Customer Reviews

Marcy Recumbent Mag Cycle

5 star:		(133)
4 star:		(63)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

My husband and I were looking for a style of exercise bike that was easy on the posterior and on the wallet. The Marcy recumbent Mag cycle is both! My husband and my teenaged son were able to put it together in less than an hour (if you don't count the time in laying out the parts and reading through the instructions first). There were 2 washers left over, so I am assuming that the manufacturer included extras.

The monitor keeps track of the time that you spend exercising in each session, speed, distance traveled, calories burned, and it has an odometer. I was surprised about how quiet it is, as our previous upright exercise bike was quite noisy. The bike also has a dial to set the tension level (there are 8 levels).

I was able to buy the Marcy bike on sale for $127 and with super saver shipping through Amazon I was able to get free shipping and handling. This turned out to be a much better deal than through Walmart dot com.

I've been using this bike for about two years and I absolutely love it. I turn on the television and watch a movie or play video games and the time flies by! I honestly forget I'm riding it sometimes, though that depends how good the movie or video game is! I have to get up every 30 minutes to stretch and give my buttocks a break, but it's a very comfortable seat overall. I keep a pillow stashed between the seat and backrest for even more comfort. When I started, I was 400 lbs so there's no weight limit that I'm aware of. Easy to assemble, and you can adjust the tension from 1-8 to make your workout easier or harder. Plus, the legs rotate forward or backward, so you can ride in any direction you please. It also allows you to adjust the length from the seat to the pedals, so if you're short or tall you can adjust it to fit your needs. Also, it's relatively heavy but the bottom of the unit includes rollers, so it rolls across the carpet or hardwood flooring for easy storage. The unit is magnetic so it's very quiet--can't hear a thing when you're riding. The digital screen tracks time elapsed, calories burned, distance traveled and current speed; you can set it to rotate between these display options or set it to stick to a single option (for instance, if you only want to see time elapsed). I haven't replaced the batteries yet (I think they're two AA), so they seem to last forever. I don't use the handlebars or the sidebars--my knees kept hitting the handlebars so I removed them, making it easier to ride. My only suggestion: It could use a headrest, but if you put it in front of a wall or fashion a headrest on it like I did, you're set to kick back and watch the pounds melt away!

I lost 60 pounds over the course of a few months doing no other exercise other than riding this recumbent bike in my room. Yeah, it's THAT good. Great exercise bike that's well worth the price!

The directions advise to have two people put this cycle together, but I was able to do it by myself without breaking a sweat. One part of the instructions is incorrect, asking you to use three washers when you really need four (you'll figure it out by looking at the drawn instructions). I put it together in under an hour without any problems.

The cycle is very sturdy and quiet. I have the cycle stored next to our babies' bed and ride while they're falling asleep so I can look over them - it is VERY quiet! The highest magnetic tension is also pretty decent for a home machine. The monitor is very basic, but has the necessities.

Overall, I am very pleased with this purchase and would recommend!

My 74 year old, 5 foot , 240 pound mother asked me to keep an eye out for an exercise bike for her at yard sales. I was really concerned about her on an exercise bike because she lives alone as is not very steady on her feet. She is actually quite healthy and mobile for her age and weight, but I still had visions of her tobbleing over while trying to climb up on an exercise bike. I also figured the old style seat would be so uncomfortable for her that the bike would get used for the first week or to and then wind up being pushed in a corner and collecting dust. I stumbled across this bike while Christmas shopping. It was on sale for a heavily discounted price so it caught my eye. I read the reviews and looked at other similiar bikes. I decided this was worth the gamble. My mother had an exercise bike when I was young and you could not pull her off of it. The same is now true for this bike. I now worry that she will over do it. The bike is perfect for her to get in and out of easily and the chair is so comfortable for her that she uses it as a chair also. She does have to reach just a tiny bit for the pedals when her legs are extendted, but at 5 feet that would be true of anything. She has to put a pillow in her car seat so she can reach the gas. This is not a far enough reach to be uncomfortable for her or to put a strain on her back. My biggest concern in regards to my mothers health is her weight and with this bike she is able to safely exercise on her own at her leisure. The seat is plenty wide enough for her to sit comfortably and the handles are in the perfect place to help her get up and down. The seat is not too high or too low and I have no worries in regards to her tumbleing over. She is excited about her progress and is calling me often to update how long, far and fast she is able to go. Moving is so important at her age and I am so happy that she now has an easy option to keep her moving. She is down right giddy about the bike and reminds me of my girls when they were little on Christmas morning. It is a little early to determine whether or not the bike will still be used once the newness has worn off, but I have confidence that the benefits will be so apparent for her that she will be happy to continue to use this bike.

I got this because the price was a steal here on Amazon. It was very easy to set up, although kind of hard to adjust the length once assembled. We had to unscrew one of the (factory put in) screws in order to let the inside bar slide down far enough for the "shortest" hole to be used.

As for the shortest length, it is the perfect length for my boyfriend, who is 5'9". However, for myself, who is 5'2" it is still to long. So, I've been slouching while using the bike (which hopefully isn't really bad for my back) or using a pillow to prop my back up far enough so I can sit forward properly.

Otherwise, it is quiet, pretty light weight and easy to assemble.

I had been searching for a good, solid recumbent bike for a long time. The problem? I don't have abundant space or a large budget. I also needed something that I could easily move around on a daily basis. I snagged this Marcy Bike in February for around 129 from Amazon and could not be happier.

