Customer Reviews

Mini Exercise Bike

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Okay, I am a geek I admit it. I saw this at the local Brookstone store and had to have it. I saw the box cover showing a guy using a computer with this under the table. Burning calories and using the computer? What could be better? I tried out their floor model with one of their desks there. It actually worked pretty well, I decided to take it home and try.

Yes, I am able to use the computer and exercise at the same time. I use it in the morning before going to work. I can browse the web for about 30 minutes while I use the mini-bike. It really does work pretty well.

The design is good on this thing. It will tell you how fast your going as well as how many calories it thinks you have burned. The screen is setup so you can easily look down and see it. Its actually quite heavy, which is good, you don't tend to push it around. Everything seems to be constructed well, except for the straps that hold your feet onto the pedals. They are made out a flexable plastic. The floor model at Brookstone was already broke. If you are careful I am sure they are fine. I am sure someone tried to jam a pair of workboots or such into the floor model and destroyed it in the process.

Reviews on this item looked great, so I decided to try it. The outcome? I am disappointed, though the product is tolerable considering the price. The biggest problem is that the machine is not stable--when I bike on it, it moves around following my feet movement. So I have to put my hands on it to keep it in place and get some excercise. If I raise the resistance level, it becomes almost unusable because of the movement. (Maybe this is more so because I have hardwood flooring at home, and it might not move as much on a carpet. I could not try, since on my rather small carpet, the machine moved WITH the carpet. If you reduce the resistance level, it does not move around too bad--just up and down a bit with my feet.) In addition, the pedal is not that well made, feeling heavy and making small sound.

Well, considering the price, I thought I could reduce the resistance level and tolerate the annoying movement and uncomfortable feeling of the pedals. But I found that I am not using it after a few tries, mostly due to the inconvenience. I simply cannot enjoy it. So I am returning it.

I do not recommend this product. Especially if you want some real exercise, consider other options. But if you are ok with slow pedaling at a low resistance level, you might not have much complaint.

I am not happy b/c the shipping cost will be quite high, given the product weight. The service representative wasn't very kind either, though again, tolerable.

I bought one of the Brookstone mini-exercise bikes when it was still priced at $99.00 (on February 1, 2007), based on two positive reviews that were posted at that time. Initially, I was impressed by the prompt delivery of the product but immediately discovered the bike was not factory assembled correctly. Instead of a left- and right-hand crank arm, my exercise bike has two right hand crank arms. This may seem trivial until you realize that the cranks are suppose to be threaded in opposite directions to prevent the pedals from coming unscrewed during use.

I contacted Brookstone Customer Service to request a replacement part (I needed two right-hand pedals) the evening I received the shipment. I had to place follow-up calls each week for six weeks until finally receiving the replacement pedal. When, at one point, I mentioned simply returning the exercise bike, the customer service rep. indicated that approval would be needed from higher up the food chain because--as I waited for the new part--I'd had the bike in my possession past the 30-day return policy!

With the new pedal finally in place, I immediately tried out the bike and was disappointed (though, unfortunately, not surprised) that the overall construction feels very flimsy under foot. The mini-bike is quite noisy and so far, I've found no floor surface that keeps it reliably stable during use--either on a rug or on linoleum. As a result, I have to back it up against a desk, file cabinet, or bookcase to use.

This product has been a huge disappointment and I would strongly encourage people interested in purchasing a small exercise bike to please not waste their money--even at the reduced price--on this product.

I was looking forward to the arrival of this bike so much, I thought it was going to be a great way to burn calories while doing just about anything. But when I tried it I discovered 2 things. First off your legs have to be at a 90 degree angle in order to pedal without it moving all over the place (which means you have to have an adjustable office chair or put phone books on a normal one). And when I finally get settled on it no matter how hard of a setting it's on it only burns about a calorie a minute.

This bike might be great for arm workouts because it doesn't move as much on the table and it can offer a lot of resistance (though I only tried it for a few minutes) but definitely not for your legs.

For some reason the electronic control panel doesn't work on my bike. But I don't mind too much. The bike is small and light but has enough mass so it doesn't slide around. I use the bike while doing work, watching TV or reading. It's a great way to get exercise on rainy days.

the bike meets my expectations. It is well built and I get a good work
out on it while parked in my over the road tractor trailer. It fits between the bunk and the gear shift just fine. I use a folding chair to
sit on. It's like riding a tricycle as compared to a bicycle when comparing it to a standard sized stationary bicycle. I like it a lot.

I love my mini-bike! My gym closed a couple of months ago for renovations and i did not want to buy an expensive home gym. This quality Brookstone product (I love how they think of solutions I would never think of) meets my needs completely! I now bike a lot more because it is so convenient, I even take it to work ; it is really quiet and does not disturn others...Thanks Brookstone!