ProForm GR 80 Recumbent Exercise Bike

My doctor finally told me that I needed to lose weight...now! My achy, arthritic knees pretty much narrowed my choices down to a bike or water aerobics, and I don''t see myself going to the pool every day, so I researched recumbent bikes. I purchased this bike because the price was good, and it looked sturdy enough. After one month, I can tell my legs are stronger. I hardly wear a knee brace at all. Plus, I''ve lost nine pounds.

This bike was extremely easy to assemble and doesn''t take up as much room as I thought it would. It is very quiet, even when I use the fan. It is also easy to adjust. The seat is comfortable and it''s not too difficult to get on or off the bike. I''ve played with the resistance levels a bit, and like it that I''ll be able to add extra challenge to my workout as I get more fit.

An added bonus for me is that the bottom of the display has just enough of a lip on it to support a book so I can read while I ride.

Actually ordered this from Sears and picked it up at the store, to avoid any shipping issues. Easy set up in about 1 hour clear instructions. Did first 40-minute ride and it was smooth and very quiet we''ll see how it lasts. I''m 5''2'''' luckily it''s adjustable past the markers on the frame, I had to go beyond the lowest setting. I like this because it''s not too bulky and doesn''t look too cheap. Gave 4 not 5 stars b/c I''ve only done one ride :)

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As others have noted, the bike was not horribly bad to put together (an extra set of hands for putting on the seat would have helped-geez). The grinding, scraping noise began for me the very first time I rotated the pedals. Amazing.

So, me having invested 2 hours wrestling with this thing to get it to work at all, and not thrilled at the prospect of disassembling it all and shoving it back in the box for return, I decided to use my mechanical inclination and take the housing apart and carefully figure it out myself rather than send it back. It does say in the instruction manual how to do this yourself (in very small print). I found that the resistance was out of adjustment and followed the instructions on how to get it right. It took me a bit, but I got it!

After that, the bike worked great, BUT I should not have had to spend my own time adjusting a delicate mechanism that should have worked at the start. Very time intensive.

But, it works fine now, speed is great, all seems accurate (except the heart rate monitor--it''s way out of wack, but I don''t expect much accuracy in that department in an inexpensive bike).

All in all? If I had known I''d have to do all I have just to get it to work, I''d definitely pass. Unless you are mechanically inclined and have a LOT of patience, or want to go through the hassle of contacting and waiting on the company to act, I''d look for a different bike.

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This is probably the best you can do with a recumbent bike in this price range. It''s a really good little bike with just enough features for anyone who wants to get regular exercise. The operation is quiet and smooth, and the display is very easy to use. My only small complaint is that the heart rate monitor is a little sensitive, and tends to get an incorrect read occasionally. It usually corrects quickly, but sometimes the resistance is raised or dropped incorrectly. Assembly requires two people, which is a little inconvenient, but other than being a bit awkward it was pretty manageable.

I''d definitely recommend this bike to anyone who wanted a recumbent but didn''t want to shell out a huge chunk of money. When I bought this I wasn''t sure how much use I would get out of it, so I didn''t want to put a huge amount of money. As it turns out, I''m getting a lot of use from it, and the bike is absolutely paying for itself.

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Fairly simple to assemble. Weighs a good amount (About 100 pounds). So was a little difficult to get the box upstairs initially. The wheels make it very easy to move around once put together. The bike is pretty compact if you need it to be. The seat and seat back seem like they would be the most likely part(s) to break. Not that they will, but I worry about it. I doubt they would hold the weight of the device if you were to move it by putting pressure on the seat or the seat backing. For something that cost this much I would think they would have made that part a little more heavy duty. Overall a great buy though. Just make sure to buy a battery charger and rechargeable D batteries (Since it does not come with any in the box).