In 1866, French mechanic Pierre Lallemont took out the first US patent on a bicycle with pedals. Although it is not clear who first invented the first stationary bicycle, Exercycle company records showed the invention of the machine in 1932.
New Yorker Howard J. Marlowe renewed the patent for his non-motorized exercising machine. It was designed to exercise the muscles used when bicycling, horseback riding, and using a rowing machine. Exercycles were popularised in the United States by President Franklin Roosevelt, but Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy, and Reagan have all been users. The Exercycle was shown in the 1988 movie Working Girl, and celebrities who used the exercise machine included the movie’s director Mike Nichols, Barbra Streisand, John Wayne and Jane Fonda.
In 1968, American chemist Keene Dimick invented a stationary bicycle that he equipped with electronics to track his progress exercising.
The Schwinn company began manufacturing an upright exercise bike in 1967 and unveiled the Airdyne stationary bike in 1978. This bike featured air resistance generated by a fan and also provided an upper body workout because the pedals were connected to the handlebars.
Exercise cycles are popular in physiotherapy gyms because they take little floor space and allow for warming up the body, challenging the lower limbs and increasing cardiorespiratory effort in a safe, structured and progressive manner.
Description provided by Susan Waller of United Arab Emirates
