Ultrasport F-Bike, F-Rider Basics, bicycle trainer, home
Ultrasport F-Bike, F-Rider Basics, bicycle trainer, home trainer, foldable home trainer, LCD display, hand pulse sensors, adjustable resistance levels, easy assembly, ideal for athletes and seniors
Ultrasport
For many years we have been successfully producing various products for the sports and outdoor sector. We sell these under the Ultrasport brand. Discover more offers, great bargains and product highlights, new every month in the Ultrasport product world.
| Size: | F-Bike 250 |
| Dimensions: | 74 x 41 x 111 cm; 16 Kilograms |
| Brand: | Ultrasport |
| Model: | 331100000328 |
| Colour: | Dark Gray And Black |
| Batteries Included: | 2 AAA batteries required. (included) |
| Manufacture: | Ultrasport |
| Department: | Unisex |
| Dimensions: | 74 x 41 x 111 cm; 16 Kilograms |
| Size: | F-Bike 250 |
Really pleased with this as didn’t want to spend a lot. Sturdy bike, easy to assemble. Folds up neatly.
Easy to assemble sturdy good quality worth the money would recommend.
I’m loving it.
I love this bike. It tells me the distance, time, calories burned, my heart rate. I will be using it every evening. I feel so accomplished when I use the bike
Our family loves this bike. Definitely lightweight and very easy to fold away. The best part is how quiet it is.
I’ve 27inch legs and it was a little too high for me, even in the shortest setting,
so I removed the bolt to lower the seat completely in to the frame and this works for me. I highly recommend this product.
If a 75 year old woman can put it together, clamber up into the saddle and start pedalling – anyone can! What’s stopping you?
After 2 days of 1 hour exercise on this exercise bike I have found some small but annoying aspects. Firstly, the frame doesnt allow the ‘metal pin’ to fix it in place in its ‘foldable’ form as the design is slightly out by about 1mm and there is no way to alter this. I have to keep it on the next hole level, which stops me from putting it in a corner or cupboard. I have also noticed that after each revolution of the pedals there is a disctinct ‘click’ or ‘clunk’ – It does get quite annoying as you can feel it through your feet aswell.
On the plus side, it does seem quite sturdy and got good Which? reveiws. Seat is easily adjustable for someone 5 foot to over 6 foot and the control panel has clear and easy controls. I weigh 110kg and it seems to cope if I dont ‘go for it’ – just a steady, easy pace, watching a tv program for an hour or so.
Just lost a star due to small niggles.
Really pleased with the bike. Seems very well made, designed and sturdy. Comfortable to ride. I agree with
the negative comments about the monitor. If the monitor is important to you then do not buy this bike.
In love this bike. It feels really sturdy and the seat is so much more comfortable than I expected. The hardest level is a moderate-high effort but it may frustrate those with really high levels of fitness who want a pasting! You can’t stand up on this one but the upright position means you can do arm weights whilst cycling which I like to do.
All in all a fab little bike. Getting a bit addicted!
This bike is great if you are looking for a cheap exercise bike for at home. Obviously its not going to be a high quality bike like you would find at a mainstream gym. But for the money it is great. It took around 15 mins to set up, the set up instructions were clear and easy to follow. The bike folds up easy and take up minimal space.
Only negative to this bike and its the same with most other reviews, is the resistance settings are not very good, resistance 1 is very similar to resistance 5 and when you only have 8 settings, this could be a bit of an off put to experienced riders and people who want a hard workout.
Thanks .
James
Easy to put together although doesn’t say which stablelizers to put on front or back but got there in the end.
The bike is quite, sturdy and easy to use.
It would be nice if there was somewhere to put your mobile or remote when using the bike.
The only thing I don’t like is the seat. Very uncomfortable seat and quite hard, if the seat could go down a little bit more I think it would be OK.
Would recommend i
This is a good exercise bike, it is value for the price. The only downside is that the saddle is very hard and uncomfortable, l have bought a padded cover but it is still hard after using it for more than 15 minutes.
It’s easy enough to collapse / open out when needed and light enough to move around (for me as a 35 y.o. man). When collapsed it takes up no more than a 50cm square of floor space so tucks nicely in to the corner of the room.
