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2010 Livestrong - Indoor Cycle |
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I’m a really big fan of Lance. I think he’s a superhuman freak of nature. Finding himself at deaths door and somehow, someway putting it in reverse, coming back and dominating one of the toughest sports and winning one of life's most impossible events, year after year after year. Truly amazing. He put his foundations name on an indoor performance exercise bike. The bike; NOT so amazing. I went and rode it and took some serious notes. The way I do with any new bike. This bike retails at somewhere around $2K. Never in a million years would this bike be worth HALF of that. Granted , it’s built better than the other home version bikes, BUT at 3-4 times the cost to the end user. It would be a competitive home bike in the $500 range, but attaching the Livestrong name doesn’t make it even remotely close to it’s double, triple or quadruple price point. It has a hollow flywheel, low grade pedal, sloppy seat slider, the computer magnet literally fell of the flywheel when I engaged the drive train at speed and it seat and handlebar tower wobble that rivals bikes produced 10+ years ago. Plus as an extra added bonus it assembled like an IKEA end table by sporting goods store employees. You can EASILY buy a commercial Star Trac or Schwinn at this range. Not a great bike at an unbelievably inflated price. |
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2010 Schwinn AC Series Bikes |
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I’ve watched Schwinn and Star Trac duel for top honors over the last ten years. With the new Schwinn AC series bikes, Schwinn is CLEARLY ahead of the game. The new handlebar design, the magnetic resistance, the ABSOLUTE strongest bottom bracket, plus its striking design put the AC bikes on top. I’ve had a serious level of involvement with the new AC (Authentic Cycling) series bikes from the first trade show debut. I’ve had the honor and privilege of testing this bike series, consulting with the actual designers and engineers as well as installing the very first production units in the USA. Because this bike is so new and the technology is so fresh, you do not want to put the assembly & tuning in the hands of a random fitness technician or a self proclaimed “Bike Guy”. This holds true to pretty much any commercial bike. This is an absolute dream bike to own and ride when built and tuned to perfection, and WE are the #1 choice of The Nautilus / Schwinn Institute for consulting, building and tuning these bikes for the top notch commercial facilities here on the West Coast. I’ve heard everything from “The magnets will wear out” to Schwinn is going out of business”. BikeTekUSA only gets behind and involved with the best companies in the business and we’ve been involved with Schwinn Fitness from the very beginning of the indoor cycling revolution. There are 3 commercial models in the AC line. The Classic is the entry level model. Then you move to the Sport with integrated bottle cages in the handlebars, Smart Release, fore and aft handlebars, and clip pedals, then the Performance model which is basically the Sport with an aluminum frame. Compare the AC Series Bikes to the Star Trac Spinner NXT: The Schwinn AC series bike shamelessly stack up to the Star Trac Spinner NXT. The AC series bikes have a better bearing assembly in the crank; utilizing ISIS spline technology, virtually eliminating the need for repetitive crank arm tightening. Bottom bracket fracture and breakage is history with these bikes. The AC’s also has Virtual Contact® magnetic resistance technology, no more drag or friction when applying or changing resistance. Virtual Contact® is like having an adjustable head wind , and I’ve personally found it to be the purest, smoothest form of applied resistance EVER. Finally, the AC Sport and Performance versions have a fore and aft handlebar adjustment feature NOT found on The Spinner Pro, Spinner Elite OR Spinner NXT. Having this adjustment feature is great for those who are petite or on the taller side and everyone else in between because you can fine tune the “cockpit” of the bike to absolute perfection! |
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2009 Star Trac NXT |
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The 2009 Spinner NXT is basically the same as the 2006 model with the following changes: better paint quality, upgraded Bottom Bracket, injection molded resin sweat protector on the apexes of the flywheel, closer spacing on the adjustment holes on BOTH towers and different decals and head badge. While some of this may seem cosmetic, the bottom bracket improvement is HUGE. The bike is only as good as the assembly process once it’s taken out of the box. I don’t know ANYONE else on the planet who assembles with the care and detail that my company does. No matter how well a bike is designed, the problems with the bikes will most likely always begin with a wham bam 10 minute assembly. When I build these 2009 NXT’s, I still find things that are loose, that are ungreased, maladjusted and mis-aligned. You simple cannot build these bikes out of the box like a piece of furniture from IKEA. If you do the bike will under perform and you will eventually have the same problems as any other knock off bike available on the market today. |
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Star Trac NXT |
