Keiser M3 Indoor Cycle Review: See why it is overpriced

Keiser M3 indoor cycle has been one of the most famous bikes in the market among professional indoor cyclists and novices. With the fully U.S design and labor, the Keiser M3 indoor cycle is highly adjustable and suitable for most spinner heights.

Keiser M3 can easily give you years of intense cycling and help you burn thousands of calories without having to deal with broken parts. Keiser m3 indoor cycle stationary trainer exercise bike is a gym-quality spin bike.

M3 provides 24 levels of smooth and quiet magnetic resistance to offer cyclists in all fitness levels challenging cardiovascular training for lower body muscle toning and weight loss. The Keiser M3 indoor cycle was engineered to provide muscle toning and aerobic training for a wide range of athletic-level users.

If your goal is to lose weight and you are looking for a gym-quality spin bike that could last for many years, the Keiser M3 indoor cycle is one of your best spin bike choices. It will get you there. This beast was the beginning of a successful future for the Keiser fitness equipment manufacturer which makes all its awesome products in the United States.

Keiser M Series Indoor Bike Comparison

Keiser is a US-owned company that started making spin bikes in 2012 and to this day, Keiser has manufactured four excellent models of indoor bikes.

The Keiser M3 was the very first model with durable built but lack of handlebar horizontal adjustment. The company noticed it was time to improve the design and immediately built the Keiser M3+ which was very similar to the Keiser M3 but with horizontal adjustment to achieve a better spin bike setup and fit a wider range of users.

Not long after the second model, in 2015, the Keiser company announced the M3i model which was ground-breaking in the world of indoor cycling. At the time, it was the best and most advanced indoor cycling bike that you could buy.

From a silent drive system to a smart console with Bluetooth connectivity, the Keiser M3i bike had it all. The success of Keiser M3i was worldwide, you could have come across that model in top-notch cycling studios and fitness centers around the world.

But Keiser didn’t stop there, they went another step further and built the Keiser M3iX bike. It was built on the same frame as Keiser M3i but with one major difference, the pivoting technology. Unlike any other Keiser M Series bike, the M3ix gave the riders the option to lean to the right and left which was pretty nice but had one major design issue. The rider could only pivot the handlebars which were not natural because the center and rear of the bike were fixed.

Not long after, the company decided to discontinue the Keiser M3iX and the M3+ production and continued with the Keiser M3 and M3i models. In 2022, the Keiser M3i is the brand’s most advanced model and it is packed with features that make it a great choice for anyone looking for a top-of-the-line spin bike.

If you’re looking for a high-quality spin bike, any of the Keiser M Series models would be a great option but you probably want to know that the M3i is the only model with a new console that synchs data to all major indoor cycling applications including Zwift, Peloton, and many other apps.

Keiser M3 Alternative Indoor Bikes

Keiser Keiser M3 is a well-built indoor bike but at $1899, it’s overpriced. While it may have some great features, such as durable construction and a smooth ride, there are several more advanced indoor bikes with better features that you can buy instead.

Three of these awesome alternatives are the Nordictrack S15i, Proform Pro Studio, and Peloton Original bike.

With features like touchscreen displays, fitness app compatibility, incline and decline systems, cooling fan, speaker, and more, these bikes offer a much more immersive and effective workout experience.

So if you’re looking for the best indoor bike for your money, Keiser M3 isn’t it, at least not until the company puts down the price a little bit. I would suggest you check out one of these three amazing alternatives instead!

