BH Fitness S1Ri Recumbent Bike Review

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BH Fitness S1Ri Recumbent Bike Review

The S1Ri Recumbent Bike is BH Fitness’s lowest-priced reclining bike. This popular residential fitness machine is gentle on the body, packed with workouts and…

BH Fitness S1Ri Recumbent Bike Specs

Rating8

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The S1Ri is BH Fitness’s lowest-priced recumbent bike. This popular home fitness machine is gentle on the body, packed with workout guidance and easily connected to the Internet.

Like any good recumbent bike, the S1Ri has a comfortable chair-like seat. It provides good lumbar support and lets you lean back a bit as you ride. This pedaling position exerts less pressure on your joints compared with traditional upright cycling. This is why recumbent exercise bikes are sometimes used in physical therapy.

Plenty of programming is built into the BH Fitness S1Ri bike console. The options include a fitness test, a design-it-yourself workout, and 24 preset routines for endurance training, fat burn and muscle toning.

This exercise bike also has iConcept. With iConcept, you can use your own mobile device to display workouts and exercise data. Some advantages of this system: 1) You can download additional workouts from BH Fitness. 2) You can access your own files and apps during exercise! The iConcept system will keep running in the background, and you can easily switch back and forth.

Is this the best exercise bike for you? Here are our pro/con lists for the BH Fitness S1Ri Recumbent Bike review.


The Great

BH Fitness bikes are in homes around the world, and this option is one of the top sellers. Here are some reasons people choose the S1Ri Recumbent Bike.

  • Recumbent Seating: Recumbent bikes are especially designed for comfort and safety.  To support your back the S1Ri has a chair-like seat. The seat is vertically adjustable and can be tilted. It is made from a mesh material to let air flow and help keep you cool. Handrails on the bike seat offer stability and have contact heart rate readers.
  • Workout Programs: The bike console has a backlit LCD and arrives with 26 workout modes. These can use up to 24 resistance levels. The preset workout collection includes heart rate controlled programs, a fitness test, random mode, interval training and more. One slot is reserved for a user-designed program.
  • iConcept: iConcept can connect this BH Fitness bike to the web. It lets your tablet computer, iPod Touch or smartphone act as the workout console. This can provide a more modern-looking view than what’s provided on the bike’s own LCD. More importantly, iConcept lets you download new workout programs and easily use your own apps while biking.
  • Exercise Data: Workout feedback include distance, time, calories, speed, RPM and heart rate.
  • 24 Resistance Levels: The S1Ri has a wide range of resistance for different workout needs. Tension is controlled electronically.
  • Secure Pedaling: Pedals on this bike are textured for a secure grip. The platforms are a bit oversized, allowing you room for repositioning, and have toe straps for stability.
  • Transport Wheels: Transport wheels are attached to the back of the bike.
  • High Capacity: The S1Ri Recumbent Bike has a maximum 330-pound user weight capacity.
  • Warranty: This bike has a competitive residential warranty. Owners get lifetime coverage for the frame and parts protection for three years. Labor is free during the first year.




The Not-So-Great

Here are some potential drawbacks of the BH Fitness S1Ri exercise bike.

  • Contact Heart Rate Monitoring: Heart rate monitoring with this bike requires constant contact with the sensors. Like the top exercise bikes out there the BH Fitness S5Ri has wireless heart rate receivers.
  • No Fan: This bike does not have a workout fan.
  • No Reading Rack: The console can hold a tablet computer but isn’t designed for holding books and magazines.
  • No Bottle Holder: Unlike many others, this bike doesn’t have an integrated water bottle holder.

 



Who Should Ride the BH Fitness S1Ri Recumbent Bike?

The S1R1 is especially appreciated by people who like to be online. It supports low-impact exercise and may be approved for physical therapy patients. This is an effective trainer for cardiovascular fitness, calorie burn and muscle toning. Its maximum user weight capacity is 330 pounds.

The Bottom Line

The BH Fitness S1Ri Recumbent Bike offers very good value. We especially like how iConcept lets your own tablet computer serve as the display; it ensures that the bike will stay relevant even as technology changes.

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