Inspire Fitness CB1 Air Resistance Bike

Unit	Size	Supported weight	Resistance	Fitness meter	Warranty
Inspire CB1 Check Discounted Price	L:43.9" W:24.8" H:45.7"	300 lbs	Air	Speed, Time, Distance, ODO, Calories, SCAN	Frame: 7 years Parts: 3 years Labor: 1 year

The Inspire Fitness CB1 exercise bike is similar in specs to the Sunny SF-B2640 and the Marcy NS-1000. However, it offers a greater user weight capacity, and a wider seat, more comfortable seat. It also comes with a considerably more consistent warranty. Due to this fact, it costs a bit more than the Sunny and Marcy models, but it’s definitely a sturdier fitness machine.

Technical Details and Specifications

• Assembled dimensions: 43.9L x 24.8W x 45.7H inches (111.5L x 63W x 116H cm)
• Assembled weight: 82 lbs (37.1 kg)
• Supported weight: 300 lbs (136 kg)
• Drive: Belt / Chain
• Resistance: Air
• Fitness meter: Time, speed, distance, odometer, calories, SCAN
• Warranty: Frame 7 years / Parts 3 years / Labor 1 year

Frame construction

The Inspire Fitness CB1 is an upright exercise bike, and therefore, it doesn’t take too much usage space. With the frame fully assembled, it’s 43.9″ (111.5 cm) long, and 24.8″ (63 cm) wide. Its maximum width is given by the handgrips; the bike’s bases are approx. 1″ shorter. The bike’s highest point is given by the top of the handlebars, which reach 45.7″ (116 cm) above floor level. Along with these dimensions, it is recommended to assign at least two feet of clearance on each side, and at least one foot of space at the front and rear, to avoid any hindrance during exercises.

Needless to say, this upright exercise bike is made of steel tubing. It’s not an extremely heavy fitness machine but does weigh over 80 lbs, which is quite a bit more than the average road bike. This weight provides excellent stability, and on top of that, the front base tube is equipped with polygonal, adjustable stabilizers.

The bike’s frame doesn’t fold; however, its transport shouldn’t be too difficult once it is assembled. Its rear base features two small transport wheels.

Although most elements in the bike’s frame construction are metallic, there still are several plastic parts. These are the shrouds of the drive system, the pedals, and the base caps. The flywheel is also made of plastic material, but its casing is metallic. These plastic parts do not play an important role in the bike’s overall sturdiness, though.

All the steel parts in the bike’s construction are coated with a rust-resistant and scratch resistant paint. The colors used are black for most of the parts and gray for the mobile arms and the pedal arms.

Seat and handlebars

Since the Inspire Fitness CB1 is an upright bike, it is equipped with a large seat, consistently cushioned, and with a durable upholstery. This seat is made for seated workouts, and definitely offers much more comfort than most seats for spin bikes. 

The seat is only two-way adjustable. It doesn’t have a horizontal slider, so it cannot be moved closer to the handlebars. However, its upright bar does offer 11 adjustment positions, so the bike can basically accommodate users between 5’0″ and 6’3″ (153 – 190 cm). Also, the seat can support users up to 300 lbs (136 kg), which is quite a plus for a bike of this caliber.

The bike’s handlebars have a rather simple design; the handgrips feature a thick layer of rubber foam for maximum adherence and perspiration absorption.

An important aspect to mention here is that the bike’s mobile arms are attached directly to the pedals bars. Due to this fact, the handlebars will continue to move for as long as you’re pedaling, or for as long as the flywheel is spinning. They cannot be locked in place to remain stationary, and cannot move independently from the pedals.

The bar to which the mobile arms are attached is finished with two pegs which can serve as footrests. This feature gives you the possibility to exercise only by using the handlebars while keeping your feet stationary.

Drive system and elements

The first aspect to mention here is that the Inspire Fitness CB1 air resistance exercise bike integrates both a belt and a chain in its drive system. The chain connects the crank to the main pulley, while the belt connects the main pulley to the flywheel. This results in slightly more pedal tension than the resistance provided by the flywheel.

The bike is equipped with a durable crankset. However, even though the crank arms are made of steel and may hold you if pedaling in standing up position, spin workouts of the sort are not recommended. It’s, after all, an upright bike, meant for seated workouts.