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| Well what can you say about Star Trac’s newest bike to carry the Spinner® name? Plenty, for sure. This is the first aluminum framed commercial grade indoor bike I’ve seen and it’s built like a brick @#%&*^!! Not sure what the grade of Aluminum is, but I’ve spent quite a few hours testing this bike personally and it’s a likable piece of equipment. This is also the first Spinner I’ve seen NOT to carry the Johnny G branding alongside the Spinner title. This is product review so I’ll stay away from that can of worms but I’ll say this much, JOHNNY G IS SPINNING, PERIOD!! I know the man, and if he were an actual bike, he would be like the NXT; high performance, a bit finicky and begging to be tested to the limits. Gone is the usual amount of slop associated with square handlebar and seat towers, this bike has a cool new oval design to the towers giving the rider a locked and loaded feel once they achieve the desired ergo settings. I have heard some complaints from taller riders about hitting their knees cuz the rear end of the bars are a little bit in the way, but with a conscious effort you wont need an icepack. Also, if you get the wrong mechanic “adjusting” this bike, its gonna feel like a chainsaw in short order. Keep rookie bike techs away from this hot rod. Too bad it doesn’t have teeth so it could defend itself : ) | |||||||||||||
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| The Star Trac NXT is the first aluminum indoor group cycle on the market and the only one I know of to date. This is an incredibly useful dynamic considering the continued lack of care and sweat in the commercial fitness facilities that use these units. The downside? First generation NXT’s are plagued with bottom bracket bearing issues. The only known solution for this catastrophic failure is in Volume 6 of my manual series. Plus; with the ever consistent wham bam assembly process that plagues even the best built bikes when they come over the pond and out of the box; you have so many parts that seize in the first year from lack of professional assembly and care that it seems almost impossible to service these bikes. | |||||||||||||
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2009 Star Trac Spinner Pro |
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The 2009 Star Trac Spinner Pro is the best bang for the buck, PERIOD. They have trickled down the best features from the Elite and NXT (sans the aluminum frame and Smart Release) which include the integrated bottle cage handlebars and probably the best built pedal on the market. Close spacing the holes of both towers provides an awesome fit, the sweat guard on the flywheel is functional, and the font is clearly 21rst century. Now if they could just pass a law to make it illegal to let boneheads put these together when they are new, this bike would be flawless. If you buy one of these buy a copy of volume 5 of my manual series to properly assemble this workhouse as the bike is typically only as good as the assembly, at least long term. |
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2009 Star Trac Spinner Elite |
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| The 2009 Spinner Elite has the same basic review applied as the Pro, the difference being a new improved Smart Release, which REALLY is new and improved. Fairly easy to adjust, the new Smart Release works and it works well. Keep in mind that the load adjustment screws are VERY sensitive, so if you attempt to adjust it and you overdo it, you could lock out the clutch, which could be dangerous. | |||||||||||||
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Johnny G Spinner Pro® & Elite® by Star Trac |
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| Johnny G started it all, in his garage, almost by accident. Now it’s a fitness revolution. He took his idea and a raw bike design to Schwinn® and it came to the masses. Together they set the standard. When his company Mad Dogg Athletics split with Schwinn®, people wondered what would happen. Well I personally knew that Johnny would never settle for anything but the best machines to continue the Spinning® legacy. His team shopped long and hard for a suitable replacement, searching for a company with the same beliefs and standards that makes Spinning® what it is today. Star Trac® IS that company. The new bikes are built stronger and better than ever. And best of all, probably the easiest bike to own from a club stand point. Star Trac® started with a completely redesigned frame combined with wider stabilizers and oversized levelers. Easy to keep clean with bombproof paint, the secret to the paints durability is its zinc rich primer. The drive train utilizes fat beefy crank arms to transfer the rider’s horsepower to the bikes sweat repealing flywheel. Combine all these upgrades with a resistance mechanism with over 40 FEWER parts than the old bikes and these are the dream bikes for fitness facilities. Did I mention the cool fender to keep sweat off the flywheel OR how ‘bout the pop pins that tighten with just a couple of turns. It’s pretty clear Star Trac® was a good choice for Johnny G and company. Accept no substitutes, if your gonna Spin®, do it on a Johnny G Spinner® by Star Trac®. | |||||||||||||
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| These were the first offerings from Star Trac after partnering with Spinning® Same issues as the rest in terms of hardware seizures and difficulty in service after a year or two of commercial use. The first generation black Spinner Elite, in its first couple of manufacturing runs used the original Smart Release which can be identified by the big black spring between the flywheel and flywheel sprocket. These first run bikes tend to be maintenance NIGHTMARES. | |||||||||||||
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2009 Star Trac Spinner V |
