Customer Reviews

Marcy PL-43211 Upright Mag Cycle

5 star:		(51)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I rated this bike as a 5, because it suits my needs perfectly. It is a basic, no-frills bike, and that's what I needed. It is the 2nd one I've bought [for different locations]. I've had the first one for a couple of years, and, although it doesn't get heavy use, I haven't had any problems with it. I have arthritis in my hips and a daily 20 min. ride greatly reduces the pain.

This bike requires assembly..as I was aware of -- but be forewarned! The resistance chord that requires attachment in the interior of the bike is EXTREMELY grueling to connect! I thought there might have been a defect in the part and I was about to throw everything back into the box and send it back...but with patience (along with some aggravation)I managed to get it connected. Also, the bike is not blue and gray, as pictured.. it's gold and gray.. and the gel seat that is recommended to go with this bike is not the correct size for this bike. it's too small and it doesn't fit over the seat..

I am disabled with congenital heart defects, and I do not have a lot of stamina, so I purchased this bike in order to get in some basic, low-impact exercise (with doctor approval). For that purpose, it fits the bill pretty well at a very nice price. I chose to purchase it here because it qualified for free shipping, with no tax, making it cheaper than I could pick it up in-store elsewhere. Plush, I didn't have to ask my husband to lug it up to our 2nd story apartment.

On the negative side, the seat is not the most comfortable, and I really would have preferred more normal, cruiser-bike type handlebars, as I'm on the petite side and it's a reach to these. However, I am 4'10" and yet I was able to adjust the seat so that I can reach the pedals just fine.

The speed readout on the computer module never seems to stay constant even when I feel like I'm going fairly steadily, but the timer, miles ridden and calories burned seem to be reasonable. My unit does not save information between rides, so I take notes and keep a record on my computer of how much I've done each day.

The cycle is extremely quiet, and I was able to assemble it myself, even though I don't consider myself to be very strong. Getting the tension cable hooked was the most challenging part, but thanks to reading other reviews here and elsewhere, I knew to adjust the tension dial all the way down and get as much slack as I could to make the connection easier.

I have been faithfully riding the bike nearly every weekday since I received it on February 2, and I usually pedal for about six to ten minutes at a time, anywhere from 1 to 1.5 miles, at a leisurely pace (it usually works out to about 8 miles an hour or so), on tension setting 2. I try to do that three or four times a day, so it's not a huge workout, but it is definitely showing in my stamina when my husband and I go out to walk around the mall or other shopping.

All in all, I would say if you're looking for some very basic exercise, and find you can't (or don't want to) get out of your home to go walking, this is a nice little budget cycle to purchase. I can't judge what it would be like for those seeking a more serious workout.

Very solid unit, which is hard to find for any exercise equipment in this price range. I am 6'3" and 220lbs (now 210lbs after 5 weeks) so having something feel firm and solid during use is very important to me.

Pros
-Solid piece of equipment for a low price
-Extremely quiet, it literally makes no noise at all, your breathing will be louder than the bike
-Assembly took less than 10 minutes and only required a pair of pliers (an allan wrench comes with the nuts and bolts)
-The resistance on the pedals is extremely smooth
-Adjusting the handle bars is very easy
-Comfortable (I use it barefoot)
-Very easy to move around, it even comes with its own tilt activated wheels and it does not take up a ton of space

Cons
-Seat adjustment could be easier (not a problem for one person use)
-I wish the pedal cranks were a bit longer (but I have really long legs)

I originally gave this 4 stars but after using it for just over a month I would give it 5. It took me a few weeks to get my leg strength up to a point where the max resistance setting felt smooth. I've been telling my friends and family to get this bike. Buy it without fear of regretting your purchase.

I've had it 48 hours now and am quite impressed with the value for money. It didn't take long to assemble (having someone to help was useful) and within minutes I was cycling.

The "computer" is quite basic - it just shows you your time elapsed, current speed, distance cycled and calories burned, and has a mode which automatically cycles between the four. It has no memory, or ability to program a schedule. (Tip: I thought my computer was broken as all the numbers were stuck at zero, until I realised that the cables had come apart when I assembled the handlebar frame - all I had to do was unscrew it and fish the cable back down again).

The bike itself feels sturdy whilst riding it.

Given that it is the cost of one or two month's gym membership, I think it's a steal. Especially so because I don't have to spend time travelling to and from the gym, I can exercise in front of my own TV in the comfort of my own home, and I don't have to wipe other people's sweat off it before I use it. (Except my wife's...)

My only gripe is that the highest setting isn't as high as you might think - Lance Armstrong wouldn't find this a very challenging bike. It has levels 1 through 8 but 1-6 are far too easy for me. But I think it's enough to get me into shape and keep me in shape, which is what I wanted. I am in my early thirties, slim, I just haven't exercised for a decade. More senior folks might find the resistance levels OK. I would not recommend for someone who is very fit.

