Customer Reviews

Stamina 15-4600A Magnetic Resistance Recumbent Bike

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I'm a big guy @ 6'3" and 260# and that is why I did not get the LifeGear bike I was looking at (smaller 6' reviewer said I wouldn't be able to use it). Even with this one I had to modify the extension tube by adding a drill hole to accomodate my height. The good news is the boxed tubing is heavy duty and I still feel confident even after modifying it. I exceed the max capacity by 10 lbs but the bike is solid and doesn't seem to mind at all. EZ 30 min assembly if you use your own tools. It comes prebuilt save for 12 bolts and two screws (plus you have to thread the pedals on - no sweat). I have a Stamina air resistance upright bike that was given as a gift but I don't care for the bike style seat or the noise. It nonetheless has worked flawlessly for two years of occassional use. This one, however is comfy on my fat behind and whisper silent to operate. Perfect to get me going on a regular basis.

Hi,

I like this product a lot. I think it is a great bike for the price. The chair is comfortable. I am not overweight, but I am able to ride for an hour without a problem. I could never do that on a regular upright bike due to male plumbing. Assembly was really easy. It took me about 25 min. The multi tool they included was fine and I didn't need other tools except for a hammer (see below).

I am 6 feet tall and I fit well on this bike. If you are taller, you might not get the fullest extension, but I think it would work well for people up to 6'1". If you are taller than that, you may have your knees bent to varying degrees depending on how long your legs are. The bike is very quiet and I watch TV while using it without any trouble. I am very athletic and I vary my workouts between levels 6 and 7. There are only 8 levels total, but I think it will take me a long time to get up to level 8. If I do, it will be fine, because this is supposed to be an aerobic exercise, not anerobic. I got the super saver shipping, but it was at my house in 3 days. I didn't realize it when shopping for the bike, but the low front profile makes it very easy to watch tv, and makes the bike less bulky overall. A nice unexpected perk.

I only have two small complaints. The front end of the bike can twist (wobble) if you use sloppy form. I can see how some people may want a firmer feel, but as long as you use decent form, you will be ok. If the company could fix this and make it able to accommodate taller people, I think it would have a first rate product. My second complaint is that I had a slight dent in the front cross piece which holds the front legs. I think this was from poor packing or someone dropped it durring delivery. However, I was able to bend the dent back easily with a hammer.

This is a very good bike for the money.

By studying reviews on Amazon and elsewhere, I narrowed my choice to this Stamina 15-4600a bike or the similarly priced Lifecycle. I had a hard time choosing, could have gone either way. I also considered recumbent bikes costing far more.

I've seen some misleading or exaggerated reviews before, but guess what this bike really is that good! You are probably considering paying hundreds more, because you are skeptical something this cheap could be very good. I think for 90% of people this is definitely good enough!

It's compact and low, which means we are comfortable putting it in our living room where a bigger bike would have been an eyesore in the way. It's also comfortable (wide seat/good handle grip) and sturdy (doesn't wobble in use). There is a low gap in the space between the seat and pedals, great for mobility impaired people so they don't have to high step to straddle it as they would most bikes. However mobility impared people will not have anything to pull themselves up with on this bike since everything is low. There is nothing to obstruct your view, which makes this great to place in front of a tv.

I think this is a fantastic buy, I encourage you to stop looking and just get this one.

I like the bike, but the tension is not very strong. Even the highest setting doesn't take a lot of effort. It would be perfect for an elderly person who is trying to stay in shape and is looking for a low impact way of doing it. It is very comfortable. If you are looking for a hard workout this is not for you.

This bike is fantastic for the money. It's well built and doesn't take long to put together. It's well packed in the box and should be fine during shipping as long as it's not incredibly mishandled. Like another reviewer - I drilled an extra hole in mine to get a little more extension. I'm 6'1 with long legs and it's okay as is, but the extra hole makes it perfect for me. The reviewer who said the resistance wasn't enough must have a broken one. 8 is way too much resistance for aerobic exercise. I find the resistance range to be perfect. It's also literally whisper quiet. I don't have to touch the volume on the tv. The computer is simple to use and will either scan through the various readings or you can select one reading and leave it there. I haven't had it long but so far I am extremely pleased with it. And the price is incredible for such a solid machine.

I would recommend this to anyone. The only problem I encountered is with my heighth. I am 6' 1", and I am a little cramped when I use it. Other than the length, it is great.

When I took the bike out of the packaging the wheels were already cracked. I called the service center for new ones and I still haven't gotten replacements (over 3 weeks ago). I'm not sure if this bike was marketed as a "silent bike" but it rattles when I use it, not loud but kinda annoying. If you're not into the whole fad of preprogrammed bikes, this is pretty good. It could have been better if they didn't use cheap parts that didn't break before I got a chance to use the bike.

Have had this bike for a little more than a month now and am very pleased with my purchase so far. When the bike arrived, I was concerned that it might be damaged or missing some parts as the box was practically falling apart. Not sure if it was shipped that way from the factory or was due to UPS. The bike took about 30-45 minutes to assemble. Had only one problem as I was not able to secure 2 of the 4 screws to the back support of the chair. Fortunately the 2 that I was able to secure appears to be adequate. The bike is very sturdy and seems well constructed. The controls are very easy to see while exercising and scrolls automatically showing you the speed, distance, time, and calories burnt. The seat is very comfortable and provides excellent support for your lower back. Have not tried setting the tension control beyond number 3 yet as that seems sufficient for me and my wife for now. With free shipping included, you can't go wrong with this bike!

