Saturday 23 May 2009

Spinning Bike - cycling, spin


I've been a spinning instructor for 10 years. I just had a baby and I'm taking some time away from the gym but want to stay fit. I bought 3 of these bikes; one for me and two for some of my clients to use in my home gym. I'm very impressed so far and so are my clients. This bike is just as sturdy as any spinning bikes that I've used in a gym. I would highly recommend it. The only draw back was that the seat was too tall for me even on the lowest setting. My husband drilled an extra hole in the post (yes, there is plenty of room) and the height is now fine. I would strongly recommend this bike to anyone. I would compare it to bikes that are in the $1000+ category. I'm very impressed! As far as assembly, it took about 20 minutes to assemble. Sunny Health & Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling Bike

I recently purchased the Sunny Health & Fitness Pro Indoor Cycling bike. I've used it a few times and I'm very happy that I went with this bike. I can't talk about other comparably priced bikes on the market ($250-$500 range), but I don't think you can go wrong with this particular bike if you're not looking to spend over a $1000 on a decent spinning bike.



I'm not a hardcore spinner, but I've gone to enough classes at different gyms to know that this bike performs just as well as the $1000+ ones I've used at commercial gyms. It has the same feel as those bikes, and that's something I wasn't sure I'd get in a bike that cost far less.



Here are some bullet points on the bike:

-Quick delivery

-box was a little torn in the corners when I received it. I recommend opening it up and checking on it's condition. I actually sent back the first one I received because I felt bent metal when I reached in the torn hole. However, I decided to open up the second one and discovered that the bent metal was a "protective piece" to prevent damage to the front of the bike. Just be careful when you open it just in case there is a problem and you have to tape the box up and send back!

-I'm 5'11" and 190 pounds and I had no problem adjusting the seat and handle bars to get to a comfortable and proper riding position.

-the wheel spins smoothly and the resistance is consistent and ample. The breaking lever works great as well.



I bought a magnetic resistance bike a few years ago and it's currently dismantled and collecting dust. If you're undecided between the two, take it from me, go with the "spin class" type bike! You don't need a calorie or distance counter...if you don't feel like you're working or not sweating, you'll know it. If you need a heart rate monitor, go with one of the watch ones...they're more accurate than holding onto a cardio machine's handlebars to get a reading.



Overall, 5 out of 5 for this bike. I'm sure more expensive ones have more options or gadgets that may be useful for the hardcore spinners, but if you're like me and into spinning but don't need the extras and the added cost to get them, then go with this bike.

My spouse and I are avid multi-sports athletes and wanted a bike for conditioning over the winter. Spin classes are great, but it's hard to make time to get to the gym. We bought this bike a few weeks ago when it was on sale for $285. We didn't pay any shipping charges and it arrived within a week. It took roughly 30 minutes to put together and everything was packaged well. If you buy one, you will need a can of WD40 to get the front handle-bar post into the slot - it is a very tight fit, and now the handle bars don't really move up and down. That's why I give it 4 stars instead of 5. It is very sturdy and quiet. The tension adjustment is surprisingly smooth, even better than some of the spin bikes in class. It doesn't come with a water bottle holder...you can buy a handlebar adaptor and cage for about $10 at a bike store. You might also want to get a slip-on gel bike seat while you're there if you plan on riding it for over 30 minutes at a time. Overall, this bike is built and functions like one twice the price!

I ordered this over the weekend, and it arrived Tuesday (thanks to $4 overnight shipping with Prime). This review is mostly my initial reaction; I'll update it as I use the equipment more. I'm a new spinner, but this bike seems as well-built as the ones I saw locally for over three times the price. The Sunny bike is made in China.



Overall, the bike is well-constructed. Fit and finish is good. My initial couple of rides have shown the bike to be stable and quiet. The brake is nice when you need to stop quickly. Not every spin bike I've seen has it. I'll replace the seat with a more comfortable one soon.



Mine came with an instruction manual that didn't quite match my own bike's assembly. (Don't look for a bag of hardware, as there isn't one, at least not on my bike.) On mine, there were black steel shipping blocks at either end of the frame (to protect the bike AND the real base). Remove the bolts that hold the black blocks to the frame using the included allen wrench. Then, remove the bolts and washers on the real base parts. Using the bolts and washer, attach the real base parts to the frame. Tighten with the allen wrench. Two wrenches--15mm and 13mm-- (for the pedals and seat, respectively) will save you time and frustration versus the little wrench/screwdriver combo tool they include.



Finally, I will note there was a little side to side play between the handlebar post and frame. To fix: remove the post and wipe the grease off of it (residue from adjustment knob). Then place one layer of durable tape (I used aluminum HVAC tape) on the left and right sides of the post. Reassemble, being careful not to scrape or bunch up the tape. That fixed it for me. Don't use more than one layer, or you'll make the post too big for the frame.

If you are on a budget and want a well-functioning bike to do some spinning workouts at home, then this is a VERY smart purchase! If I closed my eyes and did a "bike test", I wouldn't know the difference between the Sunny and the more expensive spinning bikes in the gym.



I read other reviews before buying my bike and while mostly everyone was satisfied, there were some common complaints:



Squealing From the Fly Wheel When Tension is Increased: Unfortunately this turned out to be a problem with my bike too but it was easily fixed. I was going to spray WD40 on it but thankfully my husband stopped me from doing it. He said wd40 would totally ruin the break pads. So I called a pro bike and repair shop in Reading and they told me to spray a dry silicone lubricant on the pads, not the flywheel. I bought Dupont Teflon Silicone Lubricant at Lowes and it worked like a charm. I don't know if its "dry" as the bike pro suggested, but it worked and now I can spin in the a.m. without waking the kids :)



Seat Discomfort: Due to the consistent dissatisfaction with the seat in most of the reviews, I was prepared to replace the seat once I got my bike. However, I never needed to replace it as the seat hasn't caused any discomfort to my bummy at all. But I imagine a padded seat cover would help anything and is less expensive than buying a new seat.



Some of the other issues were shallow toe cages, and difficulty making adjustments for height or lack of. Maybe they changed the model to accommodate a broader range of sizes because that seat goes from very high to very low. I have long size 9 feet and haven't had an issue with the toe cage. My husband is a size 11 and he's okay with the cages too.



Overall, I think this is the best product for the $. Just remember the Dupont Teflon Silicone Lubricant if you get that terrible squealing thing going on. It's a cheap ($5) and easy fix and you will love your bike! - Spinning - Cycling - Spin - Exercise Bikes'


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