Sit N Cycle Review

You may have seen the Sit N Cycle on TV and wondered if it can actually help you with your fitness goals and/or losing weight and with your health.

It does look like can give you a way to turn time you might otherwise spend sat on the couch into time you can exercise at the same time.

This help you to improve your fitness and burn some calories while still being able to do what you might like to do- including watching TV, reading a book, using a laptop (if using next to a table or adjustable desktop), knitting and so on.

It is an interesting bike in particular it doesn’t come witth handlebars to help you balance yourself in the seat or use to get on and off the seat. I like the design of the bike. It doesn’t look like it is missing handlebars like the Loctek UF6M does.

The TV adverts talk about how easy it is to use, great for helping you to lose weight and help with your overall fitness. They always make things look so good on the TV don’t they?

Let’s take a look at how it matches up to this in the review below.

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Sturdiness

The bike itself seems sturdy enough without rocking or shaking when used on a flat surface and used at moderate speeds which is what is designed for.

There has been issues with belt drive and the pedals breaking up to a few months after use but the company has said that it has now addressed these issues.

From later reviews it seems they have sorted these for the most part provided the pedals are put on correctly during the assembly process (remember the left pedal is attached by screwing it on counter-clockwise)

The bike does need to be on a flat surface to prevent rocking. It sits on 4 small feet but you can’t level them up to prevent rocking on uneven floors. If it does rock you’ll need to use a shim or place it on a rubber mat to prevent the rocking, as it doesn’t have a way to balance it up.

Adjustability

The seat can be adjusted up and down to provide a better fit for different leg lengths. To do this you loosen the knob at bottom of the seat support and pull it to allow you to slide the seat to where you want it and then let the knob go to inset into one of the pre-set holes and then tighten it into place.

It can be positioned to fit people between the heights of 5ft and 6ft 4 ins according to the company.

But I don’t think this will give the proper leg extension you might want if you are using the bike for extended periods of time to avoid the possibility of pain or injury. It seems from it is more suited for people below 5 ft 10 ins. Over that height you can use the bike but won’t be able to fully extend your leg which helps to prevent pain in your knee.

Also people below 5 ft down to 4 ft 10 ins seem to have been able to use the bike but this is likely to be due to their leg length. Some people will be fine with this but others may find they struggle to reach the pedals at their furthest point from the seat.

This is done by loosening the knob at the back of seat support and then sliding the pole to where you want the seat to be. It works with a pin and pre-set holes which gives a steady and secure position once pin properly inserted and knob tightened up.

This method does can give a good no slip way of securing the seat but it can mean for some people they can’t quite get the seat where they want it. It can feel that it is either slightly to long or too short to the pedals.

Resistance

There are 8 resistance settings for the bike that you set before you get on the bike or you have to get off the bike if you want to change. The knob for changing the resistance is at the base and rear of the bike.

Making the changes is easy but you can’t change it as you go without getting off the bike to do it. This can make it annoying if you want to ride at changing levels of intensity as for example, doing a “go up the hill” and then down again workout.

The levels go from easy to moderate hard which can be enough for people to get a workout that gets the heart rate up and gets a sweat on. It’s not going to be right for you if you want intense level of workouts.

The bike is for gentle to moderate levels of hardness this bike. It is more to be used as a way to stay active rather than sitting on the couch which can be effective to help improve fitness.

The magnetic resistance is quiet and provides a consistent pressure to push against depending on how hard you have it set to meet your personal requirements.

Drive type

The bike now comes with a belt drive that is wider and stronger than the earlier model that the supplier says will make it more durable.

They have said it will stop the belt shredding as some people experienced with the previous model.

The belt drive does give a quiet and smooth ride without fluctuations in speed as you pedal.

Pedals

The pedals are forward of the bike rather than underneath which does give a slightly different feel to the pedaling motion but it isn’t recumbent as is mentioned in some product listings.

You aren’t in the semi-reclined position as you have with recumbent exercise bikes with your legs out in front of you and sitting back against a backrest.

An issue that some people have with the pedals is that they work loose and get stripped after a few uses.

It’s not mentioned in all reviews people but it is by more than just a few. At one time there may have been an issue with pedals for some that seems to have been corrected.

I think the issue now caused by the pedals being put on to the correct side as the left pedal has reversed thread.

This means it needs to be tightened counter-clockwise. This stops it from working loose. The pedals should be labeled as to which is which to help with assembling.

Sit N Cycle Comfort

Seat. It has a large flat padded bike type seat to help with comfort and balance.

But like any bike-type seat not everyone will like it. People have put cushions on it to help make it more comfortable. You could also try a large gel seat cover to add some more padding to the seat if you find it tough on your sit bones

The way the seat is attached to the seat post means it will be very difficult to change the seat if the other options don’t help.

You may find you need a small step to help you on to the bike if you are towards the lower range of the height range.

Handlebars. The bike doesn’t come with handlebars which can help with storage. But it doesn’t help with steadying yourself if you need it while you pedal or when getting on and off the bike.

Dust and Dirt. The bike isn’t going to add too much to your cleaning. The biggest problem is likely to be sweat dropping on to the bike and floor. It is a good idea to clean up any sweat that drops on the bike to prevent it from starting to corrode the bike.