Quick Answer: Keiser Spinning Bike M3

• Keiser M3 Pros
• Keiser M3 Cons
• M3 full specifications
• Keiser M3 indoor cycle price
• Keiser M3 overview
• Computer
• Drive mechanism
• Handlebars
• Seat
• Resistance type and levels
• Flywheel weight
• Maintenance
• Keiser M3 pedals
• Keiser M3 warranty terms
• M3 indoor cycle accessories
• How to connect the Keiser M3 online
• Keiser bike assembly
• Conclusion

Keiser M3 Indoor Bike Pros:

Pros:
Belt drive
24 level magnetic resistance
Extremely quiet
Fully adjustable seat
Minimum maintenance requirement
Has a smooth and fluid motion
Displays the Watt
10-Years frame warranty and 3 years brakes and electronics
Durable and steady during an intense workout
Resistance changes smoothly
Dual side spd pedals
Sleek design
Easy to move around
300 Lbs user weight capacity
Manufactured in the USA
The gear shaft rather than the knob
Good customer services
Great user reviews

Keiser M3 Indoor Cycle Cons:

Cons:
2-way adjustable handlebars.
M3 computer is not Bluetooth enabled.
No tablet holder.
High price tag.

Keiser M3 Spin Bike Specs

Specs:
Q-Factor: 197 mm equals to 7.75 inches
Drive Mechanism: Belt
Warranty: 5 Yrs on Frame and 3 Yrs on mechanical parts
Resistance type: Magnetic
Resistance level: 24-Levels
Resistance handle: Lever/shaft
Displays the current gear level: Yes
Water Bottle Holder: Yes
Tablet Holder: No
Fixed Gear:  Yes
Transport Wheels: Yes
Foot levelers: Yes, 4 points
Chest Strap: Yes but not included
Dimensions: H 45” X W 26” X L 49”
Item weight: 85 lbs
Weight capacity: 300-Lbs
Flywheel: 8-Lbs
Programs: None
Bluetooth: No
ANT/+: No
Data storage: No
Compatible Apps: None
Console: Backlit, displays the Time, Current Gear level, Distance, Speed, Odometer, RPM, Watts, Heart Rate, and Calories
Pedals: Toe cage and spd pedals
Power Source: 2-AA batteries included
Handlebar Adjustment: Vertical only
Seat Adjustment: Vertical & Horizontal
Protection Mat: Not included
Assembly: Required, moderate
User Height: Min 4.10″/ Max 6.7″

M3 Indoor Cycle Price

You have two options when buying a Keiser M3 indoor cycling bike. You can buy an M3 Keiser bike in a brand new condition which is around $1800 shipping.

Your next option is to buy the Keiser M3 indoor cycle in second-hand condition. It’s remanufactured, includes a warranty and it’s only $1000 which is almost $800 cheaper than the new version.

They are completely disassembled, repainted and pretty much all parts are replaced with new ones. The used Keiser M3 indoor cycles also often include free shipping.

Keiser M3 spin bike overview

The Keiser M3 bike is the result of years of research and development. The M3 spin bike was the very first model of Keiser M Series indoor cycles. After the M3 indoor cycle, Keiser developed three other models as well (Keiser M3+, Keiser M3i, and Keiser M3ix). While Keiser M3 indoor cycle was built almost 10 years ago, it’s still one of the highest quality indoor cycling bikes available on the market in 2020.

With revolutionary 24 levels of magnetic resistance technology controlled on the console and a durable single belt drive mechanism, the Keiser M3 indoor exercise bike provides a smooth and whisper-quiet ride. This Keiser exercise equipment requires almost no maintenance and will definitely stand the test of time.

The major highlights of the Keiser M3 indoor bike are the sturdy frame and parts, SPD pedals, standard Q-Factor (7.3″), sleek design, rear-drive flywheel, near to silent belt drive, backlit computer display, and revolutionary magnetic resistance system adjustable through easy to reach shaft/lever.

The Keiser M3 magnetic spinning bike is designed with every little detail in place, yet very simple and without unnecessary components. Keep reading to find out more about the Keiser M3 gym-quality spin bike.

Keiser M3 Computer

In this Keiser M3 review you will find out everything there is to learn about this bike. Just like other Keiser M series spin bikes, you get a digital display with a light sensor at the top of the console that turns on the back-lit when the room is dark. If the room light is good enough to read the number without the back-lit, then it stays off. It’s a good feature for increasing the battery life.

The LCD display is not touched and doesn’t have any buttons. As soon as you start pedaling, you will be able to see the values of your workout.

