Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R Review: A good recumbent exercise bike?
A great recumbent bike is one that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg, but also delivers the sort of quality across the board that you might expect from one of those higher-tier exercise bikes. Today we’re going to be looking at one of the cheaper recumbent stationary bikes under $500 and seeing whether or not it might work out to be a good bit of value for you. That exercise bike is the Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R recumbent bike.
We’re going to take a look at this piece of exercise equipment and see whether or not it would be worth seriously considering it as a good option to buy in your search for a recumbent exercise bike. We’ll do this by looking at the resistance, electronics, comfort, and just about everything else that comes in the package. Then we’ll give our opinion at the end on whether or not it is a good deal. So with all of that out of the way, let’s hop into our review of the Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R Recumbent Bike!
Price, Warranty, Shipping, and Assembly
We mentioned the price above and considering that’s what many people base their search on, we’ll start with that. The Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R recumbent bike costs right around the $500 mark, which is fairly cheap compared to some of the other recumbent exercise bikes like 3G Elite out there.
Typically you want a good warranty to come with these stationary exercise bikes because if something goes wrong, you want to be able to get a replacement. However, you get no such long and wonderful warranties here. In fact, you only get a 2-year warranty on the frame. This is pretty awful because the frame is the last part that breaks.
No coverage for the parts, electronics or labor can mean that there is very little protection if something goes down. But we could rant about the warranties all day and nobody would get anything accomplished, so we shall move on.
The shipping process should only take 1-2 weeks, depending on factors like human error, weather, and the simple process of moving equipment from one location to another. Once it arrives, the assembly process shouldn’t be too hard. The instructions are clear enough for even a novice to understand and shouldn’t take more than an hour to put together. Once it is put together, you can hop on and start exploring what the AMZ-587R recumbent exercise bike has to offer.
Monitor and Electronics
One of the key factors for modern exercise bikes is the electronics that come with it. The Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R recumbent bike doesn’t have the most advanced console in the world, but it is certainly serviceable.
You’ll notice that it’s actually rather large in terms of space compared to others out there. It is an LCD screen that will display statistics like your time, distance, calories, speed, RPM, watts and pulse. These statistics can be displayed in either metric or English measurements, which is a nice touch.
The monitor can also help with the fitness process, having 15 different programs (including the manual mode) that will give you a different amount of workout variety. The AMZ-587R recumbent bike’s monitor has other programs like beginner modes, advanced modes, sport modes, cardio training and WATTs modes. It should give you a fair bit to play around with in regards to the monitor.
There is no telemetry connection here, meaning you can’t track your heart rate through a chest strap. There is also a lack of Bluetooth connections here, meaning that you can’t connect to any online apps to track your fitness goals long-term (at least not fluidly).
While these are unfortunate aspects, the console is at least easy enough to use. Generally, for a bike of this cost, it is a fairly decent console. Perhaps the biggest problem here is that the monitor doesn’t seem to work for many people (based on user reviews). And with no warranty to cover that, it becomes a rather large issue. You can find a much better monitor on just about every other exercise bike, even those like the cheaper Sunny Health & Fitness SF-RB4850 recumbent bike.
Resistance, Crank, and Flywheel
The other key part of these bikes is the resistance that they come with. After all, this is what allows for you to actually get fit. The resistance system of the Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R recumbent bike is an eddy current one. This means that it is a magnetic resistance system that you need to plug into an outlet in order to access the resistance settings.
Thanks to the belt drive of the bike mixed with the magnetic resistance, you get a pretty quiet and smooth process overall. There are a total of 24 different resistance levels available to pick from on the AMZ-587R, which is actually a pretty good amount. The upper levels provide a pretty good amount of challenge, while the rest of the levels allow for slight changes and fine-tuning of the workouts.
The weight of the flywheel that is onboard the Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R recumbent bike isn’t specifically given but based on the weight of the rest of the bike (more on that in a moment), it seems likely that it weighs between 15-25 lbs (6.8 – 11.3 kg).
