Customer Reviews

Phoenix 98623 Revolution Cycle Pro II Exercise Bike

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This bike is great gym quality for half the price of spinner NTX and schwinn. I used the NTX at the gym and other than the fact that te NTX is cooler looking, it preforms the same. If you compare the spinner pro/elite or the schwinn models to this one, they have basically the same frame, plus the braking/resistance pads on the pheonix is the same as the schwinn only with a couple inprovements.
The ntx resistance pad is a single direct pressure on the outside of the flywheel---which is esentially the same as a drum brake. A single pad with less surface area leads to increased wear and needing to replace the pad sooner. whereas the pheonix and the schwinn use 2 pads compressing the flywheel---like a disc brake.---increased resistance surface and better resistance, decreased wear on pads.
It is as sturdy and well build as the NTX.-even has the same handlebars--minus the bottle holders. It is heavy---130 lbs but has wheels for moving.

Only thing to consider is that the bike seems to be build for larger individuals. I'm 5'6" and anm only 1 notch away from being the lowest seat post adjustment and the seat is 1 notch from being farthest foward. So I'm thinking 5'4" should be the height requirement for this ride.

Seat that comes with bike is cheap-so take your seat off your normal bike and put it on this and note that the pedals are just medal with straps--not clip-on compatible but for the cost of a new seat and pedals-your still looking at 3/4 the cost of a scwhinn-NTX.
and note the all black frame is fun put your favorite stickers on.
Happy cycling.

This is really nice, quiet bike that has a smooth ride, and I highly recommend it!

It came in one large box, and my husband put it together in less than 30 minutes since the wheel and main components were already attached; all he had to do was put on the handle, seat, and pedals. We did not have the problem with the broken knob that the two other reviewers mentioned.

The wheel does make some noise when riding it, but it's not any louder than the higher-end spin bikes you'd find at the gym. I was actually surprised at how quiet and smooth it is. It does wobble a bit when you stand and do hill climbs, but I think that is because we currently have it on carpet. We're looking into putting this on a different surface to see if that makes it more stable, and I will try to remember to update my review once we do this.

The adjustments on this are also great, both in terms of the tension knob and the physical bike itself. I was worried that you'd have to turn the tension knob a thousand times to crank it up and down, but about 2-3 turns in either direction takes you up or down to the next gear, making it very easy to quickly change your level. Also, the bike is a comfortable fit for both me (about 5'4") and my husband (about 6'0") since you can move the seat up/down and also front/back.

The only small negatives about this bike are in regards to the handlebars. The handlebar doesn't have the ability to move front and back for a better fit -- although I knew it didn't have this feature before buying it, and most mid-range spin bikes also don't have this feature. (If you're on the shorter side, this might be a challenge; at just under 5'4", I would be happier having the handlebar a bit closer to me.) Additionally, the post that the handlebar is on sticks, making it very difficult for me to move it up and down; we used some lubricant on it, but my husband still has to move it back to my position after he's done using it since I have a hard time adjusting it myself.

Two tips: invest in a gel seat (and/or padded bike shorts) and some SPD clips and shoes to get a better ride out of your spin bike. We've been using a standard-sized gel seat that fits nicely on this seat and that cost under $15. I also picked up a pair of Shimano SPD pedals that were on sale at my local bike shop for $45 so that we could use our spin shoes and SPD cleats on this bike. (Be sure that you have a pedal wrench if you decide to do this; you may need to pick one of them up, too.)

Overall, this is a great bike! Also, keep an eye on the price, since it does tend to drop down to about $480, with free shipping. ;-)

UPDATED on 4/19/09 and 1/5/10: I downgraded my original five-star review to four stars. We are still very happy with this purchase, but the resistance knob has been very sticky and hard to turn when there is any kind of humidity in the air, and San Diego is not a very humid place! It's still a solid bike (and the wobbling is minor; we ended up leaving it as is), but some days it's very challenging to change that resistance knob to a higher setting. Just beware of this if you live in a humid climate.

Ok..so I bought this item for home because of the fabulous price ($478.99 w/free s/h). It was a toss up between this and another brand. Although it was heavy, I was able to get it into my house (3 steps) on my own without straining anything...I put it together by myself within 40 minutes or so and this sucker is STOUT. One little nobby broke off during shipping but will be replaced; I'm not concerned--it didn't effect the bike at at all. So I just completed my first workout on it and I must say, it's stable, sturdy, just like the one at my gym and I LOVE IT. I'm pleasantly surprised and would recommend it to anyone that is looking for a spin bike for your home...It's got all the necessary adjustments needed for the novice/intermediate spinner!

