The Stamina ATS Air Resistance Exercise bike is one of the most affordably priced fan bikes which is great for those who like a bargain and those being careful with money.
However, it is important that you don’t just end up with “you get what you pay for” where it just becomes an expensive clothes hanger at best when out looking for a bargain.
It is a little different to most fan bikes, including the expensive ones too, in that you can manually adjust the level of resistance as well as increase/decrease the resistance depending on the speed of your pedaling.
As with all these bikes you can get an upper and lower body as it has moving handlebars.
In our review we look at how well it can hold up to your workouts at what intensity and whether it does offer value for money.
First up is to see how firm it is when you are working out.
Sturdiness
The bike is light but stable for working out with no rocking or wobbling experienced by those wanting moderate to more tough workouts. It is made from heavy-duty steel which keeps it steady and not flexing under the work.
But it isn’t really for elite athletes or those looking for very tough high intense workouts particularly on a regular basis and over a period of time.
There are leveling caps on the front stabilizer bar for balancing the bike up when the floor is a little uneven but only helps when there is very mild variations in the floor surface.
The frame warranty is 1 year and parts 90 days which is really as expected on a bike at this price.
Adjustability
The bike can be adjusted to accommodate a range of different heights up to maximum height of 6 ft 5 ins (from customer reports) but at that height you may find that there is not enough movement in the arms for a fully effective upper body workout.
It is not possible to move the seat forwards/backwards to get yourself more comfortably situated in relation to the handlebars. For many this is fine as the angle of the seat post takes the seat further away from the handlebars as you move it upwards and vice versa. However, some may find themselves stretching more than they want due to differing arm and torso lengths from person to person.
Making the adjustment to the seat height can be done quickly making the bike easy to use for all family members to use. It only takes seconds to make the adjustment so the hassle factor is fairly low.
To do this you loosen the adjustment knob and remove it. Then slide the seat to the height you want and inset the knob back into place into one of the preset holes and tighten itback into place securely.
Resistance
The bike gives you two ways to get the level of resistance you want to train at. It has a fan wheel so the faster you pedal the more air resistance there is the fan pushes aside more air.
The second way to adjust resistance is a resistance knob on the frame that tightens/loosens a belt that is attached to the fan wheel. This works well with the air resistance – to increase the resistance to a level you want and then you can pedal faster to get some more from that level.
The levels of resistance aren’t marked which can make it difficult to objectively set and return to a particular amount of resistance.
You may find that your pedal stroke becomes more up and down than circular at tougher resistance levels. This is because there isn’t the momentum in the wheel to pull the pedals through like you have on spin bikes that have weighted flywheels. You just need to concentrate on your pedal stroke so it continues to be fluid motion as you may find it having some small impact on your joints (not too great as most of your weight is supported by the seat).
When pedaling you will feel only a little wind as you ride which is more of a light breeze even when pedaling flat out.
The tension belt will wear down over time and need replacing. It would appear this doesn’t happen too often as on similar bikes it is not reported as a problem. The time taken for it wear down will depend on usage and how hard you have the tension on.
Drive type
The drive is a chain, like you see on an outdoor bike. It works in the same way other than thas a fixed so you are unable to “coast.” It makes a quiet clinking sound as it moves across the sprockets but you are probably not going to hear that over the fan wheel moving.
From time to time you may need to lubricate and adjust the tension as you would do with an outdoor bike, but it should be less frequent than that.
It has a guard around it that helps to protect it from dirt and sweat. This also stops your ankles, clothes and fingers getting caught up in the drive when its moving
Pedals
The pedals are wide to fit all sizes of shoes. They have a non-slip surface on them to give your shoes a good grip on the surface. There is not any strap to hold your shoes in place. People that have used the bike for some time have not had any issue with feet slipping.
The handlebars, wheel and pedals are all connected and move with each other – i.e. when the pedals are moving so are the handlebars and vice versa. To get a just a lower body workout you can either rest arms lightly on the handlebars or have them at your side or with hands on hips or thighs. For an upper body workout they recommend you standing with feet on the back stabilizer bar and lean over seat to work the handlebars.
The bike isn’t designed for standing on pedals with the handlebars moving and the size of the bike is too small and you’d end up to cramped anyway.
Stamina ATS Air Resistance Exercise Bike Comfort
Noise. As it has a fan wheel it is going to make some noise like a medium size electric fan. The faster you pedal the more noise it produces. It isn’t loud and you can hear the TV over it by increasing the volume a little. You shouldn’t disturb people in other rooms or neighbors like you do with a treadmill.
Seat. The seat like most fan bikes is uncomfortable with it being hard with only some padding. To help with the pain you may feel in your sit bones you but a gel seat cover or padded bike shorts. You can’t easily change the seat for another more comfortable bike seat as it is attached to the bike using 3 bolts rather than the standard bike fitting. It is possible to buy an exercise bike seat adapter that makes this possible if the seat is just too much on the sit bones.
Handlebars. The handlebar can’t be fixed in place while you ride the bike so you can’t use them to lean on or like you would other exercise bikes. There are foam grips at the top of handles to make them easier on your hand and provide a better grip particularly when hands get wet.
Dirt and Dust. The bike itself doesn’t generate much dirt but you may find the fan wheel blows dust around as you pedal. If you sweat when working out it likely to drip on the bike and the floor. To protect the bike it is important to clean it regularly so the sweat doesn’t damage it. To keep your floor in good condition a rubber exercise mat is a good investment.
