My wife and I have been looking for an exercise bike that is comfortable for our backs and seats. Recumbents are good but the costs and space requirements have discouraged us up to now. The Stamina is economical, well made, silent, comfortable, and takes up very little room. It even folds if you want to gain even more space. I was a bit concerned about the bike because when it arrived the packaging was severely gouged (by a forklift?)but the inner packing is well designed and there was no damage. Assembly was easy and took approx. 30 minutes. There is a tool included that will fit all the screws and nuts used.
I have no way to tell how accurate the mileage, caloric, etc. readouts are but I don't find that a problem because I exercise by time and I can pace myself by the various levels indicated. It is quiet so it is easy to exercise while watching TV. We are very satisfied with this product. Stamina 15-0200 InTone Folding Recumbent Bike
As has been stated in other reviews, this has a weight limit of 250 lbs (I'm at 215) and people much taller than I am (5'10") may find the bike too short unless they drill a new hole to further raise the seat. However, it fits me, is stable and doesn't "moan". In fact the mechanism is very, very quiet.
I had a small Tunturi upright bike nearly 30 years ago but now felt that the semi-recumbent form of the Stamina In-Tone would suit me better at this age, and it does. Yes this is a "semi-recumbent" and fits about halfway between an upright and a full recumbent. I like this aspect of the design very much.
The unit is well built (better than I expected) goes together easily in a half hour ("tools" included) and while the seat is harder than I'd like, I just throw a towel over it and it's fine.
A terrific value and a great alternative to big, expensive recumbent bikes.
UPDATE July 2008, I moved up to a much larger, more expensive, heavier-duty Ironman Charger (hey it was in the Gold Box!)
The Stamina is fine, but it is best if you really need the space savings or dollar savings. HTH
I really, really wanted to give this bike 4 to 5 stars because the flaws it has are relatively minor, but they would have been so easy to fix by the manufacturer that it galls me more than it should to see the product crippled the way it is by them.
First the good:
- Its easy to move, deploy and store.
- Small footprint, both folded and unfolded
- Has the Bells & Whistles of more expensive models
Now the stuff that will annoy you:
- Terrible instructions, perhaps I'm spoiled on IKEA but the assembly instructions are poorly laid out and mislabeled
- Mediocre machining of key parts; the frame fits together roughly instead of snuggly.
- Washers, bolts and nuts are generic sized instead of fitted to their specific purpose on the bike.
These problems come to their apex with the backrest. The concept is solid, but it fits together so poorly that there is no way to configure it so that it won't wobble, shake and possibly detach when in use. After closer examination this problem comes down to a single badly fitted bolt and two slot-and-pin fittings that simply do not fit together. Both of these could have been fixed with a few millimeters of machining and pennies for the proper nuts and bolts. In fact, once I do this myself, I suspect the bike will be worth of 4 to 4.5 stars, but the customer really shouldn't have to "hack" the product like this to make it safe and satisfactory. If you're reading this Stamina, take note and give this product the tiny tweak it needs to be a respectable addition to your product line and our home gyms.
I was pleased with my purchase. The price was right and it was just what I wanted for my knee's rehab. After two weeks I started getting a grinding sound in the area of the flywheel, and the tension increased to the point I couldn't pedal. I called Stamina Products but couldn't get through to a customer rep. I've sent them two detailed emails and gotten no response. Today I left a voice mail message. We shall see if I get anywhere. The unit works great when it works, but so far I've had less than two weeks of use. If I get a response from Stamina I will update this message.
I like the price, am very happy with how compactly it stores, and believe it is a good bargain for what you get, but I have two criticisms:
1. It wobbles a bit from side to side when you really get going (the pivot joint could have been more beefy). Fortunatley this is more of a distraction than a serious problem.
2. It is not made for people over 6' tall (I am 6'-4"). The seat does not extend far enough for my legs to pedal without closing to an acute angle (less than 90 degrees). To compensate, I drilled a new hole further down the shaft. I probably voided the warranty doing so, but it is a much better fit for my long legs.
Yes, I said junk. Yes, I still rated it 3 stars. I lost all tension after one month of use (35-50 minutes/day, 5-7 days/week). I took the unit apart (even a fiscal conservative like me knows enough not to bother with customer service at a company with three different warranties- not for $150...) The "tensioner" knob does nothing. There is a stop screw inside that prevents the "tensioner" from doing anything except at the tightest level. Even then its effects are minimal. The actual tension comes from a spring (not adjustable) that tensions the drive belt. The drive belt runs poorly across two guiding rollers. After a month, the spring popped loose when I was folding the bike. When I took the covers off, I found that the belt is slowly rubbing away due to poor routing through the rollers. (Belt part # Fengshou Sanmen Tingpang 270J 005 3F). I was able to fix this in 25 minutes.
All that being said, the bike has a tiny footprint, is comfortable, silent, folds up very small for storage, and it's CHEAP! How's that for mixed signals?? - Exercise Bikes - Exercise Bike - Recumbent Bike - Folding Exercise Bike'
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