12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great bike - small problem, September 22, 2008
This review is from: Spirit XR895 Recumbent Exercise Bike Trainer (Sports)
Spirit XR895 Recumbent Exercise Bike Trainer
The good:
Price - the best price I could find anywhere else was $1200 + shipping for this bike. I paid $999 w free shipping. In the research I did I could not find any other bike under $1000 that had the specs that this one does.
Delivery - the bike arrived almost a week ahead of the estimated delivery time. I kept on eye on the tracking status and called the trucking company (CEVA) as soon as I saw that it had arrived in my area. They were very helpful and scheduled a delivery appointment for the next day, which was a pleasant surprise.
Assembly - the effort and steps required to assemble the bike were easier than I expected. I completed the assembly in less than 2 hours. The parts were organized logically and the directions were clear for the most part. It was nice that they included the required screwdriver and wrenches as well.
Quality and comfort - this bike looks and feels good. I tested several bikes while doing my research (including some in local gyms) and this bike holds its own very well against the other bikes I tested. I'm a big guy (6'3" 290+) and like the large seat, mesh seat back and wide pedals. Very nice.
Warranty - this bike comes with one of the better warranties I found: lifetime frame and brake, 5 years on other parts and 2 years labor.
The not so good:
Once I had the bike fully assembled, I sat down to try it out. I adjusted the seat back to a comfortable reclining position, then adjusted the seat as far back as it would go to accommodate my height. To my dismay, as soon as I started pedaling the seat started slipping down 1 or 2 positions at a time until it was at the bottom of its range. I searched in vain for an answer to this problem and found nothing in the literature or online that could help me solve the problem.
To say I was disappointed is an understatement, especially since it took almost 2 hours to get to the point that I could see the problem. Reluctantly I emailed Amazon to tell them there was a problem. I also sent an email to the manufacturer (Spirit Fitness) describing the problem. I received the bike on a Saturday afternoon so knew there was not much that I could do until Monday.
Amazon replied and indicated their willingness to replace the bike or provide a refund. While exactly what I expected, I was not happy about the thought of taking the bike apart, shipping it back to the manufacturer, then waiting for another to arrive. I decided to wait and see if I heard from the manufacturer before taking the next step.
Early Monday morning I was happy to see a reply from the manufacturer in my inbox. The email included instructions for a simple adjustment intended to correct the problem. 5 minutes after receiving the email I was done with the adjustment and verified that the problem was fixed! It would have been nice if this information had been available on the manufacturer website, but I give them credit for replying quickly and resolving the problem without my having to return the bike.
I could not be happier with this purchase and highly recommend you give this product a look if you're in the market for a quality recumbent bike.
*** Update 10/26/2008
After owning this bike for a month I remain very pleased. It is rock solid, does not sway or rock when I use it and is comfortable to use.
I also need to give a big thumbs up to Amazon, who refunded $150 of my purchase price when I noticed that they dropped the price of the bike soon after I purchased it. It was a good deal at $999, at $849 it's even better!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Above Expectations, June 29, 2008
This review is from: Spirit XR895 Recumbent Exercise Bike Trainer (Sports)
I purchased the Spirit XR895 Recumbent Exercise Bike for my wife who has arthritic knees. She used a similar (but different) bike recently during doctor prescribed therapy, but she has found the XR895 to be just as effective as the professional type. In particular the recumbent seat is sufficiently comfortable so that exercise sessions are not dreaded at all.
In addition, the Amazon price was better than we could find anywhere, either over the internet or locally. The real clinchers were the free shipping and no sales tax. Delivery by truck directly to our home was especially nice.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Spirit XR895 Recumbent Exercise bike review, February 18, 2009
This review is from: Spirit XR895 Recumbent Exercise Bike Trainer (Sports)
We had looked in body fitness shops, bike shops, discount stores but found Amazon.com had exactly what we wanted at the best price, including free delivery! Set up directions were simple to follow; electronics & gadgets are very user friendly even for a short 65 yr old & tall 81 yr old. When we change users tho, & adjust the reach to the pedals, we must be careful to hang on to the handle-bar because the momentary ride to the right pedal-distance can be fast & jarring. We both have spinal stenosis so the adjustable back & well-cushioned seat are ideal. No electricity needed; you pedal, it's powered!
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