The Xterra Fitness FB150 Folding Exercise Bike is a prominent entry-level exercise bike out there, and it’s one of the most affordable ones from Xterra Fitness, too.
This bike is aimed towards those people that are looking for a basic exercise bike for light to medium exercise in their life. The comparatively low intensity of magnetic resistance justifies that.
If we talk about other aspects, Xterra Fitness has maintained quality all over it. They’ve built this out of a sturdy frame, given an extra-large seat, a fitness monitor, and whatnot.
This bike does not promise all the things in the world but delivers the little that it promises. In this Xterra Fitness FB150 Folding Exercise Bike review, we’re going to look closely into the bike and find out every bit of it.
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Xterra Fitness FB150 Folding Exercise Bike Review
Let’s get started with the frame first.
‘X’ Shaped Frame
The FB150 from Xterra fitness is made of a two-piece frame that has kind of an ‘X’ structure. The two-pieces join in the middle to create that convenient ‘X’ shape. The frames are built from steel for extra durability, yet the bike is quite lightweight.
I assume the steel has a portion of another lightweight yet sturdy elements in it. When fully assembled, the bike weighs around 32 lbs only, which is approx. 14.5 kgs. Quite lightweight for an exercise bike, isn’t it?
Though it’s possible to reallocate the unit without wheels, it’s nice of Xterra fitness that they’ve provided small wheels, which facilitates the reallocation of the machine.
Measurement
The machine isn’t too large, either. It’s approximately 31.5″ (80 cm) x 18″ (46 cm) 50.5″ (120 cm). You can also fold the frame to save up some space while it’s not in use.
However, I recommend you to keep optimum clearance on all the sides for safer operation and easy access to the bike.
Talking about the rear base of the FB150, it’s a straight bar instead of a curved one that a few other bikes have. The seat bar isn’t a reinforced one either, which is a significant reason behind limiting the bikes’ maximum weight capacity, which is 225 lbs only.
I would’ve loved to see these things on this bike, but then again I remembered, this is an affordable bike, and thus few sacrifices had to be made.
Finishing
Another thing that I need to mention regarding the unit is the paint finishing of it. The metallic parts have rust and chip-resistant gray paint finishing. The belt and the covers of the flywheel are painted blue, which gives this bike a nice look.
But this is the only color option available, so no opportunity to choose.
Handlebar
The FB150 has non-adjustable handlebars. The curved bar is attached to the frame through two bolts. They’ve multi-grip design so you can pick a grip that you feel comfortable with.
The handlebars are nicely covered with a rubber-ish foam material that provides a comfortable and secure grip. It was blissful to firmly grab the handlebar over that grip.
And obviously, there’s the pulse sensor made of stainless steel that monitors your heart rate to show through the display.
Seat
The seat is extra large on this machine. At the widest point it measures approximately 14”, so it’s expected that users of all sizes will fit in this seat, as long as they weigh below 225 lbs.
The seat was quite comfortable. It has enough padding to make every session comfortable. The top of the seat is made of thick vinyl material, which is durable. If you think it’s not comfortable enough, you may put on a seat cover, which will further enhance the comfort and lifespan of the seat as well.
However, the way the seat is connected to the frame of the bike is a little different. Instead of having a collar design, it rather has a triangular plate underneath it, which attaches to the frame via three bolts.
So if you want to replace the seat, it’s going to be a little tough to find a seat that uses this mechanism. This mechanism, however, does improve the firmness of the position of the seat.
You can either pull the sit up or push it down for the adjustability. It can accommodate exercisers in between 4’10”- 5’10”, ensuring that they get a complete extension of their leg.
Resistance
The Xterra Fitness FB150 operates by a magnetic resistance mechanism, which is completely manual.
I say completely manual because you do not need to connect the bike to a power source, and the console does not have to play a role in changing the resistance level either.
The bike has this magnetic brake that is connected to a dial that you get access to. You have to rotate the dial clockwise or vice versa, which will change the position of the brake in relation to the flywheels.
This will bring change to the intensity level of the magnetic field and ultimately result in either increased or decreased resistance.
You can adjust the resistance in 8 levels. The initial levels are quite light, and they’re good for warmup or recovery training. The maximum level will throw some challenges but not that much still.
This is an entry-level exercise bike, and this is not meant for a high-intensity workout like many heavy-duty upright exercise bikes.
Drive
Since this bike operates by a magnetic resistance mechanism, it features a belt-drive, which causes your pedalic motion to be quiet and smooth. And maintenance is low on this bike as it does not need any lubrication.
The reason this bike is not for a high-intensity workout is the light flywheel of it, which weighs around 1.5 kgs only. However, you can pedal in reverse as well if you want to put diversity in your sessions. The console still counts your distance covered, calories burned, etc.
Console (Fitness Meter)
The Xterra FB150 is a basic exercise bike, so it’s no surprise; it comes with a basic fitness meter. Many other training bikes do not include one even, so I’m glad that it’s here and will consider it as a plus.
So the fitness meter is an LCD display that shows information about distance, speed, ODO (total distance covered), calories burned, pulse, and time – not really bad, huh. Being a basic one, it still shows adequate information that you need to track your goals.
However, being a basic meter, it doesn’t show all the information at the same time. It shows that information one by one in a cyclic process. However, if you want to emphasize any particular information and want that to stick in the display, you can do that with the button in includes.
When you want to track your pulse, you have to put your hand on the pulse sensor installed on the handlebars.
The meter is quite simple to use, which is a perk of it being basic. There’s only one button that turns the meter on. It turns on automatically, too, without you pressing the button when it detects flywheel movement.
You have to put the meter on SCAN mode by pressing the button if you want it to show all the information one by one.
The meters run on two AA batteries that come included with the bike. It automatically puts itself in sleep mood when it detects inactivity for several minutes.
XTERRA Fitness FB150 Folding Exercise Bike Video Review
Pros & Cons of Xterra Fitness FB150 Folding Exercise Bike
Pros
- Sturdy yet lightweight frame.
- Small footprint.
- You can fold it too.
- Multi-grip comfortable handlebars.
- Extra Large Seat.
- Smooth Operation.
- Basic yet functional console.
- Less maintenance demanding.
Cons
- The weight limit needed to be stretched.
- The LCD display doesn’t have backlit.
- It does not include a bottle holder.
- Resistance is not that much challenging.
The Verdict
The Xterra fitness FB 150 is a bike with a purpose and will attract a particular group of users. This is a basic entry-level bike that is inexpensive and does what it’s supposed to do.
The frame, seat, etc. are of great quality, which I didn’t expect for such an inexpensive bike. The fitness meter is a nice addition, which shows adequate information. The bike definitely serves the purpose which it promises.
To conclude the Xterra fitness fb150 folding exercise bike review, I believe the people looking for an entry-level inexpensive exercise bike will find this one a great value for money.
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