Exerpeutic 4000 Recumbent Bike Review

The Exerpeutic 4000 Recumbent Bike is a mid priced recumbent exercise bike that Paradigm has added to their range to go alongside their popular no frills bikes including the Exerpeutic 900 XL.

Those bikes get high rating from customers in their reviews on the whole, so you’d hope this bike will similarly be good for customers but with more comfort and convenience.

This bike comes with a more advanced console and a Fitness App that can be used for monitoring and tracking your workouts.

It has much better looking seat and handlebars with arm rests for a more comfortable exercising experience.

As well as providing a better seating arrangement you also want a smooth pedaling experience, be able to adjust it to fit you properly and be able to set programs to the level of workout you want.

In this review, all these thing and more are investigate in detail so you know all about the bike – the good and the bad are completely explained so you are fully informed when you make your buying decision.

Sturdiness

The bike has wide stabilizer bars that provide a good firm footing for the bike to prevent it from rocking side to side.

It has a good solid frame construction. There isn’t any concerning movement or creaks as you exercise.

The rear stabilizer bar end caps can be turned and a leveler on the rear half of the frame to balance out the bike if the floor is uneven to stop it rocking.

People who have the bike for a year or more find it continues to be stable providing them with a good solid basis for their workouts.

They expect this to continue on without any problems. (But see adjustability about the seat.)

The frame has a 1 year warranty and the parts 90 days according to the manual.

Adjustability

The seat position can be adjusted for the bike to fit people between 5 ft and 6ft 3 ins.

To adjust the seat doesn’t take too much time.

You do have to get off the bike to do it. You are required to loosen two triangular knobs and a L-shaped knob that you need to remove before sliding the seat to the position. You then re-insert the L-shaped knob which will need you to move the seat slightly to find the pre-set hole. Then tighten up the knobs to keep the seat steady and in place. (This reads worse than it is practically to do the adjustments.)

It is more involved then I’d like but it doesn’t take too long. I’d have thought one adjustment knob would be enough to adjust and hold the seat in place.

If you are below 5ft tall you are likely going to have to stretch to reach the pedals at the most forward point or not reach them at all depending on your leg length.

Over 6ft 3ins tall you will find that you can’t extend your leg fully (slightly bent is recommended) at the far point of the stroke missing out on the full range of motion and felling cramped up.

The knobs do hold it all in place when everything has been properly adjusted and tightened up fully for most people. However you may find you need to tighten them up each time you use the bike to prevent it wobbling slightly at higher speeds.

However, a few customers do experience a slight wobble when they start pedaling fast.

If there is more than one of you using the bike you might want to mark the slider pole to know where to move the seat to. Even with the involved adjustment process it can be used by multiple users.

Resistance

The amount of resistance is controlled through the console. There are 24 levels of resistance that go from light to heavy. The level of resistance can be changed by pushing the up/down buttons or using one of the programs.

It is magnetic resistance so it is quiet and doesn’t require maintenance. The change in levels of resistance is smooth

The low levels of resistance are very light with very little push which can be great when you are just getting started or recovering from injury (under doctors orders).

Drive type

The bike has v-belt drive and balanced flywheel to provide a smooth and consistent pedaling motion. It is quiet and low maintenance.

It is steady without much choppiness except for some at the upper levels of resistance where it can feel like it is pulsing as it slows down through the pedal stroke when you’re at the “top/bottom” of the stroke.

Pedals

The crank is a single crank which does provide a strong and stable basis for pedaling.

The pedals are oversized and come with a strap to provide a good grip and prevent your foot from slipping. The straps are made from plastic so it can be a little tough adjusting and inserting the knob on the pedal into the hole until they soften up.

Exerpeutic 4000 Recumbent Bike Comfort

Seat. Many people find the seat to be one of the most comfortable bike seats they have ever sat on – they are able to sit and exercise for extended periods (over an hour) without any soreness.

It is a large oversized seat with 3 1/2 inch padding known as Air Soft which allows the air to flow through it.

This vented design of the seat helps to keep it cool no matter how long you are on the seat keeping down the sweat and keep you cooler.

The backrest is a molded mesh which provides a good solid support to back along with the arm rests to reduce stress and be more comfortable.

The arm rests are padded to provide more comfortable support to your arms and for when holding the hand pulse sensors at the end.

The design of the bike makes it easy to get on and off the bike – you just “step though” – there is no requirement for lifting a leg over the frame or jumping on the seat – it is more like sitting or getting off a piece of furniture.