Noise. The bike operates very quietly and you’ll be able to use it without disturbing others. You can also watch the TV without having to turn up the volume.

Storage

The compact size and relative light weight helps to make it easy to store out of the way when not in use.

It weighs 34 lbs and there are 2 small transport wheels at the front of the bike that you can tip the bike on to move the bike where you want it. The wheels are small and you may find they stick on carpet and other soft surfaces but the weight should mean it is still easy to move.

On hard surfaces you shouldn’t have a problem other than to make sure the wheels don’t scratch it if it is a wood floor.

Assembly

The bike does require some assembly on delivery.

There isn’t too much to do and should be able to be completed in less than an hour.

There is a set of instructions and a video to follow along to.

You also get the tools needed to put the bike together.

There is only a few pieces to put together with most of it already assembled. One person can put this bike together without any additional help.

Console

There are a couple of versions of the bike where it either comes without a console or come with one.

It depends on how you feel about knowing your speed, distance, calories burned etc. whether this is an issue for you, if you go for the version without one. It costs less to get a bike without the tracker or console.

Personally I like something to keep me going and have my results recorded so I can track progress over time.

The version on Amazon doesn’t come with a tracker.

For the version of the bike that does come with the console it has it situated in a panel that opens up on the front of the seat support towards the top.

To see it you need to look down between your legs to see it. It has 6 measures in total. It displays speed constantly and one of the other 5 measures – RPM, total distance of workouts to date, time, calories and distance for workout. (so, doesn’t measure heart rate which you’ll need to do separately)

You can set it to scan through them as you exercise or choose which one you want to see by pushing the button at the bottom of the display.

It requires 1 AAA battery which according to the manual may not be included.

It doesn’t record your workouts or upload them to a fitness account. If you want a record of your workout to track progress this needs to be done manually.

Dimensions

The dimensions and weight of the bike are:

The dimensions are approximate only

Height 29.5 ins
Width 15.5 inches
Length 23 inches

Bike Weight 34 lbs
Max User Weight 300 lbs

Accessories

The bike doesn’t come with any accessories included in the price. This lack is understandable due to the design – there isn’t anywhere to put anything.

However, you could use the bike with an adjustable desk or table top if you want to use a laptop as you exercise for work or play.

If you like to drink as you exercise you’ll either have to hold your bottle or exercise near a table (as above if you like) to keep the bottle in easy reach.

Pros

• Bike is light and easy to move to use and store out of the way
• Has 8 levels of resistance to give a range of difficulty from easy to moderate
• Seat height can be adjusted to fit a range of different heights
• Bike operates quietly
• Assembly is quick and easy to do
• It has a good modern look to it

Cons

• Need to get off the bike to change the resistance level
• It is not designed for people who are looking for intense workouts
• It doesn’t come with handlebars for helping with balancing and getting on and off it
• Can’t change the seat if you find it uncomfortable
• It can be difficult to get on to the seat due to height and lack of handlebars to help you get on it
• Need to pay considerably more to get one with a tracker
• Some of the ways the bike is sold leads people to believe they are paying less than they actually do as you pay in instalments
• There are no accessories provided with the bike
• A previous model had issues with the belt or pedals in some cases

Sit N Cycle Consumer Ratings

It does come with good reviews overall when looking at its’ functionality.

People have left negative feedback on some sites about the way the company operates it payment plans when you buy it direct which is similar to the way many TV products are sold with a low initial payment followed by a series of payment instalments. This is not on the Amazon site where it is one payment for the price.

The people who have issues with the bike capability are about the pedal and the drive belt and these do tend be in the older ones. In the latest version the company says they have now addressed this issue.

Sit N Cycle Price

If is an affordably priced upright exercise that compares well with other bikes, although those bikes do have handlebars.

Depending on the color you choose you can pay a different price.

On Amazon when I checked it didn’t operate a buy in instalments method seen on other sites that has left some feeling misled (by talking about a “trial price” and not total cost). However, it doesn’t come with a tracker so if that is important to you either need to buy the bike elsewhere or look at a different bike that comes with one.

You can check the latest price and availability at Amazon  by clicking here:
Sit N Cycle

Review Summary

The Sit N Cycle is designed for moderate levels of exercise, to use the time when you would be sat down as a way to add more activity and exercise into your life. You can watch TV, read, play video games etc. while you work on your fitness.

It can certainly help with that to make the most of your time but it isn’t going to work you that hard. So it isn’t for those looking for challenging workouts or looking to burn 500 calories or more in short a time as possible.

Also, I prefer to have a tracker but the price with one makes it an expensive buy compared to other bikes. Without one it can be bought at a more reasonable price but there other bikes out there that you can have a basic console included for a similar price.

It is compact and light making it easy to use in most homes without it dominating a room. It’s quiet so you can get on with your exercise without disturbing others or having to turn up the TV.

It can be useful to burn calories and work on general fitness in your home without eating into your time. It looks good too, but for me I think there are other choices that make for a better deal, they look more like standard bikes but they are more economical and you reach the same goals.