I find it quiet enough to comfortably watch tv when using it of an evening.
The screen and tracking features being battery powered are a hassle. The batteries don’t last long and are best removed when not using which adds a barrier to using it. Rather than deal with this I just don’t use digital aspect of it.
Quite easy to assembly. I have done a lot more worse assemblies then this. If my memory is correct, there was only one place where the instruction was not too great, but it was just trying 1 thing out of 2.
It is quite light and compact when folded. It is just sitting in the room corner right now without taking much space. Similar to side bed drawer.
Really good for begginers whic want to train at home.
Now the not so great things:
This will only work for the beginners. The hardest difficulty is starting to get too easy just after 2 weeks. When you reach the speed of 30 and start to move sideways a lot more, the bike becomes a lot more unstable.
The menu on the screen does not go through the options in order (Neither vertically, neither horizontally). It’s not a big problem, just a bit confusing at first.
The seat is not the best. I’d be honest and say that it is quite hard one and buying something like a gel seat would be nice for it.
I will still give it 4 starts as I find it very convenient and as a first training bike, I am quite happy about it.
I assembled the Ultrasport very easily (It’s a 15-minute task at worst). On my e-bike I was doing 10 miles per day, and I stored it when I had covered exactly 1000 miles. The exercise bike only shows kilometers, so I decided to find an appropriate friction level that allowed me to do 10 kilometers per day with a fair bit of effort.
I’m up to 550Km now. The saddle, which some reviewers don’t like, is covered by a spare beach towel, and that makes it very comfortable. The riding position is fine too. I’m about 6 feet tall and it’s quite a good distance between saddle and handlebars. I do my morning 10Km whilst watching Breakfast TV, which SOMETIMES relieves the boredom, but there’s no getting away with it, it’s exercise for the sake of it, and I don’t enjoy it!
My dodgy cartilages are groaning in pain, but I’m at the level where I can do my 10Km without falling off. In reality, I like the machine: it’s doing the job and didn’t cost too much.
I can recommend it to those who need exercise on a regular basis.
I saved a lot of money and got the lime green colour which was my preferred choice by going for a returned and refurbished bike. I want to support Amazon in their new effort not just to throw away perfectly good items but to sell them on at reduced cost. Win win – I think this had been returned without even being put together. It seems absolutely new and unmarked, all present and correct, repackaged.
The display shows elapsed time, current speed, trip distance, calories and pulse. It also has an odometer (total distance since last re-set). However, only one value can be displayed at a time. The display can be set to scan through all the values or you can manually set a single value to display, or toggle through the values. This is limiting as I would like to see several of the values simultaneously (e.g. speed, time, calories). Instead, I use my Garmin watch to monitor pulse and tend to just display calories. I then do a form of interval training alternating between Levels 6 & 7 (10 calories on each) with Level 6 used for recovery and Level 7 for maximum effort. Towards the end I switch to Level 7 and do a flat-out phase for around 60-80 calories looking to maximise the anaerobic aspect. I then download the Garmin data to review on a smartphone or pc. Without the Garmin watch I would struggle to set a meaningful training session.
So, in summary:
Good value. Compact when folded. Easy to assemble.
Limited in resistance.
Lacking display options or any data download.
But, for <130 it is a hit, for now at least.
I like that it’s easy to use however my grip is at its smallest I still have trouble reaching peddles think platforms may be only way to sit on chair properly and reach them. Also there is a clicking noise when peddling mostly when on level 2.
So I opened the box all excited that I can start getting fit till I realised that I couldn’t put the bike together because it is missing 3 domed m8 nuts, how am I meant to put it together without them….this has just cost me further expense to buy said nuts. I’m disappointed
But all in all the app I feel is a complimentary feature.
The bike itself is sturdy, compact and provides enough resistance to tax me !
I had an issue with the seat cracking due to being a little heavier than the limit but this was replaced free of charge with no questions asked. Great customer service which goes a long way for me.
Good quality and easy to assemble. The seat is not like a normal bike seat, more like a padded shelf, with a back rest but is ok. There is an adjustment dial for making pedalling more demanding but I cannot see any difference between the high and low settings.I don’t know if this is normal for this type of machine and I can’t se any way to adjust the tension.
