PooBoo Indoor Cycling Bike Reviews (Things to Know Before Buying)
Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bikes
In the world of modern spin bikes, there are a few brands that continually try to break into the mainstream line of bikes. One of these brands is Pooboo. While the Pooboo spin bikes might seem like just another good option amidst the host of different ones on the market today, there are quite a few issues with these bikes.
First, we’re going to go over the pros and cons of each of the models that pooboo offers, then we’re going to look at some of the issues stemming from the brand itself. One of the overarching problems with these bikes is that they all are quite pricey. As we’ll see in the individual reviews, the sorts of prices that are being demanded would equate to some high-quality bikes from other manufacturers like Peloton or Schwinn. However, that same sort of quality is absent when these Pooboo indoor bikes are examined more closely.
One of the things to note is that these bikes are all only listed on Amazon and have almost the same name. Therefore, we’re going to differentiate them based on the model number given on the page. So with all of that out of the way, let’s get into our review of the Pooboo indoor cycling bikes!
Compare Pooboo Indoor Bikes:
| Name & Rank | Resistance | Verdict | Better Alternative | Computer | Warranty | Flywheel |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pooboo LD501 Indoor Cycling Bike | Magnetic Resistance | Overpriced at $1200 | Schwinn IC4 | Distance, Time, RPM, Pulse, Speed | 1-Year | 35 Pounds |
| Pooboo C505 Indoor Cycling Bike | Felt-Pad Friction | Overpriced at $800 | SF-B1986 | Distance, Time, RPM Pulse, Speed | 1-Year | 44 Pounds |
| Pooboo LD577 Indoor Cycling Bike | Felt-Pad Friction | Overpriced at $800 | SF-B1986 | Distance, Time, RPM, Pulse, Speed | 1-Year | 42 Pounds |
| Pooboo D568 Indoor Cycling Bike | Magnetic Resistance | Overpriced at $500 | Sunny SF-B1805 | Distance, Time, Pulse, Speed | 1-Year | 40 Pounds |
| Pooboo SV Indoor Cycling Bike | Felt-Pad Friction | Overpriced at $300 | Vigbody | Distance, Time, Pulse, Speed | 1-Year | 35 Pounds |
| Pooboo D770 Indoor Cycling Bike | Magnetic Resistance | Good Value Under $300 | N/A | Distance, Time, Pulse, Speed | 1-Year | 18 Pounds |
| Pooboo A2 Indoor Cycling Bike | Magnetic Resistance | Good Value Under $300 | N/A | Distance, Time, Calories, Speed | 1-Year | 13 Pounds |
| Pooboo D525 Indoor Cycling Bike | Felt-Pad Friction | Overpriced at $350 | Advenor Bike | Distance, Time, Calories, Speed | 1-Year | 30 Pounds |
Pooboo LD501 Indoor Cycling Bike
Up first is the Pooboo spin bike listed as the LD501. This bike is set up akin to those spin bikes that one would find at spinning classes. That means that it is commercial in design, taking up a fair amount of space and being made of firm materials. Specifically, it weighs 145 lbs and has a max user weight of 440 lbs. It measures to be 50 inches long, 21 inches wide and 48 inches tall. Certainly it is not a small bike. It can be moved around thanks to some transportation wheels on the bottom of the bike, though it still isn’t exactly what we would call “mobile”.
The LD501indoor bike uses magnetic resistance with 35 lb flywheel in order to provide a more quiet workout to whoever is using it. This is effective, as magnetic resistance is the type that is adopted by most modern (and quality) spin bikes. The resistance is adjustable thanks to a knob that sits in front of the seat and below the handlebars. It’s a fairly straightforward method of adjusting the resistance and works well enough.
The handlebars of the pooboo LD501 have different hand positions based on the type of workout the user is going for. Whether it’s standing, seated or mountain climbing mode, the handlebars have a position for it. The seat is comfortable enough. Nothing special, though it is adjustable 4-ways which is nice. The pedals have toe cages for athletic shoes and are SPD-compatible for those who prefer SPD cleats. Finally, the bike also comes with a little dumbbell holder and 2 small dumbbells.
The LD501 does cost a pretty penny at $1,250. It also only comes with a 1-year limited warranty. While it is a decent enough bike, the price seems rather high for what is on offer.
