Sole Fitness Johnny G Indoor Bike Review
Sole Fitness have made themselves a rather smooth and futuristic-looking spin bike. The Johnny G indoor cycling bike does a good job of providing plenty of features that users can comb through in order to get the most fitness benefits from it. There are also added benefits like Bluetooth connections, solid warranties and water bottle carriers.
The Johnny G spin bike is most certainly not perfect, with the price being one of the key barriers that would stop many people from immediately placing their order. Whether or not you feel that the price is worth paying for these benefits is up to you.
In this review we’re going to go over the various aspects that make up the Johnny G indoor cycling like the monitor, resistance, drivetrain and so on. Then we’ll match it up to the price and look at the pros and cons of the bike as a whole. Once that’s out of the way, we’ll finish by giving our own opinion on whether or not you should look at purchasing this piece of exercise equipment. So with all of that out of the way, let’s get right into our Sole Fitness Johnny G bike review!
Johnny G Spirit Comparison!
This is where I often update the Johnny G Spirit indoor cycle review to let you know if it is still a good value for the high price tag that it comes with.
Currently, in March 2022, this bike is priced $3000 and for this money I believe it is a bit overpriced. Especially considering the fact that it doesn’t come with Timing/Toothed Carbon belt (it comes with Poly-V belt) and there is only one crank-length.
The less expensive alternative would be the Stages SB20. It has multiple-crank arm settings and a Timing Carbon belt transmission. For less than $3000, you can also buy the industry top-notch Tacx NEO bike.
With this out of the way, there is one thing the Johnny G Spirit comes with that competitors don’t. And that is the monitor. If it’s something you prefer rather than using your own device no the bike, then Sole Johnny G Spirit is your bike.
Johnny G Cycle Review and Specs:
Specifications
- Height: 49 inches / 124 cm
- Length: 43 inches / 109 cm
- Width: 20 inches / 51 cm
- Item Weight: 151 lbs / 68 kg
- Weight Capacity: 350 lbs / 159 kg
- Runs on: Standard power outlet
You won’t find too much out of the ordinary with the Johnny G spin bike, outside of maybe the look that could come straight from a cyberpunk game or movie. It doesn’t necessarily take up that much space or is too heavy for a machine like others. The frame is made of solid steel and has 3 layers of protection in order to keep it nice and pristine.
There are a pair of wheels on the front of the bike in order to allow for easy transportation around the home. On both the front and back of the Johnny G stationary bike, you’ll find that there are floor stabilizers in order to keep you in one spot. This will most certainly be appreciated on those more fearsome and intense bike rides.
Jonny G Monitor
The monitor that comes with the Johnny G does quite a good job of integrating technology into the daily experience of the bike. First, we’ll look at the sort of metrics and statistics that it can track. There are 23 different characters with 6 different data metrics that you can see with a simple glance or flicking through the monitor. These include simple measurements like distance, average speed and the time travelled. You also get the option of more complex stats like heart rate average, percentage of time in your “peak zone” and other such abilities.
There are 4 different preset cycling programs that come with the Johnny G indoor cycle. There’s the heart rate zone, power zone, lap program and Functional Threshold Power (FTP) test. Not a vast selection, but should offer something different if you desire it. The monitor of the Johnny G exercise bike is compatible with other fitness apps (like Garmin) through both Bluetooth and ANT+ connections.
Johnny G Flywheel and Resistance
The Johnny G spinning bike has a pretty hefty flywheel, adding a great deal to the max weight. It sits nicely at 46 lbs (21 kg). The drivetrain that powers this flywheel is made of Hutchinson® FleXonic® Poly V® belts and Conti Synchroforce® HT. Now that’s a lot of names, so the normal person should just know it’s a Poly V belt (not chair or toothed/Timing belt).
The resistance itself is an electronically controlled magnetic one. Any sort of changes you want to make can be done through the two sets of controls on the handlebars. There are 20 different levels of resistance that come with the Johnny G home bike. We’re actually quite happy with these, as it offers a wide variety of choices for the user for whatever type of workout they are feeling like that day.
Handlebars, Seat and Pedals
The handlebars of the Johnny G indoor cycling bike should do a good job for the vast majority of users. They are adjustable both vertically and horizontally, allowing for more people to situate themselves more comfortably. When a large number of bikes only allow for horizontal adjustments, we’re glad to praise this.
Johnny G’s seat is also adjustable both vertically and horizontally. This is a lot more normal than the handlebars having this feature. Honestly, there isn’t a lot else here to say. It’s a comfortable enough seat, though it won’t blow any minds.
The pedals of the Johnny G indoor bike come caged by default. They are dual-sided and compatible with SPD cleats. The Q-Factor (or distance between the two pedals) is right at 6.6 inches. This should be quite comfortable for the vast majority of people, as it isn’t too wide or too narrow.
