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With full-on TV marketing and 2-in-1 capabilities, BulbHead’s latest innovative design is making waves on the exercise bike scene.
With the positive reviews streaming in, I have done my research to find out if the Slim Cycle 2-in-1 Bike is worth all the hype, or if we should be looking for a different exercise bike to get excited about.
I’ve concluded that the Slim Cycle offers excellent value for money. With its 2-in-1 features such as being an upright and recumbent cycle, and offering upper and lower body workouts it can save you money, space, and time in your home gym.
Let’s take a look at the Slim Cycle Reviews.
What is the Slim Cycle?
The Slim Cycle is a versatile, 2-in-1 machine that allows you to combine weight loss with building lean muscle mass. It has an adjustable seat that can be set-up as an upright cycle or recumbent bike and built-in bands for upper body resistance training.
This means that rather than buying a cardio machine and a home gym, you can save space, time, and money by incorporating the benefits of both into one, easy to use, machine.
The benefits of stationary cycling for building cardio are well-documented.
Indoor cycling can improve weight and metabolic function and enhance neurological functioning.
Combine these benefits with the muscle toning capabilities of the Slim Cycle and you’re onto a winning formula!
What makes the Slim Cycle Perfect For Cardio and Resistance Training?
The versatility of the Slim Cycle is impressive. To train for cardio, the bike can be set-up as a recumbent cycle to reduce the stress on the knee and hip joints.
If you’re after a more intense workout, then the Slim Cycle can accommodate this too. Just raise the seat so you’re in an upright position and work those glutes.
This makes the Slim Cycle perfect for anyone looking to do a low-impact cardio workout. This bike has other tricks up its sleeve too. The resistance bands built-in to the bike are perfect for toning your upper body muscles as you cycle.
With the resistance bands, you can even speed up your reps to increase your heart rate, doubling your cardio blast and burning more calories.
Who makes the Slim Cycle Exercise Bike?
The Slim Cycle is the latest innovative design from the fast-growing smart solutions company BulbHead International. With a range of useful, everyday items, BulbHead has developed a growing reputation for novelty and invention.
Their team of researchers is renowned for searching tirelessly for the right products, looking to combine innovation and practicality in their inventions. Popular products include:
- Pocket Hose
- Atomic Beam
- Star Shower
- Red Copper Pans
Is the Slim Cycle an Upright or Recumbent Exercise Bike?
The innovation of this machine means that it can be used as both an upright cycle and recumbent bike.
If you are looking to do an intense and high-paced workout then the upright position is ideal. In this setting you can simulate the feel and ride of a standard road bike, sitting on the saddle or standing on the pedals to unleash those sprints.
On the Slim Cycle, you can adjust the seat height to suit your needs and move the handlebars forwards and backward for optimum comfort.
If your goal is low-impact workouts, or you are protecting an injury or strain, the comfort provided by a recumbent position may be for you. It offers less stress on the muscles whilst still allowing you to burn calories and get a good workout.
Whatever your fitness level, injury status, or general mood, the Slim Cycle can support your goals.
What are the features of The Slim Cycle?
BulbHead’s first venture in the exercise bike market has a variety of inventive features that make it a great machine for cardio and resistance training.
2-in-1 Exercise Machine
As you’ve probably seen on TV, the Slim Cycle is advertised as 2-in-1, suggesting you can get results in half the time it would normally take to transform your body.
Whether 10 minutes is enough to transform your body is certainly a point of contention, but the Slim Cycle definitely delivers an exhausting and beneficial workout. This is in no small part because it can train both upper and lower body muscles.
The resistance bands attached to the machine let you push and pull as you cycle, toning your chest, arms and abs.
What’s more, if you’re unsure how best to use the bands, the Slim Cycle comes with a variety of programming options and workout suggestions for you to try.
A Large Display Screen
When working out it’s handy to see how you’re getting on. Are you burning enough calories? Is your heart rate as you’d want? Are you going too slow?
Pleasingly the Slim Cycle includes all of this info on a large display screen. Placed conveniently in front of you with a wide array of stats, you can easily track your performance and where you’re up to in your workout.
You don’t have to squint either to see how many calories you’ve burnt. The display is large, clear, and easy to read. You can pick and choose which stats are displayed so that you’re not bombarded with a load of useless stats.
