Customer Reviews

Lifecore LC-900rb Recumbent Exercise Bike

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Well, after months, seriously, months of consideration and trying out various bikes, I finally took the plunge and bought the Lifecore Recumbent bike. My research paid off. What a fantastic little machine, not only does it give a great but oh so important comfortable workout, it ALSO fits perfectly in my family room thanks to its compact but sturdy size. This bike is super quiet, no irratating little noises that cheaper models always have, smooth pedaling, the console is phenomenal and easy to use, the bike is easily moved thanks to the front support bar having two little wheels. The bike is a well made solid piece of equipment. And best of all, I actually enjoy using it, it hasn't become a clothes horse. Go ahead, get one, you won't be dissappointed.

We bought this bike in February, and we love it. Even my 11-year old enjoys working up a sweat on it. It is easy to set up and use, and it's small, moveable, extremely quiet and very comfortable. I have never liked regular/upright exercise bikes as they aren't comfortable for me to ride for very long - this recumbent bike is perfect. I can easily get a good cardio workout in and not feel guilty about watching TV!

The only complaint I have is that the packaging is terrible - the first bike we received was damaged. The box didn't hold up to cross-country shipping. Amazon sent another one after a couple of calls, and sent UPS to pick up the old one. The new one was also damaged, but only slightly. Amazon's price is $200 less than our local fitness store.

My wife and I did considerable internet research before ordering this bike.... Right off--this appears to be an excellent unit. The materials are well manufactured, of durable thickness, and the electrical connectors are well made and not likely to have wires pull out.
It arrived UPS (3 days, despite paying for overnight) with various punctures in the box. Nothing was damaged, but the styrofoam inside was broken and in total chaos--and parts had clearly shifted and some screws had come loose. (Keep the box until everything is together--parts may be in the flaps at the box's bottom.)
Assembly took about 2 hrs and was quite easy. The instructions are well laid-out. Most of the screws are already in the proper holes (unless they have fallen to the bottom of the shipping box) and one need only unscrew them, position the proper part, and replace the screws. Tools are provided. The only real issues are (1) The seat support attaches to the frame with some hex bolts whose heads stick up above the plate. Hence the seat rests on the bolt heads rather than on the plate. If you can find some fine-thread 8M-35 flat screws, probably the problem would be solved--if not, no big deal. (2) The foot straps on the pedals are extremely tight fitting! Using all my strength (I'm over 60yrs) I was just barely able to stretch the straps over the pegs on the pedals. Also, be aware that some of the threads are left-handed.
As for the unit itself, the seat back is mesh and comfortable. The seat is not too comfortable, but passable. The back is not adjustable vertically, but fits me. (The picture on Amazon may not be of the unit that was shipped to me.) As for noise level--there essentially is none. Quiet!
If you want to move the bike, good luck! The manual says to stand in front of the bike and rock it onto its wheels. That movement provides more back exercise than most of us probably need--and it occurs again when lowering the bike! I will probably rig a strap (from a suitcase) around the back support to lift it with my legs and shoulders rather than awkwardly with my back.
The computer buttons feel chintzy. But they are not used that often and probably will suffice.
A nice feature is the pulse-buttons on both hand grips.

Over all, would I buy it again? Definitely "Yes." I've tried to highly the problems so that your expectations will be reasonable. I like the overall quality and functionality. It's noticeably superior to what we've generally come to expect in this "modern" era of manufacturing.

I've been cycling seriously for over 30 years, and this machine is as good as any 'commercial' recumbent I've ridden in health clubs. I absolutely love it, and would only add the following to the previous reviews.

1. Lifecore should get a narrower crank. When doing intervals at high rpms or using high resistance, it's a little hard on the knees to have your ankles that far apart--though this is typical of stationary bikes. I've swapped the stock pedals for two-sided rat trap/clipless models, and this has the added benefit of moving your feet a tad closer together. But a narrower crank would make this a nearly flawless off-season trainer.

2. When in manual mode, the display's columns should track what you've been doing--not simply show a solid bar with all columns rising and falling at the current resistance level. Easy programming change.

3. The 'handlebars' by the display are nearly useless. If you lean forward to spin fast, as one does on a real bike, there's nothing to hang onto. A bike this silky smooth, silent, and stable really needs servicable bars up front--though the set in back are perfectly positioned and curved.

4. The foam and fabric on the seat bottom are palpably cheap in comparison to everything else on the bike. The mesh seat back is fantastic (a fan behind the bike keeps you wonderfully cool and dry), but I'd gladly pay the extra $10-15 for denser foam and higher grade vinyl on the bottom. Also, for nearly $1,000, Lifecore really should throw in the adjustable seat bottom available on the 1000. The adjustable back is of questionable utility, unless you're really obese (many people bike their way into handling weight-bearing aerobic exercise), but the flatter setting available on the 1000 is far superior for fast spinning.

5. Move the darned H20 bottle cage. I've been snatching bottles from between my knees while sailing along on a road bike at 20+ m.p.h. for decades, but the ergonomics on recumbents don't lend themselves to that maneuver. Put it on the back of the seat, on the rear bars, down on the side covers behind the arc of your pedal stroke... something, but the current placement is no good on a recumbent.

6. Add a flange in the vertical member for a laptop shelf to rest above the display. I've modified a microphone stand with a piece of lucite and aluminum channel that holds a laptop to one side of the display, so I can surf the web, watch a DVD, or listen to music while I spin. But for the less mechanically inclined, this would be an inexpensive and welcome feature.