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The new Spinner V is is the best “V” version yet. Aesthetics’ are vastly improved and the “Spinner” name has been integrated into the title of this 09 version of Star Trac’s oldest competing model since entering the indoor cycling arena. As with all the previous “V’ models, it has the fore and aft adjustment on the handlebars which make it ideal for petite folks as well as taller peep’s and everyone in between. The new Spinner V is finally the perfect V-bike! |
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2008 Star Trac Spinner V-bike Version 2.5 |
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The Star Trac Version 2.5 is EXACTLY the same in asthetics as the V2. Whats different? They use an updated upgraded bottom bracket and better quality parts in the tower areas. The version 2-5 for all intents and purposes IS the NEW Spinner V with V2 paint! |
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2005 Star Trac Spinner |
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The first generation V-bikes were built to compete with Johnny G and Schwinn. They were wildly unpopular, but readily available to the masses that were unable to get their hands on the Schwinn Spinners at the onset of the Spinning explosion. The handlebar diameter is small compared to most indoor handlebars and the original V-bike had a non perimeter weighted flywheel which created little or no inertia. The Version 2 is the same bike with a different color and they finally added a perimeter weighted flywheel. |
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2009 Schwinn IC Pro and Elite |
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The 2009 IC Pro and Elite models are practically the same as the 07’s and 08’s except for a different color, silver and a very slight change in graphics. |
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2007 Schwinn IC Pro and Elite |
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These bikes came out of the factory with the same bearing issue that plagued the Evolutions ( See the review on the Evo’s ) Same needy sensitive resistance mechanism as used on the Evo’s, these bike don’t last long without professional care at least in terms of the users lodging nonstop complaint because most facilities don’t have decent care or maintenance. |
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Schwinn Evolution & Evolution SR |
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| This IS the newest offering from Nautilus Schwinn since their separation from Mad Dogg Athletics and Spinning® I can assure you, after tuning thousands of bikes and spending countless hours riding, testing and teaching, the Evo’s are very well put together. Improvements include a totally redesigned monocoque style frame, bombproof downhill MTB splined BB and crank assembly as well as a major amount of stainless steel in all the critical areas. In addition to being one of the coolest looking bikes out there,( you just wanna climb on and pound the crap out of this bike), the SR features a newly designed Smart Release that can be adjusted without dis-assembly, PLUS, it is resistant to “Super Maintenance Guy”( that’s the guy in the gym with a big toolbox, but typically no knowledge of mechanical psychology, but he can “fix” ANYTHING) with the industrial sized can of chain lube, lurking and waiting to contaminate the clutch and ruin the buttery ride. Schwinn continues to utilize the dual resistance pad set up, if you take care of your bikes and are proactive, you simply cannot compare the range of motion the Schwinn Indoor Cycles provide with all the others who use the top mount Uni pad for resistance. Great improvements make this bike worthy of the badge that adorns the front of the bike and keeps the product true to the Nautilus/Schwinn heritage. | |||||||||||||
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| The Schwinn Evolution is Schwinn’s top of the line bike, since their separation from Mad Dogg Athletics and Spinning® The first generation of Evolutions used a painfully troublesome bearing assembly in the crank area, these units can be identified by red handlebars. Buying these bikes with the red handlebars used will cause the need for therapy unless they have been professionally refurbished. The new generation Evolution with black handlebars has a better bearing assembly in the crank but they put out A LOT of these units without securing the BB assembly which renders the bike useless without a very involved correction process. Plus Schwinn still uses a resistance mechanism that they designed in the late 1960’s which DEMANDS regular service or the rider suffers. | |||||||||||||
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2009 Lemond Revmaster |
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The “new” Lemond Revmaster is really very similar to the original yellow model they produced in terms of ride and feel. It still produces a non aggressive sort of up, down, up, down Stairmaster pedal stroke feel that comes from the Lemond camp. They do use a different locking mechanism on the towers that is the same take on the old design, just a bit more complicated, but after close inspection, it will most likely slip over time as the old ones did on the original models. The resistance mechanism sometimes vibrates with no rhyme or reason which is quite a distraction if find yourself in the “zone” in the middle of a class or ride. The Handlebars are still oddly configured and the water bottle placement makes you practically climb to the front of the bike to gain access. |
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Lemond Revmaster 2.0 |
