Add Equal Parts Land and Sea

Marvelous engineering masks its grueling take on your body.

We’re fascinated with the unique. When a new idea comes along that ingeniously combines multiple product attributes we can’t help but get excited. The Row Bike from Total Body Fitness was dreamed up by the same brain trust that gave us Rollerblades. Approved.

Constructed with a 7001 heat treated aluminum frame the Row Bike provides the same great total body workout of a rowing machine with the freedom of a road bike. A 7-speed Microshift Derailleur offers riders the ability to vary the intensity and the speed of their workouts and provide more comfortable long distance touring and hill climbing abilities.

Personally I skip exercise bikes. You simply don’t burn enough calories only using half your body. A Row Bike workout can burn close to 50% more calories than a stationary bike by engaging the entire body, abdominals included. The Row Bike is a great option for those looking to loose weight, cross train or just want to have some outdoor fun. If you’re having a hard time picturing how this all works check out the video at RowBike.com.

Cost: $1190

Also See: The Expresso Bike | Moots Psychlo-X Road and Cross Bicycle

Finally, a Stationary Bike that Goes Somewhere

I’ll be the first to admit it, grinding away on some piece of exercise equipment can get a little stale. When that happens it’s hard to fully engage in your workouts, and guess what? Your results suffer.

If only you had something to focus on. How about a virtual course complete with competition to pit yourself against?

The Expresso Bike blends the fitness essentials of spinning with an interactive training environment. Over 30 courses, ranging in difficulty from the California Coast to the Peruvian Mountains, provide plenty of scenery. Riders can also simulate the experience of biking outdoors by shifting gears and moving the handlebars to steer. Pedal resistance also adjusts automatically with terrain changes. On top of that you can compete against a pacer, a ghost rider (your previous time) or the guy sitting on the bike next to you. And since it’s all online, race results are uploaded to a central leader board so you can compare your times with the rest of the country.

I’m not a big fan of spinning or stationary cycles; however, I was 45 minutes into my ride before I even realized it. Even more important: I had fun doing it. Remember when getting exercise was fun (playing ball or swimming in the lake)? Expresso Fitness does. If your gym doesn’t have some of these bad boys, get some of your fellow gym members to request them. I used the ones at Crunch on West 83rd St. here in Manhattan (thanks guys). Otherwise take matters into your own hands and set one up at home. I realize it’s a sizeable investment, but that’s a small price to pay for equipment you’ll actually enjoy using.

Cost: $5,145 @ Expresso Fitness

The cross terrain design Pscyhlo-X is a titanium giant. It will take you from road to mud without a flinch. Some of many many features of this ~17lb bicycle are: replacable rear hanger, front derailleur pulley and barrel adjuster to swap out off-road and road derailleurs, wishbone mono-stay eliminates seat movement under breaking, top-routed brake and shift cables, and a carbon fiber pitch fork. Oh, and it looks killer.

Cost: $6,000 @ Moots

Also See: Review on Wired.com

It’s had been a long time since I’ve hopped on a bicycle and cruised around the neighborhood. It’s been so long in fact that I don’t even own a bicycle anymore. Having been in and out of various sporting good stores and bike shops browsing for a trusty steed to pedal around, it was tough making a decision. Choosing whether a titanium alloy monster with NASA engineered gears and shocks off of a monster truck are necessary, can making the proper bike selection downright tough.

This is where Mission Bicycles comes in. Simple bikes made of grade ‘A’ components with hell of a lot of customization options. Mission Bicycles specialize in fixed gear bicycles, which means that when your bike is rolling, your feet are pedaling. This presents a new challenge for cyclists and also allows the rider to be in complete control. Fixed gear bicycles are a favorite in the bicycle messenger community because of their lightweight and simplistic style. Now this is my type of bicycle.

The guys over at Missions Bicycles take pride in their product and assure that the love they put into their bikes cannot be matched by the larger bicycle companies.

“Mission Bicycles are works of art and we can create that dreamy ride you’ve always wanted.”

Hit up their site to create a bike that represents you and like the guys over a Mission Bicycles take care of the rest. Choose from options like Vittoria Rubino tires to Soma Track handlebars to Sugino KyotoLOCO cranksets.

Cost: $795 + Options @ Mission Bicycle

The GoPro Digital HERO 3 Sports Camera is easy to use during any activity. This shockproof/waterproof wrist camera makes it easy to shoot digital video and photos during your favorite sporting activities. Miniature size and patented versatility combine with TV resolution video and 3 megapixel photos to form a highly-convenient and fun sports camera.

You can use this camera while you surf, ski, hike, bike, kayak, or climb. The GoPro has various mounting options available which means you can mount this bad boy on just about anything. The GoPro is durable, with crack proof poly carbonate water housing and glass lens and is water proof down to 100ft.

This camera has a 3 megapixel photo resolution and 640×480 video resolution, with 16mb of internal memory, expandable to 2GB.

What this mean to you: Having a hard time convincing the guys at the office of the glorious feats you pulled last weekend while you were out slaying the field as a weekend warrior? Fret no more, have them wetting their pants when you show them the footage of you catching that mysterious big kahuna…

Cost: $140-$180 @ GoPro Camera

The Alti Chrono TI by Nike is a great watch for guy’s looking for a unique timepiece that’s classic in looks and rugged in functionality. The case is made of solid titanium with an analog altimeter with (up-to) 5000m altitude accurate within one meter increments.

The chronograph will tracks 1/20th second increments up to the first minute-after one minute. The face is protected by a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and is water resistant up to 200m.

As a limited edition watch, there are only 1,002 pieces being created. Each unit is satmped with a unique number and features four Lance Armstrong icons engraved on the back.

Cost: $599 @ NikeStore