• Stationary Bike

  • By: Stephen King
  • Narrated by: Ron McLarty
  • Length: 1 hr and 30 mins
  • 3.7 out of 5 stars (404 ratings)

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Stationary Bike  By  cover art

Stationary Bike

By: Stephen King
Narrated by: Ron McLarty
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Publisher's summary

Climb aboard Stationary Bike, a streamlined fever dream of a tale, in which an ordinary household object assumes otherworldly powers and a familiar journey takes a terrifying twist.

When commercial artist Richard Sifkitz finally gets around to have that physical he'd been putting off for years, and his cholesterol comes back dangerously high, he does what so many 30-something, junk food-eating couch potatoes have done before him: He buys a stationary bike, and vows to ride it regularly.

Unlike many a mid-life exercise convert, however, Richard actually starts to ride his new stationary bike. A lot. Soon he's spending so much time on his bike that he decides to put his artistic talents to use and paint a mural on the wall opposite his stationary bike. But it turns out that Richard's mural is no ordinary picture, and soon his stationary bike is taking him places he doesn't want to go, and can't stay away from.

A riveting riff on artistic frustration, mid-life mortality, and hard-won redemption, Stationary Bike is a thrill ride that could come only from the mind of Stephen King.

©2003 Stephen King. All rights reserved. (P)2006 Simon & Schuster Inc. All rights reserved. Audioworks is an imprint of Simon & Schuster Audio Division, Simon & Schuster.

Critic reviews

"As artful as anything he has ever written." (Booklist)

What listeners say about Stationary Bike

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Only a little Weird

There's not too much high tension in the story but It has the usual twists. Sifkitz resolves to work out and buys a stationary bike and then the weird stuff begins. The book was read by veteran reader Ron McClarty who covered all of the characters made this an enjoyable experience. Weird, interesting little story about the power of the mind. No goose bumps or night mares after I read this book.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Stephen King Lite

loved this book. King, in my opinion and as he has shown can write a semi- to happy ending...it's brief but fun...as the intro says, a helluva ride

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Swan Peak

The book was very good what makes the book really good is the narrator Will Patton The voices he does are the best and his accent and different voices together are just Great I've listened to 2 books he has read and the guy can sound the part like no one else

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Disappointing!

I agree, what was he thinking? This storyline had potential but it fell very flat. I kept waiting for the excitment but it never came, how disappointing this very short story was!!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Terrible!

This was one of the worst Stephen King stories I can remember. The plot made little sense...I am not sure what he was thinking.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

A yawn

I like some of King's works and do enjoy his wacky stories. But lost my interest shortly after it began.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Save your book credits

This was a great concept but it had more to do w/ Steven Kings overcoming previous addictions than anything else. The end.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Stationary Bike

The story it's self was not not quite as good as others he has written.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

considering a stationary bike purchase. 🙂

loved the idea of the tale! exercise sucks, so... maybe I won't get me a bike!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Stationary Review

It was a very detailed book. Stephen King knows how to write good descriptions of what's happenning. It wasn't scary enough for me. No goose bumps or night mares after I read this book.

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