Kickbike Hammer Fest

Finnish scooter champs on high-tempo training ride.

The Finnish Kickbike: Kicking the bike habit

I'm not a bicyclist -- of course! No fun there. I'm a scooter kicking/pusher..and in my way have become more keenly interested in the kickbike as an extension of my present vehicle's attributes of no pedals. That's because my "dogscooter" isn't so useful over long distances -- although it' a great short trip/commuter tool(see it below).


A kickbiker recently crossed the United States kicking his way on a kickbike.

So I'm thinking of upgrading my transport vehicle. I'll keep the dogscooter as it is ideal for trips to the CBD via the train --although I suspect the kickbike may be lighter and the dogscooter is a touch on the heavy side.

So if that's the case, I'll sell it and re-invest the dough in a kickbike.

The local Australian supplier will be dropping around here at Maison Riley so I can explore the handling of the kickbike. He even says he may leave a model to test kick for a couple of days !

I'm a bit unusual as I'm interested in the kickbike as a rehabilitation tool when it is usually marketed as a cross trainer or cutting edge sports machine. Unfortunately, in English at least, theres' not much literature I can find on its use in arthritis and other chronic diseases such as my own fibromyalgia.

But it's surely a major unexplored option in physiotherapy and exercise for the "stiff". That's' primarily because it isn't weight bearing and while the leg is thrown forward (as the videos below show) the footfall isn't heavy. It is a "scoot" and not so much a push down as you are moving forward rather than working in a vertical plane. This is very unlike a bicycle which relies on the piston action of the legs and the working of the knee joint.

The major work is in the stretching of the leg forward and the follow through in the stroke. Just like in golf or when kicking a football. The connection with the ball/football/ground is in ergonomic context --an element within a larger movement orchestration.

So which is more ergonomic-- a bicycle or a kickbike? Well, it's straightforward: the kickbike and scooters in general require you to work harder as bikes offer you shortcuts: gears; the use primarily the leg muscles while the rest of the body musculature can be passive -- in fact if you know any dedicated bicyclists who also race, their thighs are like massive pistons as they are the engine house. But I'd expect injury to be more common with bicycles because movements are isolated and contained and some muscles like the calf with its Achilles tendon -- are shortened.

In a very real sense, kickbiking/scootering is closer to running than other activities on two wheels.

Wanna know more? Check out these Kickbiking videos: