True ES700 Recumbent Bike
The True ES700 Recumbent Bike is comfortable and offers a variety of programs, especially with the premium console.
True ES700 Recumbent Bike Specs
| Rating | 8.75 |
|---|---|
| Type | Recumbent |
| Console display | 2 Options |
| Compact storage | No |
| Seat type | High back with lumbar |
| Programs | Up to 28 |
| Weight capacity | 350 lbs |
| Dimensions | 58" L x 26" W |
Why You Should Trust Our Reviews
A top value for club-quality home exercise, the True ES700 Recumbent Bike is comfortable to ride and exceptionally durable. It’s part of True Fitness’ premium residential bikes, costs $2,299 and up, and is backed by an industry-leading warranty: ten years of parts and electronics protection! That works out to just sixty cents/day over a decade of use (plus electricity costs), making the ES700 a top value across the industry. Highlights include light commercial construction, quiet magnetic resistance, and convenient thumb controls for adjusting the tension.
As for workout programming, bikes in the True Fitness ES collection are compatible with multiple consoles. The ES700 Recumbent can be paired with a standard LED console called “Emerge” or with the “Transcend” console, which normally adds $500 to the base price ($2,799 total). Both consoles have great program variety and can work with wireless heart rate control, but the Transcend has a full-color touchscreen, Bluetooth for audio, Bluetooth for sending data to fitness apps, and other bonuses.
The Great
- High Quality: Overall the ES700 Recumbent is higher quality than the average home exercise bike. The frame is heavy-gauge steel, for example, and it’s robotically welded to be sturdy and last a lifetime. The seating is plush and adjustable, the pedaling is smooth with just-right resistance, and for each console the electronics are protected for 10 years. (Some other recumbent bikes have no electronics protection, or no electronics at all!)
- Compact and Portable: This bike weighs a solid 163 pounds, yet it doesn’t require much room and is easy to move after workouts; transport wheels are attached. Its footprint is 58” L x 26” W.
- Comfortable Seating: The high-backed bike seat helps make cycling comfortable, even for people prone to back pain. It’s constructed something like a high-quality office chair and has an adjustable-angle back for customized lumbar support. Adjusting the seat’s position for your height is easy with a wrap-around bar beneath the seat, like that in many automobiles.
- Resistance: Resistance on the ES700 is magnetic, which has virtually silent operation unlike the gear system of a traditional outdoor bike. You can adjust the resistance with controls built into the handlebars and the console, or exercise on “autopilot” with a workout program making the resistance adjustments. The Watts settings are from 40 to 450, so beginners through advanced athletes are accommodated. But if you’d like a recumbent exercise bike with an even lower-intensity option (25 Watts) for physical rehab purposes, check out the True ES900 Recumbent.
- Choice of Consoles: This bike is available with a choice of two consoles. The Emerge console is included for the $2,299 base price, and the ES700 bike costs $2,799 retail if you choose the Transcend console instead. Both consoles have useful programming no matter what your cycling goal, but some perks of the Transcend are 10 additional workout programs, a 9” full-color touch screen, and advanced Bluetooth connectivity to support audio entertainment and fitness app integration.
- Media Shelf: Each console for the ES700 Recumbent Bike has a shelf for your magazines or mobile devices.
- High Capacity: The maximum user weight capacity is 350 pounds.
- Warranty: True’s 10-year parts and electronics warranty helps make the ES700 bike an exceptional deal. The manufacturer’s warranty coverage also includes a year of labor and lifetime protection for the frame.
The Not-So-Great
- Higher Price: Especially when paired with the Transcend console, up-front this bike costs more than most home-use models. It does have a low cost per day though in the long run.
- Power Required: Unlike the ES900 Recumbent, the ES700 doesn’t generate power as you pedal. It’s shipped with an 8’ power cord.
Who Should Ride the True ES700 Recumbent Bike?
The ES700 Recumbent is a great choice for most individuals and families, as it’s gentle on the body and highly adjustable in terms of user size and strength. It can be useful for serious cross training as well as casual low-intensity workouts. Like a bike sold for health club use the ES700 can hold up to 350 pounds. If you crave the sensation of riding a road bike though – and with the comfort of a reclining seat – then the ES900 would be a better option; it has “bike mode” to simulate a 21-speed bicycle.
The Bottom Line
The True ES700 Recumbent Bike is a high-end, high-value option for cardio and strength exercise that’s easy on joints and tendons. Comfortable, adjustable, and ready to hold your own tablet computer, it can appeal to all family members. Quiet, compact and durable too, it can be a great choice for long-term use in just about any household.
This model is of comparable quality to the pricier ES900. A couple advantages of the ES900 though are hybrid resistance (you can choose magnetic or bike mode) and self-generating power.
True ES700 Recumbent Bike Specs
| Rating | 8.75 |
|---|---|
| Type | Recumbent |
| Console display | 2 Options |
| Compact storage | No |
| Seat type | High back with lumbar |
| Programs | Up to 28 |
| Weight capacity | 350 lbs |
| Dimensions | 58" L x 26" W |
