Archive for 'Exercise & Fitness'

Good indoor trainer
The trainer was delivered on time. I had it set up, my bike mounted, and was riding within 45 min. Trainer is stable (I'm using a riser block) and fairly quiet, I only neede to turn the tv volume up a couple points while riding.

Excellent equipment
I absolutely love this. I am not a huge cyclist, but needed to switch from running to something with less impact. It gives a great workout with plenty of resistance. It is very loud though. Definitely need the stacking block for the front.

Love this trainer
I've had this trainer for about four years now. I used to have a wind trainer, and this trainer is much quieter (but I still have to turn the volume up on the TV - it's not totally quiet). It also provides a higher level of resistance that increases in a realistic fashion the faster I go. Another plus is that the fluid takes a few minutes to heat up before the resistance kicks in, which provides a warm-up period that is just about right. Overall I'm very pleased with it and have had no problems. It's great for keeping you in condition over the winter, or if the weather is not cooperating.
One warning - if you don't have any distraction you will die of boredom. Miles creep by after a certain point. While 30 or 40 miles may go by quickly on the road, 10 miles on the trainer is excruciating - none of the rush that comes with flying down the road, no racing along with your buddies, no conversation, none of the small breaks that you get while drafting, coasting, or going downhill. You will get a great workout but time will drag. A TV is nice and a workout video really helps (and gives you the benefit of a structured workout).

Rear Tires Do Not Fit
We bought this for some indoor knee rehab. Tried to attach two bikes to it, smallish women's Trek 7200 and a larger men's Trek 520. In both cases the rear wheel remains firmly on the ground. Undecided as to whether we will simply return the product or try to prop up the side balance legs on some blocks of wood.

Great cycling trainer
This trainer was easy to set up. Took less than 5 minutes. I didn't have to follow the instructions because a coworker gave me some pointers and then it was obvious. The trainer works really great. I have used it for several months now to cross-train for an upcoming marathon. I have a mountain bike with road tires and the gearing on the bike is low so I am near the top gears when I train. The resistance is adequate for my current level of training but I would think that a Lance Armstrong type would either need higher gearing or more resistance to create a challenge in a harder workout. The only other issue that I have is there is no way of determining the energy input to the trainer which makes estimating the workout pure guesswork. This seems like a simple feature to add--either directly to the trainer or as an add-on accessory. Since it is fluid resistant, I would think the energy absorbed is a non-linear function of wheel velocity. In summary, this trainer is a no-frills, utilitarian work-horse that is sturdy, consistant, and (so far) reliable. The one accessory I would add is an accurate way of measuring the energy input to the unit. Even a table that translates wheel speed to watts or calories would be useful (assuming that this is the same as on a level road is likely not accurate).

NIGHTMARE if you need warranty work
If I had known the process to get warranty work done on this Nautilus E 514 I would have run like the wind. I purchased this on MARCH 13 The motor quit after less than 2 months and it is now JUNE 16th and still no technician has scheduled to fix the thing. I was using the machine less than one hour a day when it quit for no apparent reason and starting making a hammering like sound inside the casing. I am 145 pounds at the heaviest so that should not be a factor in a machine that accomondates 300 lbs. While it was working it was fine, but I could have joined a top notch fitness center for the 0.00 I spent to sit around and wait on a repairman.
UPDATE: STILL WAITING It is now JULY 11th and although an authorized Nautilus repairman from the company General Assembly, which Nautilus contracts for repair work, had to come over a 3 hour drive (that was the closest repairman although I live in a large city) He had to order more parts and left me with the machine taken apart until his next visit. They say the parts will be here soon, but call them if they don't. I can see why over the last two months the stock price has dropped on this Naughty Nautilus company. They are customer no service worse than any other I have dealt with.

