Bicycles Online > Elliptigo 3C Elliptical Bike Review

Elliptigo 3C - Elliptical Bike Review

The Elliptigo 3C is an outdoor Elliptical Bike designed and manufactured by the company Elliptigo. The Elliptigo 3C is the 3 speed (or 3 resistance level) Elliptical Bike made by Elliptigo.Elliptigo Elliptical Bike

I know that many people are very impressed with the new Elliptical Bikes that are now becoming available online and in selected retail stores. I have seen articles that proclaim that Elliptical Bikes "are the future". 

Well, I'm not totally sure what that means but I do believe that there is definitely a place for Elliptical Bikes in the future and they are going to very popular with some people and not so popular with others.

OK, enough about the future, Elliptigo has made Outdoor Elliptical Bikes available now. These bikes are designed very well and are an excellent choice for cross training and even for a good outdoor workout and basic transportation around town.

Note: As of 9/26/2012 the Elliptigo 3C no longer available on this website (was selling for $1799 online at Elliptigo.com).

Elliptigo Elliptical Bike Model Comparisons:

Currently, there are only 2 Elliptical Bike models available from Elliptigo and they are pretty much the same with one major exception. The Elliptigo 3C is a 3 speed elliptical bike and the Elliptigo 8C is a 8 speed elliptical bike.

I have been a cyclist for so many years that I have a tendency to call the gear selections "speeds" although they are also referred to a "resistance levels" which would be more in line with the Elliptical Trainer lingo.

There are also a few other differences (the handle grips and overall weight) but they are not as significant as the difference in the number of speeds/resistance levels.

About-Bicycles Review:

I had a great opportunity to ride the Elliptigo 3C for quite a while, to review the mechanics of the bike in detail and to discuss the bike with a knowledgeable sales rep.

The elliptical bike is very easy to learn, easy to start/stop and easy to mount/dismount. I felt very comfortable riding this bike in a matter of minutes.

I like the upright riding position and that you have a good view from the bike and also good visibility to others (i.e. cars/traffic).  For me, the front end (the handlebar section) did not feel as stable as a traditional bike and reminded me of how I felt on a recumbent bike. I believe that this is merely a matter of spending some more time riding this kind of bike and just getting used to it.

I had an opportunity to climb a very steep hill on my ride and I found that it was pretty difficult on the Elliptigo but I was able to make it up the hill. This particular hill would have been difficult on a traditional bike too. You will get a very good workout if you ride this machine in a hilly area.

As for the mechanics and design, I love that they kept the design fairly simple and many of the parts are traditional bike parts or slightly modified versions of standard parts.

For the drive train/gears Elliptigo uses an internally geared rear hub as you see on some traditional bike models today and there is only one gear assembly (as opposed to the front and rear derailleurs on most traditional bikes). This is a good design for this kind of bike but I would still like the option to select more gears.

One of my concerns is with the design of the roller assembly attached to the foot pedals. My concern is that since the track for the rollers is open it may have problems on non-paved surfaces such as dirt or crushed stone trails or paths. Of course, this would only be an issue if you planned on using the bike on these kinds of surfaces.

Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend the Elliptigo Elliptical Bikes to anyone looking for something new and exciting and a great way to get an excellent outdoor workout.  I think that these machines have an appeal to cyclists, to some degree, but are especially well suited for runners and triathletes

As for the Elliptigo 3C model specifically, I would have to say that I would go with the Elliptigo 8C for the additional gears/resistance levels.

Elliptigo 3C Features:

  • Gears/Speeds: 3 Speed internally geared rear hub
  • Colors: Green, Black and Orange
  • Transport/Storage: Removable Steering Extender, Removable Front Wheel
  • Grips: Velo ergonomic grips
  • Weight: 42 lbs (19.1 kg)
  • Climbing Ability: Mild hills
  • Workout Resistance Selections: 3 different levels of resistance, 177% total resistance range, 33% difference between levels.

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