Cycling on water has been made a reality thanks to a bike firm’s pedal-powered trimaran. The company, Red Shark Bikes, launched four versions of a trimaran, or a tri-hulled boat. But, unlike other boats, instead of a sail or a paddle, these have pedals for you to cycle across the water with. The four versions are called Enjoy, Fitness, Adventure and Relax.

The Enjoy model is designed for entertainment and has the lowest cost and specs. The Fitness model, as its name implies, is designed more for exercising, and is best suited for athletes looking for a new way to train. The Adventure model is the one designed for exploring and is great for traveling around lakes, rivers and rugged coastlines. Lastly, the Relax, is also designed for entertainment with family and friends. All models cost between $2,729 to $3,831 (€2,475 to €3,475).

Customers of Red Shark Bikes are also given the option to upgrade to other models and have a carbon fiber base for their trimaran. All models have retractable rudders, a salt water-proof dive shaft and are designed to fold to allow them to fit onto a car-mounted bike rack. It even has wheels for easy transport on land.

Red Shark’s bikes are marketed as being portable, inflatable and eco-friendly options for exploring calm waters. Red Shark Bikes’ CEO, Josep Rubau, also touts the importance of adventure and undisturbed cycling.

Red Shark Bikes is led by CEO Josep Rubau, who previously designed high-end cars for Volkswagen, as well as Formula One supercars.

The benefits of cycling

Rubau brought up a good point when he mentioned the importance of cycling. A lot of studies have been done emphasizing just how beneficial cycling is to overall health. If you’re considering taking up cycling, you should understand how much it will benefit your health. Even just a leisurely ride can make you burn more than 540 calories in one hour.

Cycling not only helps you lose weight, it also helps strengthen your immune and respiratory systems, helps boost your cognitive functioning, helps you sleep better and can even improve your sex life. Cycling can also do wonders with improving your mental health. Studies show that people who ride their bikes and are overall more physically active have a better emotional well-being than physically inactive individuals. Cycling is also a great resistance exercise, meaning that it not only burns fat, but it also helps build muscle. (Related: Cycling is safe after all: Men can return to their bikes as new study proves riding does NOT damage sexual or urinary functions.)

Furthermore, a study conducted by the University of Glasgow found that cycling can lower your risk of cancer and heart disease by half. This five-year study involved keeping records on over 260,000 individuals who rode their bikes to work every day.

A lot of studies have also shown how cycling can improve your everyday life. For example, cyclists are generally better navigators than people who drive. Cyclists also have a better spatial awareness due to the skills needed to be an expert cyclist, such as climbing, descending and cornering. Lastly, cyclists have a better social circle due to the cycling clubs that meet up and ride together.

So, if you want better health, consider taking up cycling. If you’re willing to make a larger investment, maybe even consider a Red Shark Bike, especially if you want a calmer cycling experience.

Sources include:

DailyMail.co.uk

BikeRadar.com

CarInFacts.com

CyclingWeekly.com

Bicycling.com

BMJ.com