Very nice.
First off,I just assembled this trainer yesterday. The box is heavy. ABF delivered it in great shape. I had to get help to carry it. It takes around 20 min. to remove all the parts in the box. Please allow some room to assemble.
I'm an aircraft tech., so working with parts, tools, is fairly easy. It took me 1 hour 40 minutes to assemble. This was taking my time. Coffee, phone calls, Dad dropping by. The directions are very easy to understand. Also, all the hardware and parts are marked clearly. All the tools you need is included. But I suggest a phillips screwdriver and longer allen key. If your elderly, you probably will need help. This elliptical is built sturdy. I gave it a 4 because we haven't broke it in yet, but the quality is top notch. Operation seems quiet, the fan has 3 settings, and the LCD screen is clear. I'm looking forward to using it, my wife the same. I'm 5'8 164, my wife 5'10 slim. I need to lose a few, and she just wants to get in better shape.

An excellent elliptical
In short, the Nautilus E514 is an excellent elliptical. I live in a condo and wanted a piece of exercise equipment that was quiet and relatively compact. This immediately ruled out a treadmill and a bike just seemed too boring, so I decided on an elliptical. I looked online to read reviews and identified several models that were generally given good scores; however, because there was no consensus I decided to stop at a nearby Dick's Sporting Goods to test some of the equipment first hand. I am lucky I did. Initially, I was leaning towards and AudioStrider, but it turned out to be quite wobbly. As a result, I started testing some of the more expensive ellipticals that were on display. As most of the online reviews had said, the ellipticals that were over [...] were much more sturdy. They also had additional features such as variable strides and inclines. However, the problem was that they were enormous, typically ~80" in length, which was just too big for my apartment. That is when I noticed the E514. It was only ~60" long and felt extremely sturdy. It was also very quiet, ran smoothly, and included a chest strap with telemetry, which I thought was cool. Well, needless to say I went with the E514 and have been extremely happy with my purchase. I have been working out regularly for two months now and the E514 still feels sturdy and smooth and it is still very quiet. I have not used the chest strap much but it seems to work fairly well. In contrast, the handle bar monitor seems to have a slow response, but this does not really affect my workouts. I should also mention that the E514 was extremely easy to put together, taking less than 2 hrs if I remember correctly, and came with very clear instructions. My only complaint about the E514 is that it does not have a variable stride, but this is minor. The 18" stride normally feels fine (note, I am 5'10". 175lbs). It is only when I am trying to sprint for the final minute of my workout that it feels a little short. Overall, this is an excellent elliptical and I highly recommend it.

Good so far!
I got this machine yesterday and assembled it as soon as I got home from work. I do have to disagree with the time to assemble posted in another review. It took me just a hair over an hour and fifteen minutes to assemble and that was including unboxing all the way to final assembly. I am fairly mechanically inclined though, but I can't imagine it taking more than 2 hours to assemble for the average person.

After assembly, I spent an hour working out on the elliptical and it seemed smooth and steady. You need to make sure the feet on the bottom are level though so it doesn't rock at all. I am 187lbs and it was very stable during my workout, but I can see that not being the case with people closer to the maximum weight for the machine. The machine only weights 160lbs or so, so it's just simple physics at that point :-p

Overall, a good experience so far. I will try to update this after a few weeks as I will be using this pretty much daily.

Not impressed.
I ordered this product from Amazon last November. It's been an overall bad experience so far.

First of all, when the unit arrived at my house, the box looked like it had been dropped from an airplane. It was covered with black grime and there were several holes. I should have refused shipment at that time, but I was excited to start my exercise program and did not want to wait another 2 weeks. So I did a quick inspection and since most of the parts were metal I figured it was OK and accepted the box.

This turned out to be a bad decision as even though most of the parts were metal, there were some plastic parts and they had been damaged (strictly cosmetic). I figured I could easily call Nautilus and have them replaced, so I started assembling the machine. Unfortunately Nautilus refused to supply a replacement part and told me I should send the machine back to Amazon. Obviously this was not happening after I had already assembled the machine.

The assembly took about 2.5 hours (and I am fairly mechanically inclined.) Some of the parts did not go together easily.

