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Small Portable Pedal Exercisers - Smallest Exercise Bikes Under Desk

Updated on July 7, 2014

If you are wanting to get in shape but are put off by the size and bulkiness of regular exercise machines and just haven't the time to join a gym then a mini exercise bike might be just what you are looking for.

These small portable exercise bikes are designed for the home user who doesn't have a lot of space but still wants to enjoy all the benefits owning a stationary fitness bike can bring.

They are small enough to fit under a desk so you can get some exercise while you work, or in front of the TV so you can get in shape whilst you watch your favorite soaps...or whatever else it is you watch.

Don't let the size fool you however, these are just as powerful a workout machine as a regular full sized exercise bike. if you think about it, it's the pedals and the resistance which gives you a workout anyway, not the rest of the bike. These mini pedal exercizers are basically just that part of the bike with the seat, handlebars and frame discarded as unnecessary, which, they are!

If you are lacking in space then you want the smallest exercise bike you can find and these mini pedal bikes will fit your requirements very nicely. You just sit in a regular chair and pedal away the calories. The benefits do not stop there however, and the rest of this lens will explore some more of the advantages to owning one of these fitness machines and give some recommendations to which are the best mini exercise bikes on the market today.

Mini Exercise Bike Reviews

Reviews Of The Top Pedal Exercisers

If you are looking to buy a mini pedal exerciser then there are a couple of models which are highly recommended by their users.

The Best Mini Exercise Bike - If you want the best then go with the Magnetrainer ER which has a very smooth action and is well worth its price tag. This is a top of the line magnetic resistance model for around $170.

The Best Selling Mini Exercise Bike On Amazon - If the price of the Magentrainer ER is a little steep then another machine which is well reviewed by its users is the discounted Stamina InStride Cycle XL which is still a great little exercise bike if you accept its limitations. This is a great cheap pedal exerciser under $40.

The Best Selling Mini Pedal Exerciser on Amazon

Stamina InStride Folding Cycle XL Under Desk Bike Pedal Exerciser w/Smart Workout App - Mini Exercise Bike Desk Exercise Equipment for Legs & Arms - Fully Assembled
Stamina InStride Folding Cycle XL Under Desk Bike Pedal Exerciser w/Smart Workout App - Mini Exercise Bike Desk Exercise Equipment for Legs & Arms - Fully Assembled
Stamina makes great low priced exercise machines for the home user and this is no exception. The Stamina InStride Cycle XL is an inexpensive pedal exerciser built around a lightweight but rugged tubular steel frame. This seatless exercise bike does away with the bulky handbars, seats and other unecessary elements to provide just the core pedal and resistance elements of a standard exercise bike. Instead of a seat you can use a standard dining chair (or other seat) and pedal away with either your hands or feet in a forward or backward motion. Non slip rubber feet prevent the unit from moving when in use and the wide base is designed to help prevent tipping to either side. Users of the Stamina InStride XL cycle are impressed by the price but caution it is not going to replace vigorous exercise and the lightness does produce some instability and slipping on carpeted surfaces. It does have an exercise timer but there is no way to measure things like speed, calories, distance etc. which more expensive models can do. It is also not designed for you to pedal like a madman either, for a more intense workout you will need a heavier more expensive machine, but for a general light workout this machine will fit most the bill for most users.
 

A Quick Owner Video Of The Stamina Instride In Action

Mini Elliptical Trainer - Try A Hybrid Option

Stamina InMotion E1000 Compact Strider - Seated Elliptical with Smart Workout App - Foot Pedal Exerciser for Home Workout - Up to 250 lbs Weight Capacity - Silver
Stamina InMotion E1000 Compact Strider - Seated Elliptical with Smart Workout App - Foot Pedal Exerciser for Home Workout - Up to 250 lbs Weight Capacity - Silver
OK so it's not a mini bike as such, but if you are in the market for a small sized exercise machine for the home then it's worth taking a look at this mini elliptical trainer as well. No, you can't pedal this with your hands like you can with the mini pedal exercise machines on this page but for a lower body workout it is highly recommended. You can also combine it with resistance bands and hand weights as the video which follows shows, to get a full body workout. What you are basically buying here is an elliptical machine without the arms or front console. You are getting the chassis and the pedals which not only makes it much cheaper, far more portable and easy to stow away when not in use, but is also still capable of packing a workout punch and all for under $100. The oscillating non-slip pedals move in the elliptical motion you are used to and provide the same low impact workout a full sized cross trainer provides but in a much more compact elliptical machine. You can use this either seated or standing up on the machine. If you suffer from balance problems then your should probably stay seated as you can still take advantage of the great sedentary exercise you can do with this mini elliptical machine.
 

Is An Exercise Bike Better Than A Mini Pedal Bike?

Pedal Exercizer vs Gym Bike

A full sized exercise bike more closely resembles the kind of fitness machine you will see in a regular fitness club and may have owned in the past. These are quite large, quite bulky machines which were initially the norm if you wanted an exercise cycle.