We went for this model after reading online reviews that placed it high on the top ten lists for indoor cycles. We managed to put it together in around half an hour, and it needed both of us to do so. It was not complicated, just fiddly in parts.
After a few days use we started to get a clunking sound from one of the pedals, but after consulting with the suppliers it was found that slightly loosening the pedal in question worked. We’ve had to do this once more in the 6 weeks we’ve had it, but it now seems to have stopped altogether. I suspect there was a slight ‘burr’ or bump on one of the metal pieces, that has now worn down through use.
In all, we enjoy using this regularly, and it does all the basic functions we expect. The apps don’t work on my phone, but I can manage without them.
Only bought recently, and used a couple of times, getting used to it so far so good. Not folded up as have plenty of room to leave it up. Comfortable seat, easy to put together, good instructions. So enjoying it ao far and would recommend to purchase this bike.
Regards
The bike feels very safe and is comfortable to use.
Its quite high from floor to the junction of the two struts and a struggle to get one leg over to actually sit on the bike.
I can put my feet on the ground once on the bike and it may have said what the minimum height is where the two metal supports meet but I didn’t find before I purchased. Anyone smaller than 5’4″ will struggle I think.
Update: I have just completed 1000 km on this and it is working as well as when I first started using it.
I needed to find a different way to get my exercise and decided the best solution would be an indoor bike. I had no idea about what to choose but after research decided on this. For me, this is one of the best products I have ever bought. I am not fit and can appreciate that if you are an advanced user, it is unlikely to give you a hard workout, but for me it is perfect. I have used it every day for three weeks so far. It does not take up much space and is quiet so no one else is disturbed when it is in use. I am 6ft tall and at the upper limit for the weight specified, yet it is stable and comfortable enough for 20 minute sessions, with the saddle as supplied. Although I am not convinced about the accuracy of some of the data displayed, for an entry-level purchase I am more than satisfied with it. The five stars are based on its ability to meet my personal needs and value for money.
So, if you’re looking for a bike with a high tension then go for some other model. Or, if you go with this one then the only way to lose calories faster would be to cycle faster. This is a huge drawback with this bike. Apart from this, everything else is great for the price.
I cannot tell you how quiet this bike is compare to the one I bought a few weeks earlier which I had to return because of the unbearable noise. The saddle is wide and very comfortable. The bike is very light and doesn’t take too much space and can easily fit into any space in the room or folds away if needed. Don’t be fooled by those great looking bikes with high price tag which is what I did before when something as simple as this would do the job in my case anyway! I recommend it.
CONS:
The only one thing I would say is, if you are a very fit person who does a lot of cycling and used to more robust resistance bike, you might find it too easy otherwise, it is perfect for anyone just trying to work out and stay fit.
The assembly instructions were concise and easy to follow.
Completion can be achieved with the enclosed tools but should you have a socket set to hand, the process will be much easier, especially when you come to tightening the 3x nyloc nuts under the seat.
I am presently around 12 and a 1/2 stone and the bike is sturdy, stable and quiet.
For stowing away in the folded position, it is light enough to carry, even up the stairs.
Many people have complained about soreness caused by the seat and after completing the assembly myself, the reason was clearly evident.
Due to the seat being bolted directly to the triangular plate at the top of the seat post, the position is fixed, causing the front section to be higher than the rear, which in turn results in chafing and the early onset of soreness.
Unfortunately, there is no adjustment to lever the front of the seat down, such as you find on a bicycle, so a simpler if not perfect fix, would be for the manufacturers to alter the angle at which the triangular plate is welded to the seat post.
For me to overcome this problem, I would fit ‘spacer’ washers to the two threaded studs at the rear of the seat, thereby raising the back of the seat so that it is slightly higher than the front but alas, the threaded studs are too short.
My final concern occurred when attempting to install the two AAA batteries in the rear housing of the computer.
When compressing the spring terminal by the Negative end of the first battery, I could then push the Positive end into position and the battery was secure.
Repeating the process with the second battery was not so straightforward. Again, with the spring terminal compressed by the Negative end of the battery, the positive end could not be pushed home securely. With my finger keeping the battery in place, the computer functioned but as soon as I removed my finger, the battery fell out.
After a number of attempts, I have had to slightly force the battery housing cover shut, which in turn is holding the batteries in position.
