Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B901 Pro Indoor Bike

UPDATE Dec 4th, 2013:I've had my Sunny for just about a year now- and I use it quite vigorously, as I do Tabata drills- and it is holding-up great! Haven't had to do anything at all to it, yet! It's still like new. I'm amazed at what a bargain it is, for such a low price. I see the cheap spin bikes they have at the local Walmart.... They look like they're half falling apart just sitting there on the display platform! :D Now back to the original review: I'm going to divide this review up into three sections for convenience, to address the bike itself; Some other reviewers comments; and a little something about spinning in general. But first, a little about me: I am a recreational cyclist who logs over 3000 miles a year on a road bike and I purchased this spin bike so that I can stay fit in the winter, when, due to weather and limited hours of daylight, I don't get to ride my road bike as often. Prior to getting this spin bike 5 days ago, I'd never been on a spin or exercise bike in my life. THE BIKE ITSELF: I am amazed at the quality of this spin bike; and for such a low price. I had looked at a number of spin bikes in B&M stores- even ones that cost substantially more- and this one is as good or better than most! It is simplicity in itself to assemble (I will eventually post some notes in the comments section of this review, on how to assemble for the mechanically-challenged, as the manual that comes with the bike is not very helpful for anyone who would need to use it. But the beauty is, this bike is so easy to assemble, a child could do it, without instructions). This bike has a 40 lb. flywheel (A lot of more expensive bikes have lesser flywheels!) and having a heavy flywheel makes all the difference in smoothness; real bike feel and the ability to give you a good workout, even when you're working with little or no resistance. The bike is rock solid (I weigh 190 lbs. and can thrash around and stand on the pedals without any worries at all). The quality, fit and finish are excellent. It even looks great. I wanted a mechanically simple bike, to ensure durability and reliability- and this bike fits the bill perfectly. The resistance is provided by a simple knob, which actuates a brake caliper via 2 short cables, and causes a felt brake pad on both sides of the flywheel to move towards the flywheel or away from it. That, and a simple, sturdy chain drive, means this thing will last forever- there are no electronically-controlled switches and servos to malfunction, as on some much more expensive bikes. Also, the crank arms (on which the pedals are mounted) are regular bicycle-type arms, and plenty strong- unlike many other bikes in this price range, which often have cheesy, thin metal rods as cranks. The pedals themselves are your standard-issue platform/rat-trap types, with plastic toe clips. The pedals are plenty sturdy and work just fine. The bike is easy to move around- just grab it by the handlebars and tilt it forward (Which is easy, as it is balanced so that the weight of the flywheel helps, and you are essentially just lifting the lighter rear-end) and roll it along on it's wheels! Everything on this bike is sturdy, and the adjustments are quick and easy. You will not "out-grow" this bike if you are a beginner- as it will allow for the toughest workouts, and take all that you can give it. I much prefer this to a bike-trainer, as it is much sturdier- and plus you don't have the hassles associated with attaching a real bike. If you're looking for bells and whistles (i.e. fancy electronics and displays) this may not be the bike for you- but if you want/need such things, I would recommend that you get a bike like this, and just get a real heart-rate monitor and/or cycling computer, as the electronic gadgetry on even the most expensive fancy spinning bikes is always woefully inaccurate, anyway. Bottom line is: If you want a durable sturdy bike that will take whatever you throw at it, you can't go wrong with this Sunny, nor get a better deal. OTHER REVIEWER'S CONCERNS: I can not believe that some others are giving this bike less than 5 stars. To address a few of their concerns: First off, it seems that ANYTHING (especially large, heavy things) which require assembly, always end up getting some bad reviews simply because some mechanically-challenged types do not assemble it properly- even when assembly is extremely simple. A few reviewers mentioned the left pedal "flying off". Well...keep in mind, that just as on a real bicycle, the left crank into which the pedal threads is reverse-threaded (So you tighten it by turning CONTERCLOCKWISE)- Trying to force it on as though it were normally threaded can strip the threads. That, and they probably just didn't tighten the pedal sufficiently. I see some complaining about the seat. If you don't spend a lot of time on a bike (real or spinning) it will take you some time to get used to sitting on a bike saddle. Also, you could go out and buy a five-thousand dollar road bike, and guess what? It's going to come with a crappy saddle, because of the fact that all people are different- and