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By Tom Watkins
Be the first one on your
block to own one. Sure it is different, perhaps even a bit weird, but it is lots of fun and will bring back carefree child- hood memories of scooting all over town. What is it? It is a “Kickbike.”
A what? A Kickbike! A medical student in Fin-
land invented the Kickbike in 1993. It is a modified scooter with a large bike-size wheel in the front, a smaller wheel in the rear, a wide foot bed about 5 inches off the ground to switch legs as you push and hand brakes. That’s about it. Simple and fun.
Think of a hybrid or a
combination of a bicycle’s body with handlebars with a pedal-free platform to stand on and you have an idea of what you are in for. It is as easy as your childhood scooter to ride and the joy will rush through your bones as kick your way into shape.
I ordered my X-Country
model from www.kickbike- mike.com. This is a sideline business for Mike who oper- ates out of his home in St. Joe, Michigan. Mike was a delight to deal with spending lots of time answering my end- less questions.
The Kickbike comes in four
basic models — the city cruis- er, the racer, the cross coun- try and the classic sport. Kick- bike retail prices range from $199 to $389. There are no chains, no derailleurs, almost nothing to break and repair.
My Kickbike invites stares ev- erywhere I go. It has gotten to the point where I have a card with a brief introduction of the Kickbike to share with the curious. I love to share the joy
Tom Watkins
and inform the masses about my new toy — and not slow down too much or too often as I cruise around town and even get some off-roading in on my cross-country model.
It’s front shock absorbing
suspension fork and heavy- duty tires make for a ultra smooth and quick ride. I am as comfortable on the streets or on the off road paths in Hines or Maybury and the area Metro Parks.
Kickbikes are being spotted
on both coasts of the United States and are wildly popular in Europe, but few traditional bike shops carry them and are mainly distributed on the Internet. When I first learned about the Kickbike, I went to numerous bike shops around town and they did not carry them — in fact, they never heard of them.
It is one of the best kept
secrets. I have yet to see an- other one on the road. I kinda
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
Kick back with a Kickbike!
feel like Tigger, from “Winnie the Poo” on my Kickbike. You know when he sings, “The most wonderful thing about Tiggers is.. I’m the only one!”
You ride it almost like a bi-
cycle, using your body just a bit more and you lean to the di- rection you want to go to. It is very stable at high speeds be- cause of the steering geometry and large front wheel. Like any bike, protective head gear is a must.
The ultimate exercise machine
Riding or kicking the Kick-
bike helps to stretch the ham- string, strengthen and tone the quadriceps and calf mus- cles and trim down and firm up the lower abs, back, thighs and buttocks. The kicking leg obviously gets quite a workout, yet the standing leg does a surprising amount of work during the kick cycle.
Many who have been kick-
ing much longer than I have say it is very similar to running without the impact damage on the knees and joints.
The great thing about the
Kickbike is it can be fun, transportation around town and great exercise rolled into one.
Life sometimes has a way
of giving you a quick kick in the butt. Jump on your Kick- bike and start kicking back and feel the tension melt and the childhood memories rush over you.
Tom Watkins is a regular
Columnist for the Chronicle. See his other commentary on public policy issues in Dome Magazine at www.domemag- azine.com.
9th Annual Southfield Shred Days
The city of Southfield and Southfield Public
Schools, in partnership with Iron Mountain Re- cords Management, Inc., will offer free shred- ding of personal information to the general public on Saturday, and Sunday, April 17-18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Southfield High School parking lot, 24675 Lahser Road (corner of west Ten Mile and Lahser). Please enter from Lahser Road.
This is a free and easy way for consumers to
quickly shred old tax papers, credit card state- ments, cancelled checks or any other kind of private, personal documents no longer needed.
There is a 100 pounds maximum per vehi-
cle, the approximate equivalent of two copypa- per boxes. A fee will be charged for documents weighing more than 100 pounds.
Personal privacy and related issues, such as
identity theft, have become increasingly impor- tant consumer issues.
By offering free shredding of personal papers,
Iron Mountain Records Management, the City of Southfield and Southfield Public Schools create awareness among consumers regarding information management and protection.
For more information, call the Southfield City Clerk’s Office at (248) 796-5150.
April 14-20, 2010
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Founder
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