The resistance range of the machine seems adequate for my needs and I intend to use it daily, when watching the 6 o’clock news.
Purchased to increase amount of exercise as have not been getting to the gym recently.
Great product which folds easily, and fits in the space under the stairs. Cumbersome to carry out for my relatively petite frame but not enough to put me off.
Runs very quietly so can be used when others are watching TV, on the phone, or even having a nap!
I use on a lower setting with hand weights to increase heart rate on short workouts. My partner uses for longer workouts.
Can’t figure out how to turn off the screen so it drains batteries within days – have started using rechargeable batteries to help with that.
All in all very happy with the purchase, it’s increased the amount of exercise we do without obstructing the lounge/kitchen/wherever we set up.
NOTE: I HAVE THE F-BIKE HEAVY
I’ve now had this bike for a week and I’ve used it every day (I was already fit anyway but I can’t get out much now so I bought this). I usually do pretty short reviews but considering this is 100+ I decided to go through some of the questions and give some answers and recommendations. Here’s some things people may find helpful:
– I’m 5’2 / 157cm and weigh 54kg / 119lb. I use the lowest seat setting and it’s perfect for me, if anything I can even use it when the seat is one notch higher.
– It’s very easy to assemble for one person but obviously it’s quicker with two people, one on each side!
– Attached is a photo of the bike: the bike when it’s folded in a reasonably small space in my lounge which is where it stays until I get it ready to go in the evenings.
– The bike came as it looked in the photo. It has the console and the handle bars. There’s no laptop table or anything.
– The pulse sensors can be temperamental. At the beginning they’re fairly accurate but as you progress and start sweating it effects the sensors a bit and the readings are inaccurate. For me this isn’t an issue as I track it all on my Fitbit anyway.
– There’s 8 settings on the bike. I usually use levels 2 and 3 for a warm up and cool down and then about level 5 for my actual workout. It’s handy to have a TV or music playing so you don’t get bored after a couple of days.
– When you’re attaching the phone holder, put it as high up as you are able but make sure you’re still able to put your phone in before you tighten it completely. The reason for this is because the bike doesn’t have a bottle holder so what I do is put my bottle of water lying on the two bars under where the phone holder goes! I thought that tip might be helpful!
– It’s very sturdy. I was on the bike a few days in to having it and realised I’d left my towel on the sofa, I leaned over a fair bit to get it and the bike didn’t even move, let alone tip over!
– I would highly suggest getting a gel seat cover like I have if you plan on using it more than a couple times a week but make sure it’s from Ultrasport and that you order the right size! It takes a couple of mins to stretch it on but it’s supposed to be like that! Otherwise the cover could just slip off. I’ve left the link to the one I have at the bottom of this review.
– You can’t change the distance. It’s preset to kilometres. I’m just going by km now but if you really want to calculate miles then a quick google search will do the trick!
– The console turns itself off after about 4 minutes of inactivity. When you go for your next workout the previous workout results will appear (distance, calories, time etc). If you want to start a new workout then hold down the button on the console (there’s only one!) and it’ll reset rather than carry on from your last workout. The only thing that doesn’t reset is the odometer which just tells you how many kilometres you’ve done in total from all your workouts.
– No noise!! The only sound it really makes is a very slight humming. You can still keep the TV at a normal level and it doesn’t disturb anyone. I live on the top floor of a block of flats so this was important for me.
– No plugs. No pesky wires. All you need is 2 AAA batteries to power the console.
– For those who want to start some kind of weight loss, this is a good start for FITNESS. Of course it’ll help you lose weight but 80% of weight loss is down to DIET. So you won’t be losing any weight if you’re still eating fatty sugary stuff all day.
I hope this helped and I hope I answered a lot of the questions people were asking. I also hope some of the tips I’ve recommended will help! If you want to know where I got my gel seat cover for my F-Bike Heavy then go to this url and make sure you select the right size!! A lot of people say it doesn’t fit as expected but I don’t know how many of those people just didn’t have the experience of being able to put right fitting gel covers on bike saddles and who genuinely had a cover too small!! Mine fits like a glove: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B01EV6XCYE?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_yo_pop_mb_pd_t2
Overall, great bike for the price you pay.
