Stable stand, reasonably priced, some good features .
Disadvantages:
Pulse ear clip lead catches easily, not as many features as some models .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I have a weight problem. OK, so I need to exercise and diet right? Well yes, except that due to having Fibromyalgia Syndrome this isn’t as easy as it sounds. For me to exercise, I need to do it in a really controlled way, a way that doesn’t put added pressure on my muscles and joints, and that won’t exacerbate my symptoms. Swimming can be good, but only if the water is warm and the pool is very empty, or I can invest in an exercise bike which I can use at home when I am able to…. I chose the latter option as my local pools tend to be pretty cool, and somewhat crowded, and well, basically, the idea of appearing in public in a swimsuit just didn’t really appeal to me!
The Bike I chose: The Delta Freeway II was my choice because it is not too heavy (even with my limited ability I can slide it across the floor into a better position without too much effort). It has a very stable base which some others I tried didn’t have, and it has all the controls I need to be able to use a bike.
Description of bike and features: A tubular steel framed bike in white, with fixed position stand and adjustable seat height. Handles which can be placed in a fixed position, or which can be linked to the pedals to give a rowing motion for exercising your arms as well. Control to adjust belt friction (thus allowing you to control the resistance when you pedal) Exercise monitor feature which allows you to know your speed, the time you’ve been cycling for, distance travelled, calories burnt (How on earth they work this out I don’t know!), and a pulse monitor which clips to your ear. Oh, and there is a scan mode, so as you are cycling, you can set the monitor to scan through each of the above modes so you can keep an eye on all of them. It’s even got large comfortable pedals which my feet don’t slip off easily.
What I like and dislike: My favourite feature is the ability to know how far I’ve travelled, and how many calories I’ve burnt. By knowing this, I feel like I’m actually achieving something when I use the bike. The two most useful features for me though, are probably the ability to disconnect the handlebars from the pedals so that I don’t use these in a rowing motion, as when I first got the bike I started getting major problems with my shoulders caused by this action. And the ability to adjust the resistance of the bike. I can’t put a heavy strain on my knees, so turning this down to virtually 0 resistance means I can exercise without doing damage. For others, I would imagine it would mean as you improved your fitness level you could add more resistance little by little.
The biggest problem I have with anything on the bike is the pulse meter ear clip. First let me say, the monitor readout for all the features is just below the base of the handlebars, the wire for the pulse clip plugs into this, and then clips to your ear. Now, to allow enough length for you to move (especially if your using the handlebars in movable mode) the cable has to be fairly long, and I kept on finding it would catch on my knee as I cycled, so I think perhaps this is something they should think about improving. Secondly, I don’t find that I can get the clip to stay on my ear when I am sweaty from cycling for a while, so I’ve given up using the pulse monitor whilst I’m actually cycling. Instead, I measure my pulse before and after cycling now.
Value for money: There are definitely better exercise bikes out there, and there are cheaper ones too, but at a cost of £100 from Argos (this is where I bought mine a few months ago, and having checked in the catalogue its still available at the same price now) I would say this is pretty good value for money. You do get some good features, and the bike is well built overall and pretty stable when in use, its just perhaps not as stylish looking as some.
I would definitely say this bike has done me proud so far, and I use it most days, cycling anywhere between 1 and 5 miles depending on my health.
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