Body Rider BRF650 Air Bike Review
Body Rider appears to be one of those companies that want to offer an option to those looking for a cheaper piece of exercise equipment. This is especially true when looking at their air bike options. Body Rider offers the BRF700 and the BRF650 in this regard. We’ve already reviewed the BRF700, so now we’re going to look at its slightly more expensive sibling; the BRF650 air bike. We’ll check out if the elements of the bike like the resistance, monitor and physical components match up well to the fairly low price that it normally comes with. So with all of that out of the way, let’s hop right into our review of the Body Rider BRF650!
We’ve made mention of it multiple times already, so it only makes sense that we start with the pricing of the BRF650. Like the BRF700, it really isn’t an expensive piece of equipment. It only costs around $200, which is about $30 more than the BRF700. Both of these prices are extremely cheap, which those who are searching on a budget will be glad to hear. However, such a cheap price doesn’t come without some sacrifices. The first and most notable of these sacrifices comes in the form of the warranties that the BRF650 comes with. You only get a 1 year warranty on the frame, 90 days on the belt and 90 days on the parts. There is no warranty on the labour of the bike. These warranties are honestly quite terrible and you’d be hard pressed to find worse ones (although Marcy’s air bikes are a good place to start). If a company is not willing to back up their product, it only makes sense that you should be concerned about the long-term durability of the air bike. We could go on about these awful warranties all day, but that would take up the rest of the review, so we shall move on. The shipping process of the BRF650 should only take about a week or two. Of course, this can be affected by a few different factors that can slow it down. Human error, weather and global pandemics are the first things that come to mind. Once it does arrive, you shouldn’t have too much difficulty in assembling it. The majority of the bike is pre-assembled, allowing you a fairly easy path to making the bike whole. Even if you aren’t particularly experienced at such a process, the instructions and equipment that you’ll be provided with should be enough to make it easier.
Up next, we’re going to look at one of the elements that are necessary of modern air bikes: the monitor. Of course, with such a cheap bike, you really shouldn’t expect one of those super advanced monitors that will connect to every app under the sun. The LCD screen is slightly larger than the one you’ll find on the BRF700, although it doesn’t actually do much more. There are no preset workout programs available with this monitor. It will track your time, speed, distance, and calories burned. You can’t see all of these stats at once, but you can manually switch between them or use the scan function to scroll through them. The screen is not backlit, which makes it harder to see in darker circumstances. You won’t find any sort of Bluetooth connections here, nor will you be able to track the statistics over a longer period. If you do want to keep track of your progress, you’ll need to find some other way to do so. You also won’t be able to track your heart rate via chest strap on this monitor.
If the monitor doesn’t deliver, then you had better believe that the resistance of the BRF650 should. You would think that an air bike would have one of those dynamic air systems that allow for excellent high intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, right? Well you would only be sort of correct in regards to the BRF650. While there is a fan on the front of the bike, the resistance is actually controlled by a knob next to the monitor. This is more like something that you would find on a magnetic spin bike rather than an air bike. It also takes away from the dynamic nature of the air bike, which is one of the best parts. The drivetrain of the BRF650 is a belt one, which makes the entire process quieter and more smooth. You’ll find a 1-piece crank on the BRF650, which isn’t great. It’s basically one giant piece of metal that holds the pedals together. If it were a 3-piece crank, they would be more independent from one another and more likely to last longer. We were unable to find out the official Q-Factor of the BRF650, which is not great. You always want to know the Q-Factor, as it is the distance between the pedals. If it is too narrow, you could face discomfort and even potential injury due to your legs facing inwards. If it is too wide, you can get a similar level of discomfort, although the injury risk is minimal. The resistance can generally be summarized as being disappointing compared to other air bikes.
People also generally want to know how large their bike is going to be. Body Rider haven’t made either of their air bikes particularly huge. Specifically the BRF650 measures out to be 44.5 inches (113 cm) long, 23 inches (58.4 cm) wide and 48 inches (122 cm) tall. It is actually quite a light bike, only weighing 47 lbs (21 kg). Yet, it can still hold a maximum weight of 250 lbs (113 kg). The floor stabilizers are just the bars that you find on each end of the bike, which isn’t great. You might experience some shaking on the more intense rides. You’ll also find that, despite the light weight of the bike, it isn’t actually too easy to move around. There aren’t any sort of transport wheels available that could make the difference when moving the bike around the home. The frame of the BRF650 is made of a pretty standard steel material.
We’re going to round out the review by examining the rest of the physical element on the BRF650. Let’s start with the handlebars. They are dual action, meaning that they move as the pedals do. This makes them quite good for total body workouts, as you get both an upper and lower body workout. If there were any footrests present, then you would have the opportunity to exercise with just your upper body. However, the lack of those footrests is definitely a miss by Body Rider. Then there’s the issue of the saddle. It is only a vertically adjustable saddle, making the customizability much lower than it otherwise could be. Despite this, it should officially fit users between 4’10” and 6’0”. However, there are reports of those who are above 5’7” finding it uncomfortable to sit on. In fact, that’s one of the most consistent complaints about the bike: the comfort of the saddle. It’s apparently just not good at all. The tube of the seat is quite thin, which will only add to the shaking that might come from the poor floor stabilizers. The pedals of the BRF650 might be one of the only elements that aren’t actively disappointing. Of course, they aren’t anything special either. They are just standard non-slip pedals that have some straps to keep your feet in place.
Body Rider BRF650 Air Resistance Bike Pros:
- It is an extremely cheap bike
- The footprint of the bike is small
- The handlebars are dual action and offer a total body workout
- The pedals are simple and will keep your feet in place
- The assembly process isn’t that hard or time-consuming
Body Rider BRF650 Air Resistance Bike Cons:
- Saddle is only vertically adjustable
- The seat is one of the most complained about parts of the bike
- The monitor doesn’t have any preset workouts
- Monitor is not backlit, making it hard to see in darker lighting
- 1-piece crank is inferior and present here
- No footrests at all
- No transportation wheels
- The resistance is not the dynamic air resistance that you might expect
- Horrific warranties make you doubt the quality of the machine
Conclusion
The Body Rider BRF650 is just not really a good machine. Yes, it might be cheap. However, there are just so many elements of the bike that don’t hold up under closer examination. The resistance isn’t the same type that you’d find in other bikes, the monitor is extremely simple and the saddle is just not comfortable at all. That’s not even touching the terrible warranties that come with both of the BRF Body Rider air bikes. These just aren’t good machines, and you’d be better off looking at nearly any other options. Sunny Health & Fitness offers air bikes at a similar price, but much higher quality. Even the Marcy bikes that have no warranties can still look more appealing than the BRF650. It’s a true shame, but it is what we’ve found looking at this bike.
Hi there, I'm Sayed Hamed Hosseiny, the founder and one of the authors at yourexercisebike.com (YEB). I am a former indoor cycling instructor and personal trainer with nearly 20 years of experience. With a passion for indoor cycling, I have spent years designing cycling parts, repairing, and importing exercise bikes. All the articles, tips, guides, reviews, and comparisons on YourExerciseBike.com (YEB) reflect my personal opinion and expertise in the field. I'm excited to share my knowledge with fellow exercise bike enthusiasts and help people find reliable indoor cycling information and the best exercise bike for their needs. If you have any questions or suggestion, you can contact me at sayed@yourexercisebike.com.