This bike has a computer that measures speed (km), time spent on current session, calories burnt and your pulse rate.it also features an odometer to tell you how much distance (km) you’ve covered since you began using the bike.The computer takes 2xAAA batteries,which were included too! It took me about 30-40 minutes to assemble the bike, if you pay close attention to the manual you’ll be fine. Also the only tools you’ll need to assemble the bike are all in the box.
POSITIVES
– It’s a bargain.
– Its better quality than you might expect at around 90.
– It appears to be of German design (but built in China).The bike is well stabilised,its never tipped up in any direction whilst in use.
– The manual is better than I expected, better than a friend’s manual for their Everlast exercise bike of similar value from Argos.This manual has recommended stretches that you can do before and after your sessions. And it has an (albeit fuzzy) graph that gives you idea of what your ideal heart rate you can aim for based upon your age. Mine is approximately 108-113bpm. But I tend to use cycling speed as my benchmark, see my negatives list below for the reason why.
– I wasn’t expecting the computer to have that many features,but these are useful for keeping tabs on your progress
NEGATIVES
– My partner is about 5’4″ tall,and despite what some have said amongst these reviews, I don’t think she would be comfortable on it,( I was hoping that we both might get some use out of this bike). I set the saddle height on the second notch of three safe positions – I’m about 5’9″ tall . for my partner she could have the saddle set as low as it will go, which is without the peg in place,but so far she hasn’t used it so I can’t absolutely confirm that this bike might not be suitable for ladies of below average height. I’ve just looked at the saddle stem notches and there are five in total,but two of those are above the Max safety mark, this seems bit daft I guess but if you’re tall and you’re careful(!) not to make the bike tip backwards, this bike might suit you too.
– The pulse rate sensor seems crazy,either I’m working too hard, or its really sensitive. It takes a good minute to settle on a value,and even then it seems too high…. Or maybe I’m sort of super athlete! Unlikely. I’m thinking of purchasing one of those Bluetooth heart rate wristbands instead.
—Background—
I’ve been wanting to get fit for some time but I’m the sort of person who is reluctant to pay through the roof for gym membership or brave the cold, wet and dark to go jogging around the local area. As I live in a flat an exercise bike was out of the question as space is a premium and it would just get in the way. I then stumbled across folding exercise bikes and spent a good few hours reading reviews and trying to find the best one. In the end I settled for this one – what a right decision that was!
—Delivery & Set-Up—
As a Prime member I ordered it on Saturday and had it the next day. I was a little worried about getting it up three flights of stairs on my own but it is not as heavy as it seems. I don’t think I have ever seen anything wrapped and packaged as much as this product – it even as throw away plastic caps to protect the end of the metal struts before you put it together!
Putting it together was simple and stress free. My only criticism is that the pictures in the instruction booklet are a bit small. Each part is also numbered in the booklet but there are no corresponding numbers on the pieces of the bike. Not the end of the world as there aren’t that many pieces so you can figure out which ones are which. Batteries are supplied but I decided to use some Duracell ones I had spare. I found that I had 4 spare washers which I couldn’t work out where they were supposed to go as every screw had washers already! Bit of a mystery…
TIP: Put the straps onto the pedals BEFORE putting the pedals onto the bike. I made the mistake of doing it the wrong way round and as the straps are a bit tricky to get on you don’t want to be fighting to stop the pedal spinning as well. I put the straps on the 3rd one up but I might changed that to the 2nd one so I can get more of my foot on the pedal.
—Usage—
The bike folds nicely away and sits in the corner by the TV. Unfolding it is straight forward as you just pull out a pin, unfold it, and put the pin back in. If you are worried about the bike being heavy to move then don’t! I store it in the corner and then move it into the centre of the room to use it. Two hands make light work of it.
When you are using it the bike as all the usual settings – timer, calories burned, pulse etc. but for my purposes I just use the timer – it’s nothing fancy, it just counts up but that’s all I want from it. The bars are angled just right so you can rest a Kindle on it to read whilst pedalling. When using it you can’t even hear it! It is the quietest bike I have ever used. Maybe it makes more noise when the tension is higher but I certainly don’t hear anything with the TV on. The instruction booklet comes with some easy warm up and warm down exercises which I would recommend doing before you start and when you finish a session.
