If you are looking to buy a good quality entry-level exercise bike for your home, one bike that you might want to consider buying is the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Bike with Pulse.
This particular machine has been available for a good few years now, but it is still a really popular choice for people on a budget.
So let’s take a look a closer look at this upright bike to see why it is so popular, starting with some of the main features and benefits:
Features And Benefits
8 levels of magnetic resistance- large LCD display
- track time, speed, distance, calories, pulse and scan
- high torque crank system
- smooth workout experience
- large padded seat
- hand pulse monitors built into the handlebars
- easy to assemble
- can be folded away when not being used
- includes transport wheels and stabilizers
- suitable for both men and women
- accommodates users up to 300 pounds
Product Dimensions / Weight
This upright bike has exact dimensions (in inches) of 31 (L) x 19 (W) x 46 (H) when it is fully assembled, but can be folded away for storage when you are not using it to a size of 22 (L) x 20 (W) x 55.5 (H). It’s total weight is just 39 pounds, so it is very easy to move around, even without using the built-in transport wheels.
Positives
It should be pointed out first of all that this is not a top-of-the-range upright exercise bicycle that has the looks and performance of the M3+ Indoor Cycle, or comes with lots of extra features such as a cooling fan, an MP3 port, a water bottle holder and speakers, like the Schwinn 170 bike, for example.
However if you are looking for a good quality low-cost bike that you (and your family) can use at home to improve your fitness levels and maybe lose a few pounds, then the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Bike is an excellent choice.
This bike can accommodate users up to 300 pounds, and is said to be suitable for anyone between 5’3 and 6’1. Therefore a large number of men and women should be able to use this machine without any problems.
It offers a good varied workout because of its 8 magnetic resistance levels, and is smooth and very quiet in operation (which is important when you are working out at home) thanks to the V-belt drive, the precision-balanced flywheel and the high torque crank system. It is also comfortable to use for long periods because it comes with a large padded seat.
As with most upright bicycles, this particular model also comes with an LCD display (pictured right), which in this case is large, clear and easy to read, and indicates all the basics such as time, speed, distance, pulse, scan and calories burned so that you can monitor your progress.
Finally, it is also very easy to assemble out of the box, and when you have finished using it, you can simply fold it away, which means that it doesn’t have to take up a lot of room in your home.
Negatives
The one problem with this particular exercise bike is that although it is height adjustable, women under 5’3 may struggle to reach the pedals comfortably. Similarly, men over 6’1 may be too tall to use this bike if they have particularly long legs.
In addition, this bike obviously doesn’t have any additional extras that you might find on some of the more expensive bikes, and doesn’t have pre-set workout programs or an expansive range of 20-30 resistance levels, for example.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this is still a really good entry-level exercise bicycle that should provide you with some challenging workouts that will really help with fitness and weight loss.
Indeed it was actually selected as an Editor’s Choice in Men’s Health magazine, which is a sign of it’s quality.
Of course it is not going to be as good as some of the top-end bikes that you may have used at your local gym, but if you are just looking to get in shape at home, and don’t want to spend a lot of money, this bike will give you a decent workout and should hopefully last a long time:
→ Click here to buy the Exerpeutic Folding Upright Bike With Pulse
New 2015 Model
If your budget can stretch a little further, you might want to consider buying the more recent model from 2015, ie the Exerpeutic 500 XLS, which is brown instead of silver, and is a lot stronger because it is made from 20% more steel.
It is also ideal if you are particularly tall or short because unlike the standard model, which is suitable for people between 5’3 and 6’1, this new model can be adjusted so that it can be used comfortably by anyone between 5’1 and 6’5.