It wasn’t too long ago where I was 40 lbs overweight.
Struggling with weight issues for most of my life, it took hitting rock bottom to finally want to do something about it.
Aside from eating healthier and reducing how much I ate, the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike helped me to get started on my fitness journey.
The Benefits of Cycling
I used to love biking when I was a child.
Although I still own a bike, I’ve never been able to push myself on a bike as hard to lose any significant weight.
I’ve always seen it as a more casual and relaxing physical activity.
So while I love to bike outdoors, I needed something more.
There are many benefits to cycling – here are a few:
- Low impact form of exercise
- Exercises major muscle groups
- Increases strength and stamina
- Decreased body fat levels
- Improved joint mobility
So I knew I loved cycling, and I was determined to lose weight.
That’s what turned me to upright bikes.
Upright bikes are designed more like standard road bikes where you have to sit upright and hold the handlebars.
Upright bikes are great for when you want to push yourself during your workout sessions and are really designed to accommodate workouts that are more cardio-intensive.
Things to Consider Before Buying an Upright Bike
The decision to lose weight did not happen overnight.
It took many failed attempts, experimentation, and overall determination to make a successful change.
Of course, everyone’s journey is different.
I can say, however, that part of any sustainable weight loss program will involve some form of exercise.
When I was first getting started on my weight loss journey, I wasn’t quite ready to jump in and join a gym.
I had a lot of self image issues and wanted to find a way to start exercising from the privacy and comfort of my own home.
That’s when I started looking into upright bikes.
Before I jumped in and bought an upright bike, I took my time and did some research.
I visited a lot of sporting good stores and scoured the internet looking at different upright bikes and reading up on reviews.
Before I got to that point, however, here are a few things I thought about that might help you when you are considering if an upright bike is right for you.
Your Fitness Goals
Before you go out and buy an upright bike, you’ll really want to start by taking a look inside and evaluating your current situation.
I started by thinking about my fitness goals and what I wanted to achieve with an upright bike – and it might help you to consider the same.
For me, I knew I needed a cardio workout and I wanted to do it from the comfort of my own home.
What are your fitness goals?
Will an upright bike help you achieve them?
Really take the time to answer these questions before rushing out and committing to an upright bike.
Space for the Upright Bike
If you’ve decided on an upright bike, that’s great!
But now, you’ll want to start taking a look at if you have space to accommodate an upright bike.
How much space do you have in your home or garage gym to accommodate an upright bike?
Where will you put it?
Take a look at your living space and try to picture where you will put your upright bike – does it make sense to put it there?
Would you be ok with an upright bike being there?
I’m no interior decorator, but I ended up putting my upright bike in one of the lesser used parts of my own where it wasn’t too visible.
Depending on your tastes, you’ll have to find a spot in your home where the upright bike won’t stick out like a sore thumb.
Your Budget
Of course, you’ll always want to consider your budget.
If you’re not sleeping on stacks of cash, then you’ll want to maximize every dollar of your investment in an upright bike.
However, in order to do so, that comes with knowing what are the most important things for you.
After a while looking at dozens of upright bikes, they start to look the same in my experience.
What helps you at this point is being centered in knowing what are the must haves vs. the not so important features for you.
For me, personally, I needed an upright bike that could accommodate my personal devices.
I love listening to music while exercising because it helps motivate me forward, and I ended up choosing an upright bike that had a built-in charging port for my devices.
Introducing the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike
After hours and hours of research, I finally settled on the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike.
The Nautilus U616 Upright Bike is part of their upright bike series, along with the Nautilus U614 Upright Bike and the Nautilus U618 Upright Bike, and is their top of the line bike.
This upright bike features a high speed, high inertia drive system with a perimeter weighted flywheel that makes starting up easy and ensures a smooth and consistent ride throughout your workout session.
In addition, the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike comes built with 25 levels of resistance and 29 unique training programs for you to choose from based on your fitness level and preferences.
This upright bike also features the Explore the World app where you are able to digitally immerse yourself with locations from around the world to add an immersive experience to your workouts.
To top it all off, this upright bike is also enhanced with Bluetooth capabilities.
Pros
- Whisper quiet
- Easy to put together
- Stable
Cons
- Bike seat may be an issue for taller users
- Short extension chose
- Heavy
Features & Benefits of the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike
For me personally, this bike checked all the boxes, and had the benefits and features that met my needs.
