Home Exercise Equipment Adviser

A stationary mini exercise bike is one of the best home exercise equipment accessories you can get. They can be a great way to get a low impact exercise workout no matter what your age or physical condition. Mini exercise bikes are available for those who are relatively fit and need a good workout to the frailest, and oldest who are looking to improve mobility or those looking to improve their fitness from scratch for the first time.

Description of a mini exercise bike.

A mini exercise bike (as in the image) is essentially a pedal unit on a stand. It is characterised by a lack of handle bars or seating arrangement. Depending on the level of mini stationary exercise bike you are after the bike may have a computer and other features or may simply be a tubular frame construction with a pedal crank attached. In general most table top exercise bicycles weigh as little as a few kilograms and are relatively small (think as an average 14ins x 17ins x 12ins).

Types And Styles of Mini Exercise Bike Available

Generally speaking there are four types of portable mini home exercise cycles on the market and they are distinguished from one another by their resistance mechanism or rather the type of resistance offered by the machine when the user pedals.

Hydraulic resistance mini exercise bike – These are usually the cheapest and most lightweight, basic of the machines and are often found to be the very basic tubular mini cycle exercise bike. Essentially the frame holding the pedal crank is a basic tubular steel, the pedals are cranked through a housing that can be clamped to varying degrees to offer more or less resistance when pedalling.

Friction Tape/Belt Drum Resistance – These are a step up from the basic hydraulic machines and are often encased and heavier than the most basic machines. Essential a small wheel is turned by belt drive from the pedals and the belt is tightened or slackened to give resistance, alternatively a belt or tape is wrapped around a spring loaded cylinder for resistance and the cylinder is repositioned to tighten the belt and create resistance through friction.

Magnetic resistance mini exercise bike – These are close to being top of the range portable mini exercise bikes. Essentially a steel flywheel is turned by the pedals and resistance is achieved and controlled via on board magnets. You get a smoother action from these cycles with a closer “on the road” feel. Wear on parts is reduced as the mechanism encounters less friction and the user usually has numerous setting options.

Motorised mini exercise bike – These are generally the most expensive mini cycle exercise bikes. Essentially the pedals are turned via an on board electric motor so the user puts little effort into turning the pedals, rather they just stay on the pedals. Often these bikes are useful for the elderly or infirm and are used to improve mobility and circulation, surprisingly riding the pedals offers good exercise as the machine gently coaxes muscles into exercise. Even for seasoned fitness fanatics these machines can prove to offer a good workout at higher settings.

Benefits Of Opting For A Mini Exercise Bike

Low Impact Exercise – The chief benefit of using a mini exercise bike is that you can carry out low impact exercise that is good for the heart, easy on joints and improves circulation all at a pace that can be chosen by you.

Size – The small size of these machines make them extremely portable but mainly easy to store, they can be tucked away in cupboards or under beds or desks when not in use making them useful if your apartment is small.

Can be used in multiple positions – Because they lack handle bars or seats and they are generally easy to position, this gives the added benefit that as well as being used as a cycle you can also exercise the upper body if you position the unit on a desk and turn pedals by hand.

Multi tasking – Many people find the mini exercise bike useful because they can exercise gently whilst at a desk working on a computer.

Support – Unlike conventional exercise bikes, seating is provided by the user so you can use you own favourite chair or most comfortable seating position whilst you operate the cycle. This means you the user can choose the level of body support you are most comfortable with and if you are uncomfortable can easily alter seating position or style to suit.

Common Extra Features On Mini Table Top Exercise Bikes

Mini exercise bikes often have fewer features than other exercise bikes simply because the more features result in a heavier and bulkier machine which defeats the object. Bear in mind that the more functions the more expensive the bike tends to be as well.

Computer/LCD – Bikes can be bought with an on-board computer that will monitor distance, speed, calories burnt etc. Motorised mini exercise bike computers will often offer pre-set controllable regimes and programs on top of the standard LCD features.

Fold-able pedals – Look out for bikes with fold-able pedals as these are often easier to store and more portable than standard bikes.

Timer Switches – Usually found on motorised mini exercise bikes, allow you to set the duration of your exercise period.

Adjustable Speed Settings – All exercise bikes have some form of adjustable speed setting. These can range from button settings on magnetic bikes to turn buckles on more basic friction resistance models.

Prices

Basic friction or hydraulic models are often the cheapest mini exercixe cycle costing as little as $20, often they will not feature any LCD display or complex speed settings. Motorised mini bikes can cost as little as $60 but can rise to $200, more expensive commercial models are available up to $1000.

Brands To Look Out For

The top brands associated with the best mini exercise bikes are Magnetrainer, Paradigm, Sunny, Isokinetics and Stamina.