Nautilus R514 Recumbent Exercise Bike Description:
Ride longer and harder with the Nautilus® R514 recumbent bike, which features enhanced programming and a Polar® heart rate system. The convenient step-through design combines with adjustable lumbar support for comfortable and ergonomically correct positioning, while the electronically controlled magnetic resistance provides you with a smooth and efficient workout.
- Amazon Sales Rank: #4585 in Sports & Outdoors
- Brand: Nautilus
- Model: 100172
- Dimensions: 13.00″ h x 31.00″ w x 38.00″ l, 119.00 pounds
Features
- Recumbent exercise bike for the home with 16 resistance levels and 20-pound flywheel
- 7 profile courses, 2 programmable user profiles, 20 total programs
- 4 Polar heart rate programs, with telemetry, grip and chest belt (included)
- Powerful fan, and multi-point seat and console adjustments; oversized deluxe pedals
- 300-pound maximum user weight; 10-year warranty on frame, 2 years on parts, 1 year on electronics
Customer Reviews:
Excellent machine
I have had the Nautilus R514 for about 3 weeks now and it has been the best exercise machine that I have ever bought. The computer on it is easy to understand. You can go up to 16 levels as far as resistance is concerned. My husband and I have not really done a lot of aerobic exercise in a long while so we have our highest setting as level 4 right now, which doesn’t sound like much, but is. He weighs roughly 290 and I weigh 170. I am average height og 5′6″ and he is very tall. He doesn’t have any problem with the seat settings. The seat is very easy to move to change between his and mine. The frame of the machine is very sturdy. It takes up a but of room as it is about 4 and a half to 5 feet long and needs about 3 feet of space widthwise. But we fit it into our living room alright. I have gotten tired of buying low-priced machines that do not last long so I decided to spend some more money and buy something from a company with a good reputation. I always used Nautilus machines at the gym I used to go to and they were always excellent machines. As I make progress with this machine I will write an addon to this post later this year. I definately recommend this product. Also, it was shipped very quickly and that was even with free shipping, and was in pristine condition when I received it.
My best fitness friend.
I am reviewing this bike from the perspective of someone who is about 100 pounds overweight, 5′4″, and 55 years of age. I also have lower spinal problems which might require surgery, so I’m using this bike for weight loss, as well as general strengthening my back and improving my fitness level. I’ve lost 125 pounds in the last few years, partly by using a recumbent bike for exercise, but still have a ways to go! I’m writing this to let the reader know that I think using a recumbent bike for cardio exercise is a great thing especially if you are limited in how much weight-bearing exercise you can do.
1st of all, the bike was very easy to put together. My easily-frustrated brother was kind enough to do this for me, and let me just say that I heard no yelling, cursing, or “what the h*ll is this?” the whole time. So…directions are excellent. In addition, the owner’s manual (only about 20 pages) also has clear instructions, but graphics and instructions on the console screen are easy to follow.
With this recumbent bike, all the adjustments in the workouts (such as resistance) are electronic and controlled on the touch screen console, as opposed to having to turn this or that wheel manually — really convenient and quicker. The console itself is rather small as compared with some other bikes that I have seen, which I love because it doesn’t block the TV screen if you want to watch while working out. (I encourage myself to workout by picking a TV show — Nancy Grace for me — to work out during each night.) Also, the console can tilt into different positions to make viewing the most comfortable for you.
The seat on this bike is well-padded, comfortable, and easily slides forward or backwards depending on the length of the rider’s legs. The handles beside the seat are also at a comfortable height and position for you to rest your hands while riding. Even though there is a mechanism to tighten the seat to keep it from wobbling side to side, it still does so a tad–you don’t seem to be able to tighten it down completely. I’m not sure if this is a problem or not, as in some ways it makes your range of motion a little better when peddling, but I would hope that it wouldn’t keep getting looser and looser, and have to keep getting re-tightened.
A nice feature is the handlebars beside the console, which my former bike had but were positioned too far away from the rider — it takes the stress off your back to grab onto handlebars and pull yourself forward, or just re-adjust your position, at times throughout the workout. Pedals on the bike are large and easy to fit your shoes into, although I tend to ride in my socks — I haven’t encountered a problem with that at all, as there is texture on the pads which help keep your foot into place (not slippery, in other words). The magazine rack is located under the seat…love that little handy feature. There is also an easy-to-install water bottle holder that is located on the upright bar under the console. My last bike had the water bottle holder UNDER the seat–very inconvenient, especially is you’re a little hefty on the bottom side, as I am.
