ISO 20957-5:2016—Stationary Exercise Bicycle
Regularly riding a stationary exercise bike can support one’s lower body muscles, cardiovascular fitness, and overall health, among other advantages. It is thereby no wonder that in 2024, the global stationary exercise bike market reached USD 728.0 million and is projected to grow to USD 1.06 billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.3% during 2025-2033. ISO 20957-5:2016—Stationary training equipment – Part 5: Stationary exercise bicycles and upper body crank training equipment, additional specific safety requirements and test methods covers the safety of crank training equipment as well as safety requirements for stationary exercise bicycles.
What Are the Benefits of Riding Stationary Exercise Bicycles?
Stationary bikes, also known as exercise bikes or exercycles, offer a low-impact way to improve cardiovascular health and burn calories. They are a popular choice for indoor cycling, with benefits like improved heart and lung function as well as being joint-friendly (compared to other types of cardio equipment). Other benefits of using stationary exercise bicycles include lowered blood pressure, improved mood and energy levels, increased muscle strength, enhanced endurance, and improved flexibility and balance. As such, riding a stationary bike is a popular form of exercise as it is an efficient and effective way to burn calories and body fat while strengthening the heart, lungs, and muscles.
To assure the safe use stationary exercise bicycles, ISO 20957-5:2016 specifies general requirement, primarily concerning the safety of crank training equipment.
What Is ISO 20957-5?
ISO 20957-5:2016 specifies safety requirements for stationary exercise bicycles and upper body crank training equipment in addition to the general safety requirements of ISO 20957‑1. Crank training equipment refers to the stationary apparatus on which work is carried out by turning a crank mechanism either by using the lower body or the upper body or both.
This document is not applicable to roller stands as they cannot be made safe in a reasonable way.
Origins of Exercise Bikes: The Gymnasticon
Invented in 1796 by Francis Lowndes, the Gymnasticon—the earliest exercise bike—emerged as a product of the newly developed science of orthopedics. In his patent, Lowndes described the machine as intended simply “to give and apply motion and exercise, voluntary or involuntary, to the limbs, joints, and muscles of the human body.” Lowndes claimed that he had successfully used the Gymnasticon to treat gout, palsy, rheumatism, debility, and contraction, but he noted the machine would be equally useful for healthy people in sedentary occupations.
This early exercise machine resembled a stationary bike; it employed and exercised all joints of the body. The Gymnasticon used a set of flywheels connected to wooden treadles and handlebars. Essentially, it was a set of flywheels turned by hand cranks and foot treadle. The Gymnasticon was an early example of a series of new technologies in gymnastics that would lead to the development of physical therapy in the nineteenth century.
ISO 20957-5:2016—Stationary training equipment – Part 5: Stationary exercise bicycles and upper body crank training equipment, additional specific safety requirements and test methods is available on the ANSI Webstore.