NOTE: I don’t know if it is just me, being super unfit, or the seat itself, but I find that after using it the tops of my inside legs can become really stiff from where it makes contact with the seat.
—Tension—
Like most people I was worried about the maximum tension not being that great but so far I don’t have any issues with it. I’ve only been using it a week, slowly building up the time I spend on it from 15 minutes to 30 minutes. I’ve been using setting 1 to start as I’ve not ran/done any exercise in a long time. This has been adequate to get my body used to the motion. Once I reach 30 minutes I plan to crank up the tension to actually get a bit of a workout and burn some calories.
—Conclusion—-
I think this bike is great for those who:
– Don’t have much space
– Want to get fit and lose some weight – perfect for beginners
– Want a cheap product that is great and easy to use
I wouldn’t recommend this for any serious fitness people as you probably won’t get out what you need. If you’ve got the money, and the space, go for an exercise bike as they generally have higher tension than folding bikes and you can do more with them.
I hope you find this review useful.
The delivery service was fantastic. I paid exactly nothing (super saver) for a 3 day delivery. Excellent! The delivery guy placed my package where I wanted it (inside the flat) without a problem. Also excellent (I’ve had delivery persons refuse to carry items over the threshold, not the case here).
When I unpacked the bike, I was presented with all relevant parts and tools, and an instruction booklet, which on investigation turned out to be written in Gernglish (German-english) or similar. It was understandable, just about. This booklet was replete with pictures (all extremely tiny, but I can put on my reading glasses when I need to 🙂 ) with part numbers of all necessary assembly components, handily labelled with their precise usage order. That was nice. NOT so nice was the fact that exactly zero physical parts were labelled with these numbers. The larger parts are fairly obvious; the smaller – screws, washers, nuts etc. – well you are on your own, none of them have part numbers, so you have to wing it. The instruction manual did not make it clear, for instance, that the saddle’s securing nuts are packed already attached to the underside of the saddle (so you have to remove them from the saddle and then re-secure them to attach the saddle to the seat post). Nor are there any labels to indicate how other small parts relate to the illustrations. There was also a reference to a ‘pulse cable’ as if were a separate element from the computer connection to the bike; this is just wrong, there is only one cable.
In other words, the purchaser is left to use their native wit to determine which part connects to what.
I’ve assembled many flat-packs in the past, so I could cope with this. However, I suggest that this ‘feature’ might present a challenge to first-timers, or to those who are not so accustomed to the vagaries of this type of ‘user manual’.
Having said all that, I now have the bike assembled and working, and I am very impressed with it so far! Yes, the computer display is probably a tad, ah, idiosyncratic (my calorie usage jumped from 4 to 30 and then back to 27 within the space of about 20 seconds) but I am not a professional sportsperson or even a serious amateur, I am a leisure cyclist, and if you are more interested in time and distance than heart-rate and calories, then it seems to be useful (frankly, it wouldn’t bother me if the computer stopped working, but I guess it would bother some. So far so good though). The build is extremely solid and sturdy, given the very low price; the levels of resistance provide ‘cycling’ from very easy to very challenging for a person of my age and (lack of) fitness level, and the overall feel is actually enjoyable and quite realistic for my level of riding. I am undoubtedly going to get more training miles in this winter than I ever had before.
One caveat though – I am 5ft 4in tall, though I have long legs for my height at 31″ inside leg. I have the saddle on the lowest setting, and that’s just about right for me (I could cope with about an inch higher, but the saddle positions are further apart than that). If you are smaller than me, or if your legs are shorter, you may struggle with this machine, it’s not small and only adjustable within certain limits.
Oh and by the way – I do not understand the problem others have reported with the saddle. It is quite comfortable, and I do not feel any need to obtain a gel cover or similar. Perhaps the manufacturer has modified the design since previous reviews were written?
I may update this review if I run into technical problems later, but for now it’s all good – especially the price. The only reason I have docked this item a star is because of the almost entirely useless assembly instructions.
The summer of 2010 saw me in my mid-twenties, watching the world cup and enjoying the deals on beer, pizza and coke. For the first time in my life I put on weight. My god-given right to not exercise, eat anything I want and stay slim and looking good had been rescinded. A year later and a whole 2inces on my waist, I decided it was time to get some regular exercise, hence the f-bike. Bought for 90 and bought because it had the best reviews.
