While I enjoy exercising outdoors, Indiana winters aren’t the best for outdoor activities. And it will probably be a while until I’m comfortable going into a gym. Enter the exercise bike. While there are great connected options, those can be expensive, and there are more affordable options on Amazon if you aren’t ready to invest a ton into at-home fitness. With a familiar spin bike design, The Ancheer exercise bike is simple with some nice features for $500 and is often on sale for much less than that. Currently, there is a promotion on the co-branded FUNMILY version that brings the bike down to a very reasonable $280. Be sure to hit the video below and see all of the details.
One quick note here, Amazon can be a weird place, and this same bike is listed under two different brands: Ancheer and FUNMILY. While all of the branding in my photos and in this article says Ancheer, the promotion is live on the FUNMILY version of the bike. So if you follow the link to Amazon, that is the bike that you will see. But they are exactly the same.
You can pick up the Ancheer / FUNMILY exercise bike for $279.99 when code 6RWHO2W4 is applied at checkout
Ancheer exercise bike: setup
Despite the large package, getting the exercise bike setup is pretty straight forward. The instructions easily layout all of the steps. Start with the base supports, add the pedals, and assemble the seat and handlebars. All of the necessary tools are included, and if I didn’t have to record myself doing it, the complete setup wouldn’t take too long. Also included is a link to a video walkthrough on how to get it set up if the instructions are confusing.
Simple, useful features
At its core, this exercise bike is pretty basic but does have some nice features. One of the notable features, though, is the 49lb flywheel. Many people equate the weight of the flywheel with how good an exercise bike feels, and 49lbs is pretty impressive and translates to a good feeling ride.
A built-in computer gives some useful info with cadence, time, a calorie estimate, and heartbeat thanks to the built-in sensors.
Though the numbers would eventually get there, the heartbeat sensors took a little bit to read a similar number to what my Withings Steel HR Sport would show. And since the sensors are at the top of the handles, which is not how I usually ride the bike, it was a little inconvenient to leave my hands in that position while the bike was reading my heart rate.
Ancheer Exercise Bike: Video
For added convenience, the exercise bike also has a cup holder, a place to hold a phone, and a tablet holder, as well making it easy to watch a show or keep up with a fitness app. And to easily move it around, the exercise bike has wheels on the front. Just tilt the bike forward and easily wheel it around the room.
Feels rock solid
Heavy and mostly metal, the exercise bike feels well built. It has plenty of weight and doesn’t move around when riding the bike. I can easily lean, sit up, and even stand on the bike without feeling like it’s going to fall apart.
My only complaint on build quality is that I can’t seem to get the handlebar height adjustment to be completely secure. It has a bit of a wobble to it. When in the heat of an exercise, I don’t really notice this wobble, but it was irritating that I wasn’t able to tighten it down completely.
Ancheer exercise bike: adjustability
With seat height, forward and backward adjustments, and handlebar height adjustments, there is quite a bit of adjustment here. At 6-foot-1, I feel like I am just beyond the size of this bike, though. I have in the highest setting, and I would like to have the seat a bit higher, but I can still get a good workout using the bike how it is. It’s pretty perfect for my wife, though, who is about 5-foot-10.
Resistance is dialed in with the large red knob on the middle of the bike. There is a brake that slows the flywheel down. While it doesn’t seem to have dedicated positions for different resistance levels, it’s easy enough to adjust to get where you want it for your exercise.
In-Use
With a pretty solid overall built quality, the Ancheer exercise bike is a blast to use. It’s easy to get a good workout. For comfort, the exercise bike has a nicely padded seat that is comfortable for long rides. The handlebars don’t have a whole lot of padding, so my hands would get a little tired after riding for a while, but riding gloves would help to solve this issue, and since the bike feels solid, you can easily sit up and give your hands a break.
What’s the competition?
Of course, the connected wonder in this market here is the Peloton. With a slew of 9to5 crew singing its praises, I’ve heard rave reviews. We even have a network site delivering connected fitness news called Connect The Watts. But, with Peloton’s high price point, it’s not accessible to everyone.
If you want to capture some of that Peloton energy, though, a Peloton Digital Membership will allow you to watch classes and use any ordinary exercise bike to complete workouts for $12.99 a month. My wife and I found these to be a great way to get a more intense workout. Sure, you can’t compete against classmates with metrics like you can on a true Peloton, but you can still harness some of that energy, and it gives a much more intense workout in my experience.
And though you can’t dial the resistance to the exact numbers on the Peloton workouts, thanks to the cadence sensor, it’s easy to match the cadence that is suggested in the workout videos. And then just dial the resistance up or down depending on what the instructor suggests in the video.
If you’re looking for a simpler bike that can fold, Amazon’s Choice for “exercise bike” Might be a good place to look as well, especially with it’s impressive $139 price point and 4.5 stars from over 4,500 reviews.
9to5Toy’s Take
At $500, the bike might seem a little too expensive for what it offers, but with the promotion and code at checkout, the $280 price point is pretty incredible for the build quality and performance of this indoor exercise bike. While it doesn’t have all of the high-end features of a connected bike like the Peloton, the Ancheer exercise bike feels great to ride, is solid, and, thanks to apps like Peloton, can be easily connected. There are more affordable options out there, but the Ancheer exercise bike feels solid and rides great with its rigid construction and heavy flywheel.
You can pick up the Ancheer / FUNMILY exercise bike for $279.99 when code 6RWHO2W4 is applied at checkout
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