Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I am a mid-50's guy who never was very athletic. The last 10 years or so of my life I put on an extra 30 pounds. I decided to see what I could do to get back in shape. Unfortunately, running is out of the question because my knees need some work, so I chose to bike instead. I have been doing outside rides for a few months, but decided I needed a plan for the winter since I do not enjoy trying to ride in the cold and wind. Like many others, I opted for the poor man's Peloton. I am very happy with the purchase and have already made spin classes a regular part of my workout. The bike seems well made, but there are issues as many people have mentioned. I have a few adjustments and fixes you might try if you have similar issues. The Adjustments/Fixes: Folks have complained that seat seems too far from the handlebars, even when the seat is in its maximum forward position. My wife is 5’ 2” and it was quite a stretch for her. Even though I am 5’ 10”, I noticed this too. It felt like I was stretching out and placing too much weight on my wrists. I found three ways to improve this, two of which were simple. First, the seat itself has two steel bars that run through a set of clamps at the seat post. When my bike came from the factory, the seat was positioned as far back as those bars would slide within the clamp. I simply loosened the clamps and slid it forward. That got me 1.25” closer to the bars (see photo). Second, the seat clamp was assembled such that the seat post was in front of the clamp. I removed the clamp, rotated it 180 degrees so that the set post was behind the clamp then reattached it. This moved the seat forward an additional 1.25” (see photo). Third, the harder fix. The maximum forward setting on the seat adjustment still left quite a bit of square steel tubing to work with. When I pulled the tube out, I saw that there was a predrilled hole approximately every 1.25”. The last of these holes was 4” from the end of the steel tube. I drilled an additional hole 11/32” hole 1.25” away from the last factory hole. (see photo) I cleaned up the edges to make it smooth and gained another 1.25”. Combined, these modifications allow the seat to be 3.75” closer to the bars. While that doesn’t sound like much, it makes a huge difference. There are many questions and comments about the seat height and inseam measurement. The actual lowest seat height is much higher than the 28” shown on the product images or the 29” listed in the description. The actual measured distance from the top of the seat in its lowest position to the top of a pedal in the lowest position was 31.25” (see photo). This is not an issue for me, but my wife is petite with an inseam of 28”, so she had to stretch her legs, point her toes and even rock her hips to reach. There were three things I found to help here. First, the seat post clamp places the two steel bars built into the seat above the clamp bolt. I loosened the clamp enough to remove the steel bars, flipped the clamps over, then reinserted the bars. This placed the bars below the clamp bolt, lowering the seat 1.3” (see photo). Next, there was a space between the bottom of the seat clamp and the bend in the seat post (see photo). There were two ways to lower the seat clamp down to the point where it touched the bend on the post, cut the post or bend a small tab on the top of the seat clamp which rested on top of the post. I chose to cut the post, lowering the seat an additional 0.5”. Finally, the seat adjustment slider had a minimum setting that left about 3” of space between the two knobs that control vertical and horizontal seat adjustments. If I allowed the vertical slider to go below the last factory setting, it only gave me 0.8” before the bottom of the slider internally impacted the diagonal frame at the base (see photo). The solution was to pull the vertical slider out and mark a line 1.25” above the bottom front. From there I made a 45 degree cut down to the bottom edge. This allows the slider to drop further before impacting the diagonal frame member. I then measured from the top factory adjustment hole up 1.2” and drilled another 11/32” hole. This allows me to lock the seat height in at a position lower than the lowest factory setting. All combined, I removed 3” from the minimum height so it really is 28.25” now. The Add-Ons: Shimano ME3 Mountain Bike Shoes - $90 at a local outdoors retailer - These shoes are very comfortable with velcro and click adjust clamps. The SPD cleats mount in a recess within the soles so you can walk in them. I tried ordering shoes from Amazon, but it just didn't work out. I got frustrated with the time required to order, ship, try on and return. I normally wear a US 10.5E (wide) athletic shoe and a size 46EU in these shoes fits perfectly. Shimano PD-M324 Pedals - $56 on Amazon (http://a.co/d/dRcj5Pl) - These are dual use pedals with SPD clamps on one side and steel perimeter platforms made for street shoes on the other. Now I can clip in for my rides while any guests in my home can ride my bike without needing a pair of SPD shoes. Wahoo RPM Cadence Sensor - $40 on Amazon (http://a.co/d/hxTsDuI) - Necessary to keep up with the Peloton lessons. Supermats 30” x 60” Floor Mat - $30 on Amazon (http://a.co/d/0moPAR7) - Just in case I am sweating like crazy. Domain Cycling Expanding Tablet Mount - $20 on Amazon (http://a.co/d/20t7PY4) - The clamp that attaches to the handlebar is great and the spring loaded arms work well, but the pivot point between them is loose and sloppy allowing my iPad Air2 to wobble a bit. Luckily this is a stationary bike, so there isn’t much jostling. visnfa Bike Phone Mount - $14 on Amazon (http://a.co/d/68ABjsP) - This thing is rock solid with not wobbling. It is easy to get my iPhone 6, in its case, in or out of the holder and the mounting clamp fits the thick handlebar perfectly. Note that my phone has a relatively thin case. If you have a thick phone case like an Otterbox, this mount may not work for you. Zacro Gel Seat Cover BS031 - $10 on Amazon (http://a.co/d/34VvFLi) - This thing is like heaven compared to the stiffness of the factory seat. Get one. Nextour Mountain Bike Cycling Gloves - $10 on Amazon (http://a.co/d/ag4rXYA) - These prevent my hands from being sore from the hard and abrasive surface of the handlebars. Peloton iOS app - $20 a month subscription - You can attend live or recorded classes for various skill levels from beginner to expert. Most of the instructors do a great job of guiding you through the class, telling you the cadence and resistance as you go and motivating you along the way. You will get a good workout. The app also offers classes for running, bootcamp, outdoors, strength, stretching yoga and cardio, so you can definitely get your money worth if you want.