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| This is "that" yellow bike. The bikes designer is Paul Swift, a major player in the "real" world of cycling; with 8 national cycling championships and a Goodwill Games Gold medal, this man brings a lot to the table in respect to bike design. I personally prefer a perimeter weighted flywheel with a chain, stronger inertia, and for me that's what simulates a bicycle when you add variable levels of resistance. The Lemond is VERY well built and from a maintenance standpoint; it just doesn't get any better. BUT, when you ride a Johnny G Spinner Pro,Elite NXT either by Schwinn OR Star Trac for any extended period of time; then get on this bike; it just feels different. REALLY different. | |||||||||||||
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| The Lemond Revmaster has seen a steady decrease in market share, at least in the regions I work in. The bikes chief designer, Paul Swift has left the company, they went through some manufacturing location issues; and have since changed some of the overall design. I’ve worked on quite a few of these bikes, and long term, my opinion has changed. The resistance mechanism seems terminally problematic, and anyone who has spent any measurable amount of time on a chain driven, perimeter weighted flywheel cant wait to get off the Lemond after just a few short minutes. Lets face it, on close inspection the Lemond is a knocked off version of the original Star Trac V-bike; which in and of itself, has never been popular. The pinch mechanisms that hold the towers in place after adjusts are made tend to slip as well. After long term observation, this bike makes a great coat rack, as long as you have other Yellow furniture or décor in the near proximity. | |||||||||||||
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2009 Keiser M3 |
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| I’ve ridden every Keiser indoor cycle that’s ever come out of the factory, and my impression hasn’t changed much over the years until now. Sure the M3 looks WAY better than some of the other bikes Keiser has created in the past, but this bike not only looks cool, it is a whole different animal. The M3 is the first commercial grade indoor group cycle to incorporate magnetic resistance. This means no pad/pads contacting the flywheel, which translates to less maintenance. The lever to change resistance levels is crisp and precise. The saddle looks a bit bigger than others, but it’s really easy on the rear end. Plus the optional computer gives wattage output as you add resistance. This bike is belt driven so it’s smooth and quiet. Some prefer a chain drive over the synthetic feel of a belt drive, now you have a really great choice to compare to the mainstream bikes that most have come to know and love. No other bike I currently sell is made in the USA except the Keiser, which reflect in the price, but it’s hard not to love this bike. | |||||||||||||
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2009 RealRyder ABF8 |
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Here is a quote from an internet reviewer “The Realrider mimics actual outdoor biking. Because its frame articulates, it allows the rider to lean and steer as he/she works out. The seat and pedals adjust too, just like the real thing. Not TOO much more expensive than a very good treadmill the RealRyder ABF8 will set you back $1,995.” Are you kidding me? 2k for the latest “different bike”. I remember when I was a teenager and Schwinn came out with the “Swingbike”. It seemed pretty cool for about a week Then I wanted to get back on my “Real” bike where the frame wasn’t hinged in a half a dozen places and pivoting all over the place. I’ve taught a lot of Spinning classes and a good percentage of the participants are NOT cyclists. It’s hard enough to teach good form on a bike that doesn’t flop all over the place. If we had time (and interest) we could elaborate on Q-factor, center of gravity, a good pedal and a host of other important dynamics. But we typically have about 45 minutes, and the last thing I want to see is one of my students leaning to the right or leaning to the left ( as if the fun in that would last longer that a song with a fast beat).I would bet dollars to donuts that the RealRider will be right next to the Trixter bikes with the swinging back and forth handlebars and most will forget about the Realrider as quickly as the thought of “Hey, that’s different”. I shot these pictures at the 09 IHRSA convention while I was rippin’ around the show with Paul Swift, The cheif designer of the Lemond Revmaster. We had a blast laughing our asses off at this latest attempt to be “different” than Schwinn and Star Trac. |
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Trixter X-Bike |
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OK, this bike shouldn’t even warrant a review on my site. This bike has a steering mechanism (handlebar?) that goes back and forth (it has a million moving parts), to simulate climbing and you can “coast” the flywheel, a really BAD idea. Hands down the worst bike I’ve seen, although Keiser and Realrider are hanging in there. The Trixter bikes are popping up for sale all over the place. I see ads that say “retails at $1495.00 / Blowout price: $699.99 I remember meeting the owner of the company at a trade show a couple of years ago, he wanted me to write a tech manual for his bikes. They had THE formula to start a new indoor cycle company. They were also “different”. They had Missy Giove, a really “cool” womens mountain bike racer on their squad. She was the one that wore a dead piranha on a string around her neck when she raced downhill slalom ATBs. They now have Nicky Haden (He really IS cool). They also have serious funding. I guess it doesn’t matter how cool your “face” person is, or how much money you have. If it doesn’t fly, IT DOESN’T FLY. |
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