iPad Exercise Bike Mount - iPad Holder For Exercise Bikes

An iPad exercise bike mount provides a stable adjustable cradle or mounting shelf upon which to rest your tablet computer whilst you work out. This gives you the ability to interact with a wide variety of apps or to surf the web whilst you exercise rather than being stuck with more limited options like reading a magazine or listening to music which isn't enough stimulation for many of us who are less than enthusiastic about working out in the first place.

For me personally, the more distractions away from the huff and puff slog of a stationary fitness bike the better so an exercise bike iPad holder is something I consider an essential part of my gym kit. You can find adjustable handlebar iPad mounting brackets for exercise bikes or there are shelf style iPad holders which mount onto or over the exercise cycle console. The latter is often more suited for taking with you to the local gym because there is no installation required (although the former takes a few seconds too) but both styles of exercise bike iPad caddy holders and mounts are perfect for keeping this device safe and sound and easily accessible whilst you break a sweat.

Which exercise bike mount for iPad 2 and original Apple iPad tablet is right for you? Well, read on and we'll look at some of the most highly recommended on the market today.

There are many reasons why people choose to mount an iPad on an exercise bike from being able to use fitness apps, to multi-tasking or for the vast majority, because it gives a way to stay entertained and therefore motivated whilst they cycle away. Let's be honest here, cycling on the spot is pretty boring. There's none of the thrill of cycling out in the open air, over hills and dales if you're lucky enough to live near more interesting countryside or the thrill of living dangerously as you cycle through the city streets if your not. Indoor cyclists are stuck with a book, music or their TV to keep them from losing interest and if you're a gym goer, you don't even get to pick what's on the TV either. Mine always had news or cookery shows to choose between and that was more boring than staring at the wall on most days which is why when I saw a fellow gym member using their Ipad on an exercise bike I knew I just had to have an iPad exercise bike holder too.

iPad exercise bike mounts and holders throw open the floodgates to a huge range of TV shows and movies if you want to watch whilst you exercise. Mount your iPad tablet onto the dash or clamp it onto the handlebars and your ready to use it hands free to watch Netflix, Hulu, Amazon instant video (eventually, when they get around to supporting an iPad app) or to watch you iTunes downloaded media or movies ripped from your personal collection to mp4 format. YouTube and other video sites are another video entertainment option once you have an exercise bike mounted iPad so there's hundreds of thousands of hours of eye candy to keep you distracted.

Mount an iPad to a bike and you can turn your handbars into a handy library containing your entire digital eBook collection. The Apple iPad has may useful eReader apps including an Amazon Kindle app which allows you access to your Kindle ebook library which makes reading on a gym bike a breeze and a real alternative to holding a physical book in your hands. Some eReaders like Tomes even auto scroll for you so you can go completely hands free with your reading.

I like to use mine to multitask, catching up on some work emails and researching through the internet whilst I work on my fitness at the same time. Many people find it hard to make room for healthy exercise in their busy lives but if you can multitask by doing those menial tasks on your iPad like checking emails, then there really is no excuse! An iPad exercise bike stand lets you do this with ease. The same goes for those little time consuming activities which eat into your day like checking in on Facebook, browsing through your Twitter feed or catching up on your favorite bloggers with your RSS reader...or feeding your Squidoo addiction by checking what's new here.

If you are cycle training then then there are some excellent iPad cycling apps which can be used in conjunction with an indoor fitness bike. Ipad exercise bicycle apps and cycling videos for fitness training can be found at sites like ride-fit.com and through the iTunes store. More generalized workout apps like iBiker will track your fitness and goals on both and indoor and outdoor bike.

The usefulness of a iPad bicycle mount knows no bounds and app developers are constantly finding new and innovative ways to pass the time. I've even played a few games on mine whilst cycling indoors although these have been more of the Sudoku and card game style rather than something requiring more finger dexterity and stability.

DIY Exercise Bike Mounts and Stands

If none of the professionally constructed models suit what you need then some more inventive types have created their own iPad holders for exercise bikes. Whilst these cobbled together self made iPad holders are not as attractive and generally not as functional as a manufactured model, these might fall more within your budget. If this sounds like something you'd want to try yourself then here are a few ideas to consider:

The 'plank' style : if your gym bike has inverted handlebars as many do, then it is easy to mount an iPad case onto a board and place this board horizontally across the divide between the handlebars. If you make sure there is an air amount of overlap on either side of the board then this will be quite stable although you can always drill a few holes in the board and use twist ties to tie it more securely to the handlebars. This style works great but will obscure the dashboard computer console in all models so if you like to monitor your heart rate, fiddle with the resistance and workout programs etc. then you may find this type of DIY ipad holder for exercise bike quite restrictive.

The converted reading rack : Amazon sells some rather neat transparent plexiglass reading racks which mount over the console and are designed as a slip on shelf for gym fitness machines. Whilst these are fine for books and magazines, they are a little slippery to fell safe using them as an exercise machine iPad mount holder without a little modification. Here's a simple modification you can do however. Take an old iPad case or buy a cheap new one and either glue or velcro this onto the reading rack. Now you've got a much more secure exercise bike mounted iPad holder which is easily removed with one hand when you want to play with the console. You may be able to modify this idea using bungee cords in the corners to work with any iPad case.

A do it yourself iPad mount for exercise machines typically has the disadvantage of lacking the adjustability of something like the ball and socket mounting brackets from companies like RAM which can mean dealing with issues like glare from overhead lighting unless you have an anti glare screen protector but are a quick and simple fix for anyone who want to make your own iPad holder.