Stationary bikes are permanent fixtures in many fitness centres and gyms. They are perfect for improving cardiovascular endurance and for helping you burn off fat. The issue, of course, is that you cannot bring them with you to the office. This is where mini exercise bikes can be very helpful.
These are portable stationary bikes that can provide you the same benefits as a conventional exercise bike. They’re small and can fit right under the table or office desk. One can always continue working while pedalling the machine. This is how you stay fit even while you’re in the office or working at home.
| Rank | Model Image | Model Name | Battery | Resistance Settings | Where to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  | Lifespan Fitness Cyclestation 2 | - | 8 | |
| #2 |  | DeskCycle 2 Under Desk Exercise Bike | 2 AA batteries | 8 | |
| #3 |  | MagneTrainer-ER Mini Exercise Bike | Single AA Battery | 3 | |
| #4 |  | Drive Medical Deluxe Folding Exercise Peddler | Single LR44 Battery | N/A | |
| #5 |  | Marcy Portable Magnetic Cycle Mini Exercise Bike | 2 AA batteries | Manual |
1. Lifespan Fitness Cyclestation 2
| Why I Chose It | Things To Consider |
|---|---|
| Convenient Size | Size may be too small for certain chair height |
| Quality Build | |
| Durable Straps for Pedals | |
| Quiet Operation | |
| Magnetic Resistance | |
| LCD Display |
The Lifespan Fitness Cyclestation 2 is truly a mini bike as it is definitely a space-saver addition to your home or office. It may even be discreet enough to be active without bothering your colleagues.
Why I Chose It
Convenient Size
The cycle measures just 67 by 40.2 by 29 centimeters corresponding to length, width, and height. It can fit easily under an office desk so you can pedal even while working. It weighs at around 9.5 kilogram so if you want to bring it back home during the weekends, there shouldn’t be any problems.
Quality Build
The cycle is made from tubular steel, keeping it both durable and dependable. It has a maximum user weight of 100 kilograms and since it doesn’t come with a chair, there’s really no height limit to worry about. There’s not much assembly involved with this equipment so the moment you receive the package, it can be used in just a few minutes.
Durable Straps for Pedals
The pedals also come with a convenient strap that keeps your feet in place. Even if you’re at work and wearing your office shoes, you’ll have no problem keeping your pace without any slippage.
Quiet Operation
Let’s say you’re multitasking with a Zoom conference and a workout. This Lifespan Fitness Cyclestation 2 has an ultra-smooth operation that produces practically zero sounds. You can confidently keep on cycling even while you’re on a conference call with everyone.
Magnetic Resistance
It comes with 8 levels of resistance so you can make things a bit more difficult as you improve with the workout. Adjustments are made with a simple turn of the dial.
LCD Display
The unit actually comes with an LCD display that can be pulled out and placed right on your desk. What does the LCD show? Well, it tells you about your workout – the speed, the distance, the time, the calories, and basically anything that might be related to your workout.
Thing to Consider
Size may be too small for certain chair height
Note – this is a very small under-the-desk cycle which means that this doesn’t come with a chair. I suggest you make sure that your office chair height is just right to help you reach the pedals. It comes in just one color but since it’s a black and silver combination, there shouldn’t be any design clashes in both the home and office.
2. DeskCycle 2 Under Desk Exercise Bike and Pedal Exerciser
| Why I Chose It | Things To Consider |
|---|---|
| Adjustable Leg Feature | Flimsy LCD Display |
| Dual-Purpose Machine | |
| Smooth and Quiet Operation | |
| Flexible and Can Even Fit in Shorter Desks | |
| 8 Resistance Levels |
When you think work-life balance is an impossibility due to your hectic schedule, think again. With the DeskCycle 2, you get a top-notch exercise equipment that you can carry with you wherever you go.
Why I Chose It
Adjustable Leg Feature
It’s a sturdy bike with adjustable leg features that allows me to set the height up to ten inches or down nine inches for better desk clearance. It also features an LCD 6-function display.
Dual-Purpose Machine
With its lightweight feature, I can carry it with me to work on busy days. Even if I can’t go to the gym, I can still enjoy some calorie-burning workout for my legs. I originally used it as for physical therapy when I strained my calf after a strenuous session at the gym. It’s extremely versatile and flexible that I can use it in combination with other leisure activities at home such as watching TV or playing video games.
Smooth and Quiet Operation
The ultra-smooth pedal motion of DeskCycle 2 allows me to work on my legs minus the noise. And since it does not create any kind of noise, I can bring it to work without worrying about interrupting my co-workers. Its precision fly wheels combined with magnetic resistance results in quiet operation, which means that I can exercise my legs for hours while I focus my attention on important work-related tasks.
Flexible and Can Even Fit in Shorter Desks
Due to the relatively small space that DeskCycle 2 occupies, I can insert it even on desks as short as 26 inches. My 6-foot tall husband who owns a taller desk at home uses it with minimal height adjustment setting.
8 Resistance Levels
The DeskCycle 2 comes in 8 resistance levels, which is more than twice the resistance range from my older under desk elliptical trainer. It’s also easy to recalibrate the settings across all 8 resistance levels.
Thing to Consider
Flimsy LCD Display
The six-function display is not properly welded into the base of the machine, which means it can fall any time. This can result in permanent damage that can be quite problematic if you were keeping track of your stats.
