Customer Reviews

Stamina 7200 Magnetic Fusion Recumbent Exercise Bike

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Great bike, it really is, takes a while to put together, A WHILE, not for people under 5' 10" that's my height and it's just perfect on the lower setting of the seat for me, my wife is 5' 1" and she can't use it, can't reach the pedals.
Wish I knew these ahead of time. If I had known that, and what it took me to put it together, wouldn't have bought it. I would have chosen a diff. model and one that was assembled already..

It took 2 1/2 hours to set this up... minus 1/2 hour to cook and feed my little one... so 2 hours... breaking it down to the main events:
Package weight was 111 pounds and was sent (prime) 2nd air shipping. Package is how a 111 package would look after being shipped, but was not damaged, just scrapped here and there, insides were 100% fine.

1 - Unpack - took 1/2 hour to unpack, remove plastic and carboard from the items... also was bagging the trash and taking my time... the first thing i did was to make sure the peddles move because someone else said they were jammed... and they moved fine. figured if mine were jammed too it would be a quick repack and send back.

2 - assembly - took 1 1/2 hours... took my time... I used a socket set I had, there tools were fine, but my work bench was 20 feet away... ended up with 2 extra bolts (?!?!!) but every slot is full and it works fine.

3 - use - did a 5 minute rep on it... I used to bike ride when I was younger... but alot has changed I guess... it was comfortable... and I went up across and down a mountain.... it could be set for how long of a routine... in the future I'm doing 20 minutes... but this is real nice, and comfortable... a real nice find.

I picked up this bike after the Schwinn 220 was back ordered and would not ship for at least a month ([...]). I have had this bike for 2 weeks, so here is my review for the assembly and initial break-in period. If anything changes over the next 6 months, I'll put in an update.

Assembly - this requires 2 folks, and if you have a third who can spend the time sorting an cataloging the different bolts, nuts and washers, so much the better. Trust me - read the entire assembly instructions first, lay out the parts, and separate out bolts etc. before starting this project. It will save a lot of time down the road. I had 3 issues - a sprung pulse sensor on the handlebar, a hole too large for one screw where the water bottle holder attaches, and a bolt to secure the two frames sections attach did not screw in. Customer service resolved the first issue, Lowes handled the second, and the third I decided wasn't needed anyway (6 bolts hold this together, and one more wouldn't make a difference). Not an easy build process, but take it slow and follow each step carefully - the idea is to only have to put it together once!

Functionality - the new pulse sensor was installed tonight, so I only tested the pulse function briefly. It appears to hold within the correct range, although I will try and calibrate it further over the next few days. I was worried after the purchase when I read a review stating it won't work well for those under 5'10"; that isn't the case. I have short legs and am 5'7"; my wife and kids are under that by 2-6 inches. I run it at one step above the lowest setting. Unlike some recumbents I have ridden, this one is more of a true recumbent - you need to lean back and slide your hips forward to fit the design of the bike. You can easily sit in it upright, which makes the seat setting too short for me. But you can't pedal well unless you move your hips up, and when you sit in the bike, you will see how this works. And it is very comfortable in this position - I ride at level 3 for 30-40 minutes without issues. However, there are several ways to simply redesign this bike to handle those closer to 5', something Stamina should consider.

Overall impression - for a mid-range bike, this is a good purchase. I have gone as high as level 6, and the difficulty levels should accommodate me. It is relatively short in length and works well next to my desk - I pedal and take meetings at the same time. It may take a bit of work to level the bike, but once level it is very stable. The display is large enough for my 50+ year old eyes to read, but not back lit. It does have it's own power supply, so no need for batteries. There are enough built-in programs to keep some variety, and the pulse-based programs, though not tried, are a primary reason why I purchased this bike. One issue - you cannot increase the level of difficulty for the entire program (start at 3 instead of 1, for example), but only on a segment by segment basis (there are 10 segments per program, each one one-tenth of the time chosen for the ride). It is quiet, and holds the resistance well. If it had a handle on the back, it would be easy to move also; as it is, you have to bend down, grab the rear axle, and lift - a little difficult after rotator-cuff surgery, but can be done one-handed. The best part is not having to drive 20 minutes to work out, which was impacting my exercise. Here, I can always find a half hour to 40 minutes during the day to work out, even while watching TV or reading. A well-crafted and durable device (though work on the weld spots could improve its appearance); if anything changes, I'll let y'all know!

