Life Fitness is a brand well-known for their industrial health and fitness equipment, however they additionally provide a relatively vast array of machines created for house use.
With outstanding specifications and modern attributes, the IC6 Indoor Cycle is a wonderful instance of what we should anticipate from such a prominent firm.
It additionally so takes place to be a strong competitor for best-in-class spin bike. Yet the competition is strong- with names like Schwinn, Keiser, and Peloton crushing the market, it’s easy to neglect some of the less marketed cycles.
My goal for this review is to provide a thorough look at what the IC6 Indoor Cycle needs to provide. I also want to review whether it has what it requires to withstand the big pets.
Allow’s begin with the beginning with a peek at what Life Physical fitness is everything about.
Who Is Life Fitness?
If you’ve exercised in a commercial gym anytime in the last couple of decades, you have actually probably used a Life Health and fitness stationary bicycle or treadmill.
They’ve become one of the a lot more preferred business fitness tools companies, yet it absolutely had not been an overnight success.
Life Physical fitness practically began about 45 years ago with the Lifecycle exercise bike, which was likewise the very first digital piece of fitness tools.
” Lifecycle” was the name of the company for a number of years while they specialized in stationary bicycle. The name was altered to Life Health and fitness in the ’80s after Bally Total Health and fitness purchased the business.
Years later the firm was acquired by Brunswick Firm, and also long-story-short, they expanded. With the procurement of a few various other companies, Life Physical fitness started creating treadmills and stamina training devices.
Nowadays, the company provides a variety of cardio and toughness training devices for both commercial and residence use.
Life Health and fitness has actually become a widely known brand name over the years because of their online reputation for producing top quality items.
These high quality items feature a quite steep asking rate unfortunately (as has a tendency to be the situation with firms that produce both business as well as residence use equipment).
Commonly the residence equipment looks a lot like the commercial quality stuff they are making. Which is an advantage, since the residence models typically have a great deal of the very same commercial quality parts.
The house designs will certainly have different warranties as well as are usually a little much less sturdy because they will not have to hold up against usage from as lots of customers.
In regards to their interior cycles, they are definitely designed to resemble a cycle you would certainly discover in a commercial fitness center. Mentioning which, let’s see what the IC6 is collaborating with.
The IC6 is just one of Life Health and fitness’s higher-end designs, with just the IC7 and IC 8 showing off greater cost. At first sight, the IC6 is a streamlined looking cycle that appears it would certainly fit in simply fine somewhere in a cycling studio with 20 or 30 of them aligned in balanced rows.
I’m a fan of the black as well as red color design (undoubtedly)- it’s traditional and also just festinates (similar to the style made use of on the Peloton).
The following top quality that stands apart to me is just how durable the framework and elements show up. Again, it appears like a bike you would certainly see in an industrial fitness center.
Pros
- User assist feature to make adjusting handlebars easier
- Heavy duty frame with 330 lb weight limit
- Dual sided pedals, compatible with cleats and sneakers
- Self-powered console with Coach by Color feature
- Solid warranty
- Quiet, magnetic resistance system
- Maintenance free belt drive train
- Fully adjustable seat
- Fully adjustable handlebars
Cons
- Additional cost for Myride VX Personal Console
- Some complaints about Life Fitness customer support
Flywheel
The flywheel is a good location to begin when reviewing a spin bike (interior cycle). A lot of bikers will tell you larger is better, since it gives you a smoother, a lot more fluid feeling.
Most great interior cycles featured flywheels that weigh anywhere in between 30-50 lb. The people at Keiser would certainly differ nonetheless- they just utilize an 8 lb flywheel on their famous M3i.
The people at Life Health and fitness agree with the Keiser school of thought- that is, if you have a top notch magnetic resistance system as well as an appropriate equipment proportion, you do not need a hefty flywheel to achieve a smooth momentum.
The IC6 uses a 9 pound flywheel (which is thought about really light in the spinning world) and also customers appear to be satisfied- there aren’t lots of issues when it pertains to the smoothness of the IC6.