Pooboo C505 Indoor Cycling Bike
Up next is the pooboo bike with the model number C505. This bike is built quite similarly to the LD501, as one could probably tell from the pictures of the bike. It has the same sort of commercial grade build and materials that the previous one does. Once again, it takes up a fair amount of space and is rather heavy. It weighs 148 lbs, though it has a significantly lower max user weight at 330 lbs. It measures at 51 inches long, 20 inches wide and 44.5 inches tall. Once again, it has wheels for transportation around the home.
This bike uses a friction resistance system compared to the magnetic one of the LD501. It has a rather heavy 44 lb flywheel, giving it a somewhat less smooth and less quiet workout than a magnetic system would have. It uses a similar knob to control the resistance settings of the bike.
The C505 also has a LCD monitor on the handlebars, as well as a spot for any tablet or phone entertainment. The monitor will keep track of and display statistics such as time, distance, RPM, and calories burned. The C505 indoor cycle is equipped with a VELO brand mountain bike seat, which is more comfortable than the LD501’s seat. That said, it can still get uncomfortable on some longer rides. Both the seat and handlebar are adjustable 4 ways. The pedals of the C505 are caged, but are not compatible with SPD cleats like the LD501.
The C505 costs $1,000 and comes with the same 1-year warranty that all of these bikes do. Again, for what’s on offer that price is a bit high. Otherwise it seems like a fine bike for those who want to practice mountain cycling.
Pooboo LD577 Indoor Cycling Bike
In third place is the pooboo indoor cycling bike with the designation D577. This does not look like either of the two previous bikes, though shares some similarities. It is still made of a heavy commercial material, weighing 134.5 lbs. It is 46.5 inches long, 21 inches wide and 52 inches tall. Transportation wheels are back as well. The materials are good enough and what you would expect of a commercial spin bike.
The LD577 indoor cycling bike uses friction resistance with a 44 lb flywheel. However, since it uses a belt drivetrain, this does mean that the bike is mostly quiet when used. The resistance can be controlled via knob once more. Nothing totally revolutionary or of real note. The only possible surprise might be that a bike with a friction resistance system would cost this much.
The handlebars contain another monitor in order to keep track of time, speed, distance, calories burned, and heart rate (though how it tracks heart rate is unclear). The handlebars also have a little spot where you can put a tablet or phone in order to get some entertainment while working out. The seat is more similar to the LD501, rather than the VELO seat of the C505. It’s fine. Nothing special. Both the handlebars and seat can be adjusted 4 ways. The pedals are caged, though not compatible with SPD pedals and not focused on mountain biking like the C505’s are. They can be swapped out with other pedals if the user is desperate to make use of their SPD pedals.
Once again, the price becomes an issue when looking at the full package. The LD577 costs $800 with the standard 1 year warranty. For a friction resistance machine that has a monitor that tracks a couple of stats in this day and age, you’d expect it to be quite a bit less than that.
Pooboo D568 Indoor Cycling Bike
Up next is the pooboo spin bike marked as the D568. This bike shares many of the qualities found in the previous bikes, but is slightly light in it’s build. It weighs 124 lbs, with a 330 lb weight limit. The D568 is 51 inches long, 21 inches wide and 49 inches tall. Same as always, the bike can be transported around by tilting it on the wheels.
Pooboo switched back to magnetic resistance for the D568. This makes the whole experience of working out smoother and quieter than it otherwise would be. The resistance settings can be controlled by the knob that sits right in front of the user. The 40 lb flywheel on the bike helps create a solid amount of momentum while cycling.
The handlebars follow a similar pattern to the other bikes. There are 3 different positions on those handlebars in order to hold the cyclist in sitting, standing or hill climbing mode. They are also adjustable 4 different ways. The seat is similarly adjustable. Speaking of the seat, it might not be made by VELO, but it does stand out from some of the other seats thanks to it’s breathability and shock absorbance. Yet again, there is a monitor that sits right around the handlebars. This screen will display time, speed, distance and calories burned. The pedals are caged pedals and nothing else. If you are desperate, you can swap them out for SPD-compatible ones.
When we were looking at the prices of the D568, there was no price due to it being “Currently Unavailable” on Amazon. Since pooboo doesn’t have a store location other than Amazon, this means that we couldn’t actually find the price anywhere else. However, we do know that it has the same 1 year warranty.
