If there ever was a product that seemed like a bit of a joke, it had to be the mini exercise bike.  I don't know about you, but I took one look at these things, and was convinced that it had to be one of these crazy exercise gadgets out of the 80's that everybody bought, and then left to collect dust under a basement couch.  I sure, I saw some wash out celebrity from Love Boat, or Three's Company hawking this kind of stuff during my childhood.  Really, something like a thigh master, or those little exercise wheels with hand holds on each side your supposed to use while on your knees.  Mini exercise bikes . . . c'mon . . . it's a joke right?  Well, I did a little research, and was somewhat surprised as to what I found.  Really, they're not just for Lilliputians after all.  At least, I don't think they are.

I found one website, that had about 60 different models of these little bikes.  60?  Wow, who knew there were so many ways to design a little bike.  Now, before I go much further, it should make sense to clarify exactly what these things are.  I think it's a bit of a misnomer to call these things bicycles, since they're really just a part of what most of us would consider a bicycle.  What they really are, is pedals.  Pedals with some sort of frame, that allows the pedals to be (for lack of a better word) pedaled.  They're usually weighted, at least the better ones are, since you don't want them sliding around while your using them.  Additionally, they often include some sort of digital display, to keep track of revolutions, time, distance, and calories burned sort of stuff. 

Well, now that we have what they are a little better defined, let's take a look at why anyone would buy one of these little bicycles. I have to believe, that the original inventory of the mini bicycle, had two considerations in mind.  First of all, they wanted to save space.  I could certainly see, where anyone that lives in an apartment, would have a hard time finding room for a full sized bicycle, or even a stationery exercise bike.  But, a mini exercise bike could quite literally fit into a shoe box.  Secondly, these things are a whole lot cheaper than a pretty much any bike I've ever seen.  And well, they should be, since they use a whole lot less material.

Just like a regular exercise bike, you can do all sorts of other stuff while exercising with one of these babies.  Watching television, using MSN, reading a book, playing a computer game, chatting on the phone, or surfing the web.  Personally, I don't really understand the people that exercise and read magazines or other stuff at the same time.  They just seem to be dogging it to me.  When I workout, I'm totally committed to the task at hand.  Whether it's lifting weights, playing squash, running, or using an elliptical machine.  But, some people do seem to multi-task, even when their sweating their butt off.  If your one of them, then this fitness bikes could be the ticket for you.

Really though, I can't see the die hard endorphin junkies using one of these bikes.  I mean, even if you did want to work out constantly, while at your desk at work, it could get pretty gross.  Sweaty fingers all over your keyboard, and drops of perspiration dripping onto the bosses quarterly budget report can't be conducive to getting that dream promotion anytime soon.

I can see however, people doing physio therapy for knees, hips or ankle sprains using one of these machines to gradually get back into shape, without over exerting yourself.  People that have poor circulation, water retention in the lower extremities, or just plain cold toes could also make good use out of one of these machines.  Just a brisk 5 or 10 minutes of pedaling would help with these kinds of ailments.  If your going to be using one of these at work though, you may want to make sure you get a fairly quiet one.  Not sure your co-workers would appreciate a noisy mini bike in the office.