Lengthen and Strengthen Your Life by Getting Fit
Written: Oct 01 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Feature rich; comfortable; sturdy; smart
Cons: The resistance can get difficult; expensive for the home
The Bottom Line: This bike has a lot of features and is easy to use. It is comfortable but expensive.
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| jo.com's Full Review: LifeFitness LifeCycle 9500 HR Upright Bike |
Now that we have switched gyms I have a whole host of new products to review. The LifeCycle 9500 HR by LifeFitness is an upright stationary bike. When I say upright I mean it is not recumbent. It simulates a traditional bike with no back support.
General Information:
The first thing I notice on a bike is the seat- primarily how to adjust it. The LifeCycle 9500 has one of the easiest mechanisms I’ve used. A knob on the inside of the pole on which the seat is on moves and that moves the seat. If you are sitting on the seat you will have to stand a bit in order to adjust it but it is very easy to do. The seat on this bike is quite comfortable. It is roomy enough for a heavier person and cushioned enough to sit on for an hour.
The next things I notice are the pedals. All bikes have adjustable straps in which you put your foot. This one is no different. As a note, if you are in a gym and come across a bike without a foot strap that doesn’t mean you can’t use it. Just as a non-stationary bike has no foot straps they are not necessary in order to ride.
I also notice where the handle(s) is and the display unit, which includes the features, the machine has.
About the bike:
The bike sits on two long horizontal poles which make it really stable. This is a strong machine. You won’t feel as if you are on a toy. Of course for the price, you shouldn’t! The 9500 HR has one handle. Some have two or an additional handle that feeds off the main one. This one handle is U shaped with the tips of it curling up a bit away from you. I don’t find the handles particularly comfortable or uncomfortable. They are average. You can hold it at the base of the handle or farther up depending on how you like to ride and what feels comfortable.
There are two places where you put your hands to get your heart rate. One set is at the base of the handle and the other set is on a higher place on the handle. In either case they are conveniently located.
The console is large, broken up into 2 areas and very easy to read. As I write this I am going to pretend to get on the bike to demonstrate it for you.
All stationary bikes on which I have been will not start unless you are pedaling. Please note that because if you haven’t been told and you are in a gym or tying one out and looking for a start button you might feel embarrassed (though you shouldn’t there is no way for you to know.)
This machine like others allows me to quick start once I start pedaling. What that does is start the time and then I can manually, by using the arrows on the machine, adjust any level change I want to make.
On the 9500 you will see on the left a zone training chart. This tells you by age whether you are biking in the cardio-vascular range or fat burning range. I have written about this in other reviews but perhaps not in awhile. Please bear with me if you already know this.
At one time there was a theory that there was a fat burning range. In fact the thought was that if you rode slower or walked slower on a treadmill with your heart rate not as elevated you will burn more fat. That is erroneous and ridiculous. The more calories you burn, the more fat you burn and eventually this was figured out though it still shows up on machines. Pay no attention to it! There is no fat burning zone. This was all based on a percentage and truly was a mistake. Ok enough of that.
This machine is nice because it tells you what your heart rate should be. This machine “talks to you” in words on the display console which I really like. There is a 16-character scrolling message that you will read.
Once you know that you have to pedal to start it walks you through what to do next.
The top display shows your heart rate, distance gone, RPMs and calories burned. (Also note that these machines are about 20% inaccurate.) The bottom section shows the programs you can choose, it has up and down arrows, a start button, cool down and enter button. The buttons are used to adjust the time you want to spend on the machine and the level of resistance you want if you are using it manually or want to change your resistance, which you can do at any time even if you have chosen a program.
Here I am on the bike. I have started pedaling and am told to choose a program or hit quick start. I decide to select cardio. The 9500 HR has 7 programs. They are fat burning (I’ve already gone there!); cardio; random; manual; zone training+; personal trainer; and hills plus.
I hit cardio and then am told to enter time. Using the number pad to the right of the console I type in 45 and hit enter; I am then asked my age and I hit 52 and hit enter (ages shown are 10-99); I then select level. There are 25 levels. I hit 1 and then enter. I am now told that my heart rate for my cardio program is 154.
Another lesson if you don’t know this. To get your maximum heart rate on your own take 220 and subtract your age. That is your maximum heart rate. Take 220 and subtract 52 and I get 168. So at 154 I am really trucking. That might be too much for me if I’m on the bike after 2 classes but that’s ok because I can adjust my heart rate at any time. So if I decide that 154 is unreasonable for today, I can lower it with the arrows down to, let’s say 130. The bike automatically adjusts the resistance to match the heart rate. It really is a smart machine.
It is so smart that if I am not pedaling fast enough to hit my target heart rate it will tell me to pedal faster or change my heart rate number! The 9500 HR also tells me when it wants to know my heart rate. It does this especially if I am slowing down as a sort of warning!
The display is very easy to see and the bike is quiet. You won’t hear it like you hear treadmills. The dimensions are 25"W x 56"L x 48"H. It weighs 128 lbs.
It is self-powered (no external power source required).
The warranty includes:
Lifetime for the frame
1 year for the parts on the motor
6 months for the parts
6 months for labor reimbursement
Lifetime (toll free) phone support.
90 days wearable replacement / repair on pads, grips, belts and cables due to manufactures defects.
Your Personal Trainer’s Thoughts:
This bike has some great features. It is very comfortable and is feature rich. It isn’t large and will fit into a corner of a room. It is easy to figure out and hard to get hurt on. My one complaint about the 9500 HR is the difficult resistance levels. I think many will find that level 1 will be fine but when it regulates itself based on your heart rate goal it can get very difficult. What this means is that many will be using it on manual and not have the fun of the programs so they can keep it at level 1 or find yourself adjusting it during your workout.
For the above reason I wouldn't recommend this bike for the novice. I would build up my stamina a bit before I ventured on the 9500 HR.
Although I am putting down that it works legs, it is a cardio vascular workout working your heart and lungs as well.
If you are buying this for your home gym I would certainly test it out first to see if you like it. There are many remanufactured ones so you may not have the opportunity to do this. If you can get the bike for a great price (1/2 of the retail of $1800) I would go for it. I wouldn’t consider buying it for my home at the retail price. If you see it in a gym, give it a try. It will make you sweat for sure and you’ll get a terrific workout. Just remember to pedal to start!
Please feel free to leave me a question or comment.
Other reviews in which you might be interested are:
How to Choose a Health Club
PowerHouse Gym
Cybex Arc Trainer
Yukon Seated Calf Machine
Cap Barbell Chromed Hollow 48-Inch Lat Pull Machine Bar
Cap Barbell Chromed Hollow 18-Inch Low Row T Bar
Phoenix Bench
World Gym
Curves for Women
Power House Gym
WAI Yoga Ball Kit 151
Precor StretchTrainer
Thane AB-DOer Pro
Recommended:
Yes
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