Finer Form Exercise Bike with 35lb Flywheel


Finer Form Exercise Bike with 35lb Flywheel

I got this a few weeks ago, Iā€™ll say 7/10 overall
I wanted a bike for Wisconsin winter and this combines some of my favorite things, not leaving the house and bike riding.
Really easy to set up, the packaging is actually ingenious, and even comes with a tool kit and SPD cleats for your bike shoes. The pedals have old school cages on one side, SPD bindings on the other, very nice.
Once everything is tightened down the unit feels very solid (Iā€™m 248#ā€™s, so thatā€™s pretty solid) that being said, the rub here is the seat. Itā€™s very comfy for my backside, even better than my full-spendy mtn bike, but it will not stay tight. Loosens up significantly over the course of 15mins or so. Iā€™m going to get some lock washers this weekend and see if that solves the problem, possibly in conjunction with some Loc-Tite.
Outside of that my other small complaints are the computer is not backlit and is standalone, no app or BT connection, and it would be nice if there was glide in the pedal system, but there is not. (Spin bike thing maybe?) I wish the handle bars went up just a bit higher, but thatā€™s my wrist pain issue, not a design flaw. No fore/aft slide on the bars either, but the seat slides up far enough.
The machine is very quiet, and the iPad holder is clutch.
Keep in mind this is meant to be the budget version of a $2500 machine and that people who actually do spinning instead of just 30min ā€œI need to exerciseā€ rides have given this thing great reviews as well.
Iā€™ll update the loose seat issue when I can, thanks for reading!

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@ PungentSauce You are saying the bike does not freewheel? (i.e. wheel still spins while you are not pedaling) Most of these spin bikes should do that. How is the 35lb wheel for resistance?

Wondering what the difference is between this bike and a $2000 spin bike like the Peloton? There are significant benefits to high-end bike features, but only if you really use them as intended.

I got this bike when we ended our gym membership as a replacement for a semi-weekly spin class I attended. Since then, Iā€™ve used it even more often as a nice warm-up/cool-down option around strength workouts too. This bike is not really in the same category of the spin bikes at a good gym.

The ā€œresistance bandā€, or the range in which you can tune resistance on the flywheel, is a lot narrower than on one of those bikes. I find that the low end is fine for me, but for many can feel a bit heavy. The hardest resistance setting isnā€™t nearly has tough as a high end bike, but is probably sufficient for most people. Iā€™m in ok cycling shape (I can hang around in group rides around town averaging between 18-20 mph) but often feel left wanting for more resistance on standing climbs.

Additionally, it takes quite a few turns of the knob to get from that lowest gear to the highest one. A high-end bike will have a much smoother and shorter transition. This makes it easier to follow along on online classes, but would be fine if youā€™re using it for a more steady-state workout.

The bike is nearly silent, and road feel is fine. I immediately replaced the massive, spring-loaded seat that came with the bike because it just doesnā€™t work for any kind of semi-serious workout. Go ask your local bike shop if they have any seats theyā€™ve taken off of a stock hybrid or mountain bike. Usually you can find a decent seat for $15-20. The seat was easy enough to figure out how to replace, just be prepared to whack the bracket a bit to get it off/on.

Setup was easy enough, though we did have to crank (ahem) pretty hard on the right pedal to get it to stop making noise when standing up.

It was definitely worth the $300 we paid for on a Woot sale, and is probably worth more than that. Just donā€™t expect it to offer the same functionality as one of the $1000+ bikes.

I also purchased this bike a few weeks ago when they had it for the same price. I have limited ā€˜spinningā€™ background but I average about 100 miles a week on my road bike (in spring/summer) so I know what Iā€™m doing there. I am 6 foot and about 180 pounds. This bike accommodates me perfectly as far as size/weight are concerned. As Pungent noted, assembly was simple but you may need help getting this in your house, as itā€™s awkward and heavy to move alone. especially when the box gets drenched by freezing rain like it did in my case. He is also correct in that the bike does not ā€˜freewheelā€™ as a regular bike would. I do not mind this at all as it forces you to keep peddling. Thatā€™s why we work out, right? No rest allowed. Well, minimal rest anyway. The magnetic resistance is very good but the measurement thereof is non existent meaning that you just have to decide from experience what ā€˜gearā€™ you want to be in for the bike class youā€™re taking. The bike is very stable once set up properly and the drive train is smooth and does not balk or wobble when I stand to pedal or when Iā€™m really flying in an HIIT class. The LCD Monitor with Rpm Cadence Output is very hard to read with my 61 year old eyes but seems to be pretty accurate as far as cadence, miles, mph and calories burned. I had an issue with the seat flying back one position while riding but that was my fault as it is a pin/screw setup that you have to tighten down by hand after you put it in the proper forward/reverse position. The tablet holder is great to have and with the numerous free videos on the various platforms, you can find a plethora of workout options. I have been doing anywhere from 60-90 minutes a day, on days Iā€™m not at the gym, since I got it and it is a great addition to my workout regimen. Overall, I would have to say that this was my best purchase from WOOT so far.

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Your page says the warranty is 1 year limited however when I view the user manual it says: The warranty is as follows: The Main Frame is under warranty for 3 years. The cranks, pins, welding, pedals, spindles, bearings, monitor, links and bushings are under warranty for 180 days. The warranty is not transferable.

Donā€™t hit the zoom button on picture 5

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Oooooh, thank you. Weā€™ve updated our warranty to match.