The crank system of the AMZ-587R recumbent bike is a 3-piece one, which is always good. These types of crank systems are always superior to the 1-piece ones thanks to their durability and independence from one another. We don’t know the exact Q-Factor of the AMZ-587R either, which is unfortunate.
For those who are unaware, the Q-Factor of the bike is the distance between the pedals. If it is too narrow, then you risk injury and discomfort. If it is too wide, then you also get rather uncomfortable. But considering how few complaints there are about the Q-Factor, it doesn’t seem like a problem worth worrying about.
Dimensions, weight, handlebars, and seat
Many people like to know the size and weight of the machine they are going to buy. So we’ll deliver that information for the AMZ-587R recumbent bike. You will find that it measures out to be 55 inches (140 cm) long, 24.8 inches (63 cm) wide and 48.5 inches (123 cm) tall. Meanwhile, the bike weighs about 99.2 lbs (45 kg) and can hold a maximum weight of 300 lbs (136 kg).
As we said earlier, we don’t have the specifics of the flywheel weight, so the above weight is our estimation. There are wheels on the front of the bike to help with transportation around the home, which is always nice to see. There are also floor stabilizers on the back of the bike, which is nice. The weight of the recumbent bike should also help with the whole “lack of rocking around” deal.
We’ll finish out the review with the rest of the physical elements, starting with the handlebars of the AMZ-587R recumbent bike. There are two pairs of handlebars, with one being beside the seat and one being around the console.
There are pulse sensors located on the ones next to the seat, allowing you to track that stat on the monitor. None of the handlebars are adjustable, but they are covered in a rubber foam grip to allow for comfort. The design is similar to many other bikes, with the notable exception of the Fitness Reality X-Class 450SL.
The seat of the AMZ-587R recumbent bike is a cushioned one that can be adjusted forwards and backward via a lever next to it. It’s actually quite easy and the seat allows you to easily sit down and step out of the bike with its step-thru design.
There are a couple of complaints about the comfortability of the seat, but these seem to be in the minority rather than the opposite. The pedals of the AMZ-587R recumbent bike are nothing special. They are standard pedals with adjustable straps to keep your feet in place. That’s it.
Finally, there are a few bonus features that come along with this package. There is a USB charging port for any phones or tablets, an MP3 sound system to get some jams going while you workout, two bottle holders on the console and below, and a media tray on the console. The media tray doesn’t even block the screen, which is great!
Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R recumbent bike Pros:
- Magnetic resistance mixed with belt drive makes quiet and smooth workout
- Nice bonus features like USB port, sound system, water bottle holder and more
- 24 levels of resistance is quite a nice variety
- 15 different programs available on the monitor
- The monitor allows for tracking a good variety of stats in English and metric measurements
- Fairly cheap price for this bike
- Fairly easy assembly process
- Seat is easily adjustable, allowing for more comfort
- Step-thru design makes it easy to get in and out of the bike
- 3-piece crank is always a good sign
Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R recumbent bike Cons:
- Only 2 years on the frame is a terrible warranty process
- No connection to chest straps for heart rate tracking
- No connection with online apps
- The calorie counting is not very specific
- The monitor not working seems to be a common complaint
Circuit Fitness Alternative Recumbent Exercise Bikes
Circuit Fitness AMZ may be a good value at $500, but if you can afford to spend an additional $100, you can buy a better alternative recumbent bike by Nautilus.
The Nautilus R616 is more durable, has Bluetooth system, a better seat and overall more features.
That said, if you want to spend less, you can opt for XTERRA FITNESS SB2.5r. It’s $150 less expensive than Circuit Fitness AMZ, making it a more budget-friendly option.
However, it lacks some of the features that Circuit Fitness AMZ offers, such as the tablet holder and the bottle holder.
Conclusion
The Circuit Fitness AMZ-587R recumbent bike is certainly not a bad bike. It has some good core elements, especially when it comes to the resistance of the machine. However, there are certainly some weaknesses that can’t be ignored. There are almost no warranties and complaints of the monitor not working, which is not a good combination. Considering you can get the Nautilus R616 for a similar price and with a lot more features and guarantees of quality, that seems like it would be a much better purchase.