The pedals feature a simple design with a metal core and a durable nylon shell. They do not have straps. Their threads are 9/16 standard, though, and in case you want to replace them, compatible options are widely available.

In case you’re wondering, reverse pedaling is possible on this exercise bike. This basically doubles the number of workouts available and gives you the chance to focus different groups of muscles.

One last aspect to mention here regards the bike’s Q-Factor (spacing between the pedals). Although the exact number isn’t specified, it’s fairly narrow. Thus, your feet will assume a correct position on the pedals, and the pedaling motion won’t generate any lateral stress.

Resistance system and elements

The Inspire Fitness CB1 is an air resistance exercise bike. This means that it generates a dynamic response when you pedal. Differently put, the faster you pedal, the more resistance you will get.

The main resistance element is the large flywheel-fan. In case you’re wondering, it’s made of plastic material, but it’s a heavy-duty piece, fairly thick, and should last for many years of use. As you begin pedaling and/or moving the bike’s arms, the fan will begin to spin, and the air current that goes through it will generate resistance.

The bike doesn’t have any other resistance-generating elements. It does not have a magnetic brake to add resistance, such as the Sunny SF-B2640. So, the only resistance that you will benefit from is the one generated by the fan.

Speaking of the fan, its casing has a small knob on it. This is a child-safety element. It allows you to lock the fan when you’re not using the bike. It does not serve as a tension knob.

Although this exercise bike features an air resistance system, it’s not extremely noisy. You will hear the fan if you pedal fast, but the level of noise generated is fairly low.

Fitness meter

The fitness meter included with this Inspire Fitness exercise bike is a fairly basic unit. It has a large display with LED backlight and shows time, distance, total distance (odometer), speed, and calories burned. Speed and distance are only shown in MPH and miles; there’s no metric display option. Also, the unit cannot read pulse. The bike does not have any pulse sensors and the meter does not integrate a pulse receiver for HR chest straps.

The console unit is easy to use. It has a SCAN function which repeatedly displays time, distance, odometer, calories, and speed in a sequence of 6 seconds at the time. You can turn off the SCAN function via the MODE button, and this way lock only the value that interests you on the display. The SET key allows you to set targets for time, distance and calories, and the selected value will countdown from the target that you’ve chosen. Evidently, the RESET button covers the unit’s reset function; by pressing it all the values will be cleared to zero.

The console requires 2 AA batteries. It has a sleep function in order to save battery life. It turns off automatically after 4 minutes of inactivity on the bike. It starts up when you begin to pedal or when you push one of the buttons.

Assembly and Maintenance

Most of the bike comes pre-assembled. Its base frame with the fan, pulleys, belt, chain and the other internal elements are already assembled. You only have to attach the frame base tubes, the console mast with the console, the moving arms, the seat and the pedals. This shouldn’t take more than one hour. All the tools for assembly are included, and the manual provides clear assembly instructions.

For maintenance, it is recommended to periodically lubricate the chain. The fan and its casing will eventually accumulate dust and will require cleaning. Other than these, you should periodically inspect the bike for loose or broken parts, to re-tighten them or replace them before the usage of the bike becomes hazardous.

The Pros

• Sturdy and stable frame for a small bike, able to hold riders up to 300 lbs;
• Aesthetic design, aspect that can serve as a good motivation factor;
• Adjustable levelers on the front base;
• Transport wheels on the rear base;
• Mobile handlebars for arms workouts;
• Side pegs for resting your feet if you want to only use the mobile arms;
• Large, ergonomic seat;
• Air resistance system, great for interval workouts;
• Fitness meter included – it can track time, speed, distance, total distance, and calories;
• Target settings for time, distance, calories;
• Little maintenance required;
• Fairly quiet operation;
• Easy to assemble;
• Excellent warranty.

The Cons

• No straps on the pedals;
• No resistance adjustment;
• No tablet holder;
• No bottle holder.

Summary

The Inspire Fitness CB1 is an air resistance upright bike, featuring a sturdy frame, able to support users up to 300 lbs. It’s equipped with a large, ergonomic and adjustable seat, and includes an exercise meter that can track time, distance, total distance, speed, and calories burned. It’s an excellent fitness machine for anyone who wants to engage multiple muscle groups during their cardio training; it’s perfect for weight loss, intervals, and stamina development. And finally, it’s one one of the most affordable models but does come with a very consistent warranty.