For people who have made the decision to stay in shape or lose weight, a portable exercise bike is a remarkable convenient way for them to get the exercise they require. With one of these bikes, it's easy to exercise while working or watching a favorite movie, and since it is such a small size and doesn't require an excessive amount of space, it can be moved anywhere you want to exercise. This also means they can be stored easily and won't take up too large of an area, since not everyone has a lot of storage space to spare.

Many people are surprised at the variety of models available. A portable exercise bike varies depending on price, resistance mechanism and stability.

Different portable bikes possess different means of producing resistance. There are small ones which are much lighter than most models; these use friction to produce resistance to give your arms and legs more of a workout, which can be increased or decreased by adjusting the tension knob. Other models emply magnetic resistance, which costs more and offers a more intense workout.

In terms of stability though, the portable exercise bike is less stable than a fully stationary one. If you feel you require a bike with greater stability, choose a portable exercise bike which has good frames, sturdy grips and possesses long arms.

In certain respects, these bikes can help burn off more calories than other kinds of exercise equipment, due to exercise bikes being considered a more enjoyable way to exercise, which means people are far more likely to keep using it. Most people find that having a 20 minute workout with an exercise bike is fun and convenient, and if you stick with it, you'll end up burning lots of calories and keeping your body in good condition.

It should also be noted that portable exercise bikes aren't just convenient, they can actually provide you with a solid cardiovascular workout, as well as be useful for toning the muscles in your thighs, buttocks and legs. Serious exercisers who require a high level of difficulty and intensity in their workouts might not need to consider this kind of equipment, but for normal people who have busy lives and want to keep themselves fit and healthy, an exercise bike is ideal.

One of the best things about a portable exercise bike is that it prevents you becoming bored while doing exercise, which means you'll be motivated to stick to your exercise routine, since you'll still be having fun and doing what you want to do. This makes it easier to look forward to every workout session. For people with hectic schedules, it's important to not have to go to a gym, and to be able to do exercises at home.

Lots of these exercise bikes have programmed biking routines which can add some variety to your normal session; with these programs you can sprint, pedal uphill and perform different levels in one routine. It will be easier to use since you can keep yourself from pressing buttons everytime you want to change the routine. More sophisticated ones can even be plugged into your television set so that you can interactively pedal with visuals.

It's up to you to decide whether or not a portable exercise bike fits into your exercise requirements. It would be difficult, however, to find a piece of exercise equipment which is as convenient, easily stored, and genuinely fun to use as one of these bikes.