Sunny Health & Fitness Cross Recumbent Bike

Reviews for these are scattered with bad luck. Leaving a poor (one or two star) review simply because you had problems assembling something is wrong. It seems nearly everything purchased today requires some assembly– some things a lot more than others. I’m not alone when I say, if you have put as many things together as I have, this unit was by no means difficult. Missing hardware justifies a complaint and a lower rating. The equipment breaking down within a very short amount of time also justifies a low rating. Likewise, simply because you like the color does not justify a five star review. The better reviews reflect the quality of the product or the lack of it. I waited two months before leaving my review and you can be sure I’ll edit it if my unit develops any problems that are serious enough to even slightly affect its performance. I read up on these for close to two months before I bought the Cross Trainer Magnetic Recumbent Bike. I am glad I took my time because it seems as though everyone was putting their recumbent bike cross trainers on sale at the beginning of January. ($237 vs $370) Others were way more expensive. It took me approximately three hours to assemble– and I was taking my time. I had no issues with the assembly, all the parts were there, and nothing was damaged. Photos of the top of the display are deceiving. The large colored area is nothing but a drawing of a chart and is where you place your iPhone or iPad. There’s an electronic digital display that comes on as soon as you start pedaling and provides a timer, calories, distance, speed, odometer and pulse, and operation is easy to figure out with help provided by the owner’s manual (also available online as a downloadable PDF file). Note: pulse reading is not instantaneous. Hold your palms on the sensors, while pedaling, and it takes maybe 5 seconds or so for your pulse rate to display. Leave palms on the sensors for longer AGAIN while pedaling and you’ll get a better reading. It does work. Just take your time with the assembly. When done, sit on it, adjust the seat height for your legs and arms and start pedaling with resistance at the ‘2’ setting. Listen for any sounds of binding in the mechanisms that connect the pedal cranks to the handlebars. There is an internal sound from friction on the flywheel. That’s something I’ll monitor which may require opening up the central housing. Time will tell. I’ve been using it for two months and have had no issues and it gives me a work out that I can really feel. Try 15 minutes, five days a week and work up from there. I used an Octane xR650 (similar design) at an exercise class last fall and found out how good a workout it provided. They’re $5,000 to $6,000 new, ~ $2,000 used. I get the same exact results with this unit– the Sunny Health & Fitness, Cross Trainer Magnetic Recumbent Bike. So far, very happy. Just remember, it’s not a $5,000 machine.