Star Trac Spinner Blade Commercial Spin Bike

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Star Trac Spinner Blade
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L:56.5"
W:21"
H:40"
350 lbsFriction,
Leather-pad
ChainFrame: 10 years
Parts: 2 years
Wear: 1 year

There are actually two series for the Spinner Blade from Star Trac. The model that we’re going to present here is the 6960, the one that features a chain drive. This particular bike, is pretty much the same as the Spinner NXT model, only the Spinner NXT comes with a belt drive.

Now, a belt drive is slightly quieter than a chain drive, and doesn’t require maintenance. But on the other hand, even if the drive belt of a bike is a heavy-duty one, and industrially tested, it will still eventually wear out after a while. A chain can last a lifetime, and it’s easier to find a replacement for it, in the highly unlikely event that it breaks.

Nonetheless, the Star Trac Spinner Blade is a commercial grade bike. It offers the best frame construction in the business, and the best spinning training setting that you can find. There are quite a few aspectes to cover regarding this exercise bike. So, let’s see what it can do for you.

Technical Details and Specifications

  • Assembled dimensions: 56.5L x 21W x 40H inches (143.5L x 53W x 101.6H cm)
  • Assembled weight: 131 lbs (62 kg)
  • Flywheel weight 38 lbs (17.2 kg)
  • Max. user capacity: 350 lbs (159 kg)
  • Handlebars: 4-way adjustable
  • Seat: 4-way adjustable
  • Pedals: SPD compatible, and with toe cages
  • Drive mechanism: Chain
  • Brakes: Friction, leather pad
  • Resistance: Adjustable
  • Accessories: Bottle holders, 4 Spinning DVDs
  • Performance monitor: No
  • Warranty: Frame 10 years, Parts 2 years, Wear 1 year.

Frame

The frame of the Spinner Blade cycle is made of extruded aluminum. But even though aluminum is considerably lighter than steel, this particular bike still is quite heavy, with an assembled weight of 131 lbs (62 kg). There’s actually a lot of engineering behind the frame construction, as the bike’s weight fits harmoniously to its dimensions, offering maximum stability, for any type of spin workout.

Although the frame is aluminum made, and basically corrosion free itself, it’s still double coated with corrosion resistant paint, with a professional, elegant finish.

There are several non-metallic pieces within the frame construction. One is the chain guard, and the others are the rear stretch guards and the step up guards. These are made from high impact urethane material, made to protect the frame from damage from cleated shoes. Various spin workouts require you to step up and down, and place your feet on the frame, which will eventually lead to damage on the frame, if these guards were not in place.

This bike is considerably longer than other indoor cycling bikes. It’s almost 10 inches longer than the Bladez Fusion GS II, for example. But on the other hand, it’s still far from having the huge footprint of a treadmill, such as the Sole F85. It takes 56.5″L x 21″W (143.5 x 53 cm), and should fit even into a smaller room.

As we’ve mentioned, the bike is quite heavy, but it’s stability isn’t given solely by its weight. Its bases also feature adjustable, rubberized stabilizers, which supply an excellent grip onto just about any type of flooring. The front base also includes a set of silicone wheels, to ease the relocation of the bike, when fully assembled.

Seat and handlebars

The seat supplied with the Star Trac Spinner Blade is pretty much a standard spin bike seat. It does feature some padding, but it doesn’t offer the cushioning that you’ll find on an upright bike seat, such as the Ironman X-Class 310. It’s a slim seat, similar to the ones you’ll find on race spinner blade spin bike - seatbikes. These being said, if you’re new to spinning, you will find this type of seat a bit hard and uncomfortable for the first sessions. But after a while anyone should get used to it.

The seat has a pretty standard connection point though, and you can easily find a replacement for it, in case you really want a bigger one. Another alternative to increase the seat’s comfort if it’s the case, is to add a “sheepskin” or gel seat cover.

The handlebar features a multi-grip design. It’s fully covered in rubber foam fabric, to supply a comfortable grip. It also incorporates a double bottle holder, so you’ll be able to keep hydration at hand, anytime you workout.

Both handlebar and seat feature 4-way adjustability. They can be moved up, down, fore and aft. In fact, this series of bikes offers the highest micro-adjustability that you can find on the market. It can actually accommodate users between 4’10” and 6’10” (147 – 208 cm) comfortably, offering the maximum leg stretch even for the tallest users. It’s also a high capacity bike, being able to support users up to 350 lbs (159 kg). It is after all, a bike designed for 24/7 gym use.

Resistance system

The brake system on this indoor cycle is pretty simple. It’s a direct contact, friction brake, featuring a top-to-down leather pad. The brake pad is connected to the resistance knob situatedspinner blade - brake knob view on top of the handlebar frame tube. There are no resistance levels specified on the knob, like in bikes with magnetic resistance. To adjust resistance, you simply turn the knob until you find that the tension generated suits your workout. Differently put, you can squeeze the brake pad onto the flywheel up to the point you cannot pedal anymore. Of course, in case you’re wondering, resistance can be adjusted as you pedal.

