Fun and Fitness for the 40-Something

Now this is what I call a hybrid bike:

The manufacturer calls it the Rowbike and promises “all the Total Body Fitness benefits of rowing while getting you outside—having a blast!” I have to smile at how it makes the idea of rowing outside seem so novel—isn’t rowing traditionally done outside?

As a non-swimmer, though, I would rather row on land, and I do prefer to exercise outside. Rowbike seems like a cool idea, but it comes with a high price tag ($775). It also seems like the Rowbike might be more vulnerable to wipeouts and getting hit by cars. Are recumbent bikes more vulnerable? I always wonder that when I see one. On the other hand, the web site claims you burn “approximately 50 percent more calories than ordinary exercise bikes” and “the same number of calories per hour as jogging.”

I might feel self-conscious out and about on the Rowbike, but that’s probably just me. Check out the videos of the device in action.