Indoor exercise bikes are a great way to stay fit at home.
They’re also an excellent choice for the non-athlete since they provide a low-impact workout.
With people staying home more, it makes sense for exercise bikes to be a hot commodity right now.
I did some research on the best exercise bikes on the market and came across the Bowflex VeloCore Bike.
It’s truly a unique piece of equipment.
In this article, I’m going to tell you everything that I found out about this impressive exercise bike.
Keep reading to find out more.
Things to Consider Before Buying an Exercise Bike
When making a purchase like an exercise machine, there are some things you should know before choosing one.
It’s true, you mainly just need some pedals and a seat, but if you’re going to spend your hard-earned money, you may want more than that.
Here are the more important considerations.
Can You Fit It?
Exercise bikes are typically smaller exercise machines than treadmills or rowers.
Your height and weight are a major concern when purchasing an indoor bike.
If you’re tall, especially taller than 5′ 10″, you need to make sure that the machine isn’t too compact for you to squeeze into.
Having seats that have many adjustment levels helps, but you still need to be sure.
Shorter people need to be careful also. If you’re shorter than 5′ 2″, you need to make sure that the seat isn’t too tall for you to get on the bike comfortably.
Again, seat adjustability is a big deal here.
Similarly, lower end exercise bikes aren’t designed to hold heavy people.
On average, they can hold about 225 pounds. You may get lucky and find a lower end bike that can hold up to 300 pounds.
However, if you want a high-quality exercise bike that will comfortably hold over 250 pounds without worries of it breaking, you’re going to end up spending more than what a “budget” bike costs.
Trust me, it will be worth the extra money in the long run.
Bike Type
There are three types of exercise bikes. They are upright, recumbent, and dual action.
Most people get upright bikes because they’re typically more affordable and they can work your core and your back along with your lower body.
These exercise bikes generally have the pedals up under your body as you use it.
Recumbent bikes have the pedals more in front of your body. These bikes are great for people with back problems or mobility issues because they take the pressure of your back.
They’re easier to get into and they typically have a back part of the seat to provide you with additional support.
Dual action bikes are interesting because they work out your upper body along with your lower body.
They have built in arm resistance bands that you can use while you pedal.
These are for people who are a little more than a non-athlete or someone who is really working on getting fit.
The workout can be intense.
Extras
You can get a basic bike or one with a lot of bells and whistles. They’ll both give you a great work out, but the one with the extras can make your work out fun.
If you like having extras, look out for features like a phone or media holder, a large, full-color LCD screen, or automatic settings for resistance levels (rather than manual).
Cup holders are great for your water bottles or sports drinks and Bluetooth connectivity can keep you in the loop.
Programs are convenient to have and extra user settings allow more than one person to customize their workouts.
These things aren’t necessary, but they’re nice to have. If you’re going to spend money on something, you may as well get what you want.
The Bowflex VeloCore Bike
It’s time to introduce you to the Bowflex VeloCore Bike.
Most people are familiar with the Bowflex brand. They’ve been around for ages and are known for high-quality, innovative, next-level exercise equipment.
The Bowflex VeloCore Bike fits their product line to a tee. It’s an impressive machine. With a bike like this one, you don’t ask yourself what features it has. It has everything.
Pros
- Has a gigantic, full-color, high definition, touchscreen LED display.
- Tilts to each side to target additional muscles.
- Has a JRNY™ subscription capability so you can watch apps like Netflix or Hulu while working out.
- Comes with a pair of 3 lb. dumbbells.
Cons
- Very expensive.
- It’s heavy.
- Has quite a learning curve with all the options and parts.
Features and Benefits of the Bowflex VeloCore Bike
The Bowflex VeloCore Bike has an incredibly long list of features.
In fact, there are too many to cover them all in this article. I’ve selected some of the more attractive features to cover.
Leaning and Stationary Modes
The Bowflex VeloCore Bike has two different modes or positions that you can ride in.
The stationary mode is where you ride the exercise bike like you would any other bike. The leaning mode is interesting. This is one feature that makes the Bowflex VeloCore Bike unique.
The bike leans from side to side so as you’re riding, you get the real feel of riding an outdoor bike.
This comes in handy when you’re following one of the virtual riding paths and you get to a curve or turn.
Adjustable Everything
This is one exercise bike that can fit everyone.
Everything on the Bowflex VeloCore Bike adjusts in some type of way. The seat can move up and down as well as front to back.
The handlebars can move up and down and they can tilt as you use the leaning mode.