The style of the gears and the auto grade Poly-V belt drive make it possible for the flywheel to get to broadband. Integrated with the frictionless magnetic resistance, you get a smooth, virtually quiet trip experience.
The amazing aspect of having a belt drive system is that it’s maintenance totally free. Unlike chain drives, you don’t have to fret about lubricating belts.
They’re additionally quieter than their chain equivalents. The same goes with magnetic resistance- considering that there are no touching parts to develop the resistance, there’s less risk of failure.
The IC6 utilizes a bar to adjust the resistance. As opposed to transforming a dial, which is common in a lot of the popular high-end cycles, you relocate a lever arm up or down. This seems a little weird to me, yet I’m used to the dial. Actually, I don’t assume it’s a big deal in either case.
A great touch though, Life Fitness put the resistance bar on the handlebar- the intent was to make it much easier to reach when standing.
This I like, since from experience I understand it can be a little unpleasant to get to down and also enhance your resistance from a standing placement when the resistance dial is reduced down on the structure.
Having the resistance lever higher on the handlebar makes it less complicated to make use of.
You probably saw that the flywheel remains in the rear of the IC6. This is a preferred style component that Keiser started. Not just does it look trendy, however it actually protects your flywheel from sweat damage.
On the whole, the IC6 uses a sophisticated magnetic resistance system with a belt drive train and lightweight flywheel to deliver an extremely smooth, silent flight.
Seat
The important thing to consider when checking out spin cycle seats is just how flexible they are. A cycle at this cost point need to be fully flexible, meaning you can transform both the elevation and horizontal (fore/aft) placement of the seat.
The IC6 does feature a completely adjustable seat, offering you the capacity to find the excellent fit for your trip.
Bicycle seats are recognized for being awkward, specifically for amateur cyclists. That stated, customers locate the IC6 to be comfy. Life Fitness has identified the included seat a “sporting activity saddle”, however it looks pretty typical to me.
The good idea though, is that if the seat is also unpleasant, you can swap it out for another seat or throw a gel padding on it for extra comfort.
Handlebars
The IC6 comes with totally adjustable handlebars, providing you the ability to change their position to fit you completely. The handlebars are likewise multi-grip, which means you have a lot of choices for where you decide to rest your hands.
The curvy nature of the handles should add a little convenience too.
Something I never understood up until I began riding regularly, was just how much pressure experiences your top body on an interior cycle.
It is very important to transform your grip up frequently to alleviate pressure. You also need to utilize various holds based upon the type of exercise you’re doing (resting vs standing, climbing a hillside, etc).
A wonderful attribute Life Physical fitness has actually included below is the “user-assist article”, that makes it a lot simpler to adjust the height of the handlebars.
Making this adjustment is kind of difficult on a lot of bikes because this message is hefty. On the IC6, it’s a great deal much easier though because of this user-assist feature.
Frame
This bike comes with a durable steel framework. All the internal elements are concealed as well as secured, which functions well for design factors, but also keeps everything secured from damage.
This tough frame has a max weight ability of 330 lb, which is impressive thinking about most interior cycles max out around 300 lb.
This reveals that the IC6 really is built hard, much like their business quality machines. With a weight capacity this high, this bike will be able to securely suit most individuals.
The IC6 has the adhering to measurements when fully set up: 52 ″ (L) x 20.5 ″ (W) x 47.2 ″ (H).
Mentioning setting up, placing the IC6 together is rather straightforward. Like many spin bikes, the flywheel and all inner elements arrive completely assembled. It’s your job to affix the stabilizers, seat, pedals, and also handlebars.
Pedals
Most premium indoor cycles are compatible with cleats. If you have actually never made use of cleats on a spin bike in the past, they absolutely add to the experience.
They allow you to pedal quicker and also a lot more effectively. Naturally you have to buy them independently if you do not already have a set.
The nice feature of the pedals on the IC6 is that they are dual-sided. One side works with SPD cleats and also the other is a toe cage that works with tennis shoes. No matter which kind of shoe you want to use, these pedals will work with you.
Life Physical fitness markets that this bike has a 155 mm Q-factor. Unless you’re a devoted cyclist, you probably don’t understand what that suggests.