I recieved this exercise bike as my 35th anniversay gift from work.
When it was delivered, they left it against the front door as I was not home and I knew the delivery people would probably not want to haul this back to their truck. The box was really abused and shredding apart. After unscrewing the first protective cardboard piece from the bottom of the bike, a nut came off. Little did I know that it was needed to hold the crossbar on the floor. So I figured a way to hold the nut in place while screwing in the screw that holds the bar. Finally when the bike was completely assembled, the wheel would not turn! Then I tried going backwards and that freed something up for a little bit. Then I go foward and it goes a little bit and locks up.
Plus it made a lot of rattling noises like something was loose inside. Anyway, Stamina sent the replacement part. ...so again, the first thing you do is unscrew the protective cardboard for the bottom and the nut falls off again! Now that the bike is all put together again,
my complaint now is that I am too short to sit comfortably on the seat. It is not made for a person that is 5'2".

I did call the company for them to look into the "nut" problem.

Bike arrived within a week. Shipping box was intact and appeared OK from the outside, but when I opened it, the contents had shifted considerably. During assembly, I noticed that one part was damaged, and the flywheel assembly was not working properly. Something had been damaged in shipment. Called customer services and they arranged to ship a complete front frame assembly, the major part which includes the wheel, magnetics, and pedal cranks. Exchanged the replacement parts and bike is excellent. Only cost to me will be discarding the damaged frame and flywheel. Company didn't even want it back for parts.

I love this machine, the seat is soooo much more comfortable i actually use it!! Lost 15 pounds !! woo hoo.

After a month of weekends filled with things OTHER than putting my new bike together, I was excited to finally assemble my bike and get back into the habit of exercising regularly in the morning!

First of all, it is pretty heavy; so definitely follow the box's suggestion/warning and "Team Lift."
Secondly, I was very pleased to see that the hardware came with the wrenches necessary for putting the bike together!
(Thirdly) From beginning to end, it took me about three hours to put it together myself. I have no doubt that if someone was helping me, it would have gone faster --we could have each put together a different part at the same time. Nevertheless, the directions and diagrams were clear, which I appreciated.

However,
When it was time to try out my beautiful, newly-assembled bike, the pedals did not budge!! I have since learned that it is a problem with the "magnetic unit" within the front case. Since I would only be able to receive a refund from Amazon if I returned the bike (disassemble & repack?? No WAY!), I decided to opt for Stamina to send me a replacement part...even though one of their customer service reps said it was difficult to install. :-/

So, sadly, my review is incomplete... [Perhaps I will complete it in a few weeks!]

Arrived well-packed and in good shape. My hubby put it together and he had some trouble aligning the lower frames together. After a struggle it finally fit into place. The bike is absolutely wonderful and lots more fun than the elliptical machine we also own. The seat adjusment is super easy. The bike is solidly built and we're very, very happy with the purchase.

Ordered this bike from amazon and got a great deal plus free shipping. Assembled the bike in about an hour and plugged it in and a clicking noise occurred and the tension had no control. Called the company and in two days I received a new computer. That was not the problem so I disassembled the front cover and found the motor was broken.I called the tech line and they sent one out in two days and I installed it and it works great.It is very quite and has a lot of different programs to select from. The water bottle is very convenient .
To me the service I received was the reason my rating is good not to mention the price amazon sold it for.

Just yesterday I received the box containing the bike, but I wasn't able to put it together until today. I've literally just finished getting it together, and then spent about 20 minutes pedaling on it. So here's what I think about it so far.

