Best Recumbent Exercise Bikes

Review by Jennifer H for Stamina 7250 Magnetic Fusion Recumbent Exercise Bike
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I researched recumbent bikes in the $500 or less price range and decided on this one for a few reasons. It was quiet, I like the handlebars on the side, the features, and the seat looked every comfortable.

I actually ended up assembling this bike TWICE. The first time it arrived, the tension would not work. You could hear the little motor turn but nothing happened. So I contacted Amazon and arranged to exchange it. The second bike arrived 2 days later and after assembling it, the second bike worked perfectly.

This is my primary cardio workout and I have it in my living room where I can watch TV. It is a very quiet bike. I can workout early in the morning and not wake anyone up.

The only negative is I could come up with (besides the hassle of the exchange) is the monitor does not track WATTS which is the latest thing in biking nor does it calculate your calories burned based on your weight. It is a generic burn counter so if you are overweight, you will want to track your calories using another method.

Functionally, the bike is comfortable, quiet, the resistance works great, the monitor is easy to use so all in all – a great investment for my budget.

Thank you to Amazon for making the exchange process a breeeeeeeze!

Review by Timothy P. Kall for Stamina 7250 Magnetic Fusion Recumbent Exercise Bike
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I purchased the Stamina 7250 as it did receive good reviews. It arrived with the standard broken plastic chip near the electrical plugin at the front foot bottom. This has happened to others I hear. It is a bear to put it together, but the instructions and parts are good quality, and it is overall made of good quality parts. However be careful assembling the front and back as the pulse monitor wires could be torn (they run along the bottom frame that you connect). And speaking of the pulse monitor, its not working. I did nick the wires a bit putting it together so I went back and cut and rejoined the area of concern. The pulse is detected but in no way is it accurate. Also I have detected failures in the monitor speed recording. It is recording twice the mph as it should. I have to reset the panel by unplugging the electrical source to get a clean read. I am in the process of calling the company on this, and I will say they are very responsive. But its very quiet, the parts are good quality (except I am concerned about the computer programming in the console). So I have purchased my own heart monitor and I am getting a good workout. The bike operates very well as far as pedaling and resistance, and again very comfortable seat.

Review by J. Drinnon for Stamina 7250 Magnetic Fusion Recumbent Exercise Bike
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Putting together the 7250 was a workout by itself. I did it by myself except for the 2 times I asked my girlfriend to hold this or hold that. I have a bad back so some of the kneeling and getting up was tough sometimes. Took me about 3 hours. I am very happy with my purchase. Using the bike is very simple. Comfort wise it is very nice. With my back the way it is I went with the recumbent. Its perfect I dont have any back pain using it at all. Performance wise it is just as good as the ones I used at the Y a few years ago. It will definately give you a workout. Its so quiet I have it right in the living room so I can watch TV while using it. I cant tell you the long term quality as I have only had it for a month or so. It is nice and solid though. I am 6′ 270lbs and it doesn’t seem to be stressed by me at all.

Review by Loco Gringo for Stamina 7250 Magnetic Fusion Recumbent Exercise Bike
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Arrived with a chip in the plastic, luckily it was a part that is on the bottom and faces the ground.

The main frame didn’t fit together right and I had to spend a very long time banging on it w/ a hammer to assemble it.

Once together I found that the pulse sensors didn’t work at all. I actually wrestled with it to take it apart and inspect the places where the wire plugs meet.

One of the points where the plugs come together had opposite colored wires lined up; i.e., the black wire was meeting the red and vice versa. My best guess is that at the factory one of the plugs was assembled backwards.

Aside from the disappointing assembly snafu and non-functional pulse sensors and programs, the bike is really well made and has plenty of options to shock your muscles and keep the routines fresher.

I use it regularly and it seems as though it should hold up to my punishment, I weigh nearly 190 lbs. and work out w/ dumbells while cycling so I am definitely not taking it easy on the bike.

The intensity level changes are smooth and it is rather quiet for an exercise bike.

I am happy with the purchase and would recommend it if you don’t want to spend twice as much for a gym quality bike.

Review by HappyGirl for Stamina 7250 Magnetic Fusion Recumbent Exercise Bike
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I was surprised there were no existing reviews for this bike, and in fact I was reluctant to purchase it for that reason, but I’m so glad I did! It’s exactly what I was looking for. I’ll break down the details in depth for anyone considering this bike:

Delivery – The package did arrive a bit banged up, but all the parts were there and nothing was damaged. It is heavy though… my dad brought it over for me and it took both him and another man to get it up the stairs to my apartment on a dolly.

Assembly – My dad (a mechanical engineer) assembled it for me and it did take about two hours. Mind you this was at a leisurely pace while simultaneously watching a movie. It wasn’t terribly complicated, just time consuming. The parts all seem to be of high quality and heavy weight.

Appearance – I love the way this bike looks! It has a more sleek design than most. It fits perfectly in my small apartment living room and isn’t even an eye-sore. Technically you need about 4.5′ (length of base) x 2.5′ (width of widest point, the lower handlebars) of floor space. I also love the walk-thru design, it makes getting on and off less cumbersome.

Functionality – It has plenty of variety in it’s programs. I especially like that it has two programs which automatically adjust resistance based on your heart rate (the heart-rate monitors are located in the handlebars). The monitor is bright, easy to use, and has all the features you would want to monitor your progress. I also like that it shows which stage of the program you are in. The column flashes depending on which stage of resistance you are at and you can see how many more columns of resistance levels are left to go. This helps keep you motivated; kind of like seeing the hills and valleys approach as you ride a normal bike. You can also manually adjust the pre-programed workouts to suit your needs. The seat is comfortable; not sitting-in-a-recliner comfy, but certainly adequate for a bike. I’m 5’8″ and this bike adjusts to fit me perfectly, with room to spare in either direction for other height ranges. The bike seems very stable, has a water bottle holder (w/ bottle) and weighted peddles with optional straps. Also, this bike is partially recumbent which I find way more comfortable than either an upright or a fully recumbent bike.

The Workout – The best part… this bike is virtually SILENT! I am amazed at how quite it is! I don’t think someone in another room could hear it, let alone my scary, hearing-sensitive downstairs neighbors (big plus!). If you’re concerned about noise than this bike is for you! I can watch my tv at the same volume I would if I were just sitting on the couch. I worked out for 30 minutes today on the “Interval” setting and was able to work up a good sweat, felt the burn, and my bum and back stayed comfy the whole time. Its great to peddle away, watch your favorite show, and before you know it your workout is done!

All in all – LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!