The electronic display looks nice, but has some minor design flaws. The worst one of these in my opinion is the heart rate monitor. It takes about 20-30 seconds to get an accurate reading. The heart rate strap does not look very comfortable. The workouts are divided into 40 segments. For some reason the unit is unable to divide the time properly unless the workout is a multiple of 10 minutes. So you wind up getting extra intervals at the end of the workout. Also, the workout routinely tells you to increase or decrease your stride, which I find odd for a machine that has a fixed stride.

Overall the machine does not feel very solid, I am 280 lbs and the machine sometimes sways from side to side while I am working out, especially while drinking water or wiping sweat off my brow. The machine also makes a loud grinding noise while I'm using it. Maybe my expectations were too high for a product priced at 0, but I would be surprised if this product lasts until the warranty is up.

Update 2/4/10 - The plastic bushing that attaches the pedal to the drive shaft has broken, the machine is now in an unusable state and I am going to have to call Nautilus customer service tomorrow. Will report my experience here. Downgraded rating to one star pending speedy and successful resolution.

Update 4/20/10 - Nautilus was unable to replace the plastic bushing that came apart and had to ship me a whole new machine. I had to escalate to their consumer relations dept. to get them to actually send someone out to set up the new machine (they originally told me assembly and disposal would be my responsibility which I found completely unacceptable). The entire process took about six weeks, during which I was unable to use the machine. So far the new machine has been OK, with no mechanical issues. Upgraded rating to 3 stars since Nautilus eventually handled the problem to my satisfaction, although the amount of time it took and the overall inconvenience I was caused makes it unlikely that I will buy any exercise equipment from them again.

Fantasatic Product!!
This product is genius! It is especially great for women after pregnancy...Also works better if you are a smaller person who just needs to tone and strengthen the ab muscles. It won't make you lose weight so keep that in mind.

No customer service on this product. Battery malfunctions
At first very happy and excited to use this product, however, after about one month the battery stopped working and just beeps. Tried to contact customer service and the online web site and unable to contact anyone. No good numbers. It is a waste of money and absolutely no help getting it to work. The idea is great but very unhappy with the product.
I would be very careful about ordering this particular item. After it stopped working, I finally was able to reach a live person at Slendertone and was unable to help because he informed me the item was COUNTERFEIT. And slendertone is not responsible for this item.

Unfortunately only worked for a month
Unfortunately this product only worked for a month. Once I replaced the pads and then replaced again, I received the "!" symbol on the unit. This meant 1. unit is not properly connected, 2. covers are still on the pads, 3. pads are worn, or 4. pads are not covering the metal studs attached to the belt. My problem was none of these items. I checked all 3 pads, still no luck. Very disappointing. Just go outside and run, best bet!

Never received my purchase.
I never received my purchase. Contacted company several times. Will b e filing a claim. Very disappointed!

Just needed some new pads and worked like advertised...
When I ordered the product, I ordered the belt that came with pads, and then I ordered a box of three replacement sets of gel pads for the belt.

With the pads that came with the belt, I wasn't experiencing what was on tv...the "feel of doing crunches" while sitting. I didn't feel anything but small stings. I was able to get up to 60, 70, 80 with no problem. So after about a week, I replaced the pads on the belt with the one out of the 3-pack I bought. And although these pads were also by slendertone, they were packaged differently. After I got them on, I was up to level 20 and started to feel the crunch affect. And at level 45 I feel like I am doing hard crunches. So if you have received your belt and are not receiving the advertised affect, try changing the gel pads. It only took two weeks, but I am finally impressed. :)

An Excellent Value for the Price
This review is based on having ordered the machine, taken delivery, put it together, and used it about half a dozen times.

I had the advantage of having browsed through the hundreds of reviews on this site of the predecessor 430 machine, as well as the fewer number there for this product. Because of that, I was aware of some of the assembly problems that others had encountered, especially on the 430, and some other things to be alert for, which probably helped.

Ordering was smooth (usual Amazon routine) and the delivery was timely and efficient. Delivery was to my home, whereas the machine was intended for my cabin, so the delivery guy slid it into the back of my SUV for me.

