The Pro-Form RS 30 Recumbent Exercise Bike
Written: Dec 01 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Well constructed, easy to assemble and use, reasonably priced.
Cons: The 3 AA cells used for the computer should be made more accessible.
The Bottom Line: The RS 30 is a nicely made, easy-to-assemble, comfortable-to-use, mid-priced recumbent exercise bike and I'd buy it all over again.
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| NZ9E's Full Review: Proform PS PF Recumbant with Grip SR30 |
The Pro-Form RS 30 is a well-made, solid exercise bike for those of us who want a comfortable, easy-to-use alternative to actually going out on the street and riding a bicycle at a moderate pace. If you're in the under 30 something extreme biking generation, then you'll probably not be particularly interested in this one; go for something more expensive that will give you the sweat-breaking, extreme experience instead. But if you're interested in moderation in your off-season exercise program, I think that the RS 30 would be pretty hard to beat, price-wise and otherwise.
The RS 30 uses silent magnetic-resistance pull to apply more difficulty to the pedals and that's selectable in 15 steps. Magnetic resistance is more trouble-free than belts and other resistance schemes and it also makes the bike very quiet during operation. That's particularly important if your spouse, or significant other, is trying to sleep or watch TV in the same room with the bike. If you now have an older bike, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how really quiet this one is.
When we removed the parts and pieces from the well-packaged box and began assembling the RS 30, I was very impressed with the all-steel construction of the unit and the ease with which it went together. There are a couple of times when you'll need a second hand, but all-in-all the assembly was very straight forward and well thought out. The finished product, about an hour later, looks and feels quite sturdy and nicely finished. It should complement nearly any fitness area that you've set aside in your home. While a recumbent bike takes up about 1-1/2 times the floor space than an upright unit, if you have the space, definitely try the recumbent. It's a lot, lot more comfortable than the upright we were replacing, and that's an understatement! The seating arrangement on the recumbent bike is much better suited to a "senior" adult frame than the always uncomfortable saddle-seat used on most upright exercise bikes. Moving the seat assembly back and forth on the SR 30 isn't as easy as the seat adjustment in an automobile, but it is reasonably simple and cost-effective on a bike in this price range. You're required to turn a large knob a turn or two, pull out on the spring-loaded knob, slide the assembly to another hole on the frame, release the knob and tighten it again. Not exactly
instantaneous, but not impossibly complex either, just a little more exercise!
Hint: we used to call these gizmos "Exercycles", but now you'll need to use the term "Stationary Exercise Bike" when shopping for one or none of the younger salespeople will have the slightest clue as to what you're talking about!
I mentioned the all-steel (and quality steel at that) construction of the RS 30 earlier, but actually the pedestal mount for the exercise computer is a goodly sized piece of large-diameter aluminum tubing, and the computer itself is in a pretty spiffy looking plastic casing. But that's the only non-steel on the unit. I'm not really sure how accurate the computer unit is, but it's basically fluff anyway, and not needed to get an effective biking workout. Time of use, miles per hour, calories burned, fat calories burned, etc., etc. are all interesting things to some, but to prove or disprove the actual accuracy of whether these computer gismos are factual or not would require lots of controlled experiments and formula manipulations and I'm not really sure what it would prove in the end anyway. But the computer is included in the package and if you want to follow all of the numbers as you go through your biking exercise, go to it. Personally, I'd rather read a good book (there's a place to put that too) or enjoy a swig of water from time to time (also a place for that)and let the mileage and calorie figures fall where they may. Who knows what they really mean on an individual basis anyway. By the way, the actual model number for the SR 30 is PFEX29920. Pro-Form also has a toll free customer hot line (1-888-533-1333) and a web site at: www.proform.com if you would like to learn more about the SR 30.
MSRP $299
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
NZ9E
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Member: Dave Miller
Location: Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 3 members
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