We ordered a Christopeit Mini Bike MB4, which is made by a German company. It is very similar to a MagneTrainer sold in the US, but we could not find it where we live. Overall the trainer worked well, but needed some adaptions to make it easier to use.

We found that the original pedals for the  trainer were too small when pedalling with feet, and not ergonomic enough when pedalling with hands. We were able to order Ergonomic Hand Pedals and Quick-Connects from MagneTrainer.  With the Hand Pedals it can be used more easily on a table. With the Quick-Connects we can swap between the hand and foot pedals easily.

After we received the Hand Pedals and Quick-Connects we found that the pedal spindles were a different size than the crank arms. That was odd, because on most bicycles I thought it was universal. I have since learned that Mini Bike MB4 pedals are are 1/2″ (12.7 mm) and the MagneTrainer pedals are 9/16″ (14.2875 mm) which seems to be the standard bicycle size. I guess we live and learn!

We took an old set of crank arms from a kids bike, and our friend John lent me his crank pullers and also cut off the chainring for me. He also gave us another set of pedals that are a bit wider to make it easier to pedal, and added a velcro strap on the affected side. Overall it worked, but he still found it difficult to use the foot pedal. We found some Medical-Level foot pedals from another company MiniPedalers, but they were more money than we wanted to spend.

We ended up using an old Teva like sandal that we had and screwed it into the rubber on the pedal and it works much better. We also use an old outdoor rubber mat to keep it from moving. It still takes some assistance to help keep his leg in the proper position, but overall it works well (last photo).

If I had a choice, I would have gone with the MagneTrainer with their accessories, because the cost of shipping parts would have paid for a complete solution. Since that time I have now found it on Amazon.de and Amazon.co.uk.

Christopeit Mini Bike MB4

www.christopeit-sport.com

• Motorized, usable for recondition
• Hand- and foot pedals with adjustable foot straps
• Training of the leg and arm muscles while sitting
• Safety stand, approx weight 6 kg
• Big grip for easy carrying
• Cable command with on/off function, adjustment of speeds in 12 steps and adjustment of time from 1-30 minutes
• Computer showing: time, Count, Count total, approx. calories and Scan
• Electrical data: 220-240V/50Hz /22 Watt
• Space requirement approx. L 50 x W 42 x H 31 cm