General Information

Serial #

LB4691

Part Number

1

Total Parts

3

AKA

exercise machine; stationary bicycle

Patents

N/A

General Description

Blue-grey mat finish on steel frame, and motor and transmission housings; bright silver metal [chromed ?] saddle-style seat, handle bar frame and pedal arms; black rubber [?] pedals, toe guards and handle bar grips; black covering on electrical cord is possibly rubber; thick brown rubber pads on frame feet. Silver aluminium foil tray mounted underneath transmission is presumably not original.

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

108.0 cm

Width

48.0 cm

Height

107.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Non-motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Cycles & cycling

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

Exercycle

Country

United States of America

State/Province

New York

City

Unknown

Context

Country

Canada

State/Province

Ontario

Period

This exercise machine used 1958- 2007.

Canada

Unknown

Function

Facilitates recreational movement of arms and legs by user, in order to provide exercise.

Technical

In 1932, a New York City mechanical engineer designed a motor-driven stationary bicycle for his wife who had a neuromuscular disorder. His hopes were that by helping her maintain constant, full-body motion, it would help alleviate her muscular ailments. His invention worked so well that it soon attracted the attention of others who wanted to keep fit but lacked the strength or endurance. This machine, later named Exercycle was sold through a national dealer network and became the exercise method of choice for more than one hundred thousand people. However, with the proliferation of dozens of new exercise machine alternatives over the last 20 years, the market for the Exercycle dramatically contracted. In truth, these new devices were better suited for able bodied users than the Exercycle. [Ref. 2] This bicycle is different from other stationary bicycles as the user’s arms and legs are moving with the help of a motor.

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

"EXERCYCLE" cast in raised print on both sides of frame. "EXERCYCLE CORPORATION/ NEW YORK, U.S.A./ MOTOR [dual direction arrow symbol] HI/ Exercycle/ ®" cast in raised print on plate fixed to frame. "EXERCYCLE/ AUTOMATIC EXERCISER/ REG. IN U.S. PATENT OFFICE/ U.S. PATENT NO. RE.22105/ - 1992127/ 2107447 - 2107448 - 2173691 - 2221962/ OTHER PATENTS PENDING" and "ADJUST INDICATOR/ TO WEIGHT OF RIDER" printed on fitting on machine front, with scale 100-300, labelled at 50 [lb] intervals. "SMALL" appears in raised print on one side of toe guard; "LARGE" appears on opposite side. "PUSH TO/ STOP" and "PULL TO/ START" cast in raised print on lever mounted on cycle front, below handlebars. "ON" and "OFF" cast in raised print on lever on transmission. Plate on motor housing reads in part "WESTINGHOUSE/ ELECTRIC CORPORATION/ MADE IN/ U.S.A."; "W" logo also appears in raised print on motor housing.

Missing

Unknown.

Finish

Blue-grey mat finish on steel frame, and motor and transmission housings; goldtone pin striping on selected text and areas of frame; bright silver metal [chromed ?] saddle-style seat, handle bar frame and pedal arms; black rubber [?] pedals, toe guards and handle bar grips; black covering on electrical cord is possibly rubber; thick brown rubber pads on frame feet. Silver aluminium foil tray mounted underneath transmission is presumably not original.

Decoration

Goldtone pin striping on selected text and areas of frame.