However, if you really think about it, this type of fitness machine is really just a pair of pedals attached to a flywheel which provides resistance which allows you to intensify or relax your workout. The handlebars, seat and other parts of an exercise bike are in reality, pretty superfluous to the actual workout providing part of the machine.

A mini pedal exercizer takes that extra stuff and throws it away, leaving you will a much smaller fitness machine which ultimately does exactly the same job!

It's Also A Hand Exercise Bike

Pedal Exercisers Work The Upper Body Too

The nice difference between a mini pedal exercise cycle and a full sized gym bike is that this type can be used for working out both the lower AND upper body area when used as a hand bike.

A regular gym bike is a great exercise machine for toning and strengthening your legs and thighs and for losing calories but to work out your upper body you will need to turn to an alternative fitness machine and who has the space at home for multiple pieces of bulky gym equipment?

A small portable exercise bike on the other hand can be used to work out both legs and arms. For an upper body exercise simply pick up the mini cycle and place it on a deck or table. Then grab the foot pedals with you hands and pedal away with your arms instead and hey presto, you have a hand cycle instead. This is a great upper body exercise which can again be performed in the comfort of your own home and doesn't require a lot of space to use. It will strengthen your arms, biceps, triceps and burn calories in the process of giving you a great cardiovascular workout.

A Portable Desk Exercise Bike Is Great For Travel Too

Sometimes traveling on holiday or away on business trips means putting your workout routine on hold. This can be a fatal blow because when you come back from that vacation it is often difficult to get back into the swing of things and worst case scenario is you might stop working out altogether!

Thankfully a mini exercising bike is there to rescue you again. They are small and light enough to fit in the trunk of your car and the smallest exercise bike is small and light enough to fit in a suitcase with ease. There are even folding mini bikes which fold down flat and save space that way.

Vacation is the one time even the most dedicated among us let our diet and healthy eating regiments go out the window so it's nice to be able to burn of some of those extra calories before bed. These are virtually noiseless so for a hotel exercise machine you can be assured of not bothering the other guests. If you are staying with family you can even slip in a quick workout in a bedroom without them even knowing about it.

Work Out Anywhere Around The Home

Turn Every Room Into Your Personal Gym

Mini exercising bikes really are the go anywhere solution to your workout needs. Anywhere you can sit become a place you can exercise

So, workout in your bedroom sitting on the edge of the bed or on a bedroom chair. Or put it under a desk and workout while you work. You may have heard of treadmill desks which allow you to walk your way to good health standing at your desk all day well, a miniature pedal exerciser is enmity cheaper and more comfortable alternative. Forget standing, here you can sit and cycle and it fan cost under 20 bucks rather than 500 plus for a treadmill desk!

These are so lightweight you can use them wherever you like. A favorite location is on the couch in front of the tv watching you favorite television programs. If it's a nice day take it out to the garden and work on your tan as you tone your body. The options are endless.

Mini PC Magnetic Bike Trainer

Should I Get A Manual Or Motorized Pedal Exerciser?

Sooner or later you will have to chose between a manual pedal exerciser which uses tension resistance to tighten up the pedals and make a workout harder or lighter or whether to go with a motorized electric pedal bike which mains powered and uses the more flexible magnetic resistance to do the same thing.

Bottom line: motorized mini exercise bikes are better than resistive pedal exercisers but you will also pay 3 or 4 times the price for them.

The long version: The popular type are the non-powered portable leg exercisers and they are the cheapest of the two options and you do not have to be near a power source to use them. Electric pedal bikes are also heavier due to the motor which makes them less portable and less desirable amongst older people who do not want to lift heavy weights.

That said, aside from being cheap and light that's where the benefits end. If that's all you can afford then they do get the job done but the magnetic resistance mini cycle trainers do the job better.

The cheap resistive mini bike use friction to provide resistance and this can be quite jerky at the higher resistance levels which is not good for your joints and the tension can slip over time meaning your need to keep retightening it. A good motorized pedal exerciser, on the other hand, offers a wider range of resistance levels and a smooth pedal action which is kinder on your joints and muscles.

Small exercise bikes can feel too light and unstable unless you opt of a more expensive model. There are hollow tube frame mini bikes for around the $20 mark but they are so light they can tip and lift off the desk as you work out. Lightweight is great, but not when it comes at the expense of usability. Some of the more expensive motorized pedal bikes are bulkier and more stable but just by default, the motor in a motorised exercise bike trainer adds weight and makes for a more sturdy cycle in all cases.

The best exercise machines for older people

You will often see these mini exercise cycles in rehab facilities and old people's homes. That's because they offer a low impact means of working out the lower and upper body and getting in some light cardio exercise without over exerting or having to clamber onto an exercise machine when the person's balance may not be as stable as it used to be.

A pedal exerciser machine can be used by an older person from the comfort of their favorite chair or from the edge of their bed if they choose. This makes them n ideal geriatric exercise machine.

It's the best exercise machine for an apartment or condo

If you live in a small apartment condo or mobile home then the idea of owning your own exercise bike or other fitness machine probably hasn't crossed your mind in any serious form.

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