Below is the list of the information you can see on the Keiser M3 spin bike LCD:

• Revolutions Per Minute (RPM)
  Meaning how fast you pedal per minute. You can read the manual to see the max RPM you can do because there is a limit to your safety.
• Watts
  This tells you how much power you are generating, it’s an important feature, especially in the spin classes. Every few seconds the display alternates between showing watts and calories burned. Every time for 2 seconds you can see the calories and for 6 seconds the watts.
• Heart Rate
  The handlebars don’t have pulse sensors. In order to see the heart rate, you need to be wearing polar strap which is not included with the bike. If you see an O, it means you are either not wearing a strap or your strap is not compatible.
• Elapsed Time
  You will see the total time of your exercise.
• Gear
  The current resistance level you are spinning is shown here. Keiser M3 and M3+ have 24 levels of resistance.
• Odometer
  When you start pedaling for a few seconds, it shows the distance of your workout since you bought the bike. After few seconds it starts showing the distance result of your current exercise.
• How to reset the computer
• Two ways to reset the computer. You can move up and down the gear shifter twice or leave the Keiser M3 spin bike for 60 seconds.
• 60 Seconds
  If you stop pedaling for 60 seconds, the workout data will be automatically reset to zero. It’s one of the drawbacks of the Keiser M3 spin bike, especially if you need to answer a call or open the door for someone for a minute.
• Average workout calculation
  To view averages of RPM, watts, and heart rate at any point in the workout, stop pedaling for three seconds. This will flash your averages until you start moving again or until the computer goes to sleep after 60 seconds.
• Resetting ride averages, elapsed time, and distance
  To reset your averages during the workout, stop pedaling for three seconds and the averages will start to flash, while they are flashing move the gear shifter from bottom to top two times quickly. This will reset your workout information back to zero.
• Keiser M3 LCD battery and how to replace it
  To test the computer batteries and see if they are charged, pedal until the computer “wakes up”. If the battery is low, a “LO-BA” will display at the bottom of the display. To replace the batteries unscrew the back of the computer housing and remove old AA batteries and replace them with a set of two new AA batteries.

What we don’t like about the integrated computer in Keiser M3 spin bike

First of all, the lack of App connectivity. You can’t upload your workout data on any platform. If you want to keep
track of your exercise, you have to take a picture or write it down. This shortcoming is resolved in the later versions of Keiser spin bikes.

The distance traveled is displayed in Odometer in default settings. It’s somewhere between kilometers and miles, you can’t change it to miles or kilometers on this model but you can on M3i.

Keiser M3 Cycle Drive Mechanism

Keiser M3 features belt drive which gives this spin bike a very smooth ride. Belt drive also makes the bike very quiet and it’s almost maintenance-free. Unlike chain drive which breaks more often and needs lubrication quite often. The single belt drive that transfers the force from a big pully to the little pullies is the reason you won’t get the up and down motion despite the lightweight flywheel.

Keiser M3 Spin Bike Handlebars

Handlebars are the biggest flaw of this bike. It’s only 2-way adjustable, up&Down/vertical, which makes it hard for the rider to adjust himself to a natural position. If the bike had a traditional square frame rather than V-shape, it wouldn’t be much of a big deal. But the V-shape frame causes the handlebars to go up and down in 45% angle.

If you move the handlebar down, it gets too close to you because it doesn’t go straight down, it comes toward the rider. If you move the handlebars up, it gets far from you because it doesn’t go up straight, it goes up to a 45% angle. So, getting in the right position on this V-shape framed spin bike is very difficult with only horizontal handlebar adjustability. The handles are textured and padded for more comfort and provide multi-ergonomic grips.

Keiser M3 Bike Seat Adjustment

The seat is easy to replace and very comfortable for a spin bike. You can adjust the seat depending on your height by loosening the levers located on the back of the seat. The seat post is marked by A to H to help the cyclists find their last adjustment easy.

The problem with the seat is, that if you don’t tighten the knob very hard, the seat slips down. It has only friction tightening and it’s without a positive lock. On the newer Keiser spin bike versions, there are multiple safety holes in the seat post in case your seat goes down.

