For three years, between 1994 and 1997 I lived in a small studio apartment and ran a business out of it. Saying that it was cramped was an understatement. I didn’t have room for a chair, much less a piece of workout equipment. Then I discovered the folding exercise bike. I was able to fold it down to a very compact size and store it under my coffee table when it wasn’t in use.

I have bought three since then, and have been able to get the best price on them by taking a few easy steps.

First, I consider buying used. A used exercise bike can be a tremendous value because these machines tend to hold their value and are more durable than ellipticals or treadmills. Folding exercise bikes come in several different styles including spinning, magnetic, and dual action. The benefit over a recumbant bike is it’s small storage size.

The second rule is to always buy online. Retailers have to pay a distributor and carry a large overhead. Therefore, their markups are usually very high. Online sellers are able to take a much smaller profit and move more units.

Buying direct from the manufacturer is usually the best way to ensure a low price. Schwinn, Lifecycle, and Proform are three of the top manufacturers of folding exercise bikes and all of them sell direct to the consumer. The benefits of buying direct are obvious. You save on shipping because they are shipped directly from the manufacturer’s warehouse. Also, you save yourself several markups.

Lastly, look for advertised sales online. Many online retailers of fitness equipment schedule specific days to cut prices dramatically to either boost sales or to move items they may be overstocked on.

By Jennifer Lynn Hanson

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For those of us who have been around since the days of post world war II, the cruiser bikes were a common sight seen on the roads, as these were the most popular two wheelers back in those good old days.

As it is said “fashion is such an ugly thing that it doesn’t stay around for long and has to be changed regularly”. Same fate was met with by the early day cruisers which almost disappeared from the roads just as puddles do after days of sunshine.

But not for long as the days came back again when the collectors started hunting for the classic vintage models for refurbishing the antiques at the turn of the century. That is when the Schwinn started producing the long lost designs once again as they started gaining popularity with the antique style lovers, especially those who had paddled them in their childhood and still remembered the comfort and stability that came with the additional weight and its famous balloon tires.

Today you can find the same old comfort in a beach, multiple speed, and stretch and kids cruiser bike. Just for the old time’s sake get on one and let yourself take a ride down your memory lane when the sun shone bright and you had your youthful smile fixed on your face when you first got your new cruiser for the first time as a child and paddled down the street to show it off to your friends.

You can repeat the history with your grand children with a kid’s cruiser and watch your childhood replay in front of your own eyes. As your future generation paddles along the road in the same way as you used to do half a century ago. Those were the good old days.

By Paul Kramer

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