Made in Sweden, Monark's quality and reliability is unmatched. Established in 1910,
Monark has spent the past 90 years setting the standards for fitness testing throughout
the world. Monark bicycles are now being used in more than 80 countries and the Monark
Ergomedic is the only testing bicycle approved for the measurement of VO2 in the US Air
Force and the Federal Fire Authorities in the United States.
Monark's reputation has been preserved by continued support from the Johnson Space Center
(NASA), medical and rehabilitation facilities, schools and universities and we can't
forget the world of sports. The Monark Ergomedic has become an important part of training
for more than 20 NHL hockey teams as well as in the Swedish elite hockey division.
History
In the year 1910, the first Kroon bicycle rolled out of our factory at Vansbro in the
County of Dalarna. Over the years, this classic bicycle has evolved to become a real
trooper, a work horse that withstands tough treatment and is guaranteed to have a long
working life. Today, Monark Exercise AB has taken over the production of Kroon's classic
transport Test and Exercise cycles for Johnson Space Center (NASA), U.S. Air Force, U.S.
Federal Fire Administration, Bosön Sports Polyclinic, American College of Sport Medicine,
and National Hockey League. And specialized bikes Bayer, Mercedes, Scania, Volvo,
Ericsson, Astra, Zeneca, The Postal Services of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and
Germany.
The next milestone occurred in 1954, at the Institute of Karolinska in Stockholm. Three
visionaries, aviation doctor Wilhelm von Döbeln, equipment maker Harry Hagelin and
Professor P-O Åstrand, produced Monark's first ergometer bicycle. This bicycle was so
revolutionary and ground-breaking that to this day, the Monark Ergometers is still the
world's leading, most reliable and most widely used ergometer.
Policy
Monark has over 90 years' experience of making bicycles. This tradition has given us
knowledge, experience and a thorough understanding of our products and their quality. For
generations, Monark's bicycles have been the living proof of our precision, reliability,
durability and service. In short: quality. This is why Monark Exercise AB is currently the
leading developer of test bicycles.
Service
Over the years, we have learned that customer relations only start after a product has
been purchased. We want our customers to see us as a supplier and manufacturer with good
service, flexibility and a friendly customer manner. For us, this is a matter of quality.
Functional Design
Our design reveals everything about who we are and the values we represent. Design is
certainly important, but at Monark Exercise AB, it is never allowed to take precedence
over function and quality. This is why we favor a simple, fuss-free, logical design, which
produces a functional, classic look.
Quality Assurance
Our ergometers are medical research instruments. Naturally, this places extremely high
demands on our expertise and production. In order to guarantee quality and safety, our
bicycles are produced in our own factory, which has been ISO 9001-certified since 1997.
This guarantees our continued position as leading suppliers of quality bicycles with an
exceptionally long lifetime.
Calibration
If a medical instrument produces
inaccurate results, the consequences can be catastrophic. Hagelin, von Döbeln and
Åstrand realized that reliable test results require precise calibration. Calibration does
not mean setting an instrument at zero, but rather comparing it to a given reference
value.
For this reason, Monark Ergometers is designed to use the earth's gravity as its
reference. If you cannot check your instrument before, during and after use, you cannot be
sure of its accuracy. Monark Ergomedic meets these requirements, and what is more, anyone
can perform the calibration.
References
Thanks to their high quality and ingenious mechanical design, Monark's ergometer
bicycles have become a standard choice in the world's leading laboratories, institutions
and industries. As the list could easily become lengthy, we have chosen a number of
special names:
Johnson Space Center (NASA)
The Johnson Space Center (NASA) in Houston tests its astronauts on the Monark Ergomedic 839E.
U.S. Air Force
Since October 1992, Monark has been the only approved ergometer for fitness testing within
the U.S. Air Force. Read more
U.S. Federal Fire Administration
Since 1993 Monark has been the only approved ergometer for fitness testing within the U.S.
Federal Fire Administration.
Bosön Sports Polyclinic
Monark's Wingate ergometer was developed in collaboration with Bosön Sports Polyclinic,
Lidingö, Sweden's leading sports test centre.
American College of Sports Medicine
The American College of Sports Medicine refers to Monark's ergometer bicycle and explains
how it is calibrated in the Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and
Prescription.
NHL
Some 20 of the clubs of NHL, the world's best hockey league, consistently use Monark
bicycles in their test and training programs.
Read more
|
