The return of the Running Machine
This was originally a post on cohost. I've moved it over because I quite liked the stuff I discovered about running machines here and want to preserve it in a more accessible location.
I also used this post to create a 5-minute microtalk for Glitch City Demo Night in August 2024. When the video of that is online, I'll post it on this blog for sure.
The first type of velocipede, the first known proper ancestor of the bicycle, was the laufmaschine, or "running machine" in German. In English, it was called a "dandy horse."
It was basically two wheels connected by a hunk of wood with a padded saddle that you sat on; you'd achieve speed by pushing your feet against the ground, rather than pedals, and just go about with this big object between your legs.
Wheeled machines propelled by running or walking still exist, though there are no real high-speed running machines out there on the market anymore. There are, however, several bike-like machines which claim to simulate the experience of running. I've been looking these up recently, out of an interest in fucked up bicycles... I've been interested to see how some are built or marketed as accessibility devices, while others are marketed as hardcore cool guy training machines for competitive runners.
Both of these categories tend to come in two varieties: machines which allow the human to assume a running or walking posture on top of something, with a machine between their feet and the ground, and machines which put the operator's feet directly on the ground like the original "running machine."
Here's a few that I've seen so far:
Fliz - pure running machine - not real lmao
The "FLIZ" was a concept bike shown at a German "business week" in 2012. It's explicitly based on the original running machine/dandy horse device, but instead of putting a seat on top, it hangs the operator below in a "five point belt system".
This device doesn't seem to have ever gone into production and is not a "real" product. Its original blogspot site (whoof, blast from the past) shows a bunch of youngsters designing it with pieces of dangerous looking wood, which is pretty cool and scrappy and makes me wonder if this was a grad school project. This device is cool, but I doubt anyone would buy this instead of a bike even if it did go into production.
The project makes no attempt to claim that it's an accessibility device, nor does it claim to be an incredible workout, but it does claim to reduce "crotch pressure." Perhaps an advantage for some!
The Bionic Runner - what if you had to run on a bike - actual but defunct product
The Bionic Runner was originally a Kickstarter product which made a mixture of health/accessibility/fitness claims--it is designed to allow people to run around in the outdoors without experiencing any of the impact fatigue on their joints that normally comes with running. It's sort of a cross between an elliptical and a bike. The impact reduction was the driving inspiration behind its development, and its various sites and press releases made a lot of claims about "injury-free" running, but it was eventually recalled because the pedals would come off. So that's interesting.
Its Kickstarter also made a lot of claims about how difficult and cool and tough the device is:
The Bionic Runner is the world’s only high intensity, running specific trainer. It gives you the tough training sessions you crave, whilst protecting your body from the two main causes of injury – impact fatigue and over extension. Once you train with it, you’ll never want to train without it.
Designed for serious runners who want a bio-mechanical training advantage, the Bionic Runner is designed to help you arrive at race day, fast, fit and – most importantly – uninjured.
This is a fascinating machine because it straddles that area between a hardcore fitness product for athletes and an accessibility device. It's cool that devices like these exist, but I don't know if this recalled product is really the best example of one. This writeup about the company that made the device, Run4, ends with a plaintive call for folks to write in if they know what happened to the bike and the company... doesn't appear that they ever found an answer.
If you have any knowledge what happened to Steve Cranitch and his company run4.com, please leave a comment and bring some light into this dark end of the story.
ElliptiGO - highly similar I guess - real product
The ElliptiGO is physically quite different looking, but it seems to do basically the same thing as the Runner--get you elliptical-esque locomotion outdoors. They also sell "stand-up bikes" with big platform pedals and no seat.
This company also makes the same claims about low-impact running and injury reduction but foregrounds that element a little less in their marketing materials. Instead, they spend a lot more time claiming that this machine is much MORE hadrcore than regular running or biking and will make you into more of an exercise hero or whatever.
ElliptiGO Bikes vs. Cycling
While cycling and riding ElliptiGO bikes are both low-impact exercises, ElliptiGO bikes have the advantages of burning 33% more calories than traditional bikes, delivering a full-body workout and eliminating the seat, back, neck and wrist pain associated with traditional cycling.
They have a page on their website devoted to research studies which try to prove that this machine is somehow superior to biking or running. Unfortunately, that page opens with a link to a non-research-study Youtube interview about how this machine will improve your sexual health (??) because it doesn't bump your nuts (that's a much more specific claim!) and the fact they're sticking that on the studies page makes me fairly suspicious, lmao. I haven't dug into any of this deeply, however.