Pooboo SV Indoor Cycling Bike
Coming to our first pooboo spin bike that doesn’t contain a triple number in it’s model, the pooboo SV… doesn’t really do anything different to those models with said numbers. It’s got the same sort of commercial build, though is slightly lighter at 113 lbs. It has a weight capacity of 350 lbs. The dimensions of the bike are pretty straightforward. The SV is 51 inches long, 20.5 inches wide and 51 inches tall when extended to its tallest. We might sound like a broken record, but this bike also has a pair of transportation wheels in order to make it easier to move around.
The resistance system of the pooboo SV is friction based. For that purpose, it has a nice and heavy (compared to the weight of the bike) 35 lbs. While this isn’t as smooth as a magnetic system, the thick support tube does give an extra layer of stability. All of the resistance can be controlled by the same sort of knob that controls every other pooboo spin bike. Nothing new there.
Once again, the handlebar setup is the same as always. There’s a monitor that allows for statistics to be tracked. Nothing special, but the general time, distance and calories burned. There are heart rate monitors in the handrail, but we can’t say as to how accurate they are. Both the seat and handlebars are both adjustable 4 ways as per usual. The pedals are caged, but don’t have anything else particularly special about them.
The pooboo SV costs about $400. While this price is getting better compared to some of the others, it still seems a bit high considering the 1 year warranty and the features on offer.
Pooboo D770 Indoor Cycling Bike
Approaching the end of our pooboo list, we have the pooboo D770. Once again, we are somewhat limited in the information provided because of the definitions put out on Amazon. As such, we don’t actually know the regular weight of the D770. The packing weight is 80.5 lbs, but that doesn’t actually speak to how much the assembled bike weighs. We do know that it can hold 330 lbs. As for the dimensions, it is 48 inches long, 22 inches wide and 45 inches tall. We might not know the weight, but we know that the transportation wheels would never miss out.
The resistance system of the D770 is magnetic, using 5 of them in and around the flywheel. It uses a belt drivetrain in order to make the workouts smoother and more quiet than it would be with a chain belt or friction system of resistance. Once again, the bright red knob makes an appearance in order to make sure that you can adjust that resistance however you wish.
The handlebars and seat do the same thing that they always do. They are both adjustable 4 ways and are built well enough. The handlebars do include a nice little pulse sensor on them, which means that you can see how you’re handling the workout. There is also a monitor that tracks time, calories burned, distance and speed. You also have a device holder and water bottle holders in and around the handlebar setup.
The pooboo D770 comes with a price tag of $340 and the 1 year warranty that nobody can seem to shake. Again, a tad expensive compared to other brands of indoor cycling bikes, but nowhere near as bad as some of the other pooboo bikes.
Pooboo A2 Indoor Cycling Bike
Finally! We have reached a bike that is not that overpriced by those at pooboo. The poboo A2 might not offer all that much in terms of quantity of features, but it does offer a fair price at $300. The actual build of the A2 bike is different than the vast majority of these bikes so far. It is much lighter at 70 lbs, but has a max user weight of 280 lbs. The dimensions are 50.6 inches long, 21 inches wide and 49 inches tall. Despite the differences so far, the transportation wheels remain.
The A2 has a belt driven magnetic resistance system. Once again, this makes for a smoother and more quiet user experience than one would find with a friction system or a chain drive. The bike is once again controlled by the red resistance knob. Some things never change, especially not with these bikes.
The monitor that comes with this bike is fairly small, though it’ll still display time, scan, speed, distance and calories burned for you as you flip through the settings. The handlebars have a spot for an iPad or other tablet to entertain you, while they themselves are adjustable in 4 different directions. It is a similar story to the seat, which is comfortable enough and will go up, down, forward or backwards for whoever is cycling. The pedals of the bike are caged, allowing for anyone in regular shoes to pedal along in the most efficient manner possible. These can be swapped out for SPD pedals if needed.
As we mentioned, the cost of the pooboo A2 is much more reasonable at $300. The 1 year warranty is still questionable, but at least pooboo isn’t asking for thousands of dollars for a bike that should cost nowhere near that amount. So, all in all it is one of the best spin bikes under $300.