The back support angle is not adjustable and it also doesn’t move when you adjust the seat backwards/forwards. It does mean you may need to lean backwards more than you want as you move the seat forward – you may want a pillow to add the support you want for your back.

Noise. This is a very quiet bike. There is little to no noise from the operation of the bike. You can use this while you and others watch TV without having to turn up the volume. You can use it in the middle of the night and not disturb others sleeping. Your breathing is likely to be the loudest noise being heard as a result of your exercise.

Dust and Dirt. The bike won’t be adding too much to your cleaning routine. The only thing that will need cleaning up is any sweat that may drip on to the bike and the floor. Sweat can be very corrosive if left so it is important to wipe the bike down to keep it performing well and looking good. If you are concerned about your floor a rubber exercise mat should keep it free from sweat.

Handlebars. The bike has one large set of handlebars that are on both sides of the seat. They are designed so you can rest your arms on them and grip the vertical ends of them which also has pulse sensors in them for monitoring your heart rate. The design helps to keep your arms rested as you exercise and reduce tension in them. It can help in back support and keeping your shoulders relaxed too.

Storage

The bike is wide at 30 inches or so with the handlebars, you may find it won’t easily fit through doorways – you may need to store it in the same room you use it. It takes up a total area of 58 by 30 ins.

There are 2 small rollers on the front stabilizer bars that you tip the bike on to when you want to move it. They hold most of the weight of the bike making it easier to move it around.

They do work well on hard surfaces but can stick on soft surfaces including carpet so you may find yourself having to drag it.

On wood floors there are times when these rollers may scratch it so you may want to test it first before wheeling it all the way across the floor.

Assembly

You are required to finish the assembly of the bike when you get the bike. It can take up to 2 hours in part due to the confusing instructions.

The instructions start with a fully exploded parts diagram that can give you the impression that you’ve got a huge job – but this misleading. The assembly instructions and diagrams don’t explain the steps that well.

The actual process is straightforward with only a few parts needing to be added to the bike. You need to add the stabilizer bars to the frame, put the front and rear frame together, seat, seat support handlebars, pedals, front post and console.

The holes and parts line up and there is no forcing. The tools required to complete the job are included.

It can be done by one person but having someone help you by holding the pieces in place while you tighten up makes it a much quicker and easier.

Console

The computer has 12 programmable workouts, 7 different training modes and 5 user profiles (see manual) can be set up. You can monitor time, distance, speed, RPM, Watts, calories burned and heart rate.

The console uses bluetooth to talk with your mobile device (IOS or Android) when you download the MyCloudFitness App. Unfortunately, this is still “buggy” to say the least and you may find it easier to record your results yourself (manually) and control the bike using the console rather than with the App.

For power you need to plug it into your house supply using the cord and adapter supplied. There are no batteries required.

It plugs in to the front of bike. You do need to be careful not to kick this out as that can result in damage and without power you can’t use the bike.

To start the console you can start pedaling or push any button. It will turn off after 4 minutes of inactivity.

The instructions and description of the console aren’t as clear as they should be but are manageable,

At the top of the console is a clip for holding your tablet or ipad in place – it extends upwards to fit most in portrait position as well as landscape.

Below that is a graphical presentation of the 12 workout programs (the height of the columns let you know the amount of resistance at that point in the program),

Under these the other training modes are listed.

Next is the display which is an LCD screen which can be hard to see in poor light conditions.

It displays the program using a dot-matrix (in the upper left of the screen) to let you know the program (details in the manual) with 8 rows and 16 columns to show the workout profile. The dotmatrix shows the resistance by the height of column.

The rest of the screen shows time, rpm, speed, distance, watts, calories, pulse and user.

Underneath this are the set, reset, enter up/down buttons used to select, program and change the settings of the console. The up/down buttons are used to manually control the resistance levels.

The 7 training profiles are: manual, program, fitness, watt, heart rate, personal and random.

The manual profile lets you set one resistance level to get started .time, distance and calories. You can change resistance as you go.

The program profile is where you select one of the 12 pre-set workout programs where you can select the time, distance or calories you want to achieve.

The fitness profile is a set 8 minute fitness test that gives you a score at the end from very poor to very good.

The Watts profile uses Watts for measuring your output – you can select the time, distance or calories

The personal profile is a training program you can set up with your own resistance levels, time, distance and calories.

The heart rate profile uses your heart rate with you able to select 55%, 75%, 90% or choose your own heart rate setting to control the intensity of workout and monitor it. You can select distance, time or calories.

The random profile is a random workout but as with the others you can select the distance time or calories as goal.