Keiser M3 Exercise Bike Resistance

It has 24 levels of magnetic resistance which makes this bike near to silent and very smooth. There are two quarter-sized magnets on either side of the flywheel.

Basically, every time you add a gear, the magnets on both sides of the flywheel get closer to the disk creating more tension. On the bottom of the LCD display, you can always see which gear you are on. It’s one of the great features of the Keiser M3 indoor cycle.

Unlike friction that makes noise and usually causes up and down motion, requires a heavy-duty flywheel and wears out, the magnetic resistance requires little to no maintenance.

Many spin bikes have a knob to adjust the resistance, which makes it difficult to return to your latest gear, but the Keiser M3 spin bike has a shaft. The gear shaft is located an inch below the handlebar and it’s easy to reach out during the workout.

You can also use the gear shaft as the emergency brake. To do so, you need to move the shaft all the way up and hold it there. By doing so, you bring more tension to stop the flywheel from turning.

Keiser M3 Flywheel weight

Keiser proved that the heavy flywheel isn’t the main factor for a smooth pedaling motion. All the Keiser M Series bikes have 8-lbs flywheels and still, they manage to give you the most natural road feeling on the bike. The reasons behind this are the belt, the magnetic resistance, and both the big and small pulleys.

Keiser M3 spin bike is not a freewheel which means when the flywheel turns, the crank arms and the pedals are turning, too. If you pedal forward, the flywheel turns forward too. If you pedal backward, the flywheel turns backward. This spin bike gives you a 360-degree pedal stroke which makes the motion more fluid.

M3 Bike Frame and maintenance

Keiser indoor bikes are designed for commercial use, meaning they are built to be used by multiple people for hours daily. This is why there is no doubt that the Keiser M3 indoor cycle has one of the most heavy-duty steel frames among the spin bikes in the market that can take up to 300-lbs weight.

The perfectly designed dimension of this spinning bike helps to keep the bike and the rider steady even during the most energetic exercises. The painted and aluminum parts are very durable against sweat.

By looking at this indoor exercise bike for one minute you can see the simple and strong design that attracts even those who don’t do spinning. The frame requires little to no maintenance. Another good thing about its V-shape frame is the easy mounting and dismounting actions. It’s more like a step-through rather than lifting and crossing your leg over the frame.

Keiser m3 indoor cycle is an 85-lb bike with two transport wheels which makes it easy to move around in the house or gym and it doesn’t take much space. If you need to move the Keiser M3 spin bike from one place to another, go to the front of the bike, pull the handles toward you and push down. When the rear base of the Keiser M3 bike is lifted up, you can carry it.

Read the list of the actions you need to do and check daily, weekly and monthly:

• Wipe off the sweat after each session
• Check and re-torque crank arms and pedals, weekly for the 1st month
• Clean with warm water and a soft towel, weekly
• Check the computer for low battery life, weekly (pedal until the computer “wakes up”. If the battery is low, a “LO-BA” will be displayed)
• Check and re-torque crank arms, pedals and mainframe nut, monthly
• Wax the areas that are more in contact with sweat, monthly
• Lubricate adjustment handle threads, monthly

Pedals And Crank Arms Of Keiser M3 Black

Keiser spin bikes feature a combo design with broad hence pedals that can accommodate any shoe size. One side of the pedal is for cycling shoes and the other side has a toe cage and adjustable strap for normal athletic shoes.

You can easily adjust the tension of the SPD if you use cycling shoes. Both sides are engineered to keep your feet firm in all ranges of exercises.

Keiser cranks are curved which has advantages and disadvantages. The pedal axles are solid and durable that can support up to 300 Lbs of weight for pedaling on and out of the saddle while doing intense training. The new Keiser M Series pedals are the best in the market for their well-thought design and durability.

The advantages:

• Due to the curve on the cranks, you can wear both normal athletic shoes and bulky athletic shoes without hitting the crank arms.
• People with wider hips feel more comfortable on the bike due to the angle.

