Sunny Health and Fitness SF-B2906 Bike Review
Cheaper pieces of exercise equipment are sometimes risky. Yes, it might save you a couple hundred dollars, but you might only have said machine for a month before something goes wrong. Unfortunately, there are a great many stationary bikes available on the market today that fall under that category. That’s why we’re going through checking out some of these more budgetary pieces of equipment (upright exercise bikes in this case) and seeing just how good of a deal that they provide. Today’s subject is the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B2906 upright bike. We’re going to try and examine everything that the bike is made of and see how it stacks up to the price. We’ll then give our final verdict and recommendation. So let’s hop right into our Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B2906 review!
Let’s start with the price, as that is probably the most appealing aspect of the SF-B2906 cardio bike. You can generally find this bike from around $218 to an upper price of $260. Both of these prices (and anything in between) are extremely cheap in comparison to the rest of the upright bike market. The warranties that come with the SF-B2906 upright bike are the same that come with almost every piece of Sunny Health & Fitness upright bikes and other equipments. You will get 3 years on the frame and 180 days on the various parts. There is no labour warranty. This warranty selection is actually OK for this price. It’s only when the bike gets more expensive and the warranty starts lacking in comparison to others does it start to look bad. The shipping process shouldn’t take more than 1-2 weeks, but this can be affected by a number of factors. Human error, weather and the ongoing pandemic might also play a part. The assembly process should not be overly troublesome, as the majority of the bike is pre assembled. Then all you have to do is follow the straightforward instructions and you will have a complete SF-B2906 upright bike.
The next element that is important for modern indoor exercise bikes is the monitor. These monitors can turn a regular piece of exercise equipment into a great one. However, you are not likely to find one of those great monitors on a bike as cheap as this one. The SF-B2906 stationary bike’s monitor does the bare basics and that is about it. You can get data about your workout on the small LCD screen that is not backlit. The data that you can track includes your time, distance, speed, calories and pulse. There are limitations to this data. You can only ever see one stat at a time and you can only track these stats in imperial measurements. There are no metric measurements to be found here. You will also find no preset workouts or Bluetooth connections coming from the monitor of the SF-B2906 upright bike. Right above the monitor you will find a small sticker that shows you where your heart rate should be based on your BMI. It certainly isn’t the most technologically advanced piece of technology, but it works well with the pulse sensors. It requires 2 AAA batteries, so there are no wires coming from it. And that’s about it. An extremely basic monitor for a cheap bike.
If the monitor isn’t anything special, then you would hope that another crucial element would make up for it; the resistance of the bike. The SF-B2906 upright bike has a decent resistance system, although it isn’t nearly as good as some of the more expensive upright bikes available on the market. The good news is that the magnetic resistance system combines with the belt drivetrain to create a nearly silent experience onboard the SF-B2906. The unfortunate news is that you can only turn up the resistance through 8 levels. The highest of these levels can still provide a challenge, but the limited amount of levels means that you won’t be able to get as much customization or refinement from your workouts as you would if there were more levels. The crank of the SF-B2906 cardio bike is only 1-piece, which is not ideal. We would preferably have a 3-piece crank, as the 1-piece is basically just a metal bar holding both pedals together. The 3-piece is more independent and has multiple sections to increase the durability. There are a couple of elements that we don’t know about when it comes to the SF-B2906 upright bike: the Q-Factor and weight of the flywheel. For those who are unaware, the Q-Factor of the bikes is the distance between the pedals. If it is too wide, you get uncomfortable during the workout. If it is too narrow, you will have a similar experience, only with the chance of injury. As for the weight of the flywheel, it isn’t officially listed. However, considering the entire weight of the bike, it seems extremely unlikely that it is more than 10 lbs (4.5 kg).
Speaking of that bike weight, it is another factor that we’re going to look at. The weight, weight capacity and general footprint of the SF-B2906 upright bike should all be considered. After all, nobody wants a bike that is too big for their home. Fortunately, you won’t have the problem with this bike. It only weighs a measly 44 lbs (20 kg), but it can hold a maximum weight of 240 lbs (108.6 kg). As for how much space the SF-B2906 upright bike takes up, it measures out to be 35 in (89 cm) long, 20.5 in (52 cm) wide and 51.5 in (130.8 cm) tall. It has transport wheels on the front of the bike in order to boost maneuverability around the home. These do a fine enough job and combine nicely with the lightweight nature of the stationary bike. The stabilizers on the SF-B2906 are… not really that stable. They are basically round metal bars, which will keep you somewhat in place. But there will still likely be some bouncing around on the more intense workouts.
We’ll finish out the examination with the rest of the physical elements that you would be interacting with on the SF-B2906 upright bike. The handlebars have 3 different positions to put your hands, are not adjustable and are covered by some extremely dense foam. The biggest bonus that you will find here are the pulse sensors that are located on the bars. They will give you a sense of where your heart rate is at. But that’s about it in terms of the handlebar features. Then there is the saddle. It can only be adjusted vertically, between 25.5 in (65 cm) and 35 in (89 cm). This allows for users 5’1” (155 cm) and 6’3” (190 cm) to fit more comfortably onboard the SF-B2906 upright. The saddle itself is not actually that comfortable, unfortunately. That’s perhaps one of the most common complaints about the SF-B2906. The post of the saddle is fairly thin, which means that the likelihood of more shaking during intense workouts is there once again. So the saddle is a little bit of a bust. Then there are the pedals. We’ve already mentioned the crank, but the pedals themselves aren’t much better. They are standard non-slip plastic with an adjustable strap to keep your feet in place. And that is it. Nothing else about them to mention. As for any bonus features that the SF-B2906 upright bike comes with, you really shouldn’t get your hopes up. There is a media tray on the monitor and that is all. If you want to put a tablet or phone on the sticker that shows where your heart rate should be, that is where it goes. But otherwise there aren’t any speakers or water bottle holders.
Sunny Health and Fitness SF-B2906 Bike Pros:
- Magnetic resistance and drivetrain make for quiet workouts
- Extremely cheap price
- Good frame warranty and decent parts warranty for the price
- Nifty heart rate zone sticker
- Handlebars have pulse sensors
- Media tray for entertainment
- Monitor will track your workout data
- Resistance levels will provide a good challenge
- Fairly good maximum weight limit
- Lightweight and transport wheels make for easy transport
Sunny Health and Fitness SF-B2906 Bike Cons:
- Saddle is only vertically adjustable
- Saddle is not particularly comfortable
- Handlebars not adjustable
- No water bottle holder
- Monitor is not backlit
- Monitor has no preset workouts or Bluetooth connection
- No labour warranty
- 1-piece crank for the pedals
- Stabilizers are not the most secure you will see
My Final Verdict
While the SF-B2906 upright bike might be one of the cheaper options that you can find, I believe it doesn’t actually have that great a selection of features. Yes, it has a fair warranty for the price and will provide a solid workout challenge, but that’s almost everything that it actually has. The monitor is extremely basic, and the level of comfort is simply not what you really want to see from a bike that you would be using often. Heck, even if you weren’t using the bike often, you would at least want to be comfortable on it. There is just too much that the SF-B2906 doesn’t provide to give a solid recommendation.
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.
