Life Fitness Club Series+ Recumbent Bike Review

Life Fitness Club Series+ Recumbent Bike Review

Life Fitness Club Plus Recumbent Bike with SL Console

$5,189

The Life Fitness Club Series Plus Recumbent Bike with SL Console is a BEAST!  This is a recumbent bike that will cost between $5000 – $8000 depending on the upper display features.  This is a high-end full commercial bike that you would obviously find in health clubs.  And yes, this is the amount of money that you would need to spend when you hear about “commercial grade” exercise equipment.  These types of products are built for durability.  They are built to handle a 400lb person.  They are built to be used almost nonstop and are still expected to last about 5 years in a gym.  A health club will put about 10X the use on their equipment as compared to a residential setting.    So, why would someone buy this bike for their home?  Typically, it falls into two categories:  The buyer has too much money or they have used this in the past at the gym and really like it.  The reality is that this is not going to be the right bike for most people, in a home setting.  Remember, it is built for durability and not comfort.  The seat is going to be rather hard, and the seat is also not going to be very adjustable.  These bikes are built for you to sit down, pedal and then get off so the next person can ride it.  The less moving parts the less likelihood that something will break.  It is that simple.

This is not a knock on Life Fitness.  There is a reason that Life Fitness products are in over 90% of the health clubs in the USA.  They are extremely durable and built like a tank.  The Club Series Plus Recumbent bike is very easy to get on and off and has a self-generating power feature.  Again, easy to use.  While it is a great bike there are going to be better options for a home environment.  There are other bikes that will be more adjustable, more comfortable, and not cost $5000.  We did this review not to knock Life Fitness but more to show you what is out there and help you understand what you are using in a gym.  Sometimes we hear customers in our retail stores say something like, “I owned a nice commercial (bike or treadmill) that I paid about $700 for but it broke after 3 years in my home”.  Nordic Track even calls their products “commercial”, but they are only warrantied for home use, which is very misleading. Anyways, kind of went off on a tangent.  Now back to the show:

Pros:  Extremely well built and will last a lifetime in a home setting.  Self-generating and very nice step-thru design.  Very smooth and easy starting resistance.

Cons:  Expensive.  Very limited on adjustability and hard seat.