This machine's manufacturers really want to prove that their product is better than biking. I think any sport-focused critique of the bicycle is likely to fall flat, particularly when the product doing the critiquing is so much harder to maintain and repair. The bicycle thrives because it's cheap, is highly standardized, and lasts for years; I somehow doubt that a patent-protected outdoor elliptical machine will satisfy the same needs in society, haha.
Lopifit - treadmill bike - real product
The Lopifit is an ebike type device which combines a treadmill walking platform with an electric assist motor. It claims to amplify a walking speed of 3 mph to around 20 mph.
Refreshingly, the Lopifit website simply claims that this bike exists because it's cool to walk on a treadmill outdoors. Their accessibility claims are limited to some user reviews and a statement from the CEO:
Drummond and other investors believe the walking bike is also a great advantage for those who have physical problems and discomfort riding a normal bike. A high cardio and high calorie burn are a sure benefit, too?
Your belief is registered, Mr. Drummond.
The entire US site constantly reminds you that this is a Dutch device made the the Netherlands, so there must be some awareness here that there's a small audience of bike freaks in the US who would be more excited to buy this bike-esque device because it's Dutch specifically.
I love how many mushy aspirational claims this video makes as simply and quickly as possible. Eco friendly!! Fun!! Easy to ride!!
That "easy to ride" claim is actually the one thing I have a question about--it looks to me like it might be very easy to hurt yourself doing quick stops on this bike, but I'm also just guessing. It can go up to 20 MPH, and you're walking on it the whole time, so your contact with the bike is fairly tenuous compared to your several secure contact points on a traditional seated bike. What happens if I've got one foot in contact with the treadmill, I'm going 20 MPH, and I need to hammer the brakes? And what is it like going up hills??
Alinker - accessibility device - real product
The Alinker is a three-wheeled walking bike which puts the user's feet directly on the ground and supports them as they move. Unlike the other devices in this list, it is primarily an accessibility device, and it was developed with the consultation of disability advocates. It seems designed for walking but a lot of the videos on their youtube channel also show people doing short sprints with it.
Out of all these devices, the Alinker is much more similar to the original running machine or dandy horse than the rest listed here. And out of all these devices, this seems to be the simplest and most rigorously purpose-built mobility machine and also perhaps the one people are actually using the most (though it's hard for me to guess how many of the elliptical machines are out in public worldwide).
Because of that I have relatively little to say about this one! It looks cool. I can really see the advantage of the three wheeled design--a lot of the time, when folks ask online bike communities about what bikes to get their elderly relatives, they get recommendations for adult tricycles. The Alinker however is a device intended to be taken indoors, and their videos show them in shops and cultural spaces like museums and various other places where adult trikes would not be allowed.
Levicle - genuinely not sure about this use case - defunct product
My final running machine is the Levicle, which has a similar shape to the Alinker but uses only two wheels. It had a single successful kickstarter seven years ago and hasn't done much since. Their website has none for sale.
Hilariously, the only reason this device exists is that its creator once had fun rolling a shopping cart down a supermarket aisle and wanted to create a machine that replicated that feeling. It's basically just a super-small balance bike for adults, you power it by slappin your feet on the ground and scooting about, and seems generally harder to use, more dangerous, and less practical than a kick scooter.
The Kickstarter had 76 backers and it doesn't seem that any more of these devices were sold online after that. I can't imagine why anyone would buy this, not even as a toy for children--kick scooters and childrens' balance bikes are much cheaper and easier to find and do basically the same thing. If you're an adult, you're probably willing to invest in a proper folding bicycle, adult kick scooter, or e-scooter type device if you're looking for a small commuter vehicle that can fit on the bus or train (their stated use case).
What about proper high-speed dandy-horses?
So why are there no traditional, two-wheeled running machines in production anymore? Children still use "balance bikes," which are basically just laufmaschines... so why not adults?I found the best rundown of the reasons why on Stack Exchange, actually. When you go fast on an adult sized balance bike, they hurt you, in three or four different ways. Balance bikes sized for older teens are for sale, but I haven't found many, and based on what this person wrote on Stack Exchange, I dunno that I'd recommend anyone try to move truly quickly on one.
I hope you enjoyed this tour through modern machines that combine biking with walking... and if you ever have a chance to take the Lopifit uphill at 20mph and then stop immediately at a red light, let me know if you survive!!