| Unit | Size | Supported weight | Resistance | Fitness meter | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Marcy NS-1000 Check Discounted Price | L:45" W:26.7" H:48.7" | 250 lbs | Air | Speed, Time, Distance, Odometer, Calories, Goals, SCAN | 2 years limited |
The Marcy NS-1000 fan bike is one of the most inexpensive air resistance exercise bikes that you can find at the moment. It’s a rather basic trainer, but as opposed to other air bikes it has an adjustment system for the overall resistance. Therefore, if you’re looking for an affordable fan bike, let’s see what this Marcy model can offer.
Technical Details and Specifications
- Assembled dimensions: 45L x 26.75W x 48.75H inches (114L x 68W x 123H cm)
- Assembled weight: 58 lbs (26.3 kg)
- Supported weight: 250 lbs (113.3 kg)
- Drive: Chain
- Resistance: Air
- Fitness meter: Distance, total distance, speed, time, calories
- Warranty: 2 years limited
Frame construction
This Marcy exercise bike is somewhat smaller than other similar bikes. For example, it’s approx. 6″ shorter in length than the LifeCORE Fitness Assault Air Bike. It’s approx. 45″ (114 cm) long, and 20″ (51 cm) wide, but its overall width is given by the distance between the outer ends of the
handlebars, which is 26.75″ (68 cm). Differently put, this fitness machine is far from being a large one. It doesn’t require a large usage area, but it is recommended to maintain at least two feet of clearance all around it, in order to be able to exercise without any hindrance.
The Marcy NS-1000 features a frame made of steel tubing. Although it’s a basic bike, it’s construction is fairly sturdy; it’s designed to support users up to 250 lbs (113.3 kg). It’s surprisingly stable for a small bike, as its center of gravity is close to the ground. Also, the rear base tube is curved and equipped with rotating polygonal caps which serve as levelers, enhancing furthermore the bike’s stability.
The bike is far from being heavy. When fully assembled it weighs approx. 58 lbs (26.3 kg), which means that its assembly shouldn’t be a problem for one person. But nonetheless, its front stabilizer bar is equipped with two transport wheels which facilitate the bike’s relocation.
Last but not least, this Marcy upright exercise bike features a black, corrosion-resistance finish. However, even if the paint protects the frame from rust, keep in mind that this is a bike for use indoors. If exposed to moisture, the bolts or some of the internal parts may eventually catch rust.
Seat and handlebars
The Marcy NS-1000 fan bike is equipped with a standard seat, which features a slightly contoured surface and integrates a layer of padding. Although it’s not the most comfortable bike seat, it’s still wider than the seats found in mosts spin bikes, and definitely, delivers more
comfort than those. Of course, you can always increase the comfort of this seat by adding a gel cover or a sheepskin cover.
As opposed to the Sunny SF-B2706 bike model, the seat on this Marcy bike is only two-way adjustable, up and down. Its upright bar has seven adjustment holes, offering an adjustment span of 8″ (20.3 cm). At its lowest setting, the seat will be 26″ (66 cm) above floor level, while at its top setting it stands at 34″ (86.3 cm). This being said, the bike can accommodate users between 5’0″ and 6’0″ (152 – 183 cm). Taller users should also be able to use it, but may not benefit from a complete leg stretch.
The bike’s handlebars are simple, curved bars, with high-density foam grips. They’re non-adjustable and they cannot be locked in place; they will continue to move for as long as you pedal.
One of the minuses of the Marcy NS-1000 that we must mention here, is the lack of foot resting pegs at the front. Several other (more expensive) air bikes do have this feature, which may offer a bit of extra convenience in case you want to exercise only by using the arms of the machine.
Drive and resistance
In case you’re wondering, this Marcy exercise bike features a chain drive. In other words, the transmission between the bike’s pulley and flywheel-fan is done via a chain, which is basically a standard bike chain. The main pluses of a chain drive are high durability and high availability
(you can get a replacement from just about any bike shop). On the other hand, the main drawback is that you will have to lubricate after at least 6 months of use, to prevent it from rusting. The chain is pre-lubricated, though, and guarded by its plastic cover, and shouldn’t require maintenance that often.
