MBX2500 Indoor Cycle

Great beginner fitness bike!!

This is a fairly long review but when you’re purchasing a piece of equipment such as this, the more information from a real person, the better.

My husband and I had been thinking about a “spinning” type of bike for quite some time. We live on the coast in the Pacific Northwest where it pours rain constantly from about November thru end of April. My husband is an outdoor cyclist with the stamina and power of a professional—I’m talking a 75 mi bike ride and he doesn’t even break a sweat. I am a 55 year old menopausal woman with 30 extra pounds—my idea of cycling is taking a leisurely spin around the neighborhood. Our dilemma—purchasing a bike that suits the needs of both ends of the exercise spectrum. We looked and researched all types of bikes and were really hyped about bikes such as the Tour de France—how cool to have a bike that will simulate all terrains and to be able to input custom rides! Also we looked at the Pelaton—nice equipment that will stream classes straight to your home. Both sound awesome—but….after reading tons of reviews and really thinking thru the process—Tour de France sounds awesome in theory but in actual use—this is a piece of electronic equipment that depends on electricity and a working internet connection. Plus the connection to iFit also needs to be present. Reading reviews the theory is good but the actual, not so great—particularly in putting custom rides thru the iFit/Google maps program. So many people complained of the bike working great at first and then a few months later difficulty in either electronics or internet connectivity, and service can take weeks—we live in a rural area where basic services are difficult and specialty services almost impossible. Then on to the Peleton—again, electronic with either recorded or live streaming spinning classes—great! Not so great when it costs about $40 a month. The issue is that electronic bikes such as these have a weakness—eventually the electronics and programs become outdated, fail, need a internet connection, and too many computer/electric things that can go wrong. When that happens, that means down time waiting for service/repairs—who need that when you’ve paid over $1000 for a piece of equipment.

After painstaking research, we decided on the xTerra and I am so pleased that we did.
First off—this bike is a beast (and I mean that in a good way). Weighs in at about 130-140 pounds with a 48 pound flywheel. Sturdy, no wobble even standing up on big hill climbs. No electronics. We’re talking a simple knob to increase/decrease resistance—no brainer. Fully adjustable—fore and aft/up and down handle bars and seat.
Assembly=EASY. All the tools you need are in the box (I did end up using a different Allen wrench because the one that comes is a bit short in the neck and awkward to use while mounting the handle bars—definitely doable, but awkward). My husband was out of town and there was no way I was going to wait to have him come home and put it together. I assembled it in about an hour—I’m pretty handy with tools but I wanted to make sure I did it right. The instructions were clear. It is a bit awkward with one person but I attached the front and back stabilizers with the bike on its side—with first the back and then the front propped up on 2 pieces of the Styrofoam packing, and then up righted the bike for the handlebars and computer installation. The computer is a bit simple, not fancy and the directions could be a bit better, but I called customer support and a tech was put on right away and walked me thru the questions I had. The bike also comes with a chest heart rate monitor which is pretty accurate—took my pulse while riding and the heartbeat and monitor were right in sync. Don’t make the same mistake I did…the monitor already has a battery installed and it comes with a spare battery (nice thought). I thought the spare needed to be inserted and it was a PIA to get the back cover off and then get back on again—the screws are teeny. The monitor wire is in a bit of an awkward place and I put a small piece of tape on it to hold to make sure it never slacked with the possibility of getting caught in the flywheel—I really don’t think that is a possibility without the tape but I’m a bit OCD. The pedals come with a toe cage or flip it over for SPDs. My husband is going to change out the pedals to Speedplay Frogs since that what we use on our outdoor bikes.

The ride is SMOOTH. It barely makes any sound, just a faint woosh. The seat is really comfortable and I don’t find the handle bars scratchy like some reviewers. Quick and easy adjustment of seat and handlebars with quick release handles which slides up and down for a custom fit—no holes for measurement so no more what to do if you’re between holes. I’m 5’5, my husband 6’.

I have a TV/ROKU/DVD in front and my first ride was an 11 mile Napa valley loop in the springtime DVD (thank you Bike O Vision-it was pouring rain outside). With all the biking and training DVDs out there plus all the different things you can find on You Tube I am so glad we didn’t pay twice as much for electronics that break, don’t work properly, need updates or need repairs. This bike is beautiful in its simplicity. I know that my husband and I will get years of riding out of it.


CONS—1. If you’re looking for something light that is easy to move, this isn’t it, even though it does have wheels on the front. This bike is heavy, so just keep that in mind.
2. The packaging was TRASHED on delivery—it comes by freight and depending on where you live can be passed thru multiple freight companies. I advise that you get the box in the house, open it up and inspect the bike to make sure there is no damage. The driver who delivered it was really patient and gave me time to inspect it before leaving in case it was damaged and I needed to refuse delivery. It was packed well, with only a couple of minor scratches on the paint—not such a big deal to me.

If I had to go back and buy another bike, I'd make the same decision time after time after time. I simply love the look, performance, and value of this bike. It's a winner from every angle. I'm sure there are other bikes that rival this, but I can guarantee you that there are no bike out there better. Even if you willing to pay more, your not going to exceed this bad boy.