The box is very heavy (nearly 170 lbs), and the intended location was in an upstairs room. I didn't have anyone available at my cabin to assist, but was able to slide it out of my SUV so that it was standing on end on the front deck and then "walk" it through the door by rotating it back and forth on the two short edges of the end. Once inside, I laid it flat, opened and unpacked it. (It was very well packaged, with everything sealed in plastic and packed in styrofoam.) I then carried the pieces upstairs individually or in small groupings. The heaviest piece was the flywheel assembly (about 45 pounds), which was manageable.

I assembled it by myself in a little over two hours, using my own tools. In a pinch, you could probably make do with the tools that come with it, although it would likely take somewhat longer. The assembly instructions are OK. I prefer written ones, which tend to be more specific, whereas these ones are primarily illustrations. But, that's probably the most efficient and economical way for manufacturers to deal with today's multi-lingual requirements. The parts list is very comprehensive and complete. I ended up with a few parts left over which didn't appear to be covered in the instructions or parts list, which made me think the machine might be produced on some sort of common assembly line with another type for which parts were inadvertently included. But, everything that I actually needed seemed to be there.

As far as actual use, I've used it about half a dozen times and am quite satisfied with it so far.

Compared to commercial grade machines or more expensive home machines, it lacks a few "nice touches", but nothing essential for me. For example, as others have noted, the screen isn't backlit and it doesn't have a built-in fan, but I can get by without either of those.

It's pretty compact (although you do stand pretty high on it), so the stride length and arm "throw" length are a little shorter than on some machines. I'm 6'0" and they're pretty much at the limit for me, so it might be a problem for a taller guy. I also have to hold the handles by the tops of the knobs, rather than a little further down as on machines with longer handles, which I find to be somewhat less comfortable and "natural", but I can live with it.

Lack of a bottle holder would have been somewhat annoying, as some have noted, but there's a place for one, and I had one from an old machine which I was able to install.

Some have found the heart rate monitor to be somewhat slow and sluggish, but I find it to be about on a par with other home machines I've had. I've found the calories generated at the maximum resistance setting over a given time interval to be noticably less than on commercial machines (about one-quarter as many) or more expensive home machines (about one-third as many), but comparable to those of similar home machines that fall short overall in other respects compared to this one.

It's also very smooth and quiet and "solid" feeling for a machine in this price range. It has just recently (the last time or two) started to exhibit a slight but noticeable "click" on each rotation that I think might be coming from the left wheel track (although not sure yet), which I will investigate further, but nothing unusual for this type of machine. I usually watch DVDs when I use it, and, at least so far, it's barely audible over those.

All in all, a very good value for the price, hence the five stars notwithstanding a few minor irritants. I'm quite satisfied with it, and definitely glad I bought it.

Excellent Value
Despite having a gym membership, I was looking for equipment that I could use from home. I wanted something I could use on my schedule, and that would not require building an addition to house it. This is perfect. The product footprint is smaller than a tredmill. The movements are smooth and extremely quiet- so I can use it very late or very early,without disturbing anyone. I am impressed with the sturdiness and stability of the unit. You can personalize programs for several people, without losing any data. It has multiple levels of intensity, so you can make the workout as easy or as hard as you prefer. Even when cylcing backwards (for alternate muscle groups) the equipment movement is very smooth and remains quiet. It was assembled by my teenage son, within 3 hours of arrival.Schwinn 420 Elliptical Trainer The only negative comment would be that I needed to use an extension cord to enable the unit to be plugged into the wall (to use the programming component). But, even the cord is unobtrusive after everything was set up. The unit is tall, but the stability provided is more than adequate. I love this elliptical. I'm so glad I chose it rather than a tredmill. The price was fantastic, and the shipping was free. It doesn't get any better than this.

Great machine
Elliptical works great, although we did hire someone to put it together despite reviews that it was easy to assemble! I am very happy with it as are my 2 teen daughters who have used it more than me as of now.