3. MagneTrainer-ER Mini Bike Exercise Arm and Leg Exerciser
| Why I Chose It | Things To Consider |
|---|---|
| LCD display helps monitor vital information | Routine May be Boring |
| More Stability | |
| Easily Adjustable Resistance Levels |
The MagneTrainer-ER mini exercise bike is a superb exercise machine as it allows me to work on my upper and lower body. This is perfect for people who want to increase their strength and flexibility but cannot invest time and commitment to traditional workouts at the gym. This machine is made from commercial-grade materials, perfect for moderate to intensive upper body and lower body workouts, or for those who want to burn the calories in the most productive means possible.
Why I Chose It
LCD display helps monitor vital information
This under desk elliptical trainer comes with a small LCD console display which accurately reads my total speed, elapsed time, distance covered, and calories burned. I can keep track of my progress with this simple but extremely useful feature. The display automatically turns on and off when I start and stop pedalling respectively.
More Stability
The wide 15-inch steel base made from sturdy materials ensures stability, which makes prevents it from tipping over or on the side while you pedal.
Easily Adjustable Resistance Levels for Increased Workout Intensity
The MagneTrainer-ER comes with a small adjustable knob that lets me set the resistance based on the intensity I prefer. It’s easy to increase the intensity in small increments to make the workouts more challenging and calorie burning. I like it that I can three times the range of adjustment as opposed to traditional exercise bikes.
It’s a good workout machine when you’re sitting at home, when you’re busy at work, and also for physical therapy when rehabilitating injuries. With the easily-adjustable levels, it’s been pretty simple to customise my workout, so that I can achieve my fitness goals faster.
Thing to Consider
Routine May be Boring
If you are used to hardcore workouts at the gym, but one day find yourself using MagneTrainer-ER as part of physical therapy for an injury, you may find the routines that you can do with this machine tame and boring.
4. The Drive Medical Deluxe Folding Exercise Peddler
| Why I Chose It | Things To Consider |
|---|---|
| Foldable Design for Ultra Portability | Poor Screen Display |
| Multifunctional LED Display | |
| Two Different Ways to Workout |
This mini exercise bike from Drive Medical offers an excellent way of working out while working at a desk in the office or while playing video games at home. I purchased this machine due to its highly portable nature. It’s a good workout machine because it has easily adjustable resistance features, perfect for those recovering from injury or illness. Due to its relatively small size and dimensions, it’s the perfect workout machine for those who don’t have much space at home.
Why I Chose It
Foldable Design for Ultra Portability
The relatively small size and dimensions of the Drive Medical Exercise Peddler gives me the opportunity to exercise virtually anywhere I go. It’s easy to store so I can place it in my car’s trunk with ease. It is also lightweight so it’s not a hassle to carry it from one place to another.
Multifunctional LED Display
The multifunctional LED screen displays important information about your workout. It is also where you can find the resistance adjustment knob, so that you can control the intensity of your workouts easily. On the display, you can view important stats such as revolutions per minute, rotation count, workout duration, and calories burned. The red toggle button helps you switch between settings conveniently.
Two Different Ways to Workout
I use this fitness bike to tone the muscles on my upper and lower body. I can easily adjust the resistance, to get a good calorie burning workout for my arms and my legs. Its slip-resistant pedal gives me confidence that my arms or legs won’t fall off easily during faster workouts.
Thing to Consider
Poor Screen Display
Since I am low of vision, I have a hard time reading the display unless I move closer to the screen. But since I don’t keep track of stats most of the time, I don’t consider it as a major inconvenience and does not affect the quality of my workout.
5. Marcy Portable Magnetic Mini Cycle Compact Under Desk Cardio Exerciser NS-9200
| Why I Chose It | Things To Consider |
|---|---|
| Adjustable Resistance | Rubberised Feet Not Too Stable |
| Highly-portable and Compact Exercise Machine | |
| Digital Track Display Screen | |
| Calorie-burning Upper and Lower Body Workouts |
Enjoy a killer workout from a small but powerful workout machine with Marcy Portable Magnetic Mini Cycle. It’s an ultra-durable, lightweight, and efficient exercise machine that is excellent in toning my upper and lower body. I can do my workouts at home while watching TV or install it under the desk at work. I can pedal my way to toned arms and legs effortlessly with this portable mini cycle from Marcy. It is also a great exercise machine for people who are on physical therapy and well on their way to recovery from injuries or illnesses.
Why I Chose It
Adjustable Resistance
The NS-9200 is built with a manual resistance know that enables me to adjust the resistance to my preferred intensity. I enjoy a customised arm and body workout with smooth transitions in between intensities.
Highly-portable and Compact Exercise Machine
The Marcy Portable Magnetic Mini Cycle is perfect for those who travel a lot or those who has a hectic work schedule like me. I can take it to work and place it under my desk, so I can enjoy a lower body workout while I take care of business, too.
Digital Track Display Screen
This exercise machine comes with an easy-to-read display screen that helps me in keeping track of important stats during my workout. It also has a handy scan mode which allows me to review my stats and monitor my progress, too.
Calorie-burning Upper and Lower Body Workouts
I use this for toning my arms and my legs. Although not as heavy-duty as the exercise machines at the gym, I can include it in my daily workouts easily. I don’t have to worry about losing the progress and muscle gain from gym workouts even with a hectic schedule. I can exercise my arms and my legs when I am at home watching TV. I use it virtually every time, so my legs stay actively toning. The Marcy Portable Magnetic Mini Cycle has a maximum weight capacity of 250 lbs. (approx. 113 kg), which means that other family members or friends can use it, too.
Thing to Consider
Rubberised Feet Not Too Stable
I am on the muscular side, so I need an exercise machine that is reliable and secure even when I do the most intense workouts allowable by this machine. The machine moves unnecessarily when I pedal faster. It also slips on smooth surfaces, but holds firm on the ground when installed on the carpet.