My initial impression was that Marcy was superior product to Stamina 4600. This impression was mainly formed by the look initially (see below). After a few days of use, my opinion on the Stamina has improved. Even though the Stamina seat and cushion are not as supple and comfortable as the Marcy unit, its simplicity of the design is getting more familiar.

1. Seat adjustment: Stamina is much easier. The adjusting bolt is visible, thus lining up the bolt and the position holes is much easier than Marcy.
2. Seats: Marcy seems better. More comfortable.
3. Workout monitor: Stamina came with drained batteries. These were some generic "Large" brand.
4. Stability: Stamina feels more stable laterally despite its shorter front bar. Marcy seemed to wobble a bit more.
5. Tall folks will have difficulty using Marcy without removing the front handle bar.
6. Installation of Stamina is significantly easier than of Marcy.
7. They both are very quite.

If the Stamina unit came with better seats (and batteries), I would definitely recommend a Stamina over a Marcy. Between the two, my recommendation is to get Stamina 4600 for its ease of installation, adjustment, and simplicity. Also, I am improving my evaluation from 3 stars to 4!



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My INITIAL REVIEW
Bought Marcy and Stamina 4600 at the same time for my employees. Both units are fairly easy to assemble. Marcy took about 45 minutes with my 10-year old son. Stamina took at best 15 minutes. The main thing is having the good socket wrench for assembly. Marcy requires standard sockets, and Stamina requires metric (10mm and 13mm). Do not use the crappy tools these things come with. You will be frustrated using these tools for sure.

From the look of it, Marcy looks more refined. Marcy has better looking shape and electronics. The body looks better, and the seats are way more comfortable.

Stamina is significantly easier to assemble. They both are very quite. I will keep you updated on longer term tests.

Upon arrival one notes the big 800 customer service number emblazoned all over the box. Then, it's the first you see on the instructions. The first message states, "While we take care to ensure the highest quality control, some defects or missing parts sometimes slip buy. Please don't return the item, call the 800 number," or something nearly identical to that. BIG WARNING: I'd venture to say they have NO quality control. Right away upon the 1st step of assembly, it's completely noticeable that the steel assembly to hold the rear stabilizer bar is totally bent out of shape and won't accept the bar. Call 800 number ... delay workout for a week ... receive bar. Upon receipt, I have to completely remove the back arm, and then remove all the plastic seal parts because the new arm doesn't include those seal parts, and then replace the arm. So, back to normal assembly. Now I notice that hand drawn photos of the parts aren't numbered -- but the instructions note part numbers for assembly. It was also missing some locking nuts. Oh well, wing it and hope it's fine. Took me an hour and twenty minutes to put it together.

Alright, it's assembled. Note that the "Stamina" company label is stick-on plastic peeling apart in pieces all over my carpet. Oh well, let's see how it feels. Adjust length and mount. Level one is completely useless like it doesn't exist, no resistance whatsoever. So are levels 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The highest level, 8, is just barely enough to get some resistance for a leisurely ride -- it might be a real workout if you've been bed ridden for a year or are over 80 years old. So I'm riding and not 15 minutes into the ride I hear and feel a big "thump - whack." Then, I can't pedal at all ... it's stuck!!! So now I'm really mad. Two weeks to get the thing in all working pieces, over an hour to assemble, and it breaks down on me on the first ride!!

I go to these Amazon opinion forum to see if other buyers have had similar experiences. Shockingly, I see the thing has a 4-star rating and some glowing reviews. I must say, be EXTREMELY suspicious of any glowing reviews. This thing isn't worth $10 much less $180. I don't know what "quality control" they're trying to kid us into believing they secure because there's obviouly none at this plant. It's probably put together by slave laborers. Read the review around September 3, 2007, where the buyer had a problem with the magnetic wheel falling apart nearly identical to my experience I'd advise all to heed my warning and that one.

DO NOT WASTE TIME AND MONEY ON THIS PRODUCT! IT STINKS. I will be contacting the company and Amazon. I want a full refund and I do not want to be hassled with taking the junk apart, repacking it, and shipping it back to the seller. We'll see and I'll let you know.

UPDATE 1/9/08:
I couldn't get a refund without repacking the bike and paying to ship it back. So I was stuck with the junker. I opened it up to find out why it was locked up. I found that, even though it's magnetic resistance, it has a belt drive. The assembly is far more over-complicated than it needs to be and causes the cheap rubber belt to slip off of it and become stuck. I had to vacuum out little bits of rubber that peeled off of the belt. Then I had to re-assemble everything. Well, I was able to pedal it for about about 30 minutes again but it made a HORRIBLE noise -- very loud and annoying. And still, the resistance is practically useless even at its highest setting. This is one purchase I really got burned on and regret. I see that at least one person didn't heed my warning and got shafted with the exact same junker that now sits in my garage collecting dust.