Exercise bicycle
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An exercise bicycle is a stationary bicycle used for exercise and not for travel.
An exercise bicycle is usually a special-purpose exercise machine resembling a bicycle, but it is also possible to adapt an ordinary bicycle for stationary exercise, either by placing it on rollers, or by removing the front wheel, placing it on a stand and attaching the rear wheel to a flywheel. Rollers are often used by racing cyclists during warm-up routines prior to racing events, or as a training option, perhaps when the weather is too bad to train outdoors.
In recent years, many new stationary bikes have appeared, including those in recumbent positions, and "spinning machines" which are stationary bikes, built for spinning classes.
The latest use of indoor stationary bikes is as a special option for beating obesity, or just exercise. A video game console has been adapted to display a "game" of a cyclist in a race. The in-game speed of the rider is determined by the actual movement of the pedals on a stationary bike, therefore, providing an added incentive for hard exercise in the form of competition.
Often, exercise bikes have various methods of increasing the resistance to the pedals moving (and thus, the intensity of the exercise), to provide for varied training. These include magnets, fans, and friction mechanisms.
Some models allow the user to pedal backwards, allowing them to exercise antagonist muscles which are not exercised in forward pedaling.
Formerly there existed stationary bikes that used human power to generate electricity. This was the case at early Soviet polar research stations, where they helped to operate radio transmitters in case other power sources failed.