| Unit | Size | Supported weight | Resistance | Workout programs | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ProForm 515 CSX Check Discounted Price | L:46" W:25" H:48.6" | 300 lbs | Eddy current, 20 levels | 28 | Frame: lifetime Parts: 1 year Labor: 1 year |
The ProForm 515 CSX is an upright bike similar in specs and construction to the ProForm 8.0 EX. It’s an exercise bike with automatic magnetic resistance, featuring quite an impressive array of workout programs, including iFit connectivity. It’s not self-powered and it’s not labelled as a commercial grade bike, however its construction is similar to various bikes of this caliber.
Technical Details and Specifications
- Assembled dimensions: 46L x 25W x 48.6H inches (117L x 64W x 124H cm)
- Shipping weight: 106 lbs (48 kg)
- Flywheel weight: 15 lbs (6.8 kg)
- Weight capacity: 300 lbs (136 kg)
- Handlebar: With pulse sensors and elbow rests
- Seat: 4-way adjustable
- Pedals: Weighted, with straps
- Resistance: Eddy current, 20 levels
- Performance monitor: 28 workout programs, iFit compatible
- Amenities: Speakers, fan, media tray, bottle holder, USB charging station
- Warranty: Frame lifetime / Parts 1 year / Labor 1 year
Frame construction
To begin with, this exercise bike is far from being a large fitness machine. It takes only 46″L x 25″W (117 x 64 cm) of floor space, which makes it a great choice for a small apartment or room. It’s not an extremely heavy machine, but it’s also not lightweight, weighing close to 100 lbs. However, transporting and handling it once it’s fully assembled is not too difficult, as the front base bar integrates a set of wheels. By leaning the frame forward onto its wheels, you will basically handle less than half of the bike’s weight.
Needless to say, the frame is entirely made of steel tubes, coated with corrosion resistant silver paint. However, the bike does have several PVC parts. These are the covers of the drive system, the base guard caps, and a few other parts which mostly fulfill a cosmetic or protective purpose. Overall, the frame is quite sturdy and stable. It can actually support users up to 300 lbs (136 kg). The base tubes are equipped with adjustable stabilizing feet, which provide an excellent grip to the floor, also preventing any floor damage.
Seat and handlebars
The ProForm 515 CSX upright bike features a 4-way adjustable seat. The seat’s post has 13 adjustment holes, offering an adjustment span of approx 15″ (38 cm). Differently put, the
bike can accommodate users between 5′ and 6’5″ (152 – 195.5 cm). The fore and aft. adjustment span is not extreme though. It only allows a few inches, but still, it does increase the bike’s overall micro-adjustability, offering the possibility to find a better positioning for your workouts.
The saddle is fairly wide, contoured and cushioned, offering excellent comfort, considerably superior to the slim spin bike seats. It features large adjustment knobs, easy to turn and pull, making it possible to adjust the bike for your requirements in less than one minute.
The bike’s handlebar features a multi-grip design. Like in most upright bikes, it’s non-adjustable. Its transversal bar integrates stainless steel pulse sensors, while its bottom corners are covered by a set of elbow rests. The top grips are made of rubber foam material, offering optimal comfort.
Drive and resistance
This ProForm exercise bike is equipped with a belt-drive system, using a heavy-duty v-belt, highly resistant to stretching. Since it uses an eddy current brake mechanism, the bike also features a magnetic flywheel. Although it’s not as heavy as the flywheels used by spin bikes, at 15 lbs of weight it still supplies a smooth, quiet and stable pedaling motion. 
Pedaling in reverse is possible on this bike, thus you can diversify your workouts. However, when pedaling in reverse, the resistance remains constant, given by the current setting on the console, unlike for road bikes which are equipped with a derailleur. Also, when pedaling in reverse, the console continues to monitor your workout stats.
Although the bike’s crankset features two crank arms made of solid steel, the bike is not designed for standing up workout routines. It may be able to support your entire weight, but repeated workouts of this nature may induce damage to the drive system.
Finally, the pedals supplied with this upright exercise bike are made of nylon material. They feature a ribbed surface offering superior adherence, and are equipped with adjustable straps, to prevent lateral slippage of the feet during pedaling.
