Comments on: Spirit XR425 Recumbent Exercise Bike Trainer

By: Mary Elisabeth Rivetti

Mary Elisabeth Rivetti — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Excellent design; hard to get started
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We received this bike on the 26th of January; I had to wait several days to find someone strong enough to lift the pieces out of the box and start assembly. Two experienced guys (father and son) took an hour and a half to assemble. All looks fine – but the seat kept slipping down the track during use. The guys came back to tighten it up, and fixed the problem EXCEPT for when the seat was extended out to its farthest position — which was the position for my husband, the one who needs this bike! Meanwhile, the manufacturer, in Arkansas, is recuperating from the massive ice storm that shut down the region. It took awhile, but a technician finally got through to me. Given our remote location, we have set up a deal to have replacement parts shipped to us, and a subcontracted repairman to come up and make the fix. Now THAT is customer service! The design is perfect for someone with mobility issues like my husband, who has a disease that impairs movement and balance (like Parkinson’s only worse.) This model was rated top of the line by Consumer Reports for an in-home exercise machine. Even so, it’s still not going to be as stable and solid as the machines at the gym. But for our purposes, especially if we can get the seat issues fixed, we are absolutely pleased with the product, the price, and the service provided by both Amazon and Spirit.

By: Paul L. Bruhn

Paul L. Bruhn — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Brilliant exercise bike!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Saw a review of this bike in Consumer’s Reports which gave it a Best Buy recommendation – we are VERY pleased with the bike and glad we bought this particular make and model.

By: Stephen Tenbrink

Stephen Tenbrink — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Spirit XR425 Recumbent exercise bike review
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
We’ve had this exercise bike for about a month. Assembly was honestly simple and straightforward and it seems to work as expected. The controls are also simple to figure out start an exercise regime on the bike.

What I like:

-Ability to go from very light levels (1-7) to really hard levels (15-20) that really give you a workout.

-Ability to make a user specified workout so that you can start at any level, go for any time, and go up to any level you choose. Really nice!

-Well built (at least it seems so) compared to the crummy Nordic Track exercise bike I bought from Sears 5 years ago.

-Five year warranty on parts (the Nordic only had 1 year and the flywheel clutch broke 13 months after I got it).

Some things I don’t like:

-I’m honestly tall (6′5″) and would like a bit more length in the seat to peddle. It’s not terrible and is probably fine for folks 6′3″ or smaller.

-All pre-programmed exercises start you out at level 1 which is way too simple. You can’t really feel any noticeable resistance until 4 or 5 and either have to manually adjust up (which is a nice feature) or just slog thru the simple levels as you work your way up the pre-programmed steps. I would have preferred to start Program “A” at level 4 (for example) instead of always starting out at level 1.

-Heart rate monitor is erratic. This is on the two handles next to the seat that sense your heart rate. The show of my hear rate just +/- 10 even while I’m peddling at a honestly steady and simple pace. They provide a wireless monitor that I haven’t used yet.

By: THOMAS R. BYRNE

THOMAS R. BYRNE — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Fantastic Bike!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a high quality recumbent bike. It’s one step below the ones at the gym. It’s very stable once assembled and has a fantastic variety of programs. I give it 4 stars only because the heartbeat indicator is not very accurate – it tends to read low, but it’s not worth the distress to get this feature fixed. Keep in mind this is a VERY heavy item – over 100 lbs; I was able to get the main unit downstairs by myself once I unpacked it on my driveway, but if you have any doubts about your abilities to go it, get some help. Once in place, it’s simple to assemble with hand tools. Basic tools are included, but using a metric ratchet and screwdriver works better. You have to attach the seat, the seat back, pedals, handlebars, stabilizer bars, and head unit.

By: G. Bloomfield

G. Bloomfield — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Smooth, Simple to Assemble, Excellent Value
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Recumbent bike is simple to assemble. Took me less than an evening to do it. Programs work as specified and ride is smooth. No jerking. Would recommend this product. Do have similar experiences with heart rate monitor and starting out at simple level as others. All in all though it has excellent programs and is sturdy. Worth the investment. I am getting a lot of use out of the bike already.

By: Carol Anderson

Carol Anderson — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Brilliant
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I followed the advice of Consumer Reports and am not disappointed. Extremely well built and rugged. Simple to assemble. Has many programs although I haven’t used them yet as I am rehabilitating from knee injury. Looking forward to utilizing all functionality when I am fully recovered.

By: A. Rosenblat

A. Rosenblat — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Simple to assemble if you have two handymen
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Spirit XR425 Recumbent Exercise Bike Trainer This is simple to assemble if you have two handyman; one to read the instructions, and one to assemble. The displays are confusing, and I couldn’t get the heart monitor to work; gave up after 20 minutes, I have used it for only about 6 minutes. I haven’t exercised for several months, so after the small time at level 5 (low) I was breathing hard.