Like in most indoor cycling bikes, the resistance knob also fulfills the role of an emergency brake, which is quite a necessary feature. If, for example, you’re not using a high level of resistance, the flywheel and pedals will continue to spin after you stop pedaling. By pressing the knob down, the flywheel will stop instantly. Therefore, to avoid any accidents, you may want to use this emergency brake.

Drive system

As we’ve mentioned above, this is the Star Trac Spinner Blade 6960, the model that comes with the chain drive system. It supplies a smooth and quiet ride. The only sound that you will hear during your workouts is the soft whirring generated by the chain. Differently put, the ride of this bike is much quieter than your average road bike, simply because its drive system does not integrate gears or a derailleur.

This spin bike is equipped with a heavy flywheel, weighing 38 lbs (17.2 kg). The flywheel is perimeter weighted, offering a consistent momentum and high stability, contributing a lot to the smoothness of the ride. Its perimeter is rounded not flat, like in most other indoor cycles, which leads to a better grip of the brake pad onto it.

Evidently, since it’s a spin bike, and on top of that, a bike made for gym use, its crank assembly is really sturdy. It features two solid steel, thick crank arms, being able to support even the heaviest users in stand-up spinning routines, or just about any spin workouts. It also offers quite a narrow Q Factor of 158 mm, similar to the Q Factor of race bikes, which results in a more natural pedaling motion, and a much lower impact on your knees.

Last but not least, the pedals supplied with this bike integrate clips for spin shoes, but also feature toe cages with adjustable straps, for regular sports shoes. The pedals feature standard threads, so you should easily find replacements, in case you want a different model.

Accessories

There aren’t many accessories supplied with this bike, but still, there are two to be mentioned. The first one is the bottle holder, which is incorporated in the handlebars. Its position and design is actually great, as you can fix a tablet holder onto it, if you want.

The second accessory is a set of 4 DVDs, which include various spin workouts. These are great to train with. They actually generate the atmosphere of a real spin class, and will considerably help with your results. The DVDs include Ultimate Energy, Train and Tone, Turn and Burn and Maximum Results workouts.

Assembly and Maintenance

The assembly of this bike is far from being complicated. It shouldn’t take more than 30 minutes, and definitely does not require the assistance of a technician. But due to the fact that the bike is rather heavy, it may require two people.

Assembly basically requires you to add the base stabilizers to the main frame, attach the seat and handlebar posts, then the seat and handlebars themselves, and finally the pedals. Flywheel, brake, chain and crankset come already attached to the frame. Also, a hard copy of the manual and the tools required for the bike’s assembly are supplied.

Just as any road bike, or exercise bike involving a chain drive system, this Star Trac spin model will require chain lubrication from time to time. This is far from being a difficult process though. You only need to take off the chain guard, apply some chain lube onto the chain, spin the pedals a couple of times while holding the chain with a piece of cloth, in order to wipe off the lubricant exceess, and make sure all its links are lubricated.

The resistance pad may also require a bit of lubrication, especially when it’s new. For that, you only need to apply a silicone-based lubricant onto the contact surface of the flywheel. This way, any squeaking that the brake pad may generate, will be eliminated. Also, its grip onto the flywheel will improve. Of course, when the brake pad wears out (usually after a few years), it requires replacement.

The Pros

  • Heavy-duty construction, highly durable frame, made for all spin workouts;
  • Elegant, professional design;
  • Extremely solid crank assembly;
  • Comfortable, narrow Q Factor, reducing stress on kneess;
  • 4-way adjustable seat;
  • 4-way adjustable handlebars;
  • Accommodates users between 4’10” – 6’10”;
  • High user capacity (350 lbs);
  • Quiet, smooth and durable chain drive;
  • High-inertia, heavy flywheel;
  • Basically limitless resistance settings;
  • Hybrid pedals, with clips for spin shoes, and toe cages;
  • Bottle holders;
  • 4 free DVDs with different spin workouts included;
  • Little maintenance required;
  • Easy to assemble;
  • Excellent warranty plan.spinner blade - star trac bike

The Cons

  • No performance monitor. However, you can always purchase one separately;
  • Seat not very comfortable for a non-seasoned spin users.

Summary

If you’re looking for a heavy-duty, commercial grade spin bike, that can support just about any spin workout, the Star Trac Spinner Blade is definitely one that meets these requirements. It’s a bike with an extremely sturdy and stable construction, made for users of all levels and basically all sizes. It’s a fitness machine designed for high-intensity cardio, strength and stamina training, and of course, consistent weight loss. On top of that it comes with 4 free DVDs that will definitely help you achieve your fitness goals. It’s not exactly an affordable bike, but the quality that it offers definitely stands up to the price. Even though this model has been around for more than a year, it still is one of the best spin bikes that you can get.

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