Octane Fitness Airdyne ADX Review: Is There A Better Alternative?
Air upright bikes can be one of those pieces of exercise equipment that people either love or hate. If they are in the latter category, it’s often because they think of loud, annoying bikes that don’t actually solve much. Fortunately, we’ve found an air resistance bike that might change their mind, the Octane Airdyne.
The Octane Airdyne ADX air resistance exercise bike is a commercial-level bike that is available and affordable for personal purchase. It has many elements that would endear it to those who like air exercise bikes, while also including parts that might change the hearts of those who don’t.
But just what are these elements that make up the Octane Airdyne ADX? Well, that’s what we’re going to take a look at today. We’re going to examine the various parts and features that come with this air stationary bike and see how they match up to the rest of the market.
Then we’re going to look at the price of the Airdyne ADX and see just how it balances out in terms of the value for money. Once all of that is done, we’re going to list the pros and cons before giving our final verdict on whether or not you should look at investing in this piece of exercise equipment. So, with all of that out of the way, let’s hop right into our Octane Airdyne ADX review!
Octane Airdyne ADX Review and Specs:
Specifications:
Height: 52 inches / 132 cm
Length: 42 inches / 109 cm
Width: 20 inches / 51 cm
Item Weight: 113 lbs / 52 kg
Weight Capacity: 350 lbs / 159 kg
It makes sense to start with what the Octane Airdyne air bike is made of, how big it is, and how much it weighs. Mentioning what it looks like might also be helpful. Fortunately, the latter is a rather easy explanation. It looks like a regular air bike with a neat little orange and black color scheme. You won’t find any super innovative or out-of-the-ordinary designs here. This might seem like a negative to some, but it’s actually not that bad.
The tried and true design that is present here is a fine one. There are a pair of wheels on the front (right under the fan) that will allow you to move it around the home much easier. You will also find floor stabilizers on the front and back of the bike in order to allow for more intense workouts without any sort of damage to the flooring or shaking the bike too much. Overall, no real innovation, but the Octane Airdyne ADX air resistance bike performs well without it.
Octane Airdyne ADX Monitor:
The monitor/console that comes with the Octane Airdyne ADX exercise bike is one that looks complicated but delivers a fair amount of features to the user. At the top, you have a Tachometer display. This display will show you the amount of effort and energy that you are putting forth during the workout. It shows calories per minute, watts, RPMs, and speed.
There are three main programs that come with the Octane Airdyne ADX fan bike. These consist of interval programs. You have the 20/10 interval, 30/90 interval, and an option that lets you set your own custom interval section. You also have the ability to pick from a series of targets, being time, calories or distance. Finally, of course, there’s the manual mode where you can decide on your own workout and proceed however you like.
In terms of the heart rate monitoring that all the monitors these days seem to include, there are three preset HR intervals. There’s the 65% one, 75% one, and 85% one. The unit is telemetric and can monitor the heart rate from an uncoded heart rate strap from Polar Electric or one that is compatible with such. However, these accessories are not included with the bike so you will have to order separately. There are several heart rate monitors to choose from. You can go for an armband or chest straps, it depends on what you prefer.
Octane Airdyne ADX Fan, Drivetrain, and Resistance:
The main flywheel that you’ll find on the Octane Airdyne ADX air resistance bike comes in the form of the 26-blade fan. Unlike some other air machines that might have some magnetic or other means of resistance to help the fan, this is the only factor of the resistance here. The resistance that you’ll come up with again is also purely dependent on how hard you pedal. After all, there are no resistance settings in the console, so there’s no other option.
The fan, you should note, does not actually make that much noise when pushed to the limit. While it might sound louder than well-built spin bikes that use purely magnetic resistance, this does not mean that it is loud enough to distract or irritate. In fact, even if you have your TV on a relatively low volume, you should be able to still hear it going at a pretty intense level.
The Octane Airdyne ADX stationary bike uses a belt drive system in order to help the bike run more smoothly. It is partially due to using a belt instead of a chain that the machine generates less noise than it otherwise would have. The belt drive is also more favorable than a chain one, as you really won’t have to worry about any lubrication or other frequent maintenance with it.
Handlebars, Seat and Pedals
The handlebars that you’ll find on the Octane Airdyne ADX air bike are the bog standard that you’d expect to find on any standard air bike. They are only mobile and are connected to the bike’s main pulley. They don’t move independently from the pedals, so you can’t just do a solely lower body workout. Interestingly, you can do just an upper body workout thanks to the front foot resting pegs that sit alongside the fan itself. The handlebars also offer a couple of different grips in order to give you options when you are working out.
The seat that comes with the Octane Airdyne ADX air resistance bike is actually one that delivers a fair amount of comfort. Whereas some other bikes just kind of let people figure out the saddle by themselves, there’s a good amount of padding on the medium-sized seat. This seat can also be adjusted both vertically and horizontally, allowing for people of different shapes and sizes to comfortably sit on board.
Finally, there are the pedals. There really isn’t too much to say about them. They move when the handlebars do, as we’ve mentioned. They are also comfortable enough but do not entertain any sort of design that incorporates SPD elements. Unfortunate, but not too big of a deal for HIIT training. It does have really grippy flat surface which is similar to flat MTB pedals and keeps the shoes in place during the ride.