Love the choice of workouts, the “memory” so that you can track your progress (and compete against yourself), and that you can customize all the settings and such for two different riders. It is just plain fun to “play” with the adjustments on the console screen, so I get a pretty good warm-up just by pedaling while I’m looking at all the settings and picking a workout. I don’t really use the heart rate monitor, as I’m used to assessing how hard I’m working by how hard I’m breathing, but I may utilize that feature further down the road. The strap that goes across your chest is fairly comfortable, and is adjustable for most anyone’s size.
Another great feature is the fan — yes, a fan! There is a little louvre that can be adjusted to blow the air in the direction you want, and at two different speeds. I only use the fan (just touch the screen) when I get pretty hot and sweaty, as it is blowing directly into your face, and could be irritating & noisy for the whole workout.
I highly recommend this bike, and, especially with the 10 year warranty, I can’t see myself getting another one for a long, long time. Especially if you’re unable to walk long distances, this will give you an excellent, sweat-filled, low-impact workout, for all fitness and weight-loss purposes. With the sleek appearance, it really looks nice in my living room, and everyone I know wants to get on it and ride when they come over. I’m delighted with it!
Oif! Some assembly required indeed
I was really excited to receive the Nautilus R514 Recumbent Exercise Bike, but I can’t believe how much of a chore it was to put together. My other exercise bike is a Schwinn and it was much less trouble. The problem with the Nautilus is that there are many addenda to the assembly instructions that are printed on separate papers and just stuck into the manual. If you aren’t paying attention and lose or misplace one of those loose pieces of paper, it can really screw up the assembly process. It is also especially annoying that in order to assemble it I had to start by disassembling pieces. I don’t normally consider assembly when I am decided on how to rate a product, but in this case I really have to. It took me several hours to assemble it by myself, and I’m pretty good as assembling things.
As for the bike itself, it’s pretty good, but I don’t know that it is worth the cost. The price on this model is around $200 more than my Schwinn, but the design and construction are very similar. I didn’t find that this model was any sturdier than the Schwinn, either. It does have a couple of advantages to my Schwinn: (1) you don’t have to step over the bar to get into the seat, it isn’t a huge advantage but I did notice it was easier, and (2) it has a fan, of course I can just as easily put a fan next to my other bike. It also has what I consider a pretty annoying disadvantage, no book holder! I’m sure I can create a make-shift book holder to use while I am on the Nautilus, but it is such a stupid oversight. I can’t remember the last time I saw an exercise bike that didn’t have a place to set a book or magazine.
One thing I like a lot about this bike is that it comes with a heart rate strap and can read your rate directly from it. That’s a lot more convenient and comfortable then using the little handlebars. It’s no $200 worth of convenience though.
I think this bike is fine, it is effective, and it is well-made. But there just isn’t anything about it that stands out and makes me feel like it is worth the extra money.
Amazon.com Product Description
Save money on monthly gym fees and get in shape with the compact, comfortable Nautilus R514 recumbent exercise bike, which enables you to ride longer and harder with its biomechanically-correct design and comfort features, enhanced programming, and integrated Polar heart rate monitoring system.
The Nautilus R514 recumbent exercise bike for the home. |
Features and Specifications:
- 7 profile courses–variety to help keep you motivated for the results you want
- 4 Polar heart rate programs, with telemetry, grip and chest belt (included). Polar is the premier brand of heart rate monitoring and fitness assessment–a perfect complement to Nautilus equipment.
- 2 programmable user profiles to customize your own courses and track your progress
- Electronically controlled magnetic resistance system for a smooth and efficient workout
- Blue backlit LCD display with an easy to read console
- Powerful fan, and multi-point seat and console adjustments–all biomechanically designed and inspired by the Nautilus equipment you see in a gym
- Convenient step-through design and adjustable lumbar support for comfortable and ergonomically correct positioning
- Oversized deluxe pedals, water bottle holder and magazine rack
- Integrated gear basket stores your towels, magazines or other accessories
- 20-pound flywheel
- Eddy Current Brake (ECB) resistance system
- Transport wheels
- Switchable from miles to kilometers (KM)
- Maximum user weight: 300 pounds
The R514’s exercise console (see larger image). |
The R514 offers oversized deluxe pedals. |
Manufacturer’s Warranty
10 years on the frame, 2 years on parts, 1 year on electronics, 6 months on wear parts, 6 months on labor
