A treadmill bicycle, or a treadmill bike, essentially functions by having the user walk or run on a treadmill platform that then powers the wheels of the bicycle. In theory, this could be more suited to a hippo’s physiology than a traditional bicycle, as it would utilize the hippo’s natural gait.
However, even with this adaptation, the hippo would still face significant challenges. First, the sheer size and weight of a hippo (up to 3,000 kilograms or 6,600 pounds) would necessitate an extremely robust and large treadmill bike, likely much larger and heavier than any existing design.
Second, even though the treadmill bike would allow the hippo to use its natural walking or running motion, the speed of the bike would still be limited by the hippo’s walking or running speed. Given that hippos’ top speed is 32 kph (20 mph) and this is only achievable for short sprints, a sustained speed on the treadmill bike would likely be significantly lower, especially over the 40-kilometer bike segment of the triathlon.
Third, the endurance issue remains a key factor. Hippos are not built for long-distance speed or endurance. Their large body size requires significant energy to move and maintaining a high speed for a lengthy period would likely exhaust them quickly.
Taking all these into account, an average human athlete would still have a significant edge in a triathlon competition, even if a hippo could use a specially designed treadmill bike.
Now, if that hippo was some anomaly of a freak, evolved to run long distance, then we are all screwed.
What if the bike was designed for the hippo though?
Like one of those treadmill bikes?
A treadmill bicycle, or a treadmill bike, essentially functions by having the user walk or run on a treadmill platform that then powers the wheels of the bicycle. In theory, this could be more suited to a hippo’s physiology than a traditional bicycle, as it would utilize the hippo’s natural gait.
However, even with this adaptation, the hippo would still face significant challenges. First, the sheer size and weight of a hippo (up to 3,000 kilograms or 6,600 pounds) would necessitate an extremely robust and large treadmill bike, likely much larger and heavier than any existing design.
Second, even though the treadmill bike would allow the hippo to use its natural walking or running motion, the speed of the bike would still be limited by the hippo’s walking or running speed. Given that hippos’ top speed is 32 kph (20 mph) and this is only achievable for short sprints, a sustained speed on the treadmill bike would likely be significantly lower, especially over the 40-kilometer bike segment of the triathlon.
Third, the endurance issue remains a key factor. Hippos are not built for long-distance speed or endurance. Their large body size requires significant energy to move and maintaining a high speed for a lengthy period would likely exhaust them quickly.
Taking all these into account, an average human athlete would still have a significant edge in a triathlon competition, even if a hippo could use a specially designed treadmill bike.
Now, if that hippo was some anomaly of a freak, evolved to run long distance, then we are all screwed.