These are MINOR gripes! BUY ONE!

I had been looking for something that would give me a good workout but would be low impact on my feet and knees. With my bad feet, even walking was very painful. A friend suggested I look at a recumbent bike. He helped me out by looking on Consumer's Report and by suggesting some brands to look at that he has seen at his gym. After many hours of researching the web and reading reviews, I decided to get the Lifecore LC900 recumbent bike. It was currently on sale for $799 and came with free shipping.

I was concerned about the shipping because a few of the previous reviewers had mentioned how beat up the box was their bikes came in, and because of some issues they had with damage, but I figured since it was Amazon they would stand behind the sale if I needed them to. My bike arrived in only 5 days even though originally I was told it would be about 2 weeks. It was delivered by our regular UPS guy which I was surprised by. I was called ahead of time and told what day it would arrive on so I made sure someone was home to accept it. Fortunately it was late in the afternoon and I was home to accept the delivery. The box did have some exterior damage and the UPS driver did make a note in his computer, but as far as I could tell the bike was not damaged. I was a little surprised on how beat up the box looked even though this model is relatively new for Lifecore (according to their website).

My first work out was unpacking and putting it together. It took about 2 hours to put all of the pieces together but everything was there in the box (even with a few holes in the box) and the unit worked the first time I fired it up.

After putting it together I did find one piece that was damaged. It was the black endcap on the back stabilizer bar, but a quick email to Lifecore asking for a replacement piece solved that issue. They sent me out a replacement piece the next business day via FedEx with no questions asked.

I have had it for almost a week and have tried several of the programs. The unit is well built and was exactly what I was looking for. I am very pleased with my purchase and highly recommend to anyone who needs a low impact but good cardioid workout. Now it's up to me to use it to get back into shape!
Lifecore LC-900 Recumbent Bike

When buying exercise machines you have to consider the relationship between how much you are going to use it and cost. There are some really well built commeecial machines that are intended to be used many hours a day. But for home use, they are over built and very expensive. Then there are very inexpensive machines that won't even stand up to home use. The Lifecore 900 recumbent is the perfect home machine. It is obviously finely made, no rattles, vibrations and its almost silent in use (my wife is still asleep while I do my morning work out in our bedroom). And yet, despite its high quality, its price is reasonable. After a month of ownership and thirty hours of use, I highly recommend this machine.

I have owned the Lifecore Fitness 900rb now for 8 weeks and have used it nearly every day for heart pumping 25-40 minute workouts. My overall conclusion is that this recumbent bike is a very fine machine, however, a few things could be improved.

Pros: Looks great, extremely well built, near silent operation, compact design with small footprint that still provides a solid foundation, easy to mount and dismount, unobstructed sightlines to television, large pedals that fit snugly but not tight, extremely smooth pedaling motion, sufficient variable resistance to match any fitness level, plenty of built in programs, very comfortable mesh seat back, bright/colorful/easy to use & read monitor, great warranty (extremely important).

Cons: The lack of front handle bars limits body positioning while exercising. The bike's seat bottom is is a bit small in length and too soft. My monitor is skewed a few degrees to the right and can not be adjusted. The four C batteries last only about a month before needing replacement and are a bit difficult to swap out. Therefore, I concur with Lifecore Fitness' recommendation that users operate the machine with the monitor/magnetic resistance sytem plugged into an electrical outlet.

This is my 3rd recumbent bike and, by far, the best one I've owned over a 25 year period. If it doesn't wear out (gears, crank, belt, etc.)like the first two (products of other companies), this will by my last recumbent bike purchase. For $1,000 the Lifecore 900rb is an excellent cardio health investment. If Lifecore Fitness ever adds functional handle bars and improve the seat bottom, this fun-to-ride exercise bike will be near perfect and warrant a 5 star rating. Given its present design, I give this bike 4+ stars. G. Miller -- Phx., AZ

Well, how come not 5 stars?
Two reasons-the seat is poorly designed and the front handlebars are useless.
If they had upgraded parts I would buy them.
Beyond that, I couldn't be more pleased!

It got here in RECORD time-undamaged except for a scratch on the handlebars. The packing/box is as described by others-Grossly Deficient.
Here's the good part:
Assembly? Super Easy!-Parts? Good Quality and all there! Bike Design-Slick!
Quiet? AMAZINGLY QUIET! Smooth? VERY!
You know, I can live without the front bars so call it 4 1/2stars, but the seat, I don't get. I am 6' and 210lbs and it needs to be contoured and re-designed since you are, after all, sitting on your ass all those hours.
The seat is, for lack of a better word, primitive.

I purchased this bike because I have an arthritic condition and needed exercise that was easy on my joints. This bike works wonderfully without stress and strain on my joints. Because of its small footprint, it easily fits in the corner of the room. It is so quiet that I can watch TV while exercising. I love my new bike!

After much research on the various models within a reasonable price range (including Schwinn and Spirit among others), the Lifecore bike with its 5 year parts warranty, durability and 44" footprint finally won me over. My 10 year old son and I put it together in about an hour and it worked perfectly. My wife is finally able to get some good cardio workouts after having had knee surgery and is basically done with running and she loves the seat and comfort given her 6'2" height. I have already enjoyed the bike almost daily as part of my routine. It has a nifty feature that measures your resting heart rate one minute after completing a workout and provides an evaluation on whether you are in Excellent, Good, Average or Poor Shape.