Some questions:
——————–Who is the `Ultra fit’ f-bike for?
Well oddly it’s definitely not for the Ultra fit. Even on the hardest setting it is unlikely to give the ultra-fit an adequate workout in a reasonable amount of time.
The f-bike is for people who are fit and want to stay that way or for people who are unfit and want to get fit.
——————–Will its size suit all?
Nope… it seems that the bike is aimed at the tall to average and would not be suitable for people who are short. On its smallest setting my lover who is 5.4 sayys that she can’t go at full speed as she is too short. I note another reviewer had to drill another hole to make it suit her size better.
——————–Max weight?
Is 100 kg; that’s 15st 10.5lb
——————–How quiet is the f-bike:
It’s not totally totally silent, as when you’re on it you can hear a whisper of the belt but it is quiet enough that others can watch TV, while I use it in the same room, the neighbours are totally unaware it exists and I can use it late at night without anyone hearing it. When in normal use it make no vibrations to the ground so is fine for use in any flat… even with Mrs Knock Knock downstairs.
——————–How easy is it to use:
Really easy. Resistance is controlled by one simple knob 1-8. The digital system is all controlled by one button, giving details of speed, distance, time, calories, pulse, ODE, and a scan button that moves through them all. After peddling details are held for 5mins before the system switches itself off. Holding down the button clears data. There are no user profile or courses. It takes 2x AAA batteries but the bike works on your steam.
——————–Does Pulse work?
On the handlebars are two metal strips when hands are placed it gives a pulse reading. Some are critical of the correctness of it. So far my system appears to be right but only after cycling for 2mins with my hands on the right place. If measuring your pulse is essential then check with the makers or buy a separate device.
——————– How portable is it and how much space does it use up?
It’s really not that portable, as it is heavy and fairly large. While it does fold up, meaning it could be stored in a wardrobe this is not ideal and I doubt a regular user could be bothered folding it up and unfolding it every time it was in use. This said it is much more portable are less bulky than a fixed bike; so it’s `foldability’ is appreciated.
——————–How fun is it
It’s fun for the first 5mins then it’s just a tool. This does not make exercise easier nor fun but it does make it more accessible. Watching the TV while exercising is a luxury.
——————–What’s the Wow factor?
The what? It’s just a cheap little bike made out of the same welded together silver metal as most exercise equipment has. It feels sturdy but without any frills.
——————–How complicated is it to build:
Not complicated; easier and more intuitive than IKEA,. It’s basically just securing things. It’ll take 20 mins max . It’s a one person job but will be faster with two.
The instructions are fine but offer little reassurance. Bellow is a little bit of commentary to give you an idea of what needs to be done and a bit of reassurance.
NOTE: all the tools needed come in the box. A wee spanner and a alan-key.
1, unfolding it
Pull the grenade like pin. Unfold the bike and replace the grenade pin. No tools needed.
2. Screwing on its floor stands:
Note the floor stands have an indented side for where the bolts should start from. Screw into the bike. Tighten with spanner.
3. Screwing in its pedals
Screw in the pedals. Note you need to hold the pedal itself still and crew in the bit with the track. Tighten with the spanner.
4. Securing the seat bracket
Place the bracket to the right seat height secure with the ratchet thing.
5. Screwing the seat to the bracket
Screw the seat onto the bracket. Use the spanner to tighten. IT should not wobble at all.
6. Screwing the handlebars to the bike.
Screw the handlebars to the bike using the alan-key. It should not wobble at all. Connect the two wires.
7. Check to make sure everything is tight, secure and stable.
Cycle.
8. Every once in a while you may want to tighten up certain bits and pieces.
Hi,
I am sorry to write this message here. I can’t find an option to ‘contact seller’ about the product. his is problem with the courier driver under DPD UK courier service. I am leaving this message that I sent to the customer service of DPD UK because the delivery man wasted my time today for his convenience.
Just to be clear – This NOT about the product itself and NOT about Amazon. I have not received the product yet. This is about the DPD UK delivery man who did not do his job properly.