Octane Airdyne X Price and Warranty
This is the area that some people might turn off of the Octane Airdyne ADX air resistance workout bike. It is a commercial quality bike, so it isn’t something that you could just pick up for like $300 from your local Amazon supplier (unless you find it at a yard sale, in which case go for it). The default price sits right around $1,200, which actually isn’t as bad as one might think. For what it offers, this is not actually that much money. However, one should consider how much they are willing to spend on a piece of exercise equipment before they invest in it.
The warranties that come with the Octane Airdyne X HIIT bike are another element that is a pleasant surprise. It has a 10 year warranty on the frame, 3 year warranty on the parts and a 6-month warranty on the labor. While these aren’t the best you could find, they most certainly are not bad. Would we like a lifetime guarantee on the frame and at least a year on the labor? Yes. But then again, we always want the absolute maximum warranties because the customer should have the backup that the machine they are ordering is going to work for a good amount of time.
Assembly and Shipping:
The main elements of the Octane Airdyne ADX bike come preassembled. These include the crank assembly, the fan, the drive system and the seat post. The assembling that you’ll have to do includes the moving handlebars, the seat, the pedals, and the console.
You should find that the manual that comes with the bike is quite accurate and will allow you to assemble it rather quickly. Even those who aren’t particularly handy or skilled at such assembly processes should find that it won’t take longer than an hour. Remember to install the left pedal (L) counterclockwise.
Once assembled, you should find that the maintenance afterward is quite low. Just make sure you occasionally dust the fan and make sure you don’t hear any squeaking when using the machine. If you do hear the latter, just make sure you check for any loose bolts or lubricate the joints. I use WD-40 for lubricating my bike and it works great and doesn’t drip or make the room dirty.
Shipping shouldn’t take more than a week, assuming everything goes well. I got mine 6 days after putting in the order. Keep in mind external elements, like a global pandemic or the holiday season, that might slow the process down. We’re not guaranteeing that this will slow it down, but just don’t be overly surprised if it does.
Octane Airdyne ADX Pros:
- Commercial-quality Build
You won’t find too many elements of the Airdyne ADX breaking easily. The fact that the bike can also hold up to 350 lbs without difficulty is quite a nice feat. Then it has home convenient features like floor stabilizers and transportation wheels. It’s just an extremely good base for all the rest of the elements of the bike. - A Quiet Fan and Flexible Resistance
With the 26-blade fan, you really won’t find much in the way of boredom with this bike. It isn’t going to make that much noise, so you can watch TV, YouTube or anything else that you might desire while onboard. Then you have the option of making the workout as hard or as easy as you want to depend on how hard you cycle with the feet. It’s fairly straightforward and simple, but works well regardless. - Dual-Track Display
The fact that the monitor has two separate monitors might make some people a little uncomfortable. After all, it is more complicated than those with a single monitor. Yet, after some adjustments, they can find that the tachometer display can be just as useful as the workout programs. Even if you decide not to use it extensively, it is simply a nice option to have. - Comfortable Seating
Nothing too complicated here. The seating is padded and comfortable, which is always important for a machine that you’d be sitting on for longer periods of time. The fact that it is adjustable both horizontally and vertically is also a good thing.
Octane Airdyne ADX Cons:
- No Stationary Handlebars
The moving handlebars are most certainly appreciated, as it gives the body a more well-rounded workout. However, there are times that you just want to give the arms a break. Having just a simple pair of stationary handlebars that you could take a short breather on would be much appreciated. - No Online Connectivity
The monitor that comes with the Airdyne ADX is fairly advanced, so one imagines that online connectivity wouldn’t be too challenging of an idea to integrate. Yet, it is lacking here. While this isn’t a major disappointment, it still would have been nice to have just to make the console that much better. - It Costs a Decent Amount
While the Airdyne ADX might not cost an arm and a leg like some other pieces of exercise equipment out there, it still costs more than the average air bike. Just keep that in mind when looking at it.
Our Final Verdict
It’s actually rather hard to not recommend the Octane Airdyne X bike. It has just many of the core elements that you would want in such a bike that will allow you to get fit. A quiet fan, a good monitor, comfortable seating, and a generally solid build.
While it does have some weaknesses and is missing a couple of tidbits that we would have liked to see, those aren’t any game-changing factors. The only thing that would stop us from recommending it is the price. You’ll want to make sure that you have enough money to use on the Airdyne ADX before purchasing it. Otherwise, we say go for it and get cycling!
AirDyne ADX Alternatives
In terms of quality and features, I don’t think there is a better alternative to Airdyne ADX. However, if you want to spend less, there are some lesser expensive options.
Assault Fitness Classic and Schwinn AD6 can be cheaper alternatives to the AirDyne ADX bikes. Assault Fitness Classic air bike for instance, doesn’t comprise on quality and retails for $500 cheaper.
It doesn’t have some of the bells and whistles that come with Octane Fitness ADX air bike. For instance, the Assault Classic comes with basic hand grips, a smaller screen, no bottle holder, and a little smaller fan that affects the resistance a little bit.
Then, there is the Schwinn AD6 air bike which is a quality product that offers a similar experience to the AirDyne ADX but at a fraction of the cost. If you are looking for an alternative to AirDyne ADX and want to spend less, these two are great options.
Sayed Hosseiny
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.