Good elliptical. Not so good shipping company
The product is very good. I had it assembled in few hours. The elliptical is stable and built solid. The user manual is not very good. Seems to be missing lot of information. I figured out how their menu systems work.
However I was not very happy with shipping company. First the package arrived with damage. The shipping company chose to return the item themselves instead of giving the damaged item. When the replacement arrived, the delivery person wanted to leave the box outside the house. He would not bring the box in the house - just a matter of few steps. He said that he will loose job if he brings the box in the house. I do not understand the policy of shipping company that would not allow the delivery person to bring the heavy box into the home.

Excellent Elliptical!!
This elliptical is nothing short of excellent. My wife and I have been using it for a few months now and it is really great. I have nothing bad to say. Assembly might be a little intimidating for some but was easy enough. Once setup this thing is solid as a rock and noise free!! The stride is great and overall construction is close to gym quality. The only (minor) gripe I have is the computer only allows one user, other users just have to use the guest mode. Two users would be a nice addition to the computer. Anyone looking for a really good, affordable elliptical will be really happy with this.

What a ride!
I purchased this bike because it is getting more and more difficult to get my exercise outside. It's a great bike. Seemed like I hardly ordered it and it was here already! I do agree with some of the other reviews that the display screen should be larger and not in green letters. Took me longer than an hour to put together because of the weight, etc. and the only other thing I'm not sure of is the handle to adjust the seat. I try not to use it much because when I do, it sounds like it's going to break and is very loud. I don't know if I did something wrong, or this is the way it's supposed to be. I definitely would recommend it to anyone. Just remember the screen is very small and difficult to read, however it is extremely quiet!

Pretty good bike
My boyfriend gave this to me for my birthday after listening to me complain for almost a year about how much I wanted to buy an exercise bike but couldn't afford to do it. I was really depressed and wanted to lose weight but wanted to do it in my home so as not to be seen by anyone else. Yes, I realize that sounds totally mopey but it's the truth. A recumbent bike seemed the best way to go since a ruptured disk keeps me from being able to jump around the house without really paying for it later.

Anyway, there was a loose wire issue when we first put the bike together. It didn't prevent me from using the bike or upping the resistance but I couldn't use any of the bike's other features. Schwinn sent us a repair kit and then talked us through the repair and the customer service agent was nice enough to stay on the phone long enough for me to verify that I could now use the programs and have my heart rate measured.

I began counting calories and using this bike 4-5 days a week starting on May 1, 2010. It's now August 11,2010 and I've lost a solid 40lbs. I plan on using the bike to lose another 50lbs before cutting the intensity of my workouts. I'm overall very happy with the bike but there are a few things that I find annoying about it. I'm 5'5 and my boyfriend is 6'2. If he uses the bike it takes me several minutes to adjust the bike back to my height. The bike adjusts on a slide which on one hand gives you the ability to highly customize the length of the bike but on the other hand causes you to whack the daylights out of your elbow with the amount of force needed to release and set the slide. This may not be an issue for some people but it is for me. Perhaps I should lift heavier weights.

I also wish the seat could be reclined back to avoid the dreaded "butt bike". If you haven't experienced this yet you haven't been riding long enough. A reclining seat would mean I wouldn't have to "stand" up on the bike to restore feeling to my butt during a workout.

My other issues are that after being monogamous to one bike and one set of programmed workouts for so long I now feel the need to wander over to another bike and see what kind of programs it offers. I'm not saying I'm going to replace my bike, I'm just saying there's only so many times you can change the intensity of a program before it just gets boring. My bike tries to compensate for this by telling me I've burned some extreme amount of calories but I'm pretty sure this is just flattery. :D
I know there's no such thing as a truly accurate calorie counter but I wish this bike's was just a little bit better. It's overall a great buy for the money.

good bike with a few details
I bought this bike to exercise a bit while playing videogames or watching TV. Similar cheaper options had important details for me, like not being able to move the seat, or programs too simple to exercise. And the recumbent seat was a "must" especially for my husband. The only detail I've found is that the screen has no light so during the night is kind of uncomfortable, but other than that is a very good bike that serves its purpose and does not use a lot of space in my living room, another "must" since I live in an apartment. Definitely recommended.