CONS:

1. THERE ARE LOTS OF PARTS INVOLVED IN THE ASSEMBLY. It's about the most time consuming item I've ever put together; and I'm relatively handy and mechanically inclined. I rarely hire a contractor for any work and improvements around my house and yard, and do as much of my own auto maintenance as I can. The assembly isn't overly complicated or intricate, and the directions are adequate (except for the lack of any forewarning that four screws are not in the hardware bag but are already mounted in the back of the computer module). It's just that there are so many parts - 29 pieces of equipment that must be put together with 79 pieces of hardware (an assortment of nuts, bolts, screws, and several different kinds of washers). All the tools one needs are provided, but my own philips head screwdriver and crescent wrench worked better and were more comfortable to use than what they provided. The one exception to this is that a hammer and wood block, or a rubber mallet, may be needed in step four to insert the front frame into the rear frame properly to align the seven bolt holes that are involved in securing the two major part together. I had to use a hammer and piece of wood to move the the two pieces the final millimeter or so.
2. I hope I don't have to send it back because the way it was packed was the most bizarre packaging method I've ever seen. I don't think I could ever hope to re-create it. The box arrive in OK shape; a little beat up around the corners and edges but nothing major that I thought would cause any damage inside - and there wasn't. But the manufacturer's packing method involves using probably at least 70 pieces of plastic wrap, various shapes of styrofoam blocks, small boxes, plastic bags, hard cardboard tubes and a bunch of misc. pieces of corrugated cardboard. It was done in such a way and with so many varied pieces of equipment and packaging material that I'm amazed that anyone would be able to repeat the process. Whoever engineered the packaging method either did it as a very complicated joke or was on acid at the time. It all fit in the box but I know I wouldn't be able to duplicate it if I had to repack it.
3. The computer module with the various data readouts and exercise programs is an LCD screen without any back lighting and very little contrast between the characters and the background of the screen. I found it impossible to read unless there was a light directed right onto the screen. This is a biggest design flaw and disappointment I've found in the bike so far. It could be a lot better and I don't think it would add significantly to the price of producing the bike. This dropped the review by one star.

PROS;
1. The parts, while substantial in number are also substantial in design and size, which along with the number, allow the bike to be seemingly very sturdy and well-built. It just takes a while (two hours) to get it all together to appreciate that. A lot a redundancy and over-engineering was done to assure that the bike would be a very stable platform. For example, the two major frame components are secured together with a combination of seven substantial bolts and their associated nuts and washers, when 3-4 would likely have been felt to be adequate by many manufacturers. And to make sure everything stays together the assembly includes the use of both arc and lock washers on almost every bolt connection. A very "belt and suspenders" approach was used in designing this bike.
2. The ergonomics of the pedaling position are great. Before purchasing this bike I visited about five different retailers that sold exercise equipment, including recumbent exercise bikes. I sat on and pedaled bikes that ranged from $200 to about $3000. I found that the more my feet were out in front of me and the greater the angle of my legs to my torso at my hips, the more uncomfortable it was to pedal. The less the angle of my legs at the hip - the more in line my feet, legs and torso were - the more comfortable it was to ride the bike. And, therefore, the more likely I will be to use and get benefit from the needed exercise. I really liked a $1300 bike and a $2700 one, but there was no way I would spend that much on my first exercise bike. I found this bike on amazon.com for $300 and realized from the photo and description that it's design seemed to have that more favorable layout to reduce the angle of the legs at the hip. While I was leery about purchasing exercise equipment without first being able to try it, I thought the seat angle design warranted a try based on my experience in stores (and the prices of the bikes I preferred there) and amazon.com's accommodating refund policy. I'm just glad that so far my impression has proved to be correct because I'd hate to have to try to return it due to con #2.

SUMMARY:
Pleased so far with the purchase. Great design except for the lack of any backlighting on the screen of the computer module. Assembly is time consuming but not overly tricky, and reflects the fact that the result is a well-built bike. And the substantial assembly process of the many parts by the end user may help account for what seems like a very reasonable price - the manufacturer has saved a lot in the labor/time required for assembly. Be forewarned, though, to be very careful not to damage during assembly the wiring harness that runs through the frame. Don't lose track of the ends inside the frame before components are joined, and make sure those wiring connections are very secure before the frame is bolted together; because any loose connections will not allow the computer to operate and will generate a lot of cussing prior to disassembling the frame components to find the loose connection that may be the cause.

At this point I hope the bike provides a long, trouble-free service life. I'll provide updates if my opinion changes with use.