Resistance system
This ProForm upright bike is equipped with an eddy current brake mechanism, involving a magnetic flywheel and a small servo motor. Evidently, since the resistance is motorized, the bike requires to be connected to a 120v nominal power circuit in order to make available the resistance settings and programs. Since it’s an eddy current brake, resistance is generated by adjusting the magnets’ pull onto the flywheel. Therefore you shouldn’t experience any drag sensation during pedaling, similar to the pedaling feel generated by a friction resistance system specific to indoor cycling bikes.
The console makes available 20 levels of resistance. The top resistance levels aren’t extreme, as for a spin bike. However, you can be sure that above level 15, it offers quite a bit of a challenge. Resistance can be changed freely as you pedal, or, in case you use one of the on-board workout programs, or iFit programs, it will change resistance automatically.
Fitness computer and amenities
To begin with, the console unit supplied with the ProForm 515 CSX upright bike offers several amenities, including a 2-speed cooling fan, sound system, tablet holder, and a USB charging port for your device. The 2-speed fan is located at the base of the console. As you
may have guessed it is not extreme, but it does offer a bit of cooling which is convenient if you engage in a more demanding workout.
The sound system consists of two 2″ speakers, and is placed atop the fan on the console. It is compatible with most MP3 units, smartphones and tablets. The sound rendered by it, although it’s not extremely high in quality, it’s still far superior to the sound generated by the average speakers integrated in phones and tablets. The MP3 input is situated at the right side of the console, next to the volume controls.
The tablet holder it placed atop the speakers. It’s wide enough to accommodate just about any tablet. And finally, the unit features a USB charging port, to dock your phone or tablet as you use it while you exercise.
When it comes to the fitness monitor, the first aspect to be mentioned is that it features a 5″ LCD display, with blue LED backlight, which offers excellent readability even in poor lighting conditions. The unit can track speed, time, distance, calories, calories per hour, pulse and the current resistance setting. It allows you to setup goals for distance, calories and time, and it also includes a trail function, which represents distance in 1/4 miles (400 m).
The console has 28 pre-set workout programs, which automatically adjust the bike’s resistance. The workouts include calorie burning programs, intensity programs, speed-oriented programs, hill programs, and of course, heart rate test programs.
Finally, the console unit is iFit compatible. This means you can attach a wireless iFit module to it (which is not included), in order to connect it to your laptop, tablet or smartphone via WiFi. This way you can track your progress online, use tracks from GoogleMaps and various custom workouts in the iFit database. To use iFit you also require a membership which is not included, and costs approx $10 per month.
Assembly and Maintenance
The bike is fairly easy to assemble. A detailed manual that will guide you step-by-step through the assembly process is provided. Two Allen wrench are included, but you’ll also need an adjustable wrench and a Phillips screwdriver.
The resistance mechanism, flywheel, crank, transmission belt are already assembled, and enclosed by the PVC panel guards. All you need to add are the bases, the seat post and console mast, seat, handlebars, console and pedals. The most difficult part to attach is the console, as you need to connect the wires, and there are quite several small pieces and bolts to work with for this part. The whole assembly shouldn’t take more than one hour.
Maintenance doesn’t require much. All you need to do is keep the dust off the bike, check if the bolts hold tight in their place, and re-tighten them if you must.
The Pros
- Solid construction, elegant design;
- 4-way adjustable, contoured and cushioned seat;
- Multi-grip handlebar with elbow rests;
- Grip pulse sensors;
- Smooth and quiet drive;
- 20 levels of resistance;
- 28 pre-set workout programs;
- Goal tracking;
- iFit ready;
- Various amenities, including sound system, 2-speed fan, USB charging port, tablet support and water bottle holder;
- Basically maintenance free;
- Fairly easy to assemble;
- Excellent warranty.
The Cons
- A tablet or magazine placed on the media holder of the console, may partially or completely cover the unit’s display;
- The cooling fan is not extremely powerful.
Bottom Line
The ProForm 515 CSX is an upright exercise bike featuring a motorized, eddy current magnetic resistance system, with 20 resistance settings and 28 pre-set workout apps. It’s also iFit ready, but an iFit wireless module is not included. Its overall construction is fairly solid, similar to several gym grade bikes. It’s an upright bike made for light to medium workouts, great for muscle toning, regaining and building stamina, cardio training and of course, for losing weight. You can actually burn up to 5-600 calories per hour on this bike, depending on the resistance settings or programs used. And finally, considering that it costs less than $350, we can safely say that it offers a fairly decent price / value ratio.