ProForm 290 SPX Indoor Cycle Trainer

What customers say about ProForm 290 SPX Indoor Cycle Trainer?

1. 743 of 746 people found the following review helpful

   
   Stevie B., July 19, 2010

   By 

   Steve Bowman “Stevie B” (Canyon Country, California) –
   
     

   This review is from: ProForm 290 SPX Indoor Cycle Trainer (Sports)

   19July 2010: I purchased this item in mid-June, and have owned it for several weeks. I got it as a replacement for the used StairMaster PT4400 I had and loved, but it broke down on me. I paid $1200 and did not want another used one at +$4K, so I looked for other options. I never even considered a “spin” bike, because I did not know what they were! However, I wanted to keep costs under $400. One day in a Sports Chalet, I tried one—BLADEZ FITNESS JET, a solid bike. I exercised for about 5 minutes and knew the spin bike would meet my need for cardio. However, the JET was $599, over my budget.

   RESEARCH: I did a LOT of research on the internet, and boy, these spin bikes have been falling like rocks! I finally found the Proform 290 SPX at a store called the Sports Authority for $299 (regularly $399). They just put one together that was not even on the floor yet, so I had to go in the back to test it. After a couple of minutes, I again saw that a spin bike would work, so I purchased it. My experience at some spin classes at 24 Hour Fitness taught me that the standard seat would be too uncomfortable, so I also purchased an old-school wide seat with jell padding, which turned out to be a good decision.

   ASSEMBLY: I am NOT a mechanically inclined guy, and this thing was easy for me to put together. The only things to attach were the handlebars, peddles, and the feet, and the tools were all supplied, although I used my ratchet wrench because it was faster.

   WORKING OUT: The bike is pretty stable. My weight was about 250 when I started out, and the Proform 290 SPX is rated at a max weight of 250lbs, but I know items like these have a “safety factor” and can take more weight than 250lbs. I get a great workout with this bike.

   DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE SPX 290 AND THE STAR TRAC AT 24 HOUR FITNESS: I am comparing the SPX with a more expensive bike, the STAR TRAC, because for those who are new buyers (like me) it will show one does not have to spend big money to get an effective spin bike.
   The Startrek is an outstanding bike made for commercial use. The big difference is the Startrek has more resolution in changing resistance; in other words, it takes more turns to vary the resistance. On the Proform 290 SPX, as I turn the knob where I can feel resistance, I only have about a half turn to get to the maximum resistance, and I cannot turn the knob anymore. However, this is not a problem. The main point is that the user knows the “sweet spots” of resistance settings for the bike.

   Once I get going, I only turn the resistance knob in one quarter to eighth inch increments throughout the entire exercise, and I easily maintain 77-81% of my heart rate. Other differences between these two bikes is the because the Star Trac is a commercial bike, it will take a 350lb person, and the cabling on the Star Trac is covered by the frame, so getting sweat on the cables and fasteners is greatly minimized. I overcame this by putting clear RTV over the screws and foot pedals (not the handlebar) and I put a hole in a small towel and put it over the resistance knob to keep my sweat off the break cabling. This is important, for water and salt from sweating will eventually corrode the fittings. On a final note, the STAR TRAC SPINNER PRO is about $1000 compared to the price of $299 I paid.

   SETTING THE PACE: I have seen reviews on these bikes where people say it should have a computer. Well, that’s fine, but this will add to the price. All I use is a clock, the countdown timer from my watch, and a heart-rate monitor (the most important tool). The clock I use to track my workout time. I have the countdown timer on my watch set to repeat every 90 seconds. Moreover, the heat-rate monitor I use to pace myself.

   THE FIRST TEN MINUTES, I go in 90 second intervals, alternating between sitting and standing, increasing the resistance in eight-inch increments.

   THE REST OF THE EXERCICE, I go in 10 minute stretches. I maintain an even pace at 70-75% of my heart rate. At the end of the 10 minutes, I do another interval standing up and pedaling (also known as a standing hill climb) for 90 seconds with more resistance and get my heart rate up to +85%, then level back down to 72-75%.

   Thus, in a 45-50 minute routine, I start with a 7-10 minute segment of intervals increasing the resistance to get my heart rate going. After that, I do 2-3 segments of 10-minutes each at a constant pace, and end each of these segment with a 90 second standing hill climb. The final two minutes I wind it down.

   MINOR ISSUE: The only thing about this bike (not enough to rate it lower), is that there is a high-pitched “hum” I get from the flywheel, but it disappears after after about half-way through the exercise while I maintain an even pace. The “hum” has no effect on the flywheel operation or resistance settings.

