball paddle, so we decided to interview them to find out: how do these two growing sports play together?
We discovered there are four reasons why pickleball players will love ElliptiGO bikes – and vice versa!
1. All Ages Are Welcome
Both ElliptiGO bikes and pickleball attract fitness enthusiasts in every stage of life and training.
Dayna, who has been riding her ElliptiGO bike for nearly a decade and who picked up pickleball three years ago, said that “They are both more sustainable sports. ElliptiGO bikes keep former runners happy and fit with age, and pickleball keeps former tennis and racquetball players happy with age.” It’s true – both sports are great for those trying to increase their longevity in activities they enjoy!
ElliptiGO rider Tracy took a pickleball class just one year ago and loved it from the get-go. She shared the sentiment about both sports being friendly for all ages. She told us, “When I first heard about pickleball, I thought it was perhaps a sport for elderly people, but that is not what I have found at all. My league has youth and adults of all ages, people from 14-55 all playing together and having a great time while getting a wonderful workout.”
2. A Perfect Complement
Members of our community highlighted that pickleball and riding your ElliptiGO bike are highly complementary activities. While both sports work the whole body, avid ElliptiGO rider and pickleball player Katie points out, “I think that pickleball and riding the ElliptiGO complement each other very well. Different muscle groups are used for each, so it helps a person with overall fitness.”
ElliptiGO Enthusiast Patty just recently tried pickleball for the first time. When we asked her if her fitness from stand up cycling carried over to this new sport, she said, “Absolutely!”
Dainah, who has been riding her ElliptiGO bike and playing pickleball for about five years, told us, “I’m pretty sure riding ElliptiGO bikes helps me to maintain balance, coordination, and cardiovascular endurance for pickleball. I’m more likely to chase hard-to-reach balls than the other people I play with. I don’t let too many balls get past me.”
Pickleball instructors and coaches see big benefits from adding an endurance-building activity like stand up cycling to your routine. Wendi, who teaches pickleball and has been riding an ElliptiGO bike for twelve years, shared, “Now that I am riding more, it has increased my stamina on the court. There is a lot of need for strong legs during play, so the rides are definitely giving me an advantage with stronger quads!”
That said, Wendi says that those who are already playing pickleball will find adapting to the ElliptiGO easier. She told us, “Having played more Pickleball than riding allowed me to get back on the bike with big miles easier than I imagined.”
3. Community Is Key
When we created ElliptiGO bikes, we didn’t just create a new cycling category – a new fitness community was born. Our active and enthusiastic riders all around the world find creative ways to connect, and pickleball is no different.
When we asked if community was a primary element of both sports, Wendi told us, “That is a giant YES! Community and friendships are second only to the fitness benefit. Simply put…both are the most positive obsessions around!”
Dayna points out that both communities present opportunities to travel. She said, “They are both great things to try to do anywhere you travel because the people are so friendly and inviting. My parents would say they have met some of the greatest people in the pickleball community and I have met some amazing and like-minded people in the ElliptiGO community!”
Dainah highlighted the “in the know” feeling you get from joining each sport’s community. “Both sports are fun and seem to have a cult-like following, complete with sport-related jokes, sayings, and acronyms!” she said.
4. Fitness Made Fun – and Fresh!
If you want to find a sport or activity you want to stick with, it’s so important to seek out things that feel a little less like work, and a lot more like fun. Time and time again, we hear from our customers that ElliptiGO bikes are simply a blast to ride and they often forget they’re exercising. We found out that many share the same feelings about pickleball. Plus, these emerging sports help you keep your routine fresh – staying on the cutting edge and keeping an open mind to new kinds of movements.
Tracy told us she has always marched to the beat of her own drum and that she’s so glad that helped her find both pickleball and ElliptiGO bikes. She said, “I think anytime you can get your body moving in a way that is truly fun is a huge WIN. ElliptiGO bikes and pickleball don’t feel like exercise to me – they feel like fun – which makes me far more likely to do them than a workout video or my PT exercises. Those both feel like duty-filled activities and even though they are important they kind of feel like drudgery. ElliptiGO riding and pickleball bring SUNSHINE to my soul and never feel like drudgery!”
Katie felt similarly, sharing, “Riding ElliptiGO bikes and playing pickleball are both very rewarding for me. Both activities are a lot of fun and bring folks together. Also for me, they both generate a level of mental and physical well-being that help a person cope with whatever life throws at them.”
Dainah said, “I’m always willing to try new things, particularly as it pertains to sports and physical activity. I envision participating in both sports for many years to come!”
Whether you’re a pickleball player looking to step up your game, or an ElliptiGO rider who is looking to add another growing sport to your repertoire, we invite you to keep the conversation about the relationship between these sports going! Consider joining the customer-run ElliptiGO Facebook Group, or drop our team a note about your goals to see which of our bikes might be best for you.