My Wife Uses it Daily and Loves It!
We bought the bike in Feb '09 after my wife's knee surgery to help strengthen her legs. Assembly was easy with no glitches. She has used it daily with no problems and no complaints. For the price, I don't think we could have done better than the Schwinn Active 20.

a lot of value for a modest cost
Amazon's current average rating of this bike is 4.5 stars. That is exactly what I think it deserves...although I have rounded my rating up (by 0.5) to five stars to fit Amazon's questionnaire format.

I am 66 years old 5'11" and 219 lbs, while my wife (in her 50s) is 4'9" and 103 lbs. I was looking for a recumbent bike to cross-train during the days that I take a break from running. My wife needed something aerobic to supplement her daily yoga routine. Despite the differences in our ages, sizes, and exercise needs, this sturdy piece of equipment satisfies both of us almost perfectly. If it were to hold up over time, I can imagine us both using it well into old age.

On the positive side it is simply and solidly constructed, and its components easily fit together out-of-the-box; It took me about 30 minutes to assemble it (using the included tools). Although my wife is small, she has no difficulty moving it (i.e. dragging it) to different locations. The large lever used to position the seat on its frame is very easy for both of us to use. While being peddled it is silent, even at its highest level of exertion, making it a pleasure to burn calories while reading, listening to music, or watching TV. So far it has provided both of us with healthy workouts and its sensors allow us to continuously measure our heart beats per minute while peddling.

On the negative side the buttons on its control consul are non-intuitive, and its accompanying manual is not clearly written. (However, After some minor fiddling we got it to do what we wanted.) Further, its LCD screen is impossible to read under under dim light. Ergo my 0.5 deduction.

In the balance though, this item delivers a lot of value for its relatively modest cost.

Great product for the money
After a second back surgery this past summer, I needed to find some low-impact exercise. This exercise bike fit the bill perfectly. The price is great, the packaging was incredible. This thing could have survived a nuclear holocaust in its box! Took me about an hour and a half to put together with my 15-year-old; the directions were pretty good (most of the time was spent wrestling the pieces from the box!). I have it parked in my livingroom, right in front of the television. It is quiet, as other reviewers have reported; I can easily watch TV without having to turn the volume up. I have yet to figure out how to make the different biking programs work, but i just hop on and pedal away, and it tracks my time, miles and calories. Money well spent.

good for the money
Purchase this bike over a month ago and it has worked great. The ONLY problem is working the computer its not really user friendly and the manual doesn't tell you how to switch to other programs, I have to play around w/ it and just starting to get the hang of it. It is still a good buy. I am 5'6, 170lbs and I am trying to lsoe about 20lbs so this bike hods me up well. I wish it had an on/off button. Once you turn it on you must wait for it to auto-shut off. You will need a screwdriver to put together but other than that all other tools come w/ bike. It was very easy to put together and instructions were user friendly. easy to transport from one room to another if you wanted to watch tv and then put back up when done. For the money a good buy...also, the resistance could stand to be higher...but I guess had I bought a more expensive one I would of been able to ge tthat feature. Its still a good buy...

I recommend this bike.
I recommend this bike highly. It is easy to assemble. All the tools needed are included.
It took me under an hour from when the box was delivered until I started using the bike.
I'm recommending this bike as someone who is of normal weight. I'm male, 5'5'' and weigh 135 lbs. I'm aware that this is way less than most Americans, but based on the sturdiness of this device ,I think that anyone under 200 lbs would have no problems.
If you weigh more than that, it's reasonable to think that a custom made device would not be out of the question. A bike that costs 0 can't be expected to endure such high stress levels needed to support huge bodies. But for normal to slightly large people, this bike is well worth your consideration. And it's available at a very competitive cost compared to other bikes.
Now on to some specifics. The pedals are very comfortable with adjustable straps to fit all size feet. The handlebars are easily adjustable and comfortable, as is the seat.
The tension control covers a large range of tension which should meet all requirements.
The digital readout is hard to see and a light would have been nice.
I found only the timer to be useful but I imagine the distance and speed reading would be useful to people who want to monitor such things for personal comparisons.
I really don't know why they include calorie readouts on these home exercise devices.
I'm sure most everyone knows they are useless but for the few who don't, I think the fact that they always over calculate by a mile does some people a huge disservice.
If someone considers the readout to be accurate, they will find themselves gaining a lot of weight if they gauge their calorie intake based on their calorie expenditure.
For instance , I did some light to moderate pedaling for 10 minutes and it told me I burned 250 calories. This is not possible.
In summing up, A great product at a great price.
This bike feels ,looks ,and performs like it should cost at least twice as much.

