You have got to be kidding me, I've had this thing for a week. I usually try to find gently used exercise equipment to save money, but I wanted a new recumbent bike so I could be assured that I was getting a piece of equipment that worked well, and was most importantly, quiet. I figured that as long as I took care of it, I could keep it in quiet working order. After a having it for a week it is squeaking from somewhere in the belt area. So now every turn of the pedal is an annoying squeak. So now I have to tear my brand new bike down to try to locate this annoying squeak, and hope there is a way to fix it.
If you want to buy exercise equipment, don't buy it online. It's too cumbersome to try to take apart and send back to Amazon. At least if you buy it locally you can just take the assembled equipment back to the brick and mortar retailer. I'm not sure why this bike has so many good reviews, it's junk. I just hope I can get some of my money back selling it used. I will not be purchasing anything made by Exerpeutic (Paradigm) again. They make junk.

For prospective, I'll begin by saying I'm a 56 year old woman and I assembled this alone. First, although the assembly manual illustration looks completely intimidating, theres only three bolts and washers that aren't already seated. The rest are already in place, they just need to be fastened. The difficult part about assembly was attaching the handlebar alone since you need to hold it in place with one hand and secure the bolts with the other. I put it together in a very leisurely hour. The needed Allen wrenches were included. No additional tools required.

This is a significant, very sturdy bike, it's operation is whisper quiet and the seat height is easily adjustable. It is well-made and am impressed with the product's very affordable price. the only reason that I didn't give this five stars is the seat. While one of the photos appears to show a seat with a contoured surface, the seat is hard and flat. It was tolerable but not comfortable. I've ordered the Sunlite bicycle gel seat cover, western to hopefully add a bit more comfort to the ride. I'll try to update this review after I get the seat cover. The one thing I do love about this bike is that it is surprisingly quiet.

I wanted a bike to which I could add a table hold my iPad and a beverage. I wanted one that was foldable, adjustable, could tilt and fit with the bike. I found the Platinum Health PHT2500 Acrobat Professional Overbed or Laptop Table with Tilting and Height Adjustable Casters. It's mast is adjustable for height and tilt. In place, there is exactly enough room to pedal while clearing the mast and the casters and can be pushed away for easy egress. There are plenty of pictures of the assembled bike already posted but I'll add a few showing how it can be combined with a table for multitasking.

So now instead of playing on my iPad and watching TV from the sofa, I use my screen time as exercise time too. This bike is a winner.

When we received the package the box was ready to fall apart. The cardboard was torn and pieces began falling out once we brought it inside the house. That may or may not be by fault of Exerpeutic but it definitely made me nervous. Luckily there wasn't anything missing and it was relatively easy to assemble "“ my wife did it all by herself without a problem. Upon using the bike it was apparent that it didn't arrive unscathed. The left heart rate monitor handle was damaged (see photo) but it didn't seem to affect the bike's ability to measure heart rate.

My wife and I used it almost every day for about 2 weeks. One morning while I was on the bike I noticed a clunking sound coming from the left pedal. I wasn't sure what it was but I couldn't recreated the noise by hand, I had to be pedaling in order for it to start. At first my wife couldn't hear it, the noise didn't happen when she rode it, but it steadily grew worse the more we used it. I wouldn't say we were hard on the bike, we just pedal kind of causally while watching Netflix or something, but the noise got to the point that neither one of us could stand to ride it. I don't know if it failed on its own or if the rough state it was in when it arrived on my doorstep had anything to do with it. I contacted Amazon and they quickly ordered a replacement and picked up the damaged unit free of charge. I will update this review after using the replacement for a few weeks and let you know if the clunking returns. Hopefully not, because we really like this bike and want to keep it around.

Stuff I really like about the bike:
- Compact, fold up nicely
- Easy to set up for a short ride when I have time
- Easy assembly
- Sturdy construction and design "“ I didn't feel like it was going to bend or tip while I ride
- The back rest is really nice for sitting back and watching Netflix while exercising
Cons:
- Wheels don't work at all on carpet, so moving the bike can be hard given that it's heavy.
- The seat is a little on the firm side. My butt gets sore around the 20 minute mark
- I'm 6ft and about 190 lbs and the bike is just a hair too short for my legs, even with the seat adjusted all the way up. It's not a big problem, if I were a more serious cyclist it might bother me but you get used to it.

Don't know if this company is out of business but it's been impossible getting new parts for this bike. I've called...they don't answer, left 2 messages no response. I've emailed...no response.... Used website...no response. Bought this bike last year, not used much and already crank has no tread and can't screw back on. So until it's fixed it's useless. This was my exercise after knee replacement and much needed right now, totally frustrated with this bike!

I bought this bike almost two years ago, and I've put over 1800 miles on it so far. I has been the best deal on a piece of exercise equipment that I have ever purchased so far. I'm a short female with bad knees, which is why I switched from walking to cycling as my primary form of exercise. It also helped me re-gain ground after knee surgery. The ability to increase the tension on the bike has given my legs the strength they need to allow me to fully join my family on vacations to places like NYC, where whole days walking and standing are required. And since I hate having to go to gyms and try to exercise amid strangers and loud music, this bike has enabled me to get a good workout at home, no matter what the weather. I did notice that the plastic case surrounding the drive mechanism cracked open along the seam fairly early on. After a couple of halfhearted attempts to close the crack with duct tape, which failed 'cause the tape didn't want to stay on, I gave up. Despite this, the bike seems to be working just fine, though. The seat is wide and roomy, and you can adjust the height fairly easily. But, since I need to keep my legs relatively unbent while on the lowest pedal position, the seat is a bit too wide to allow for a comfortable seat with back support, without hitting the back of my thighs too much - but luckily, a foam block placed behind me on the seat gives me the back support I want, while perching more forward on the seat. Works out great. Anyway, this is an unbelievably good price for something that has lasted nearly two years with constant use (well, at least 5 days a week, anyway).