LifeSpan S4 Indoor Cycle Trainer

I purchased this bike 12/10 on a lightning deal, and I have no regrets.

I ride for 30 minutes 3-4 times per week, alternating with a Lifespan rowing machine and a Sole E55 elliptical trainer, but this bike is becoming my favorite piece of equipment.

Previous reviewers have noted instability with high resistance, but at 6''1" and 200 lbs I have had no such problems, even while standing and cranking the resistance as high as I can tolerate. I did have to adjust the leveling feet at the rear base, which may have prevented the instability.

You will need to lubricate the moving parts to prevent squeaking, but once you do this, the bike is whisper quiet.

My kids like the bike as well, and while the 4 way adjustment is not as quick as I would like, it''s feasible.

I love the simplicity of the bike no heart monitors, LCD screens, fans, mp3 connectivity, just a rock solid piece of workout equipment which compares favorably to equipment at my YMCA. I am very pleased with this purchase.

The bike is well made but I do have three complaints.

The pedals that come with the bike do not have the latches for spin shoes, only the harnesses that fit around a regular tennis shoe

The bike gets off balance some time when the tension is fully engaged. I am about 220 lbs. I''ve never had this happen on bikes at the gym, but if I lean enough to counterweight it, things remain stable

My biggest beef, and thus the three star rating, is the quality of the handle bar connections. The handle bars themselves are solid and the finish on them is perfect. The problem is they wobble where the adjustment dowel fits and around the spacing on the channel where the handle bars slide on. I am pretty sure I can shim it with something but just a bit more detail on the machining/casting of the parts would have made this near perfect for the price.

BTW, Their customer service was good as well. One of the pedals had a clikcing sound in the bearings and they shipped a new one out to us very quickly.

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The first S4 arrived with surface rust on several of the parts and the friction pad made an uneven contact with the fly wheel. Amazon customer service was great with taking care of the return/replacement process. The replacement unit was delivered and fortunately none of the parts had any rust. Unfortunately, the friction pad on the replacement unit also does not make an even contact with the fly wheel which can produce an intolerable screeching sound as resistance is increased which is very disappointing as other than that we love the bike. It is an incredibly sturdy spin bike which any serious cyclist could easily train on when not riding outdoors. We are going to try to adjust the friction pad to get rid of the screeching sound. If we are lucky this one will not have to be returned and will provide years of great cardio fitness.

Stay tuned.

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Very sturdy bike, although I too experience the instability when riding hard and the handlebar wobble along with an irritating whine from the tension pad on the flywheel... Aside from those issues and very sore legs, I have no other complaints about the bike and I use it everyday.

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The bike from Lifespan is outstanding, smooth and sturdy. Lifespan products are of generally excellent quality. This particular product is of better quality than most commercial bikes, though it lacks some frills, such as a console. I recommend purchasing Lifespan products for your home fitness needs.

As far as Amazon is concerned, I needed some customer service prior to shipment, but Amazon customer service is of very poor quality. If I need exercise equipment or any other large purchase, I will stay away from Amazon due to my experiences with the company over this purchase.