Here are some of the benefits and features you’ll want to be aware of with the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike.
Bluetooth Connectivity
If you’re like me, a device – whether it’s my cell phone, tablet, or laptop – is always within arms reach.
The ability of the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike to be able to connect to all of these devices via Bluetooth is just so awesome!
In addition, you can set, track, and monitor your workouts with a lot of fitness apps like Nautilus’s Explore the World app, MyFitnessPal, and so much more.
Interactive Display
The Nautilus U616 Upright Bike comes built with 2 DualTrack Blue Backlit LCD displays.
The console allows you to prop up a book or magazine while you keep track of your time, distance, and burned calories.
One of my favorite features on the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike is that you can plug in your devices into its built-in charging port while using the bike.
Comfortable Seating
If you’ve ever been on a bike for an extended period of time, you’ll know that it can get pretty uncomfortable after awhile.
To make for a more comfortable workout session, the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike comes with a large, padded seat to extend your run on the bike.
Personalized Workout
Whether you are a more experience cyclist or a nonathlete beginner like I was, the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike can meet you at whatever fitness level you are at.
This upright bike allows you to choose from 25 different levels of resistance and 29 unique training programs through its 2 DualTrack Blue Backlit LCD displays.
A few of the training programs you can choose from are:
- Interval training
- Weight loss
- Cardio health
- Custom
Explore the World
While nothing beats outdoor cycling in my opinion, indoor cycling with the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike is a close second.
The Explore the World app you’re able to sync with the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike bridges the gap between the two experiences and transports you to different locales around the world and explore different courses.
You choose and download the courses you want and use the Bluetooth functionality to track your workout data.
What People Are Saying About the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike
While my experience with the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike was a positive one, I also made sure to take a look at what others thought about it as well.
From what I found of those who had positive things to say about this upright bike, many felt it was a great value at its price point when comparing it to other bikes on the market.
Many agreed that the bike was well put together and made solidly.
For those who did not have a positive experience with the bike, they pointed to poor customer service and issues with the bike seat either being at a difficult level for them to use or not being comfortable at all.
Alternatives to the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike
Like I mentioned earlier in this Nautilus U616 Upright Bike review, I looked at many different upright bikes before ultimately deciding on the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike.
Here are the other upright exercise bikes that I feel are solid choices for you to consider if you’re not completely sold on the idea of the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike like I was.
Schwinn 170 Upright Bike
There are a lot of similarities between the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike and the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike.
Both bikes offer similar amounts of workout programs to choose from as well as resistance levels.
In addition, both bikes can support a user’s weight limit up to 300 lbs and have bluetooth connectivity.
Where the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike differentiates itself slightly is in the ride experience itself by featuring oversized pedals and a replaceable padded contoured seat.
However, the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike still ends up a better value, coming in at a lower price than the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike for similar features.
Marcy Upright Exercise Bike
The Marcy Upright Exercise Bike is a no-frills, easy-to-use exercise bike for those who don’t really find much value in all the extra features you’ll find in the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike.
The Marcy Upright Exercise Bike comes with a magnetic resistance mechanism of 8 resistance levels controlled by a tension knob.
In addition, this upright bike features a single, straightforward LCD screen that tracks time, distance, speed, calories burned in extra large numbers so that it’s easy to read.
This bike is recommended more for the more Spartan user who would either just get confused by all the extras, or have no use for them altogether.
Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike
The Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike is the winner of Men’s Health Editor’s Choice award and it’s easy to see why.
It’s a budget buy, coming in at a lower price than some of the other options presented to you on this list.
The feature that stands out the most for this exercise bike is its foldability, allowing you to store it away easily.
It might not offer you the same amount of resistance levels or workout programs to choose from, but if space is a serious issue for you, the Exerpeutic Folding Magnetic Upright Exercise Bike is a high-quality upright bike that small apartments or condos can accommodate.
Final Thoughts
I commend you for taking the first steps in your weightloss journey.
As someone who has gone through that same journey, I know that it takes summoning a lot from within.
Ultimately, you’re looking for an upright bike that can deliver results.
If you’re looking for an upright bike that can boost your workout performance and track your workout progress so you can hit your fitness goals, the Nautilus U616 Upright Bike delivers on multiple fronts.
