Flybar bouncing: No walk in the park (hands-on)
This 21st-century Pogo Stick has been around for a bit, and Crave contributor Katie Lindendoll finally gets the chance to take it for a jump in New York's Central Park. It's not that easy.
The Flybar is a futuristic reboot of the Pogo Stick, complete with a sleek new design and a sophisticated system of propulsion, and it boasts the ability to rocket its rider up to 5 feet in the air.
It was created by SBI Enterprises (original inventors of the Pogo Stick), along with MIT-trained physicist Bruce Middleton and champion skateboarder Andy Macdonald. There are two models: the Flybar 1200 and the Flybar 800. The 1200 was designed for experts weighing up to 250 pounds, and the 800 was designed for less experienced riders between 80 and 180 pounds, including teens and smaller adults.
The devices, whose prices start at about $200, have been around for a while now, but I finally got the chance to take the Flybar 800 for a jump in New York's Central Park.
Despite being less extreme than the 1200, the 800 is still a challenge, and beginners shouldn't expect to take it out of the box and enjoy the full experience. Adjustments have to be made to the pistons, for starters, which is largely a matter of trial and error.
In addition, you can expect some of the physical awkwardness of learning a new sport, because the Flybar's not as intuitively usable as its nostalgic precursor. See the video of my learning battle.