The pedals can be used with or without the toe cages. The toe cages have adjustable straps to fit a variety of foot sizes.
Even the LCD screen can be moved and tilted.
Resistance Levels
Most bikes have, on average, eight to sixteen resistance levels.
The Bowflex VeloCore bike has a mind blowing 100 resistance levels!
For an athlete, this gives them plenty of room to challenge themselves and improve their fitness level.
For a non-athlete, it’s probably overkill.
However, it is still great to have these many levels even if it’s only for bragging rights.
Console
The console on the Bowflex VeloCore Bike is stunning.
First, you get to choose between a 16-inch console or a 22-inch console for a little extra money. The console is full-color and high definition.
It essentially performs like a high definition television. It’s a touchscreen console and has Bluetooth speakers in case you want to connect your device to it.
You can track ten different metrics on the console.
They are:
- Time
- Interval
- Distance (km or miles)
- Calories
- Burn Rate (calories per minute)
- Heart Rate
- Cadence
- Resistance
- Lean
- Watts
The console has everything you need for a nice smooth workout. It’s convenient and fun and easily one of the best features of the bike.
The JRNY™ Experience
JRNY™ is a subscription-based app that Bowflex offers. You can use the app without the subscription and there are some free workouts available.
However, a subscription gets you access to the plethora of features the app has to offer.
Like the Bowflex VeloCore Bike, the app has too many features to name them all, so I’ve listed some of the more popular ones.
JRNY™ has plenty of trainer-led workout videos, over 40 real world maps with virtual courses you can ride, virtual coaching, and much more.
You can even create your own custom daily workouts that automatically adjusts as your fitness level improves.
One of the most attractive parts of the JRNY™ experience is the ability to download streaming apps like Netflix, Prime Video, Hulu, or Disney+.
You can watch your favorite shows or movies while you work out, keeping you thoroughly entertained so your workout is a snap.
Alternative Exercise Bikes
Buying a Bowflex VeloCore Bike is a big decision, primarily because of the big price tag. It’s understandable that you’d want to compare it to other exercise bikes on the market.
Although there aren’t many bikes that will exactly come close to offering what the Bowflex VeloCore Bike offers, here are a few that will still give you an advanced experience.
A couple of them also have a much lower price tag than the Bowflex VeloCore Bike.
MaxKare Exercise Bike
The MaxKare Exercise Bike is like a budget-priced bike compared to the Bowflex VeloCore Bike, but it’s a high-quality bike that will give you a great workout.
It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it does have a small, 1″ x 2″ LCD screen that helps you keep track of your time, speed, calories burned, odometer and heart rate.
The seat and handlebars are adjustable, and it has a quiet, belt drive system.
MaxKare Exercise Bike | Bowflex VeloCore Bike |
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NordicTrack Commercial Studio Exercise Bike
The NordicTrack Commercial Studio Exercise Bike is on the same level as the Bowflex VeloCore Bike and that includes the price. It’s truly an amazing bike.
It has everything the Bowflex VeloCore Bike has, even the dumbbells.
There are only a few slight differences.
The NordicTrack app comes with a free 1-year membership (the Bowflex only gives you two months).
The NordicTrack has a ten-year frame warranty versus two years for Bowflex.
The Bowflex VeloCore Bike has it beat on resistance levels – the NordicTrack only has 22.
The screen on the NordicTrack is smaller.
Despite these minor differences, the NordicTrack is pretty like the Bowflex, so it just boils down to which brand you like more.
NordicTrack Exercise Bike | Bowflex VeloCore Bike |
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YOSUDA Exercise Bike
The YOSUDA exercise bike is a sturdy but inexpensive bike compared to the Bowflex price.
It has an impressive, heavy-duty steel frame that supports up to 270 pounds. It has an adjustable seat and adjustable handlebars.
The display is small, but one great thing about it is that the media holder doesn’t cover the display like it does on many similar models.
A bottle holder and caged pedals complete the set up. While it may not have as many fancy features as the Bowflex VeloCore Bike, it’s still an efficient exercise bike.
YOSUDA Exercise Bike | Bowflex VeloCore Bike |
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Final Thoughts on the Bowflex VeloCore Bike
The Bowflex VeloCore Bike is so much more than an exercise bike.
If you like those virtual bike racing games found in arcades, you’ll like this.
It’s an entire interactive cardio workout experience you can enjoy without the quarters.
With this bike you get the best of everything – quality, technology, and even customer service.