The user profile allows you to enter in your age, sex, height and weight. These help you to use the heart programs, fitness and see measures (calories) personalized for you rather than for some default programmed into the computer.

To use the heart rate programs and monitor you need to be holding on to the sensors in the handlebars tightly with both hands (but not too tightly). Like all bikes with these hand pulse sensors the monitoring can be erratic and not giving a great experience.

Having said that some people do get a good experience from these pulse sensors but many don’t – and this needs to be expected. They just don’t work as well as a heart rate strap. It can be due to not holding tight enough or not tight enough or your hands being too dry or too much hand cream and so on.

Dimensions

The dimensions and weights of the bike are

Height 41 ins
Width 30 ins
Length 58 ins

Bike Weight 71 lbs
Maximum User Weight 325 lbs

Accessories

The bike comes with a couple of extras.

There is a personal electronics shelf that is included as part of the console. It has a soft gel pad that holds them in place firmly but without damaging them. You can place your Kindle, tablet or smartphone there. It does cover the console display but you can use the App (as discussed under the console section above) to monitor progress.

It doesn’t include speakers to play your electronics through nor a port to charge them.

The second extra, on the front pole that supports the console there is a water bottle holder. To grab you bottle you need to lean forward just as you do when using the console.

If you want to watch the TV you may find (depending on your height) that you need to position the bike at an angle so that you don’t have the console in your way.

Pros

• Seat can be adjusted to fit the bike properly for a range of heights
• Bike can be leveled out to prevent rocking on uneven surfaces
• Has a free mobile app you download to your smathphone that you can upload, track and monitor your exercise and fitness using bluetooth
• Comes with a holder for you to use your personal electronics while you workout
• Assembly is relatively straightforward despite the poor instructions
• Display is backlit to see measures in all lighting conditions
• Has rollers at the front to help with moving the bike around
• The bike has 12 pre-set programmed workouts which help to get you started as well as add variety and help prevent fitness plateaus
• The console is programmable to set up your own workouts
• It is a very quiet bike that you can use without disturbing others day or night

Cons

• Assembly instructions are confusing but assembly can still be done in a couple of hours
• Using the App for the bike can be buggy and can drop out making it hard to use
• It can be difficult to get through doorways due to the 30 inch + width
• The heart rate sensors (as with all bikes with these) can be unreliable
• If there is no power you can’t use the bike
• You need to be very sure to tighten the seat adjustments knobs up tight to avoid it wobbling slightly when pedaling fast

Exerpeutic 4000 Recumbent Bike Consumer Ratings

Overall the bike is positively rated by customers in their reviews. They get the exercise they want.

However, the biggest concern of the bike is the seat. They do like its comfort but it can come loose and/or wobble. It needs to be tightened up very hard to prevent this happening. The other complaint is that the backrest doesn’t move with the seat so you may need a pillow when you’ve got the seat forward to provide the support you want.

The App is also seen as a weakness with it and people have problems using it and getting a good connection with the bike. You don’t have to use it for using the bike – you can use the console.

Having said that, most people really like the comfort of the bike and that they can get on it easily. They like the smooth pedaling experience and they can set it to the level of workout intensity they want using the console. They like that they can get on with getting active and improving their fitness on a quiet and low impact exercise bike.

Exerpeutic 4000 Recumbent Bike Price

This mid range recumbent exercise bike comes with one of the best large seats and arm rests to give a comfortable exercise experience. It also has a console that provides pre-set programs as well as the ability to set your own to allow you to workout at the spped and intensity you want.

When I checked Amazon it qualified for free shipping

You can check at Amazon for current pricing,deals and availability here:
Exerpeutic 4000 Recumbent Bike

Summary

It is a smart looking machine that will look good in your living room or home gym area. It can be used by beginners and people recovering from injury (under doctors advice) right through to more experienced due to resistance adjustment from light to hard allowing you to set the intensity you want to work at.

The bike seat, backrest and arm rests are very comfortable. They all help to reduce stress on the back while you get a smooth and low impact workout from the bike.

The console has 12 programs, 7 training and 5 profiles which help you to personalize the workouts for your particular needs as well as providing variety to prevent boredom and help in improving your fitness levels.

The App itself still needs work with it still being buggy and not working at times.

The seat adjustment is more involved than it should be (requiring 3 adjustment knobs to be used) and getting it fully tightened up can be difficult to prevent a little wobbling from side to side when pedaling fast. It can also come loose.

There is much to recommend the bike overall with it being well priced. It looks good and provides a quiet comfortable cardio workout that can be used by multiple people of a range of ages and fitness.