| Unit | Size | Supported weight | Resistance | Fitness meter | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SOLE SB800 Check Discounted Price | L:50" W:26" H:52" | 300 lbs | Air | RPM, Speed, Time, Distance, Watts, Calories, Pulse, Goals, Intervals | Frame: 5 years Parts: 1 year Labor: 1 year |
The SOLE Fitness SB800 is an air resistance bike in the same range of specs as the LifeCORE Assault Air Bike or the Sunny Tornado LX SF-B2729. It’s an excellent bike for interval training, features a light-commercial construction, and comes with a programmable console.
Technical Details and Specifications
- Assembled dimensions: 50L x 26W x 52H inches (127L x 66W x 132H cm)
- Assembled weight: 161 lbs (73 kg)
- Supported weight: 300 lbs (136 kg)
- Handlebars: Mobile
- Seat: 4-way adjustable
- Drive: Belt
- Resistance: Air
- Fitness meter: Time, speed, distance, RPM, calories, watts, pulse, goals, 3 HR interval programs
- Warranty:
– Residential: Frame lifetime / Parts 1 year / Labor 1 year
– Light-commercial: Frame 5 years / Parts 1 year / Labor 1 year
Frame construction
The SOLE SB800 air bike features a light-commercial construction which pretty much means that it has a highly durable
frame, meant to withstand up to 5 hours of usage every day, within the premises of a gym facility. Needless to say, its main frame is made of thick steel tubing, combining ovalized and cylindrical bars for maximum sturdiness, and stability. The only ABS parts in its construction are the covers of the belt and pulley.
All the metallic parts in the bike’s frame construction are covered by a double layer of anti-rust and anti-scratch paint finish, with the exception of the seat post which has a chrome finish. The color used for the frame is black, this being the only color available for this SOLE exercise bike.
Compared to other air exercise bikes, the SOLE SB800 is considerably heavier. With the frame fully assembled, it weighs 161 lbs (73 kg). This weight delivers a lot of stability; you can be sure that the unit won’t rock or wobble even if you engage in the most demanding cardio workouts. Plus, its rear base is equipped with adjustable levelers. Thus, you can perfectly stabilize it on any type of floor.
Although the bike is fairly heavy, once it is assembled, its relocation shouldn’t be too difficult. Its front base features a set of wheels, while the rear base has a lifting handle, parts that facilitate its transport.
The unit isn’t extremely large, compared to other fitness equipment, such as ellipticals or treadmills. It’s 50″ (127 cm) long, and 26″ (66 cm) wide. Therefore, it can fit well even into a smaller room. However, SOLE Fitness recommends a minimum clearance of two feet all around the unit for safe usage and ease of access.
Seat and handlebars
The SOLE SB800 features a fairly comfortable seat, considerably wider than most spin bike seats, approx. 11″ (28 cm) at its
widest point. It integrates a layer of padding for extra comfort and its surface is slightly contoured.
The seat is four-way adjustable (front, back, up, down). Its horizontal slider features a small lever at the front which allows you to unlock it and move it forward or backward as you’re already seated, in order to get the best positioning in relation to the pedals and the swing handlebars. It offers several inches of adjustment.
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The upright post of the seat is also adjustable. It has a level at the rear and offers 10 positions of upright adjustment. These being said, the bike can accommodate users up to 6’5″ (196 cm) with no problem, promoting a complete leg extension.
Just like many other air resistance bikes, the SOLE Fitness SB800 only has a set of handlebars – the swing handlebars. It does not have stationary handlebars, and the swing bars cannot be locked into a fixed position. The will continue to move for as long as the pedals are moving, and for as long as the flywheel is spinning. They feature simple grips and their curvature places those grips in a comfortable reach from the seat. The grips are covered by a layer of high-density foam material for superior comfort and hand adherence.
The bike is also equipped with a set of foot resting pegs attached to the front fork of the bike. Therefore, you can place your feet onto them and exercise by using only the handlebars, if you want to diversify your workout.
Drive and resistance
This SOLE exercise bike is equipped with a belt drive system, using a poly-v belt designed to resists stretching and prolonged
usage. Also, as opposed to a chain drive, it generates less vibration and does not require lubrication or any other maintenance.
The bike features a durable crankset with solid steel crank arms. The pedals are also made of metallic alloy, being capable of withstanding users up to 300 lbs (136 kg). In other words, you can pedal while standing up, with no problem. The pedals don’t have toe cages or straps, though, but they do have standard, 9/16 threads so you can easily find replacements for them if needed.
The main resistance element of this exercise bike is the 25″ metallic fan. There are no other resistance elements; the bike doesn’t have any magnetic system to enhance resistance. The resistance is purely generated by the fan, which delivers a dynamic response. In other words, the faster you pedal and/or move the swing arms, the more resistance you will get.
Evidently, as opposed to upright bikes with a magnetic resistance system, such as the Diamondback 510UB for example, the SOLE SB800 does generate a fair amount of noise when in use. But this pretty much stands for any fan exercise bike. The noise, however, it far from being unbearable. It’s similar to the noise generated by an electric fan with a similar diameter.
Console
The SOLE Fitness SB800 fan bike is equipped with a mid-range console. It features a 5″ x 7″ LCD display, which tracks all the
required workout metrics, including time, distance, speed, RPM calories, watts, and pulse. The display is divided into multiple sections, so it shows all the workouts metrics at once; you don’t need to use a scan function to alternate them. It also can be set up to show the distance and speed in either metric units, or English units.
The console is telemetric. This means it can communicate with a wireless HR chest strap. This accessory is not included, though, and the bike doesn’t have any pulse sensors. So, in order to benefit from the HR workouts, you will have to purchase one separately.
In terms of programs, the console has target settings for time, distance, calories, and pulse. It features controls that directly access these functions. When selecting a target for any of these metrics, the display will count down from the selected target until it reaches zero.
For heart rate, there are three preset intervals, for 65%, 85%, and MAX. When using one of these programs, the console will beep in case your heart rate exceeds the selected interval or in case it drops below the selected interval, prompting you to decrease or increase your pedaling rate.
One of the features specific to this console is the Champion mode. This function essentially shows the best workout record and will prompt you to beat that record.
The Pros
- Light-commercial construction, heavy-duty frame;
- Can support users up to 300 lbs;
- Aesthetic design, an 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;
- Foot resting pegs included;
- Ergonomic, wide seat, 4-way adjustable
- Air resistance system, great for interval workouts;
- Fitness meter which can track 7 workout metrics, including RPM, speed, time, distance, pulse, watts, and calories;
- Target settings for time, distance, calories, and heart rate;
- Three preset HR intervals (65%, 85%, MAX);
- Telemetric console;
- Little maintenance required;
- Easy to assemble
- Excellent warranty.
The Cons
- No online connectivity for the console;
- No tablet holder;
- No bottle holder;
- No pulse sensors;
- Wireless HR chest strap is not included.
Summary
The SOLE Fitness SB800 is a light-commercial air resistance exercise bike featuring a heavy-duty frame, superior micro-adjustability and ergonomic factors, and a programmable console. It’s an excellent fitness machine for cross fit training, HIIT training, light to intense cardio training, stamina development, weight loss, and overall muscle toning. It’s not exactly an affordable machine but does offer a great value for the price.