This is the latest addition to the home gym, living next to the Elliptical and Treadmill. I mostly got the upright bike to cross train, since my primary indoor exercise (until it gets back warm) is the treadmill. It's hard to improve if you are working the same muscles everytime, so that's where the bike comes in.
My first one came damaged, I usually ship stuff like this FedEx because UPS is too rough, but didn't. Anyways it's Amazon so they sent a replacement right away, I have never had a bad customer experience with Amazon. The replacement came FedEx and was in perfect shape.
Setup took a couple of hours, didn't really track exactly bus basically a Saturday morning. The directions are not great, but there is only one tricky piece which is the handlebar column and the electronics.
There are a couple other reviews about only working for people 5 foot 10, I am 5 foot 11, but there should be no problem for people much taller. I don't think they realize that there are 3 different adjustments, the front handlebar moves forward, the seat moves back and the seat moves up. The only obvious one is the seat moving up, so my guess is they had the other two in the default position. I think you could make the correct adjustments based on your physique to easily accommodate someone over 6 feet.
The workout is good, there are several different programs. I usually do more manual mode stuff so I can't comment to much on the programs. There is one that tries to keep a certain heartrate and adjusts resistance based on that which is nice. I will probably try the hill next to see how that does. The resistance levels are very good, I've never had a problem getting a hard workout.
I'm happy with this machine, the only con was I really could have gone with the higher end Schwinn which is made by the same company and save a little money, but Amazon was out of stock and I didn't want to wait. Overall very happy with the machine and the cross training it provides. Nautilus U514 Upright Exercise Bike
I read the reviews before I bought the product, and some people said the bike was too small for users over 5'9" tall or thereabouts, but others implie those people weren't using all three adjustments to configure the bike properly and that it would be fine
Well, I can confirm as a 6'0" male that the bike is too small for me. With the handlbars all the way forward, the seat all the way back, and the seat post raised to the highest position, my knees bump against the handlebars when I try to pedal. I gave it three stars because it seems solidly built, but either the design is flawed, or the description should note that taller users (or people with long legs) won't be able to make use of it.
Now after assembling the thing, I'm going to have to disassemble it and return it. The recumbant model shouldn't have the same problem, but it costs $100 more.
After reviewing a number of upright exercise bikes (Schwinn Active 10, 120, 140 Upright Series Upright Exercise Bikes)both on Amazon and at my local sporting good stores (Dick's, and Sears), I chose this bike for the following reasons:
- # of pre-loaded workout programs (11+ the ability to create custom ones),
- the look and feel,
- the display offered the ability to track time, interval time, RPM, watts, distance, pulse, speed, calories, resistance,
- the brand, and
- the Polar heart rate program.
The unit arrived quickly to my home and I was able to assemble it easily within 2 hours. The instructions were easy to read and had a reasonable level of detail. In all, not a bad experience with setting up the unit.
My wife, daughter and I have spent the past three days exercising on the unit and have found it satisfactory for someone no taller than 5'9". My wife's reaction was that the unit was smaller than she had anticipated, but found nonetheless, performed greater than expected. The unit gives one the ability to set up user profiles and I did find that this part of the documentation was not as detailed as it should be especially in terms of setting up custom workout programs. However, my daughter - 14 years old was able to within five minutes, navigate the menus to quickly start a work out.
At this point, I would recommend this product to a friend or colleague.
Amazingly quiet. Easy to set up. Easy to adjust. We had to wait for the crank arm/pedal which was defective however Nautilus replaced the items within 2 weeks. Most likely won't fit someone who is much over 5' 9" ish since the front post does not adjust higher, however all other seat, handlebar, seat post adjustments are easy to use and appreciated. Great price for a bike with polar built in as well.
We bought this bike in June 2010 for $449, so we haven't had it very long. We had researched a large number of bikes in the same class and choose this one because it seemed to best meet the needs of the whole family. My wife and I are both fairly athletic and wanted something that would enable us to get a good workout while at the same time not taking up a lot of space. We wanted something we could ride while watching television, so that we wouldn't be just sitting on the couch. This bike met or exceeded all of our expectations.
The Nautilus U514 exercise bike is a great looking bike with a compact footprint and a sturdy design. It has a nice display and is EXTREMELY QUIET! The inluded polar monitor is accurate and the computer's user interface is well done. There are larger and nicer user interfaces on more expensive machines, but the one on the U514 gets the job done.
Assembly is not too tough, my wife and I completed assembly in about 30 minutes. Some things were not exceptionally well explained, like the wiring connections of the computer through the mast... but overall the directions are decent, if a little terse. No tools are needed other than what comes in the package.
Some have expressed concerns about the ergonomics of this bike for tall people. I am 5'11" 205lbs and I have no problems. The bike is highly configurable, with adjustments in three axes on the seat and the handle bars "do adjust" in a diagonal plane toward or away from the user. I did not detect any odors and the packaging was well executed.
Bottom line, this bike appears to be a solid piece of exercise equipment with a quality design, and a very nice price. Check it out for yourself. - Consumerism - Cardio - Stationary Indoor Bike - Cons'
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