Unit | Size | Supported weight | Flywheel weight | Resistance | Console |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sunny SF-B1735 Check Discounted Price | L: 48" W: 23" H: 50" | 300 lbs | 44 lbs | Friction, EVA & leather pad | Time, Distance, Speed, Cadence, Watts, Calories, Pulse, Goals, Race program |
The Sunny SF-B1735 is one of the new indoor cycling bikes released by Sunny Health & Fitness at the beginning of 2019. Although it’s not advertised or sold as a commercial grade bike, it offers a very sturdy construction and a range of features pretty close to a light-commercial model. In terms of specs and features, it can be compared to the PYHIGH S7 model.
Technical Details and Specifications
- Assembled dimensions: 48L x 23W x 50H inches (122L x 58W x 127H cm)
- Assembled weight: 129 lbs (58.5 kg)
- Flywheel weight: 44 lbs (20 kg)
- Supported weight: 300 lbs (136 kg)
- Seat: 4-way adjustable
- Drive: Belt
- Resistance: Friction, leather pad
- Fitness meter: Time, distance, speed, calories, cadence, pulse, goals, race program
- Extras: Bottle holder
- Warranty: Frame 3 years / Parts 180 days
Frame construction
Sunny SF-B1735 features a heavy-duty frame made of thick, ovalized steel tubing. The main frame of the bike has a durable paint finish, resistant to abrasion and corrosion. The color used is light gray, with the exception of the seat and handlebar posts which are chrome plated. The unit’s flywheel is chrome plated as well.
The Sunny SF-B1735 has quite a heavy construction. With all the parts assembled, it weighs approx. 129 lbs (58.5 kg). This is more than three times the weight of the average road bike. All this weight plays an important role in its overall stability. Plus, both its rear and front base bars have adjustable stabilizers with large rubber pads. This being said, you can be sure that the bike won’t rock or move even if you engage in the most demanding spin workouts.
Despite its impressive weight, this Sunny exercise bike isn’t too difficult to move once all the parts are assembled. Its front base has a set of wheels which facilitate its relocation. By lifting the bike from its rear part and using the wheels, you will only be handling approx. 1/3 of its total weight.
Compared to other fitness machines, such as commercial treadmills or elliptical trainers, this indoor cycling bike isn’t an extremely large unit. It is approx. 48″ (122 cm) long, and 23″ (58 cm) wide. It also doesn’t require an extremely large usage area. Two feet of clearance on each side and one foot of clearance at the front and rear should be enough.
One last aspect to mention here regards the short horizontal bar that unites the seat tube and the main oblique tube of the frame. This bar can be used as support for stretching or various spin bike workouts that require you to repeatedly mount and dismount. Many spin bikes do not have this feature so it can be quite a plus.
Seat and handlebars
The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1735 indoor cycle is equipped with a standard spin seat. The saddle does not have extra air cell cushioning or shock absorption springs like the saddle included with the Sunny SF-B1805. However, its top does integrate a layer of foam padding and is also contoured in order to deliver optimal comfort.
The saddle is approx. 10″ (25.4 cm) long, and 7″ (17.7 cm) wide, providing plenty of contact surface. Its comfort can always be improved, though, via a top gel cover. Also, since its connection system is standard, compatible options are widely available.
The bike’s seat offers 4-way adjustability (up, down, forward, backward). Its upright post has 14 adjustment notches with approx. half an inch in between. Its horizontal slider provides several front-to-back inches of adjustment. Therefore, the bike should be able to accommodate users between 5’0″ and 6’5″ (153 – 196 cm) with no problem, allowing a complete range of motion. It’s also rated for a user weight capacity of 300 lbs (196 kg).
This Sunny exercise bike features a multi-grip handlebar. It’s actually quite a plus that it has drop-down grips; many other spin bikes do not offer this feature. It also has an integrated loop aero bar in the middle. Thus, it can provide a standard grip, close and wide parallel grip, aero grip, or drop-down grip.
The whole handlebar assembly is covered by a layer of high-density rubber material in order to provide a secure grip. Its top side bars integrate metallic pulse sensors. However, as opposed to the seat, it is only 2-way adjustable (up, down).
Drive and resistance
The Sunny SF-B1735 is equipped with an extra-heavy flywheel. It weighs 44 lbs (20 kg), it’s chrome-plated with side ABS covers and has a perimeter-weighted design. This type of construction enables it to provide a highly aggressive inertia which is great for spin workouts and also leg muscle development.
The bike integrates a belt drivetrain. It uses an industrial grade poly-v 3PL1320 belt which delivers a very smooth and quiet pedaling motion. This being said, the bike’s transmission does not require lubrication.