What I Like:
- Super affordable
- High weight limit (near 300lbs i belive). Almost every bike in this class had a much lower weight limit and for me that means a chincy bike. I'm no where near 300lbs, but I wanted something stable that wouldn't feel like it was going to bust apart by cycling at a high speed. This bike gets the job done.
- Low Profile, it is fairly low to the ground meaning it isnt an eye sore and is easy to hide when company is visitng.
- Weight, it feels around 50 or 60 lbs but is very easy to move around and has glider "wheels" on the front support bar if you need it.
- Overall value, I looked at bikes around $300 which did not match up this bike (for m.y needs and budget)

What i do not like:
- Lack of high tension settings. You have eight tension levels to bike on, I feel that only 6 through 8 give me any sort of challenge. I'd rather they do away with some of the lower tension settings and add a few higher ones.
- No programs. Unlike higher end bikes, the "computer" on this bike only counts your time, speed, distance per session, calories burned and total distance lifetime. It has no "weight loss" or "mountain" programs that automatically change the tension for you like on higher end bikes. Now, I knew this going in and I happily saved the few hundred dollars by not getting a "program bike" but it still is a draw back if you don't like the idea of switching tensions yourself. I switch the tensions to create my own programs, but it can be nuisance. If your budget is low for a bike, leave the program features out.
- Inaccurate calorie count. I disregard this feature as it does not seem to be accurate at all, it will say i've burned 50 calories after an hour of biking (regardless of if i bike the whole hour in gear 1 or gear 8. Since i'm working much harder on gear 8, i should be burning more calories).
- Seat. The arm rests are kind of at a weird level (may just be me, i am a taller guy). And the seat does not have as much padding as some of the more expensive bikes but it isn't uncomfortable, just less comfortable than other more expensive bikes.

Overall, I recommend this product if you are on a budget, don't have a lot of room, need something light and easy to assemble. It is a winner in those categories and I do not regret my purchase one iota. The bike has helped me achieve my fitness goals and for that I am happy.

My wife loved the bike for about two weeks. Then she felt a periodic inconsistency in resistance related to her pedaling speed. A corresponding noise became increasingly annoying. At her request I opened it up and found that the flywheel axle pulley had been over-tightened during assembly causing damage to the ball bearings. The normally sealed bearing was crushed and the balls were falling out. While design is a factor, incorrect assembly is the greater culprit. I speculate that the other reviewers that have mentioned inconsistent pedal resistance have the same problem. I registered the product today on www.impex-fitness.com and will be seeking a replacement part. These parts are all internal to the "Main frame" so I'm uncertain as to whether I'll receive just the bearing or an entire main frame. I will update this post with their response.

Update:
I apologize for the delayed response. I did get it fixed. I called the company and reported the problem and within days they sent me a new flywheel (magnetic resistance wheel) that included a new axle and bearings. I noticed that it was missing the appropriate washers (same as the original) to protect the axle bearing so it would have caused a similar problem again. I used one washer from the old axle and changed the assembly order. I called back their tech support and reported my findings and they were very gracious and said they would get immediate word to the factory.
After installing the flywheel appropriately, it has given many hours of good service. My wife has thoroughly enjoyed it. That said, I couldn't recommend the product until I knew that the factory had corrected their assembly procedures.

For the price, this really is a solid bike. I couldn't imagine better for $150 and I honestly expected worse.

Assembly was simple and straight forward. The instructions and diagrams were perfectly clear. Everything was packaged well. The outer box had minor damage when it arrived, but everything inside was in place and present.

As I put the bike together it was obvious that the quality was high, especially considering the price. Everything fit together perfectly and the bike was very solid, not once did I fear I would strip out any threads despite making all the screws quite snug.

The options on the "computer" are very limited - really, you are just choosing what information to be displayed - speed, time, distance, calories burned, etc. Of course, I knew that was the compromise being made to achieve the low price.

I also will say that I found the seat to be comfortable and expect it will last quite a while.

The one point against this bike, and it's really the only one I've found so far, is that the resistance is not equal all the way through the pedal's rotation. There are a couple of points where it is harder to push the pedals through. I assume this is due to a light flywheel and generally cheap construction in the magnetic eddy current brake (probably fewer magnets). Considering the price of the bike, I figure this is a fair trade off. Once I pedal somewhat fast the motion becomes smoother, so it's not a big detraction.

Also, it is true that adjusting the seat position is relatively more difficult than other bikes where the seat alone can move after pulling a spring-loaded pin. But it is not at all difficult in an absolute sense to adjust the seat. Once I put the bike together and adjusted it I said to myself, "oh, well that was actually pretty easy to do."


I would strongly recommend this bike for anyone looking to get a stationary exercise bike and not spend $400+. I am exceptionally satisfied with my purchase.

I have only had this bike for about a week but so far I am pleased with it. I use it while I watch my favorite shows. It is silent and comfortable. It does have a slight smell of warm rubber when you get done with it but only for about 5 min. or so. No big deal. With the free super savings shipping from Amazon.com this bike was a great price.

This bike is sturdy and quiet. A friend put it together for me and on a scale of 1-10, said it was about a 6 in difficulty. So "easy assembly" is relative.

Two problems that I'll have to contact Amazon about. Small issue was broken acorn nut that I need to replace. But the second issue is that the two screwholes for the computer setting into place are mis-drilled and do not line up, so I cannot screw the computer into the long arm that is one piece. For this price, I should not have to have that happen.

Will do an update on this review after I use the bike in a week or two. Another consideration, that most people would have taken into account as rational adults, is that it's always a trade-off. Thinking it was a smaller piece, I have a very small space to accommodate it. But it's a lot more comfie to pedal than on the upright exercise bike I replaced.

UPDATE: I am amazed at the fast response of customer service and their options offered for resolution. Truly impressive.