alliemda wrote:I myself LOVE bells and whistles. However, we bought a great recumbent bike a couple of years ago, and by the time I got around to actually wanting to use it on a regular basis... the fancy bells and whistles didn't work anymore! And of course by that time it was an outdated model and they were unable to replace the "bells and whistles" part. The display and everything tied into that was just dead. No way to change a battery or anything. Which makes the thing completely useless. (Well, not *completely* useless: it is an expensive and unwieldy spot to throw junk mail and other assorted items that we don't know what to do with. Yes, our house is a total disaster.) ANYWAY, I wonder what is the expected life of this kind of bike which comes with a display? Two years? Then, what, buy a new bike when the display and resistance meters give out? I'd rather go the old-fashioned route.
Note: I obviously know very little about home exercise equipment. Please don't yell at or mock me but instead politely point out whatever I may be wrong about.
TIA
If you merely want an upright, recumbent or semi-recumbent bike, and don't do spinning, get yourself a Schwinn. Many models have very detailed displays, including some that use color. Even their $148 Schwinn A10 has a graphic display that uses animated bars (Y=resistance; X=time) to show you the changing resistance. It also monitors your pulse, and has different programs to make your workout interesting. And Schwinn has amazing customer service. Many Amazon users say they send out FREE replacement parts with no hassle. One user even said that they sent him an entire replacement computer, which I believe costs about $200. I believe their bikes are warranted for 5-10 years. I have the Schwinn 140 with color display, which was the best model at the time. Amazingly, I got it off ebay for about $200 NEW (it's only $248 on Amazon now). You may even look at Craigslist for major discounts. I have no problems with used magnetic resistance bike because there is very little wear, unlike friction resistance bikes (which I'd never buy used). If you do buy a Schwinn bike used, see if the seller can provide you with the original receipt for warranty purposes. S/he can redact private info like credit card number, etc.
Schwinn A10
http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-A10-Upright-Exercise-Bike/dp/B003UNZHNY
Schwinn 140
http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-140-Upright-Exercise-Bike/dp/B00275R1TY/ref=sr_1_3?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1340342123&sr=1-3&keywords=schwinn+exercise+bike
Schwinn 120 (latest 2012 model)
http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-120-Upright-Exercise-Model/dp/B0055WRVW8/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1340342123&sr=1-1&keywords=schwinn+exercise+bike