This indoor cycling trainer offers the possibility to pedal in reverse. However, you cannot coast on it. When pedaling in reverse, the pedals offer the same resistance, given by the amount of friction is provided by the unit’s brake.
The Sunny SF-B1735 features a standard friction resistance system. It consists of an EVA & leather brake pad which is considerably more durable than a felt pad. The brake pad is attached to the tension knob on top of the oblique bar of the frame. By turning the knob clockwise, the brake pad applies more friction to the flywheel which results in a greater pedaling difficulty.
The bike’s brake system is stepless. In other words, the tension knob doesn’t have pre-determined levels marked on it, or “clicks”, like most magnetic resistance bikes. You just have to tighten it until you get the desired pedal tension. Also, the knob functions as an emergency brake; you can press it down to immediately stop the flywheel from spinning.
The crankset is an extremely sturdy piece, featuring solid steel crank arms and metallic alloy pedals. It’s definitely durable enough to support users up to 300 lbs (136 kg) for any spin workout. The pedals are equipped with adjustable toe cages. They don’t have SPD clips for spin shoes, but their threads are 9/16, so you can easily find replacements for them if needed.
The bike’s Q-Factor (spacing between the pedals) is 203 mm. It’s a bit wider than for other spin bikes. For example, the Spinner L7 features a Q-Factor of 150 mm. However, even at this size, it’s still narrow enough to eliminate the extra lateral stress on the knees and ankles.
Fitness meter
The Sunny SF-B1735 includes an exercise meter which offers quite a few more functions than the basic units. To begin with, its LCD display is divided into four windows, so you can see the program target and up to three other workout metrics at once. The top window covers the race target. The 2nd window shows speed and cadence. The 3rd window indicates distance, watts, and calories. And finally, the 4th window shows the time and pulse.
The meter offers both metric and imperial units for the display of distance and speed. You can select the desired units by pressing the Set and Mode buttons simultaneously. The meter is not telemetric, though. Therefore, it can only read your pulse through the integrated sensors. It does not have an internal receiver and cannot read your pulse through a wireless HR chest strap.
The unit offers the possibility to set up goals for time, distance, and calories. When a target is set for one of these metrics, it will display the remaining amount until you reach that particular target. Also, the unit has a Race Program which is covered by the top window. It allows you to select a target for your cadence and will display a segment bar and your current Cadence in relation to it, letting you know whether you should pedal faster or slower in order to keep yourself within the selected interval.
The console requires two AAA batteries. It starts up when it detects pedal movement or when you press the Mode button. It also has a sleep mode to which it will enter after a few minutes of inactivity on the bike.
Assembly and Maintenance
Most of the bike’s frame comes pre-assembled. The flywheel, the resistance elements, the crankset, the belt, and its cover, are already in their place. Therefore, you only have to attach the base bars, the seat, the handlebars, the pedals, and the exercise meter. This shouldn’t take more than 30-40 minutes. The manual provides very clear assembly instructions and all the tools required for it are included.
Since the bike has a belt drive system, it’s transmission does not require lubrication. The brake pad may need a bit of silicone lubricant, especially if it emits a noise when in contact with the flywheel. Other than this, it is recommended to periodically check the bike for loose bolts and parts, and re-tighten them if it’s the case.
The Pros
- Sturdy construction, similar to light-commercial bikes;
- Can support users up to 300 lbs;
- Adjustable stabilizers on both bases;
- Transport wheels on the front base;
- 4-way adjustable seat;
- 2-way adjustable handlebar;
- Multi-grip handlebar with aero and drop-down grips;
- Step-up bar between the seat tube and the main tube of the frame;
- Pulse sensors integrated into the handlebar;
- Smooth, almost silent belt drive;
- Extra-heavy 44 lbs flywheel
- Friction resistance for a wide array of pedaling difficulty levels;
- Heavy-duty metallic pedals with toe cages;
- Exercise meter included – it can track time, distance, speed, cadence, watts, calories, and pulse;
- Goal settings for time, distance, and calories;
- Race program;
- Metric and imperial units for speed and distance;
- Bottle holder included;
- Easy to assemble;
- Little maintenance required.
The Cons
- No SPD clips on the pedals;
- No tablet holder;
- No online connectivity.
Summary
The Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1735 is a heavy-duty indoor cycling bike made for spin workouts. It is equipped with a 44 lbs flywheel, leather pad resistance, and a silent belt drive. Its frame offers a weight capacity of 300 lbs. It also includes an exercise meter with target settings and a race program. It’s an excellent trainer for high-intensity cardio workouts, strength and stamina development, muscle toning, and weight loss. And finally, it’s not exactly one of the most affordable indoor cycle trainers, but still is a few $100 cheaper than a commercial-grade bike, and offers great value for the price.