Programming
As we mentioned earlier, the programming options on this machine make it ideal for beginners or users who are maybe looking to add some variety to their workouts.
Rather than agonizing over how you will incorporate the resistance bands into your workout, simply select the style of workout you want and off you go. The Slim Cycle allows for fat burning, strength, endurance, or HIIT sessions.
The programming allows you to easily alter the resistance too. Whether it’s manual adjustments as you cycle or automatic adjustments in a pre-set program, the Slim Cycle suits all needs.
Heart-Rate Monitor
A feature that supports fat-burning and weight loss is the Slim Cycles heart-rate monitor. The panels on the handlebars can track your pulse thus measuring your heart-rate so you know whether you need to push harder to achieve your weight loss goals.
Resistance
As with most exercise bikes, the Slim Cycle comes with a variety of resistance levels which make the pedals harder or easier to spin.
As you get better and fitter you can work your way through the 8 resistance levels on those long endurance runs. Alternatively, you can increase and decrease the resistance at regular intervals for a calorie-burning HIIT workout.
Safety
Because the Slim Cycle can be used in a recumbent position, it offers users extra protection from joint and muscle strain. Cycling is a low-impact activity even in an upright position so the Slim Cycle is perfect if you’re injury-prone or undergoing rehab for an injury.
The backrest in the recumbent position is supportive too, keeping muscles safe and protected as you focus on burning those calories. Likewise, the padded seat provides that extra comfort for users.
Easy Storage
A big problem with many exercise bikes is the large footprint they can leave. If you live in a small apartment or your home gym is already quite full, space-saving becomes a priority.
The Slim Cycle is foldable to save that extra bit of space when it’s not being used. Folded dimensions are 52”H 21”W 22”L. Not brilliant but miles better than not folding at all.
What Included With The Slim Cycle?
Along with the user features, the Slim Cycle comes with the free Slim Cycle app. Featuring 10 on-demand virtual apps, it’s the perfect accomplice as you cycle.
If you prefer, you can use the app to have professional instructors guide and motivate you through the workout, giving you that extra push towards your fitness goals.
The Slim Cycle Specifications
| Cost | $200 |
| Dimensions (Opened) | 42”H x 21”W x 43”L |
| Dimensions (Folded) | 52”H x 21”W x 22”L |
| Weight | 45lbs |
| Max User Weight | 300lbs |
| Resistance | Adjustable (8 settings) |
| Seat Height Range | 35-39” |
Pros & Cons of The Slim Cycle
Pros
- Offers upper body workout thanks to resistance armbands
- 2 in 1 with upright and recumbent seating options
- Heart-rate monitor to measure your workout
- Easy to use display screen
- Comfortable backrest for both positions
- Offers value for money
- Foldable
- Padded seat for extra comfort
Cons
- Doesn’t arrive assembled. Some people have found it difficult to assemble. Bulbhead do offer product assembly for a slightly higher price
- Only one resistance level for an arms workout
- Taller users find the Slim Cycle uncomfortable and difficult to use
Exercise Bike Buying Guide
Fitness Goals
When considering what equipment to buy, your first consideration needs to be your personal fitness goals.
For many, the overall goal is weight loss. To achieve this a cardio machine is ideal. Cardio machines allow you to increase your heart rate, and the higher this is the more calories you will burn. With weight loss, the challenge is to burn more calories than you intake.
By using a cardio machine you maximize the number of calories being burnt, thus propelling you towards your fitness goals.
Why an Exercise Bike?
Exercise bikes are a great option for those seeking cardio machines. they offer low-impact training protecting users from knee and joint injuries and supporting rehab. They’re also versatile, equally supporting interval training, high-intensity training, moderate-intensity training (MISS), and low-intensity (LISS) training.
Cardio machines such as treadmills or air bikes don’t offer such versatility, with impact on joints being a big problem for many treadmill users.
Considerations When Buying an Exercise Bike?
An important consideration is the style of the bike. As we looked at earlier, an upright cycle is great if you’re looking for more intensity from your workouts, whilst a recumbent cycle offers comfort and pain relief during LISS.