I got this bike for my wife due to a recurring running injury that laid her out for the second time this year. I should add that she also has a gym quality very expensive Stairmaster and a Concept 2 rowing machine. Her injury was such that she even had trouble on the Stairmaster. Hence, the Marcy bike sounded like the next logical piece of equipment. She loves it, and uses it about 6 days a week for anywhere from 20-45 minutes a a time. It's smooth and very quiet and gives a great workout. I was so impressed I started using it too. I use it about 5 times per week. This bike really delivers. Highly recommend. Not alot of bells and whistles but no-nonsense and dependable.

When I first saw this bike, despite the good reviews, I was skeptical about buying it, and holy mother of god I was WRONG.

The bike is very sturdy. It has two bars in the front and back that don't let it wobble around and everything stays in places as long as you tighten the screws very well during assembly.

Assembly took me about 20 minutes. The only part that was even remotley difficult was connecting the wires to the computer. There is this metal cable that has to be attached, and it can prove to be somewhat hard, but it will eventually snap into place after pushing it in with some force.

The levels of resistance are GREAT. The bike offers 8 different levels, and levels, and they can be changed by the twist of a dial. Levels 6-8 have proven to be difficult (and I ride my regular bike A LOT), so the bike is great for beginners and people who exercise regularly.

The bike is very compact and will fit in any size home. The seat, the pedal straps, and the handle-bar are very easy to ajust, and the bike's weight capacity is 300 lbs, making it useable for virtually anyone.

The computer on the bike is pretty basic, but it offers very accurate time, distance, speed, and the amount of calories burned.

Some tips-
*BUY A SEAT CUSHION* -the seat can get uncomfortable if you use the bike for prolonged periods of time.
Assemble the bike in the room where you plan on keeping it, becuase although it has wheels to help it move around, it may be heavy for some users.
The color of the bike may vary. The one I got was orange, not blue.

This bike deserves 5 stars. You should really look into buying one.

I'm glad I bought this (at $159), but it has a few drawbacks that I didn't expect. First, everyone said the ride was smooth, but I find it a little awkward and sticky, even at the lowest tension. It's as if it needs WB40 (but there's nowhere to apply it). Maybe that's a feature of all magnetic bikes? Also, the computer is so simple as to be almost useless. It turns on when you start pedaling and flashes time, distance, speed, and calories (it's unclear how they're calculating calories--there are no real instructions about the computer). There is no memory and it starts over, erasing your old data, if you've taken a long break. Also, the bike is rather small. I am 5'3 and it fits me well, but there is no way my 6'3 husband could use it comfortably -- the seat only goes up a few more inches from where I've set it for myself. And yes, the seat is not very comfortable. On the plus side, I found it very easy to assemble, even in connecting the tension cable everyone mentions. Tightening bolts on the seat and pedals required a wrench, but otherwise it was quick and easy. The bike seems sturdy and of decent quality overall.

This bike was delivered and this morning I finished putting it together. My 3 star rating is a combination of it being an ok ride, the condition in which it arrived, the unadvertised color, and the difficulties with putting it together.

I have tried it out and it is a decent ride, although the change in tension between the first and second rungs is a bit much. The delivery was unbelievably fast, particularly for the free super shipping. The bike is NOT the color shown. One of the reasons I went with Amazon was because of the blue, as opposed to the orange at other stores. It arrived orange. Silly detail to some, perhaps, but worth noting. It also arrived a bit dinged up, which is disappointing, but I can live with that. What I suspect, after putting it together, is that someone might have given up and returned it (That, and the box looked repackaged. I could be wrong, though). While assembling, there were a few sticking points when I almost gave up, as well. Perhaps this will help those of you out who are going to order one.

1. Be patient. The connecting of the tension cable was very hard, but then I walked away, came back and it suddenly snapped into place. I was within one try of giving up.
2. Have a wrench handy. Things were going fairly smoothly after the fight with the tension cable until the seat. That required the extra tool, as did the right pedal.
3. The right pedal gave me a fight. It's a bit scratched up now because the only way I could get it in place was with a wrench and a lot of exertion. My guess is that if this bike had been returned, that might have been the point when the person gave up.

The diagram is simple and all the parts were included. Just be prepared to put anywhere from 45 min to an hour into putting it together in the event that you run into the same problems. Make sure every part is included before starting and have a wrench handy before starting. The little one they provide will only help you with some of the parts.

I bought this bike after reading many positive reviews. It's a very well built basic bike. I found it at the website of America's major retailer that we all love to hate. They have it at a great price, but don't stock it in their local stores - use their Site-to-Store shipping and you don't pay shipping costs - just your local tax. You just have to wait a week or two for whenever they have a shipment coming from the warehouse, where they keep this item, to your local store. That Smiley face dropped the price by $38 after I ordered, but I still felt like I got a good value. At the current price it's an even better deal.