Uncomfortable-
You get what you pay for is the old addage which definitely applies here. For 0, it's not a bad exercise bike, but the reason i give it 2 stars is because it is so uncomfortable, it is just another reason not to use it often, and when it comes to exercise, people usually don't need the added discouragement.
I am 6'-3", which i think only adds to my discomfort on this very small bike, but my wife is 5'-2" and she's not terribly comfortable on it either.
Don't get me wrong, the bike is ride-able, but it is no 5 star machine as other reviewers would lead you to believe, and this is the main reason why- the bike's configuration forces you to slump forward which is more uncomfortable than biking upright (at least on this model). That combined with a very minimal diameter of a pedal stroke (really bad for long legs like mine), makes this bike not worth even the cheap price of 0.
If you really plan on using an exercise bike frequently, i would suggest you pony up 0 to 0 for one that is comfortable and has a larger diameter pedal stroke motion.

Works great..
I have been loving this stationary bike in every way but two. First, I did not care for the seat it came with - but since it was compatible with any bicycle seat I easily replaced it. Second, the foot straps didn't fit my feet with and without shoes and so I stopped using them. Despite those two complaints the bike has been fantastic and I can't imagine why anyone would buy a more expensive version.

Fantastic Value
I am a frequent user of elliptical machines and find this machine to be a great value. The machine has good resistance levels, many options, can go in reverse and all-in-all provides an excellent workout. This machine is also (relatively) inexpensive for its type (elliptical) and is well worth the price. The machine is quiet (I exercise when my children are sleeping) and is not overly bulky. Also, the machine is not difficult to assemble (the instructions are very clear) and machine upkeep has been easy. I am very happy with this purchase!

Great machine @ great price!
My boyfriend and I purchased this machine based on the strength of the positive reviews on Amazon...and we weren't disappointed in the least...the assembly was pretty straightforward (except for the addendum to step 7 that I discovered while half way through step 9...$%#!?&!) and, for the most part, (except for step 2) I was able to put the whole thing together by myself (I'm no engineer!) in about 2 & 1/2 hours. As soon as the machine was assembled and plugged in, I tried it out and was amazed...not only does the Schwinn 430 look great but it's also fairly compact, very sturdy, smooth, and quiet...and it came at the great price of 9! It's a great deal! I'm in love! :D

Nice machine for the price...but a bit noisey
This machine is a great value for the price. The machine is relatively compact compared to other similar models. Construction seems solid although it is a little noisey at low speeds.

smooth and quiet
This is a great workout machine. Very smooth and quiet in operation and can give a light or strenuous workout, depending on what one chooses. In a ten minute workout, I have been able to work up pretty heavy breathing and (sweating). As a mechanic, I consider it well designed and well constructed. The moving parts etc. do not appear likely to break with normal use. I applied lots of white lithium grease to all the joints (axles) during the "put together". Wipe the excess grease off after tightening the nut. One should pay close attention to the instructions and finish one section before going to the other. It may be difficult and time consuming for some but with diligence, can be done. Tighten all screws tightly but the axle nuts should be slightly looser. I have been using mine, now, for about a month and it is working just fine, very smooth and quiet. I did add an external fan ,though, to keep me cool.........................................

Great trainer
This is a great trainer!!, had a bit of a problem with the delivery but once that was staightened out the machine was relativly easy to put together, about 2 hours. Works great is stable and very strong. The best part was after it was delivered in damaged condition amazon.com stood behind it and made it right!!!!!