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The Power of One Foot Pushing - Kickbike Article in the New York Times

There’s an excellent, if brief, article on the Kickbike in the April 28th edition of the New York Times. It’s great to see that kickbiking is finally getting some media coverage in the US and internationally.

“The Kickbike is a strange-looking contraption that actually makes a lot of sense. A medical student in Helsinki invented Kickbikes in 1993 by modifying a scooter with a bike-size front wheel, a wide foot bed that makes it easy to switch legs in midcourse and hand brakes. In the last few years Kickbikes have become a favorite of some (ultra-) marathoners and other racers in the United States who appreciate how these grown-up scooters work their legs but leave them less sore than high-impact exercise.”

The New York Times > Fashion & Style > Thursday Styles > Physical Culture: The Power of One Foot Pushing

Mr. Kickpod

Long ago, and far way - quite a few decades and several thousand miles to be more precise - I was totally captivated by short-wave radio. The idea of talking to someone on the other side of the planet from a different country in a different time zone was really exciting.

The technology has changed - for the better. Instead of burning my fingers soldering together components for a short-wave radio kit, nowdays I have to struggle with getting my home wireless network setup correctly. Instead of learning to tap out Morse code on a key, I have learned how to pronounce words like "Skype" and other mystical internet incantations.

Thankfully, I'm still just as excited about talking to strangers with a common interest on the opposite half of the globe. So, last weekend it was a great pleasure to link up with "Mr. Kickpod" himself - Alan Stewart - the web master and moderator of Kickbiking.com, the new podcast site for Kickbikers.

Alan's regular podcasts are jam packed full of interesting insights, tips, and humor. Give a listen to the first three minutes of his third podcast entitled "The Perils of Kickbiking" and you'll instantly see what I mean. Talking to Alan via Skype was even more of a treat. We chatted for almost an hour, and covered everything from kicking techniques to the weather in Japan and Australia. Not only did I learn a lot, but I am also indebted to Alan for getting me hooked on using Skype (internet voice over IP telephone).

The only problem is that I still have no idea what he looks like (he's probably seen my photo on my web-sites). So I decided to create an avatar/logo for Alan, complete with headphones, his Kickbike, and a big smile on his face- 

 

Holy S__T!

Pardon my language, but right now I’m really stoked!

You have to understand that I’m a typical American. I was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in California. Most of my life has been spent sitting in chairs and pushing a desk. I do love cycling, and take my mountain bike for fairly long excursions from time to time. But, by and large, that has been the extent of my physical exercise.

My wife, on the other hand, grew up in Saitama and Chiba. She has no trouble at all sitting on the tatami floor for hours at a time. When I try the same thing my knees and leg muscles start screaming within a minute or two. After that it’s nothing but pure torture.

At least that’s the way it used to be. . .

About six months ago I started Kickbiking regularly. It took some getting used to. At first I couldn’t go much more than a mile before I was huffing and puffing. Slowly, over time, my endurance got better and better. I could go further and further without having to stop and rest. My speed, in contrast, seemed to reach plateaus. I would reach a given cruising speed, then no matter what I did, or how hard I tried, I couldn’t seem to go any faster. Then one day I would be out kicking and suddenly realize that I was going much faster than I ever had before. I’d reached another plateau. And the same thing would happen – I’d be stuck at the new plateau for weeks on end.

I knew my physical condition was improving. Certainly my stamina and endurance was much better. My muscle tone improved – especially in my legs and lower body. But I was totally unprepared for what happened this morning. Totally.

I stopped for a coffee on the way to work, and quite by accident, dropped  a coin in front of the counter. Without even thinking about it, picked it up off the floor. I was all the way down and had the coin in my hand before I realized that I was doing a deep knee bend! And I wasn’t feeling any pain or tightness in my knees at all. It felt perfectly natural and normal. And getting back up again was effortless – just as if I had been doing it all my life.

Holy s__t!

I have never, ever been able to do deep knee bends that smoothly. Even in my high school days when I was in good shape, doing deep knee bends was always a pain – something to be avoided at all costs.

Man, I love my Kickbike – and what it does for me!

Kick Dragster

John Ramp, a kickbike/footbike enthusiast in the Netherlands posted this interesting photo on his website:

Anybody want to drag???

Kickbiking Podcast Goes Live!

Alan Stewart, a devoted Kickbiker from the land of Oz, has just kicked off “Kickbiking - A Podcast for Kickbikers”. The first Podcast post features an interesting interview with Bruce Cook – the head of Kickbike Australia. Bruce is the fellow on the left in this unique photo-

Be sure to check out the new site even if you’re not familar with Podcasting. The audio is an mp3 file, so it’s easy to download to your PC to listen to.

Kickbiking Podcast