Another important element of the drive system is the flywheel-fan. The one equipped on this bike is slightly smaller than for other models. However, it still generates a pretty decent resistance. The fan is encased by a metallic fan guard. When in motion, it generates a soft air current which is directed at the user. Also, just as any large fan, it does generate some noise when in use. However, the bike is far from being unbearably noisy.
The crankset is a pretty durable piece as well, featuring solid steel arms. However, keep in mind that this is an upright bike, not a spin bike, and standing-up pedaling routines should not be performed on it, as they may lead to pedal or crank damage.
The pedals are made of a heavy-duty plastic material; they feature a weighted design, an adherent surface, and are equipped with adjustable straps. They have standard threads, thus, replacements for them are widely available.
Since this is a fan bike, it generates resistance whenever the fan is in motion. But as opposed to a magnetic upright bike, such as the Fitness Reality 210 or Universal U10, this one generates a dynamic response. In other words, the faster you pedal, or the faster you move the bike’s arms, the fan will generate more resistance.
The overall resistance is also adjustable. The tension knob on top of the frame is attached to a belt which allows you to tighten or loosen the fan, in order to benefit from a more or less consistent workout.
One last aspect to mention here regards the bike’s Q-Factor. Although it’s not specified exactly, it is quite narrow. This is a plus, as your feet are positioned on the pedals naturally, without resulting in any extra lateral stress on the knees and ankles.
Fitness meter
The Marcy NS-1000 upright bike is equipped with a basic exercise meter. It reads time, distance, total distance, speed, and calories. It has a SCAN function which rotates these values, showing each one for 4 seconds. Distance is calculated only in miles, while speed is only in
MPH; there is no metric setting. Also, since you cannot correlate the console’s calorie tracking with the current resistance setting, the calorie reading may not be 100% accurate.
The bike is not equipped with any pulse sensors, and the meter is not telemetric. So, in case you need to monitor your heart rate, you will have to use a separate device.
The meter features target settings for time, distance and calories. In other words, you can select a target value for any of these, and enable the meter to countdown from it to zero.
The unit uses two 1.5V (AAA) batteries, which are not included. It’s fairly easy and straightforward to operate. It has three buttons: SET, MODE, and RESET. The MODE button toggles On and Off the SCAN function, allowing you to select one of the workout metrics to be shown on the display all the time. The SET button allows you to select a target goal for time, calories or distance. The RESET button, naturally, serves to reset all the values on the console to zero. Also, the unit has sleep mode function; it will turn off automatically after 4 minutes of inactivity on the bike, to save battery life.
Assembly and Maintenance
The core of the bike comes fully assembled. In other words, the flywheel and the internal elements are already attached to the main frame. You will only have to add the base bars, the arms, the pedal bars, the pedals, the seat post, the seat, the console bar assembly, and finally the console. This shouldn’t take more than an hour. The manual offers pretty comprehensive assembly instructions and all the tools required for it are included.
In terms of maintenance, the internal chain may require lubrication. However, it’s pre-lubricated from the factory, lubrications which should last quite a long while. Other than this it is recommended to periodically check the bike for loose bolts and parts.
The Pros
- Sturdy and stable frame for a small bike, able to hold riders up to 250 lbs’
- Aesthetic design, aspect that can serve as a good motivation factor;
- Adjustable levelers on the rear base;
- Transport wheels on the front base;
- Mobile handlebars for arms workouts;
- Ergonomic, padded seat;
- Air resistance system, great for interval workouts;
- Resistance adjustability (which other fan bikes don’t have);
- 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.
The Cons
- The meter unit cannot track your pulse;
- The meter display doesn’t have backlight;
- No foot resting pegs at the front of the bike.
Summary
The Marcy NS-1000 is a basic upright air resistance exercise bike, designed for light to medium workouts. As opposed to other fan bikes, its resistance is adjustable. It’s also equipped with a basic console to track your main workout statistics. It’s an excellent bike for muscle toning, recovery training, stamina development, and weight loss. It’s actually superior to a magnetic exercise bike as it offers the possibility to also exercise your arm muscles. And finally, it’s one of the most inexpensive fan bikes that you can find at the moment, offering excellent value for the price.