For several years I have been thinking that we live in an artificial  society that make us have to pay money to go to a gym, in order to  get fit.... I have a car and a motorcycle, but the quickest way to move about in the beautiful  Bergen Norway (230 000 people), where I live, is using a bicycle. I have done so for many years, without feeling fit.  

This is why for two-tree years I have been looking half-heartedly on  the Internet, for a vehicle that would demand the use of more  muscle groups than just the legs. Impossible for me to find, until on Nov. 21, 2006, I sat at a boring  meeting at my job. My mind was wandering so I drew a man rowing a  bike. I showed it to a colleague and whispered, "There must be some  technically skilled people out there that have had the same thought as me!"

After the meeting, I went on the Internet again, this time with the  brilliant idea of just translating directly from Norwegian. Fantastic, suddenly there was Dutch, Italian, English, French,  Slovakian and the Rowbike!

I was euphoric for nine days, and realized that I would not get peace in  my mind, before I actually owned one myself. After studying the different kinds of Rowing bikes, I landed on the  Rowbike, because it looked the most tested and serious. So, on Nov. 30, 2006, I ordered the 726 King I received it before Christmas.  I was ecstatic.

I used it at work five days a week, at least five to 10 km every day,  depending on the amount of groceries I had to get. Usually I do a  stretch or two in the weekends too. This is of course not so, if the streets are icy in the  coldest winter months.  

I use the bike as my transportation vehicle, and not as an exercise tool. The magic thing is that I feel a lot stronger in my upper body and  feel very fit, just by doing the same stretches I have done for years on an ordinary bicycle, without feeling fit. Brilliant! The  improvements came after just a few weeks.  

People are very curious, smile, laugh, clap their hands--and the  tourists take pictures. Great fun!  I have put on a luggage rack, in order to attach two saddle bags, got  so fed up with rowling around with a heavy rucksack on my back. Also I have mounted mudguards.

Thank you for a wonderful machine

—Geir  Tangerud
Norwegian Rowbiker