Value for money is vital too. A lot of modern exercise bikes have an array of exciting and hi-tech features. However, this comes at increasingly ridiculous prices (check out the feature-loaded Peloton Bike as an example).
In reality, all you need your exercise bike to do is deliver a solid workout and help you burn a load of calories. If you don’t feel you need the extra add-ons, then a bike within $150-$300 is ideal.
Alternatives to the Slim Cycle
Nautilus Upright Bike Series
With an outrageous 25 resistance levels and 29 different workout programs, the Nautilus Upright Bike is a great alternative for those looking to spend a little more money on an exercise bike. It’s great for those who want to focus on more intense, real-world simulation cycling.
Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike
With a huge TV screen and smooth magnetic resistance, the Echelon Smart Connect justifies its high price tag. With an abundance of features and the ability to fully immerse yourself in virtual workouts, this bike will keep you motivated to achieve your fitness goals.
Schwinn Recumbent Bike Series
Famous for their ventures in the air bike market, Schwinns recumbent bike is a wonderful option if you are looking for a comfortable cycle with plenty of features. Perfect for users planning to do LISS workouts or protecting muscle strains. With 29 in-built programs, 25 resistance levels, and hi-tec heart rate monitoring the Schwinn Recumbent Bike Series is a great alternative for recumbent bike users.
Real Customer Slim Cycle Reviews
Customer reviews of the Slim Cycle are largely positive. Amazon indicates 77% of reviews give 5-stars, with an average of 4.6 out of 5.
Many customers praise the portability and footprint of the bike. It also appears useful for smaller users who find they struggle with other exercise bikes.
Its ability to be both a recumbent and upright cycle is heavily praised too, with many customers finding it useful for back and hip problems. Older customers also praise the benefits of the recumbent position.
Despite being small and portable, the sturdiness of the bike is praised as well. This makes it great for endurance rides and all-out sprints.
Customer Drawbacks
As with any product, things are not perfect with the Slim Cycle. Taller and heavier customers mention discomfort and difficulty when using the bike, even if they fit within BulbHead’s specified limits.
Customer service is criticized too. Customers have trouble getting shipping confirmation and contacting customer services if things go wrong on the bike. The short warranty on parts is a problem too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some common questions you may have about the Slim Cycle can be answered below.
Does the Slim Cycle come fully assembled?
No, although you can order full assembly at an extra cost. After customer complaints, BulbHead has produced a how-to video alongside the instruction manual to help with assembly.
How much weight does the Slim Cycle Hold?
The listed max user weight for the Slim Cycle is 300lbs. Users at the top end of this limit have reported discomfort and difficulty, however.
For heavier users, the bike’s large opening does make it easier to get on and off. With a lot of exercise bikes, users can have a problem getting their legs over.
Is the Slim Cycle worth the money?
At just $200 the Slim Cycle offers great value. Most brand-new exercise bikes come in at a much higher price. The Slim Cycle is a much cheaper option, yet has a lot of the features you’d expect on a more expensive bike such as heart-rate monitoring, large display screen, and pre-loaded workout programs.
Being 2-in-1, the Slim Cycle can save money on buying both an upright and recumbent cycle by offering both positions in 1 bike.
How many pedal settings are there?
The Slim Cycle comes with 8 resistance settings in the pedals. By turning the dial you can easily and seamlessly go through the different settings.
As you get fitter and stronger you can work your way up the levels. Another benefit is the levels allow you to do interval training, transitioning between high and low levels throughout your workout to increase your heart rate and burn more calories.
Can I adjust the upper body resistance bands if I get this bike?
Yes, by pushing and pulling the band through the locking rings you can adjust the resistance of the upper body resistance bands.
For faster, more intense HIIT workouts you can use a lower resistance to burn fat. For strength building and muscle toning, you can increase the resistance to work those upper body muscles that little bit harder.
Final Thoughts: Is The Slim Cycle Worth the Investment?
At an affordable price, the Slim Cycle offers amazing value. It has an abundance of features considering its price and size.
With both upper and lower body training capabilities, it can save you money on buying multiple machines too.
With recumbent and upright seating positions available, the Slim Cycle suits a range of fitness levels and ages.
A worthwhile investment that can save you time, money, and space, I’d recommend the Slim Cycle 2-in-1 Exercise Bike.
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