no seat is comfortable for everyone- so manufacturers of any kind of bikes tend to put cheap seats on, to keep the prices low, since the vast majority of riders will replace the seat with one that is to their personal liking. No sense putting a $200 Brooks saddle on a bike, thereby raising the price substantially, when it still will not be to the liking of many buyers. That being said, the seat on this Sunny is not so bad. I'm using the stock seat. It was a little uncomfortable the first two times, and then I got used to it. Some reviewers are suggesting getting a wider and/or more heavily padded seat- but, unless you are extremely obese/have a huge rear-end, that is NOT the thing to do! When it comes to bicycle seats, narrower is better; and with minimal padding- as wide/heavily padded seats may seem comfortable at first, but will result in chafing if you spend any time on the bike. If anything, the seat on the Sunny is too wide and has a tad too much padding- but it's O-K. Best bet is to wear a cheap pair of standard road cycling shorts on this bike (or any other) with a chamois/padding in the crotch. (And you'll see guys riding twelve-thousand dollar Venges doing that also). All seats require some break-in time...as does your bung. Give it some time! Some have mentioned various noises. This bike is quiet. It is not SILENT! There is a bushing on the front axle which can make a little rattling sound- especially when you're really cranking- which should not be a problem. Anything with a chain-drive will make a little sound- as chains are not silent. Also, keep in mind that chains stretch- or sometimes they are not properly tensioned from the factory- which means that you simply need to adjust the chain tension- and you WILL need to do this, as the bike breaks-in over time, even if it is very quiet at first. That's just regular maintenance for anything with a chain- I will post in the comment section how to do it, since there is no mention of it in the manual.(These manufacturers could avert a lot of problems if their manuals were better-written and more thorough!) This is the exact same bike as the Nordictrack GX2 Sport Bike, and a lot of others- which cost more money. All you are paying for with them, is the name...and in some cases, for a cheap plastic water bottle holder. One valid point that some others have made, is that this bike is probably not suitable for very short people- due to the fact that there is no provision to bring the handlebars closer to the seat. Although, if you're short and intent on getting this bike, that problem could be easily rectified by anyone with a welder. All the other adjustments on the bike (seat height, etc.) will easily accommodate you. SPINNING IN GENERAL: I was hesitant to buy an indoor bike, as I thought I would find it boring and never use it (I HATE exercise just for exercise's sake- You'd never catch me in a gym!) but I needed a way to insure that I keep my fitness over the winter when I can't ride my road bike as much. Well, let me tell you......I LOVE spinning! Download a few of the spinning MP3 workout classes here on Amazon (Such as this: Rhythm Ride: Coached Cycling Workout Music Mix, Advanced High Intensity Interval Training Hiit, By Fitness Instructor Paul Katami or this: Cycleology: Coached Cycling Workout Music Mix, Interval Based Ride By Fitness Instructor Kristen James , and the time flies by! Not only that, but you get a GREAT workout. I sweat more riding this in a 55*F room than I do while riding my road bike when it's 105*! (Put a mat under the bike, as the floor WILL get wet with your sweat!)- And the beauty of it is, I took my road bike out for a spin yesterday, and just after four sessions on the Sunny, my performance on the road had noticeably improved! I was 1.5MPH faster than my best previous time....and with a good wind blowing, no less! Amazing! Interesting thing: I noticed, on the spinning bike, my legs seem to get a better workout than they do on the real bike (and I live in a very hilly area!)- but riding the road bike makes me breathe harder (Not that you don't get a good cardio workout on the spin bike...it makes me breathe pretty hard too!)- and if you're not a cyclist, but enjoy spinning, might I suggest that you also give real cycling a try? Both activities really compliment and enahance each other...only on a real bike, you get to enjoy the scenery; make friends with the loose dogs; and enjoy the weather, while traveling many miles. (And you get to coast, too!) This was money well-spent, and I am very glad that I bought this spin bike. And oh, yeah.....even though it came from 2000 miles away, free shipping was fast (ordered on a Monday and it came the following Monday) and it arrived with no damage. I think this qualifies as my best purchase of 2012! PS: One more thing about the seat: If your seat is "level", understand that level for this type of seat means that the front of the seat will be sticking up somewhat- making it look like the seat is actually slanted back a bit. If you find your seat to be uncomfortable, try adjusting it into this position (the way it's meant to be)- and it very well may cure your problem.