Are there any bicycles that you can exercise yours arms with?

Factual Questions
1

Is there a non-stationary bike where you can exercise your arms in addition to or along with your legs?

2

The Thys Rowingbike is probably the best, but they aren’t cheap. I bought one back when they were cheaper (and less refined) and I love it - it’s a great full-body workout. I have a friend who has one as well and he regularly rides centuries (100 mile rides) on it. But it’s no faster than a regular bike. It’s a good deomostration that sustained power output of the human body is limited by the heart and lungs, not muscles. At least after you’ve built up the muscles for the job.

The Olson Rowbike is more affordable but I don’t know much about it. This page shows many others but most of them are no longer in production, or never were.

3

Singlespeed mountain biking is a great all-round workout that can really put your arms through their paces. When I take a difficult climb on a singlespeed my triceps will usually start to give out before my legs. A singlespeed is just a bike with one gear, so its nothing unusual, but the combination of turning a gear that is too heavy for a climb means that you pull on the handlebars significantly. The end result feels like redline aerobic exercise with simultaneous push-ups mixed in.

4

How about the rest of your body? The Rowingbike really excercises your abs. Each stroke is basically a sit-up.

That can’t be very good for your knees.

5

Good point scr4 wrt the abs, if the rowingbike wasn’t designed by Rube Goldberg I’d look in to riding one myself :slight_smile:

It has no effect on your knees whatsoever. Your back on the other hand…

6
      • I have been something of a bicycle geek for many years (okay about a dozen or so) and I don’t recall ever seeing any bicycle for sale that allowed both exercising arms and legs. Just the regular foot-pedalling ones or rowbikes, or handcycles, which leave your legs stationary (intended for handicapped persons). …I have seen pictures of human-powered-vehicle record bikes that had two sets of cranks: one for your feet and one for your hands, but these were nothing practical to use on a regular street.
        ~
7

This is my handcycle. More pictures.

I’ve had it just a few weeks but I get a good upper body workout. Pretty pricey though.

8

You’re not suggesting rowbikes don’t excercise your legs, are you? The Thys Rowingbike has a slider with pedals connected to the drivetrain, and is quite a strain on your legs (as well as abs and arms). The Olsen has a sliding seat which also extracts power from your legs.

Also I believe a few of these were made and sold, but now the parent page says “please don’t ask about a hand/foot bike, sorry.”