Johnny G Price and Warranty
This is the part where the Johnny G stationary bike runs into a bit of an issue for the majority of people. While it makes sense that a quality machine would come with a high price, the sort of pricing that can be found here might be a bit much for the average indoor bike hunter. The base price of the Sole Fitness Johnny G spin bike sits right at $3,200. The “Web Price” according to their site can drop it about $200, while the Cyber Monday sale that we’re currently looking at can bring it as low as $2,900. This lowest price is probably the most reasonable, as it is the most accurate evaluation of how much the bike is worth.
The Johnny G indoor bike has a decent warranty that comes with it. It has 10 years on the frame, 2 years on the electronics and parts, 2 years on the labour and finally 1 year on the wear items. This is mostly a good deal, though the frame warranty is a little less than we would have liked. This becomes especially evident once you look at some other Sole cycles that have lifetime warranties attached to them, which is certainly better than 10 years. Though, to be fair, 10 years is not exactly a short amount of time. We would just prefer it to be more so that the customer is favoured and backed up by the company for such an expensive bike.
Assembly and Shipping
The assembly process is somewhat harder to judge than other elements of the Johnny G spin bike. On the surface, one would imagine that it would be a more complex machine to put together. Or perhaps you’d think that because it is so sleek and futuristic that it would be a nightmare to try and assemble for those who are not veterans of the craft. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Sole certainly offers more assistance than many other companies do, though it still isn’t the most innovative process that you’ll ever see with one of these machines. It’s hard to estimate just how long it would take the average person, but we can’t imagine that it would be so long that it would cause someone to be frustrated to the point of giving up.
The shipping process is much easier to judge. During a normal section of the year, it shouldn’t take more than 1 (or even 2) weeks to arrive. Of course, these are not particularly normal times. With both COVID and the holiday season approaching (at the time of writing), shipping might be somewhat clogged or slowed down. But there are no reviews that mention their Johnny G arriving too late or in a damaged state, so you shouldn’t have too much to fear.
Sole Johnny G Indoor Bike Pros:
Adjustable Resistance and Handlebars
It might seem a little odd to group these two together, but our reasoning is that these are two of the objects that can benefit the most from having a lot of adjustability. Considering a lot of handlebars cannot be adjusted horizontally, the fact that the ones of the Johnny G spin bike can be is a big plus. Then there are the 20 different levels of resistance that you can pick from, allowing you to get any type of workout in at any time. This combination simply serves to offer more options to the user, which is always a good thing.
A Whole Host of Statistics
The monitor that is on the Johnny G indoor bike might not be the best you’ll ever see, but the one aspect that it isn’t lacking in is the statistics that it has. Even if you are not particularly interested in your peak heart rate or the rotations per minute, you’re sure to still appreciate the basic statistics like the time, watt, speed, and distance that are displayed. Considering that some of these statistics certainly go beyond the ones that you would typically find on one of these machines, we’re glad that they are there to keep the more advanced athletes and statisticians interested.
General Look and Build
One of our favourite aspects that the Johnny G spin bike brings to the table is the fact that it looks so futuristic and sleek. You will most certainly look cool riding this machine. These slick and smooth looks are also backed up by the metal and general stability that you would expect, allowing you to go for some really intense workouts without having to worry about anything breaking. And even if something does break, the acceptable warranties should have you covered for at least a few years.
Sole Johnny G Indoor Bike Cons:
Lack of Programs on the Monitor
It seems that in the haste to include every statistic under the sun, Sole forgot to include some preset workout programs to let users experience those statistics. There are only 4 programs available, so you’ll have to make do with those and get creative with some of those exercise sessions you do have. While the 4 programs are not bad, we just wish that there were some more to add that variation that they’ve already done a good job of including in other elements of the bike.
The Warranties are Decent, but could be Better
Like we said in the sections about the warranties, they are by no means terrible. There is a decent amount of coverage offered by Sole, which is always good. However, if you are going to be dropping around $3,000 on a piece of exercise equipment, you would really be hoping that the warranties would back it up a little bit more. At least a lifetime guarantee on the frame. It might look nice and be sturdy, but there are very few invulnerable bikes out there. It’s just always nice to be sure that the company will back you up if something goes wrong.
It’s a Pricey Bike
This one is fairly straightforward. You’d be dropping a lot of money on the Johnny G, so you had better make sure that you want it. Even at the maximum discount, many people would be reluctant to spend so much on an indoor cycling bike.
Lack of Timing Belt
This spin bike comes with Poly-V belt which is not a necessarily a con for a bike under $2000 but definitely a CON for a bike that costs $3000+. Considering this crazy price-tag, it should have been built with Timing/toothed belt to increase the power efficiency on high resistance workouts.
Our Final Verdict
The Sole Johnny G Indoor Spin Bike is a good piece of equipment. It looks cool (which is always a bonus), performs well and offers a decent amount of customization and adjustability. However, we’d only recommend those who are super serious about cycling to get real interested in this machine. For those who just want a piece of equipment to work out on, a $3,200 (or even $2,900) bike is a lot to invest. But as always, this is our opinion and you should look into other specs and see just how it would match your own home and exercise routines. Now get out there and get cycling!