Keiser M3 Indoor Bike Warranty Terms

• 10 Years frame
• 3 Years cylinders, displays, processor boxes
• 2 Years compressor and dryer, cables, pulleys, and bearings
• 1 Year Chrome
• 90 Days pint, upholstery, seat belts, hand grips, and other rubber and plastic products

What’s not covered under the warranty 

• Loss caused by accident, abuse, improper use or neglect
• Improper maintenance
• Improper assembly by the purchaser
• Failure to follow instructions as stated in any of the manuals provided with the Keiser M3.

Keiser M3 Bike Accessories

Included

• A water bottle holder is included with the bike, it fits both small and bigger bottles
• One set of AA batteries is included for the LCD Display

Not-included

• Keiser m3 compatible heart rate monitor: M3 indoor cycle is compatible with these Polar HR straps but it’s not included.
• Assembly tools: Check assembly tools down below
• Phone Holder: To keep your phone on the bike, you might need to purchase one.

Keiser M3 Bluetooth and Networking

Being the first model of M series spin bikes, Keiser M3 is not featured with Bluetooth so you can’t save your workout data on the bike or online. However, there are few solutions that allow to save your daily workout stats and ride with other cyclists in the virtual environment/online.

1st Solution: The Keiser M3 indoor cycle you purchased was within a few months of the release of the M3i, there is an upgrade kit that can be purchased which will add the Bluetooth computer and the more accurate magnet assembly.  However, there is a very tight window of M3 bikes that can be upgraded, and you might be lucky and one of them. So, contact Keiser support in order to find out for sure if your Keiser M3 is compatible with the upgrade kit. With Bluetooth, you can ride with other cyclists in a virtual environment on Bkool and possibly soon even with Zwift.

2nd Solution: Your second option is pretty cheap and easy. All you need is a cadence Wahoo sensor. It has both Bluetooth and ANT+ wireless compatibility and takes less than 5 minutes to mount it on any indoor or outdoor cycle. It costs less than $40 and you can easily join the riders in real-time on Zwift, Bkool or pretty much all the other indoor cycling apps. It also allows you to save your cardio exercise data on one of the Apps.

3rd Solution: Your third option and best option is the Power pedals. It’s a set of pedals that you need to replace with your bike’s pedals. They have the built-in Bluetooth and ANT/+ connection capability that transfers your workout information to your devices/phone, tablet, etc.

Power Meter Pedals. The Wahoo sensor transfers the Cadence while the Power meters transfer Watts, Cadence, Speed, Foot balance, MPH, and even more workout details. Obviously, Power Meters are the better option but they also cost up to 15 times more than a set of Wahoo sensors.

Keiser M3 indoor cycle assembly

Keiser M Series indoor cycles come half assembled for the major parts. However, you still need to assemble some parts such as the frame on the base, the flywheel, the handlebar, the Console, the pedals, and the crank arms. It takes about 2 hours to do it properly.

Make sure to follow the manual step by step to put it together correctly because if you fail to follow the instructions, the warranty doesn’t cover future defects. Tools you will need for assembly of Keiser M3 spin bike

Final Words on Keiser M3 Indoor Cycle

Keiser M3 indoor cycle is definitely one of the most durable gym-quality indoor bikes in 2022. It’s a bit pricey compared to a few other spin bikes. Although the Keiser M3 bike doesn’t have the technology, it does have the quality to justify the high price.

At the time of writing the Keiser M3 Review, this bike is under $2000 and it’s only $200 cheaper than the Keiser M3i which comes with plenty of better features. So, if you can afford to spend the extra two hundred Dollars, we recommend you to consider the M3i.

The only difference between Keiser M3 and the newer model, the Keiser M3 Plus, is in the handlebars. The M3+ features the 4-way adjustable handlebar while Keiser M3 handlebars are only 2-way adjustable. For more details about Keiser indoor bikes and their differences, check out the Keiser m3 vs M3+, and Keiser M3i vs M3ix full comparison chart.

Sayed

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.

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