The Q-factor refers to exactly how much apart the pedals are. The basic suggestion is that having them better together puts much less tension through your knees as well as hips.
From a physical therapist’s viewpoint, this makes sense I think. However directly, I’ve never ever gotten on an indoor cycle where the Q-factor was so large that it was visible to me.
I assume my factor right here is that skilled cyclists will certainly appreciate this fact, the remainder of us probably will not observe.
Console
You have 2 options below when it comes to the console. The common grade console is their “Wattrate Shade TFT Computer”. That’s a mouthful, so from now on I’ll refer to it as merely the “TFT” display.
Anyway, this console is rather cool. First off, it’s self-powered, meaning that there’s a tiny generator on the bike that creates electricity as you cycle- your exercise really powers this console, no batteries or wall plug essential.
Second, the “wattrate” part is describing a sophisticated watt meter Life Fitness created to offer you a precise dimension of your work. This is paired with their “coach by shade” system to let you understand which workout zone you remain in.
Similar to various other systems that utilize heart price zones to establish your effort, this console will certainly transform the shade of it’s display based upon your effort (which is obtained based on your electrical power result).
The TFT console is sleek and simple to make use of. It reveals all the usual workout metrics we would certainly anticipate. You can select between 4 different display sights during your workout.
This console is additionally compatible with wireless breast strap heart rate monitors.
The other console choice is the Myride VX Personal console. This alternative supplies a tablet computer that attaches to the handlebars, enabling you to gain access to different instructor lead workouts.
The console includes 3 integrated apps: globe view, scenic tour trainer, and studio trainer.
World view enables you to watch 5 minute video clips from over 500 different areas all over the world as you ride- offering you the feeling of riding in mountains or areas from around the world.
The tour coach app includes 4 50-min teacher lead exercises as well as 4 30-min HIIT exercises.
The studio train app includes 12 15-min HIIT drills, 4 30-min classes, as well as 4 50-min courses, each with teacher assistance and songs to keep you encouraged.
The Myride VX Personal console sets you back an extra $800 or two, however sometimes Life Health and fitness will have promos where it’s included. Click the banner below to see if they are having a sale currently.
Warranty
The IC6 features the complying with service warranty from Life Health and fitness:
- 5 year frame
- 3 year mechanical parts
- 1 year various other parts
- 1 year labor
This is a pretty good warranty for a spin bike and also very equivalent to what the various other premium bikes are providing. Five years is quite standard for the frame, although Schwinn does supply a ten years warranty on the Air Conditioning Performance And Also.
One year on wearable components is much better than a lot of that just offer 6 months or so. One year on labor is also common. On the whole, a rather strong guarantee.
Final Thoughts
The IC6 Indoor Cycle is a great example of what we should anticipate from a high-end exercise bike. With outstanding specs and also sophisticated functions, the IC6 is an arguable contender for finest in course interior cycle (and it did make its way onto my finest spin bikes of the year listing).
There’s no question about it, this is a great bike. The actual concern we need to be asking is whether or not it’s worth the asking cost.
The only way I know to answer that concern is to compare it to the various other leading spin bikes on the market (you recognize, check the comps).
Without the Myride Personal console, the IC6 is priced really in a similar way to the Peloton, Keiser M3i, as well as Schwinn AC Performance Plus.
The IC6 has all the specifications and also features to hold its own with these bikes too. It’s actually a bit greater technology than the M3i and also Air Conditioning Performance Plus with its self powered console.
If you need to pay complete price for the Myride console, the IC6 comes to be the most pricey bike of the bunch. Naturally with the Peloton, you are paying a month-to-month membership fee for the exercises, yet in my viewpoint the Peloton touch display has this console defeat by far.
And also I can personally vouch for the top quality of their instructor lead spin courses.
So, long story short, I think the IC6 bike itself is worth the money.
It’s a great bike with some really great high-tech attributes that’s backed by a great guarantee. I would not pay added for the Myride console though- I ‘d probably wait up until it’s included with a promotion or just utilize a separate health and fitness application.