   TRAINING: It benefited me to go to spin…

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2. 193 of 197 people found the following review helpful

   
   Not too great, not too bad. About what you’d expect at this price., January 25, 2011

   By 

   M. Erb –
   
     
   
     
   
     

   This review is from: ProForm 290 SPX Indoor Cycle Trainer (Sports)

   I hate to rain on the parade of praise for the ProForm 290SPX Indoor Cycle Trainer, but my experience with this spinning bike is quite different from what most of the positive comments are saying.

   Where to begin… I paid $274 for the 290SPX at Sports Authority. I’ve seen the bike as low as $259 at BJ’s.

   It has a good looking design and a quick glance will leave you with a very favorable impression. Once you really start using the bike though, you will quickly find out why this is a “budget” spinning bike.

   First the pros for the bike.
   1. It was mostly pre-assembled. Finishing off the setup was a quick affair which included removing the shipping brackets, installing the front and rear stabilizers and leveling feet. Attaching the pedals to the cranks. Inserting the handlebar post in the frame, attaching the handlebar to the handlebar post. Inserting the seat post into the frame, attaching the seat to the seat carriage and inserting the seat carriage into the seat post.
   2. Seat and Handlebars have a good range of adjustment. Unless you are very short or very tall, you should be able to get a good fit on the bike.
   3. The heavy flywheel results in the bike having a good inertia feel when spinning.

   Cons:
   1. The handlebar post has a significant amount of left-right play which is a nuisance during aggressive spinning. No matter how tightly you adjust the knob, it will not eliminate the side-to-side movement because the knob is only applying force to the front of the handlebar post, not the side. The only way to alleviate this movement would be to fashion some sort of sleeve or shim in addition to the plastic sleeve that is already present.
   2. My bike and the bike of a friend of mine both have significant amounts of chain slop which results in a very noisy drivetrain. The chain slaps against the chainguard and is very noisy.
   3. My bike has a clunk emanating from the right crank. On every downstroke at the 6:00 position I hear a clunk sound. I suspect it is a faulty or failing bearing. I’ve called for warranty service and the technician is replacing the crank and bearing set this week. I’ll report back if that solves the problem.
   4. The water bottle holder is cheap plastic and breaks very easily. You’d be best off either removing it entirely or swapping it out with a good quality water bottle holder from a bike store.
   5. The bike generates a loud, high-pitched tone caused by the friction of the brake pads against the flywheel. It comes and goes depending on your rate of pedaling and amount of tension on the brake pad. I’ve ridden a lot of spinning bikes but have not heard such a loud squeal from the other bikes as what I hear with this bike.
   6. The seat is OK but not great. For serious spinning, you’ll probably want to invest in a better seat. Expect to pay at least $60 or more.

   The ProForm 290 SPX is about what I’d expect for a roughly $300 spinning bike. In order to get an appreciably better bike you would have to spend at least twice as much and maybe three times as much. So for the money, it’s an OK spinning bike.

   Although it looks good, I am not encouraged by the fact that the handlebar has so much side-to-side play or that I am having the crank bearings replaced after just a week. I can deal with the seat but I wish the handlebars had a fore-aft adjustment. I also wish the drivetrain were quieter and that there was no noise from the brake pads at certain pedaling speeds.

   I purchased a 2-year extended warranty from Sports Authority for $40 and have a feeling that that will be a good investment since I am not convinced this bike will hold up very well with hard use. Time will tell.

   I’m not completely unhappy with the bike, it is about what I expected for the price I paid. I just don’t think it’s as good as some others think it is.

   UPDATE: 1/26/2011 – Good news bad news. It turns out that the clunk that I hear on the right side is not due to a bad bearing, but instead due to a bent chain, possibly exacerbated by a warped crank wheel (sprocket). I completely removed the chainguard and noticed that that clunking sound stopped. Put the chainguard back on and the clunking resumed. Took it off again and turned the pedals by hand and closely observed the movement of the chain and noticed that it was not moving completely straight. Instead it was vacillating back and forth several millimeters. I also noticed that the crank wheel was slightly warped causing the chain to wobble in its path. I still can’t quite figure out where exactly the clunk is coming from but it is not from the bearing since it goes away when the chainguard is removed. Seeing the poor quality of the sprocket really worries me for the long-term because once you spin the equivalent of a few thousand miles, you will eventually need to replace the chain and sooner or later the sprocket. That’s a fact of life…

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