Storage
It is a compact bike. (The supplier was not able to supply dimensions when asked!)
There are no transport wheels on the bike. You need to either drag or lift the bike when you want to move it. It does weigh just under 47 lbs so it isn’t something you want to move too often or too far. Moving by dragging is easy over hardwood and tiles but more difficult on carpet.
Assembly
The bike comes partly completed with the frame, drive and fan wheel all put together. It comes with all the tools needed to assemble and should take under an hour.
The instructions are clear. The parts and hardware are easily identifiable. It comes with the tools needed for the job.
It is recommended that the assembly be done by 2 people which is to avoid injury and damaging the bike. The hardest part of the bike is likely to managing the weight of the bike, particularly when it is in the packaging and when attaching the support bars.
Console
It comes with a console that displays time, speed distance and calories. You can see one of the measures for the whole workout or you can set it to scan through them every 4 seconds. Other than time the other measures are approximate and shouldn’t be totally relied on (as with a exercise bikes) apart from comparing workouts.
It shuts off after 4 minutes to save battery, it does give you time to do anything and return to your workout and it does store the measures giving you more time to get back to your workout and carry on where you left off.
The measures can be cleared by pushing the mode/reset button below the display. This button can be used to choose the mode you want to track during your workout. You also use this button to start the computer or you can do that by starting to pedal.
It is a basic computer and doesn’t include any pre-programmed workouts.
It doesn’t record your workout, If you want to keep a track of your progress you are going to have to manually record them in a journal, spreadsheet or fitness account.
The console requires 2 AA batteries that are installed in the back of it. These are not supplied.
The numbers can be seen while you ride but they are low down making it a little inconvenient to see as you pedal. They aren’t backlit which makes it hard to see when the light is low.
Dimensions
The weight and dimensions of the bike are:
Height N/A
Width N/A
Length N/A
Bike Weight 46.4 lbs
Max User Weight 250 lbs
Accessories
The bike doesn’t have any accessories – so there is no water bottle holder or anywhere to put your book, MP3 player or tablet. It’s not unusual for these type of bikes to not have much in the way of accessories but they do normally go for a water bottle holder at least. Still that is one of the compromises for the price.
If you are wanting to have water you can set your bottle on a table that you have near the table or work it in to your interval training and getting off the bike.
The instructions have some general guidelines on your heart rate for exercising with a chart for what your heart rate should be for your age. There is also tips on warm up and cool down.
It does provide some good information on how to set the seat to fit you properly.
It discusses how to get a full body, lower body or an upper body workout which is short but clear. It doesn’t give you sample workouts you could try – such as interval training. But it is more than you get with most bikes. If this is something you can find sample workouts online and tailor them for your level of fitness as needed.
It also provides good information on maintenance and has a troubleshooting guide.
Pros
- Comes with a basis console
- Provides guidance on setting up and using the bike
- Resistance can be adjusted manually using tension knob as well as by pedaling faster
- The variable resistance is great for beginners and those wanting light workouts to intermediate level workouts
- Can be put together in under an hour
- The seat can be adjusted up and down to fit a number of different size users
- The price is one of the big benefits
- Suitable for people up to the height of 6 ft 5 ins
Cons
- No water bottle holder or other accessories
- There are no transport wheels to help with moving the bike
- Handlebars can’t be fixed in place
- Not really suitable for those looking for intense workouts
- Unable to upload workout results to a fitness application or spreadsheets
- The seat can be uncomfortable and is difficult to replace
- There are no sample workouts included to get you started
Stamina ATS Air Resistance Exercise Bike Consumer Ratings
Overall customer reviews are positive. They like the stable and fluid nature of the ride. They like how they are able to get a great workout and exercise both their arms and legs at the same time. The majority find the bike easy to assemble with it all going together as it should. And of course, they like the price.
There are a couple (out of 30 who have left a review) who have had an issue with assembly or missing parts but they don’t comment as to whether the company helped them get their problem sorted.
Stamina ATS Air Resistance Exercise Bike Price
This is an affordable bike and you do get a reasonable bike for it. It is very much a no-frills bike for those wanting some cardio workouts that aren’t too gruelling.
When I checked it qualified for free shipping at Amazon.
Summary
This bike is for the price a good deal but it does have some limitations. It’s ideal for beginners and those wanting a moderate level of exercise. Although it can take on intense workouts it won’t stand up to that long term. For that you may want to trade up.
For those wanting to challenge themselves they are better looking at the Schwinn Airdyne AD6 or Schwinn Airdyne AD2 as these are built for tougher levels of exercise and will keep up with you as your workouts become tougher.
It has the unique capability of the resistance getting harder as you workout faster of fan bikes with a manual adjustment to increase the base resistance. It can be used by people of different sizes for something all members of the household can use for low impact cardio.
Overall it is good bike but don’t expect it to match more expensive bikes when you want to push yourself harder as you get fitter.
How many other bikes blow cool air on you when you peddle backwards?
Riddle me that.
It can be great way to help to keep you cool while you exercise.
Thank you, this review was very helpful and more thorough than anticipated.
You’re welcome, great to hear that it helped.
I burn 500 + calories and do over 20 miles on this bike per day. Love it. Price so good for the workout I get. I am 71 years old, and my back shoulders and chest are beginning to resemble a 30 year old. Jut turn on my stereo and rock for an hour each day.
Great stuff – keep it up. Thanks for the feedback.