“I just phoned your customer service just now about this delivery. I was advised that an email is sent 1 hour before the delivery but this did not happened. I have been waiting for this delivery this morning because the buzzer downstairs in the main door was not working. I left a note in the letter box to ring me when the delivery comes with my number on it. This did not happen.The problem I think, was that the driver did not enter the main door and left the ‘ sorry we missed you’ note by the buzzer and NOT into the designated letter, He stucked the note outside the main door where the buzzer is, this has the risk of getting blown by the wind or missing for any reason. It is not the correct place to leave a note. For me, this is not acceptable practice because there is am allocated letter box for all mails. I have seen other note like this from DPD outside the door. I think this is very unprofessional and unproductive practice. Please remind the driver assigned to this area to STOP doing this because it is irritating. I am willing to speak to him in person if he has problem with this email. I get lots of deliveries from Amazon and I am not sure if this will happen again if they use your service.
It is simple to enter the main door as all postman does this. Press the T button and the door opens. Insert the note in the appropriate letter box. (He should know this obviously as part of his job description). In my opinion, this is laziness. I have been running up and down this morning to catch this delivery and I just missed the competent delivery man by 15 minutes. IF he went in and left the note into the letter box, he could have read my note to phone me. In fact the note is visible from the outside if he bothered to peep by the glass wall. A huge glass wall for god’s sake – the note is visible. This only mean I have to cancel my activities tomorrow and wait for the delivery because of the delivery man’s own convenience. Please do something to correct this guy. Also, please send me an email 1 hour before the delivery guy comes as advised and promised by your customer service this morning over the phone.
I think your company has a good reputation but only this delivery messed it up and that is probably why you are getting lots of redelivery in this area based on my opinion and observation only because I have seen notes around the building.
I hope you look into this matter carefully even how small this detail could be, for me it is something to taken action because every customers are affected. Every customer has standards and requirements. In my case, I am NOT asking EXTRA or Special. All I suggest/ask here are all within and part of your regular service so I do not see any reason why this can’t be delivered appropriately. This delivery needs some training on customer service, customer care and a reminder of his duty in my own opinion. I just feel disappointed.”
Many thanks,
John Reyes
Nice to ride, I started at resistance level 3 and went up to 4 in less than two weeks.
Computer is basic and calorie counter seems to take time into account more than resistance and speed. Pulse monitor takes ages to catch up, so I stopped using it.
ADDITIONAL: After about a week the cycle started to clunk a little on every pedal turn, from about 15 minutes into a session. I’m using it four hours a week, so nothing too excessive. It seems to be getting worse – the clunking starts after about 10 minutes now. It doesn’t seem to affect performance or the computer readings, but is annoying, especially over 10 minutes or more. I’ve used it less than 12 hours altogther.
The batteries supplied lasted about 10 hours, and the display dims a long time before the batteries conk out, so there’s plenty of warning and it doesn’t interrupt a session. When the batteries are taken out you lose the cumulative “mileage” (in km).
ADDITIONAL 2: Amazon sent a replacement very quickly, but when I started unpackaging it I found a loose screw in the box which came from the magnetic resistance part of the cycle, and couldn’t be put back because the casing is cracked. Waiting to hear about a replacement replacement, and in the meantime have two boxed up cycles and a painful back – getting them back in the boxes is less than fun. Also means my exercise regime is interrupted, and I’m not getting the first one back out due to the pain I’m in from all the packing and unpacking today.
The upside is, I have been losing weight in the last three weeks.
ADDITIONAL 3: Third cycle arrived and I’ve done 2 x 25 minutes on it. Should have stuck with the first one – this one is way noisier. It clunks, groans, rattles, growls, sometimes goes quiet for short time then starts again. You definitely wouldn’t be watching TV using it! But I’ve given up and am keeping it, assuming it doesn’t actually grind to a halt within a month. I just can’t be bothered with more returns and interruptions to my exercise regime.
I think the magnetic resistance element may be too delicate to cope with being transported and assembled.
MY ADVICE WOULD BE: spend a little more on something more robust – when I can afford it that is likely what I will be doing.
FINAL COMMENT: The noise has drastically reduced over a week, and now the cycle is mostly very quiet, with some rattling occasionally from about 15 mins onwards. All else is well with it.