By: Shar

Shar — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Bought for work out with permanent knee injury
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The bike arrived packaged well. It took a few hours for one person to assemble. Directions for assembly were simple to follow. One screw under the seat would not go in, due to pre-drilled hole placement not lining up. Hard to adjust the seat for proper and comfortable seat position for rider 5′ 2″ need to use a pillow for proper and comfortable seat support. While riding, the seat slides out of position and jumps forward suddenly. Water bottle falls out of holder while riding. Taller riders 5′ 8″ tend to hit their knees on the middle console while riding. The fan is useless, does not go enough air to make any impact on the rider; it at least can be turned off. There is no button to turn the bike console off when not in use; forced to unplug the bike when not in use each time or waste electricity. Heart rate monitor both on the handles and the chest strap heart rate monitor provide inaccurate readings. We selected this model based on Consumer reports evaluation, sad to say they got it incorrect in this case. Advise to search for alternate recumbent exercise bike, skip this one.

By: Robert M. Peck

Robert M. Peck — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Spirit Bike Trainer XR425
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This bike was simple to set up and worked well. The video system needs some work but is adequate. Is fantastic for someone like me with knee problems and I use it regularly.

By: Sean Dail

Sean Dail — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Fantastic bike but better get an extended warranty!!!!!
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
The other reviewers have covered the technical aspects – this is a terrific bike, WHEN IT IS WORKING. The problem is that the electrical plug is very sensitive and the internal prong on my bike has detached _three_ times (despite my significant efforts to protect it after the first incident), making the bike inoperable. The first two times I called for service it was covered. But once a year is up, Spirit refuses to cover the cost of labor to fix this RECURRING problem, even though my first two calls were made within the warranty period. If this bike was an automobile, it would be covered by most states’ lemon laws and subject to return for a refund or replacement. All I requested of Spirit was consideration that this was a followup to fix a recurring problem and they would hear nothing of it.

So as I said, it’s a fantastic bike when it is working. But it’s going to cost me over a hundred bucks to cover this problem and who knows how many times that may be during the life of the bike.

My advice is to get an extended warranty, or choose a bike whose manufacturer stands behind its product!

By: Anita

Anita — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I’m getting daily exercise!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am a 56-year ancient, 5′10″, 280-pound woman in need of exercise. I bought this bike based on Consumer Reports’ recommendation. It’s not the exact bike they tested (that one costs $1200); this one has a web back rest but that’s the only difference I can see.

I was able to unpack and place this bike together myself. Hint: Just cut the straps off the box and lift the top off to access the bike. All the parts and tools are included and the instructions are clear.

One strong recommendation I’d make (and I don’t know why Spirit doesn’t change their instructions!): Attach the seat handlebars BEFORE attaching the backrest. Otherwise, you don’t have enough clearance to place the handlebar bolts in as directed. I had to place them in backwards, which has the sharp end of the bolts up against the backrest fabric.

I’ve been riding this bike every day for the three week’s I’ve had it and absolutely like it. It’s well-built, completely silent, and everything I was looking for. The seat is very comfortable (I place a heavy towel over the seat and backrest because I didn’t like the way the mesh back felt). The pedals and straps secure my feet/shoes in place so I never have to adjust my foot placement at all.

If you are looking for an brilliant quality home exercise bike, don’t hesitate to buy this one.

By: JD

JD — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Fantastic for a home bike
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This bike was simple to assemble. The parts all seem very well constructed and the instructions were simple to follow. I had some distress getting the seat to lock properly so I called customer support and my experience with them was brilliant. They sent me instructions by email and then called to see if the solution had worked and amazingly then called a few weeks later to see if I was still satisfied.

The Bike itself is very comfortable, stable and sturdy.

All in all I have been most pleased

By: R. Wozniak

R. Wozniak — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Fantastic Bike!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Fantastic Bike. We have been using it a lot. Like the fantastic selections of levels and types for different exercise needs/wants.

The only reason I didn’t give it a five star is because is was darn hard to assemble.

By: legally bland

legally bland — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Well-built exerciser
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this bike only because my terrible ankles necessitated that I give up the impact of the treadmill I have used regularly for many years. None of the other product reviews discussed the bicycle’s quality, solidity or dependability, which were my main concerns as I must exercise daily or die.

Assembly was simple and took me approx 3 hours including unpacking. But I’m nearly 80 and not very quick anymore. The parts were individually packaged and cross-referenced to each step in the printed instructions. The components all seem to be well made and fit nicely together. The feel of the unit in motion is smooth, silent and solid. I’ve had it for only one week so can’t comment on durability but am encouraged by what seems to be excellent quality construction.

The electronic programs were of no interest to me as I use the bike only in manual mode. The only gizmo of interest to me was the pulse readout show. It doesn’t work. The readings bounce around wildly with hands on or off the grip’s sensor. I would otherwise have given the unit a 5-star rating.