Pooboo D525 Indoor Cycling Bike
Rounding out our list of pooboo spin bikes is the one designated as the D525. The D525 follows the much more traditional commercial build that the earlier bikes did, with the yellow highlights and steel alloy build. What it does not have is the ridiculous weight of some of the above do. It only weighs 75 lbs while having a max user weight of 350 lbs. The D525 is 44 inches long, 22 inches wide and 48 inches tall. But as we know by this point, the transportation wheels shall never leave us. They are a reliable companion in these dark times.
The resistance method of the D525 is friction, using brake pads. It is not as great as magnetic systems, but it allows for the price to be lowered. The belt drive does help improve the feel of the resistance somewhat, rather than the rattling chains that it could have. The resistance can be changed through the red knob that is just as consistent as the transportation wheels. This knob can also act as an emergency stop for those who need to get off in a hurry. Simply press down on it instead of twisting.
The handlebars can be adjusted vertically only, which is a change from the normal. This doesn’t mean that they are useless, as they have a spot for tablets or other entertainment right underneath the LCD console that will track statistics like speed, time, distance and calories burned. The saddle of the bike can be adjusted 4 different ways and is comfortable enough. There is a water bottle included by your side, which means you can bring along a water bottle and stay hydrated during workouts. The spinning pedals are caged and can once again be replaced if you are desperate to use SPD cleats.
Another of the more reasonably priced Poohoo indoor cycling bikes, the D525 costs around $320. It still has that pathetic 1 year warranty, but otherwise has enough features to justify the price.
What About Pooboo as a Brand?
As we’ve alluded to in a couple of the above reviews, there are a couple of issues with pooboo as a brand. While the bikes themselves might be fine, they are almost all overpriced, especially with the horrific 1 year warranty that comes with all of them. This is already a strike against them, as it means that those who pay any attention will know that there are plenty of better options for the same (or lesser) price.
The second issue about pooboo is even more concerning. People can price their bikes how they want, but they should then stand up to any criticism that those bikes get. However, pooboo does not seem to want to do that. When unhappy consumers leave less than perfect reviews on Amazon, the company then takes down the listing before putting it back up with a clean slate. This is extraordinarily dishonest and means that the reviews that can be found on Amazon must be taken with an extremely critical eye. In fact, it might even be worth dismissing these reviews all together on account of not knowing which ones are honest and which ones aren’t. But if you can’t find honest reviews on Amazon, that must mean they have some on their website right?
This leads us to problem number three. Pooboo has no website that you can contact them through. Everything is done through Amazon. The customer service, ordering, descriptions and whatever else. This is quite sketchy and should give pause to anyone who might be thinking about ordering these bikes. Because it is done through a separate vendor like Amazon, that likely means that they are a company that isn’t beholden to any quality laws like those in the United States, Canada or Europe.
Finally, there’s the fact that pooboo and L-Now are the same company. Having two separate companies that sell the exact same bikes (even with the same name often) is just not a great look to have. It all adds up to a company that is extremely hard to trust or believe in the quality of their products. Toss in the 1 year warranty and you shouldn’t be surprised to find these bikes breaking down in the 13th month with a shrug from Amazon.
Final Verdict
The pooboo bikes themselves do not seem awful on the surface. Many of them have the basic elements that you would expect to find in modern spin bikes, although they consistently value the bikes higher than they should. However, once you factor in the extremely sketchy elements of the pooboo brand and practices of eliminating negative reviews (removing the products and putting it up as a new product), it casts a huge shadow over the bikes themselves. We cannot, in good conscious, recommend these indoor bikes so long as the warranty is bad and the practices of pooboo remain suspicious. Instead of the Pooboo bikes, you could get a good Sunny Health and Fitness indoor bike or an Echelon exercise bike. They all have options that fall under $500 price range without compromising too much on quality.
This is more of a general comment. It is increasingly difficult to find reliable information online much less trusted and quality reviews. Thank you so much for the time and effort you put into the site to help inform readers and shoppers.
Your bikes are nothing but trash
Hi Sharon, thanks for stopping by
I agree with you, Pooboo (L-Now/Live Now) is one of the brands that we normally don’t recommend. In fact, at the end of this article, we said a little bit about why you may want to avoid buying from Pooboo.