Stamina 876 Air Resistance Bike Review
Some people just want a piece of exercise equipment, no matter how barebones it might be. This lack of features does normally mean that the price is significantly lower, with the Stamina 876 Air Bike being no different. If you want a cheap air bike that you can simply hop on and start pedaling, this might pique your interest. However, with such a low cost comes certain sacrifices made by Stamina. It might be cheap, but is it made well-enough to warrant anyone buying it? That’s what we’re here to find out. We are going to look at the 876 and see how many core elements it has and how many it might be missing. So with all of that out of the way, let’s hop into our review of the Stamina 876 Air Bike!
The standout feature of the Stamina 876 is undoubtedly the price, so it only makes sense that we start with that. You can find the 876 for a measly $170, even at retail price. This is absurdly cheap and we would normally leap at the opportunity to recommend such a deal. However, the bike does have some issues that we will discover as the review goes on. First off is the warranty. You wouldn’t expect a good warranty for such a price and you would be correct. The 876 comes with a 1 year warranty on the frame, 90 days on the belt, 90 days on the parts and that is it. There’ no labour warranty included. Such a warranty is pretty awful, even for such a cheap bike. If it cost anymore, it would be a travesty. The shipping process of the Stamina 876 is determined based on where you buy from and the delivery that you choose. Although you can generally expect it to take a week or two at most. The assembly of the Stamina 876 is fairly simple, as there aren’t a whole lot of advanced elements to put together. Even if you are working alone and not particularly experienced at such a process, it should take less than an hour.
Monitors have become one of those elements that might be as important as the actual resistance of the air bikes these days. Normally you’ll find that the more advanced a monitor is, the higher the price of the bike. If you see where we’re going with that, then you can guess how advanced the monitor is of the Stamina 876 Air Bike. It is about as basic as you can get, with only one statistics being displayed at any given time on the small screen. You can use the scan mode to scroll through statistics like time, distance, speed and calories burned. If you prefer to do it manually, there is a “Mode” button to do so. However, none of these statistics can be displayed in metric form, nor is there any ability for the monitor to connect with a separate chest strap. If you want to monitor that, you’ll need an entirely separate device. The monitor is powered by using two AA batteries. Like we said, it’s about as basic a monitor as you can get.
We mentioned that resistance is important, so it makes sense that we go over that. After all, if you aren’t buying the 876 for its ability to give you a workout, then there isn’t much point buying it at all. The Stamina 876 air bike is somewhat unique compared to the other Stamina air bikes, as it uses a combination of air and friction resistance to deliver that challenge. The air resistance makes the workout dynamic to some extent, as the harder you push on the pedals, the more resistance you meet. However, the other part of the challenge comes from the adjustment strap that is attached to the fan. If you tighten it via the knob that sits right beneath the monitor, that will provide another level of challenge. There aren’t any “levels” with this system, so you generally just have to tighten until it feels “right”. While this system is different to normal, it isn’t quite as smooth as the normal dynamic air resistance that needs no adjustment knob/belt. The resistance system is equipped with a belt drive, which makes for a quieter and more maintenance-free system. The crank of the 876 is 1-piece, which is not ideal. It’s all welded into one piece rather than being three separate pieces that are independently working together. This simply leads to a higher chance of breaking (more on that later). Overall, the resistance systems of the Stamina 876 are not exactly what you want in a piece of exercise equipment.
Those with smaller living spaces might want to know how much space the Stamina 876 Air Bike actually takes up. Fortunately, it is a fairly small bike compared to others with a steel frame. It most certainly is the smallest of the Stamina air bike lineup. It measures out to be 46 inches (116 cm) long, 20 inches (51 cm) wide and 45 inches (114 cm) tall. It is also extraordinarily light, only weighing 40 lbs (18 kg). Despite this, it can carry a maximum weight of 250 lbs (113 kg). While in the grand scheme of things, this might not be that much, but for a 40 lb bike, that’s fairly decent. The front caps can serve as levellers, but aren’t the greatest at it. Meanwhile the rear caps can also be used as transport wheels, but they still aren’t as good as dedicated ones. The size and mobility are probably one of the better parts of the Stamina 876, which is not exactly what you want to hear.
We’re going to finish with the rest of the physical elements that make up the Stamina 876 Air Bikes, starting with the handlebars. The foam padded handlebars are not adjustable, with you only having the option of one place to hold onto. No multi-grip handlebars here. The handlebars move directly with the pedals. Normally (with footrests) this would be a good thing, as it means that you would be able to get a focused upper body workout in. However, there are no footrests to be found and you will have to deal without. The seat of the Stamina 876 is adjustable, however it only goes up and down. This is rather disappointing, as you would normally want to see more customization from such seats. To try and make up for the lack of horizontal adjustment, they have included a fair amount of notches for the vertical level. Users between 4’10” and 6’2” should generally be able to find a comfortable spot. Of course, we use “comfortable” generously here, as the saddle of the 876 is not particularly comfortable regardless of what height it sits at. It’s a tad larger than many air resistance exercise bikes, but you still will feel rather sore on it after a while. If you want to adjust this feeling, there are separate seat covers that you can purchase, but that can only improve it so much. The pedals of the Stamina 876 are not really anything to write home about. They are described as “textured” and that is about all. They are weighted in order to always turn face-up while you are pedalling. Yet, you won’t find any sort of feet straps or toe cages to keep you in place here. Finally, one of the biggest issues that comes along with the Stamina 876 are the near-constant reviews of it breaking quickly. Pedals seizing up, the product arriving broken, elements from the package not arriving and poor general contact from Stamina about such issues all plague the 876.
Stamina 876 Air Bike Pros:
- The Stamina 876 is extremely cheap
- It takes up a small amount of space and is lightweight
- It doesn’t take a lot of time or effort to assemble
- Decently quiet operation for an air bike
- Lots of different heights can fit onboard
Stamina 876 Air Bike Cons:
- No front pegs to rest your feet on
- The belt/air resistance is not as dynamic or smooth as it could be with just air
- The seat is mighty uncomfortable
- Common complaints of damage upon arrival
- Common complaints short lifespan
- Extremely poor warranty that doesn’t mix well with a short lifespan
- No bottle holder for rehydration
- The monitor is extremely basic
- The seat is only adjustable vertically
Conclusion
The Stamina 876 is a bike that tries to fulfill all the elements of a cheap air bike, while missing those elements that you would actually want from one of these air resistance bikes. While on the surface, it seems to be a fine bike, the common complaints with how long it actually lasts in use can be a serious complaint. Toss in the uncomfortable seat and resistance system that isn’t quite as good as it could have been and you’ve not got a great recipe. It’s not all bad, but the bad elements of the Stamina 876 definitely outweigh the good. While other cheap air bikes such as Zephyr might be a bargain, you won’t find that here.
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. If you have any questions or suggestion, you can contact me at sayed@yourexercisebike.com.