This would be 5 stars if they had used sturdier packing material--Styrofoam just doesn't cut it for a 120-lb bike. When I opened the box it looked like a bomb had gone off inside. Surprisingly, nothing was broken. The tab at the back of the frame where the cross-piece attaches was bent, but when I attached the cross-piece it straightened out. Still, I count myself lucky.

The bike went together easily in about 20 minutes. Like others I found the seat and handlebar adjustment very stiff, but a little silicon spray fixed that.

I'm very pleased with the quality and solidity of the bike. Basically it feels like the twice as expensive bikes I ride at the gym. Like high-end bikes, it has a very solid feel with no sway in the frame, and maybe just a little in the seat and handlebars. I would've liked a fore-aft adjustment on the handlebars, but other than that, it has all the features I could want. Now we get to see how well it holds up over time.

Update: Okay, the saddle broke. One of the two rails bent. No problem for me, as I have plenty of old saddles laying around that are perfect for the spin bike. I am a big guy at 230 lbs, but still... I'm keeping the review at 4 stars for now, until something more important breaks.

Update 2, 1 year later: Yesterday I found the tension adjustment was no longer working. All I needed was a new 3/8" nut to replace one that had stripped. When I put it back together I also eliminated the safety brake mechanism which I never used. Now the tension adjustment works MUCH better. The brake mechanism interfered with turning the knob when you wanted to put on high tension. If you find the tension adjustment difficult to turn, I definitely recommend getting rid of the brake. It's easy to do, but if you need directions, just message me.

I bought this bike a month ago and the price was right around $589 w/free shipping. It has now since dropped to $499, so make sure you wait until it gets below $500 to save some cash. I thought the set up was very easy. It took me maybe 15 minutes and the tools are included. No parts were broken. Others are right that this machine does not have all the adjustment features of a very high end, gym bike, but you get what you pay for. I find the ride to be very comfortable even when I'm on it for 1.5-2 hours at a time. Bike shorts are a must in my opinion though.

So far so good with everything.

I received this bike 4 weeks ago. It was very easy with very little to assemble. When the bike was unpacked the only thing that was broken was a knob, which i called the company and they were to send a new one out right away. Well i have yet to receive it. As far as the bike goes i am very pleased. I have been spinning for 5 years.

This is a wonderful spinning bike, just the one fits into my needs - no more gym membership fee and extra gas, but dripping sweat just the same! Shipping was fast and there was no damage on the parts. Most of the main components have been preassembled, so it only took me less than 30 min to set up with complete tools included. The bike is heavy weight and sturdy but easily moved because of the front wheel feature. The tension is easy to transit and gives me plenty of range to "race", and the handlebar does not have wiggly problem like some other brands. Plus, the seat can be adjusted up/down and back/forth, my wife is shorter and I am a tall guy, both of us can ride on the bike comfortably without problem. I am totally satisified with my purchase! I will use this beautiful bike for strenuous indoor workouts for a long time to come!!

We wanted to get an exercise bike at home that's sturdy and both my husband and I can use. I've done a lot of research on these bikes and ended up getting this one. So far we are really happy with it. We've been using it for about a month now and really our only complaint is the seat hight and the comfort of the seat. I'm 5'7" and he is 5'11". When we try to adjust the seat it's either too low or too high, but I mostly bike standing up so it's not that big of a deal. We bought a gel seat cover, like some other users suggested, and that helped but we still put a towel on it as well for more comfort. I read some previous reviews on this bike and saw that it would sometimes get damaged in the shipping process. Because of that I used 2 day shipping and had no issues. The bike came in perfect condition and my husband put it together in about 20min or so.

Most entry level spinning bikes have 30-33 lbs flywheels. I chose Phoenix because it was one of the few bikes in this price range that had 40lbs flywheel. I didn't expect much for this price and I was pleasantly surprised when bike arrived. The bike is actually gym quality bike with very strong frame and it looks like it can take a beating. Flywheel doesn't wobble and is very smooth. Resistance adjustment works very well. All you need is a view clicks. Bike is very quiet. I was able to watch TV while spinning on my regular volume setting. The only source of noise is a drive chain. The higher end bikes have belt drive instead, which is quieter, but with a chain you don't have to worry about breaking a belt.

This bike is a great buy for the price. It is very substantial and the heavy weight lets you be able to get up out of the saddle without worrying about the bike tipping over. Assembly was easy. The seat is not very comfortable but we bought another one at a bike store and it wasn't too expensive. It's pretty easy to move even though it's a heavy bike. Adjusting the seat is a little tough. You have to use your whole weight to move up or down.