Mobifitness already makes a range of at-home exercise gear, including a range of quality rowers and ellipticals. Now you can add a spin bike to the mix. Here’s a link to the PR from this week’s launch.
The would-be Peloton competitor — officially called the Mobi Turbo Exercise Bike (MBH3208) — was announced this week and is now shipping via Amazon for $899 USD (there’s currently a $90 coupon that makes this a compelling option).
At first blush the bike looks like pretty much every other one on the market. But spend some time assembling it and taking a few classes and some differences, especially compared to the entry level fare (say, under $499), become obvious.
Build quality for one. The Mobifitness bike feels extremely well made. As a Peloton owner, I did side by side comparisons and found the materials and overall sturdiness to be top notch. This is a bike you can get out of the saddle on and really ratchet up the output without worrying about the thing topping over, or falling apart.
One really nice feature here is auto-resistance.
That means the bike will automatically adjust the flywheel tension, making it easier or harder to peddle depending on the interval or exercise at hand.
On the base Peloton bike, by comparison, the rider needs to manually turn the resistance knob to adjust tension based on the instructor’s call outs. You can buy a Peloton with auto-resistance, but you’ll need to fork out a hefty $2,495 USD for the privilege (plus pay a monthly subscription fee).
In any case, I’ll have a full review shortly covering the Mobifitness Turbo Exercise Bike in more detail. Stay tuned to Stark Insider.
Meantime, jump ahead for a look below at the unboxing process. No doubt you may wonder how difficult it is to assemble a bike (Peloton buyers receiver theirs fully assembled at the doorstep). You can likely place any worries aside. It took me less than an hour to assemble in my garage — and that included time to take the photos you see below. Moving the bike is easy thanks to a pair of front wheels. Tip it up and wheel it around with ease. However, should you want or need to carry the thing up some stairs you’ll absolutely need a helping hand. This is a heavy bike (in a good way!).
Mobifitness Turbo Exercise Bike: First Impressions
Here’s my first impressions. Early reaction is based on unboxing, assembling and spending a few classes on the Mobifitness along with its companion app (available for iOS and Android).
- Great design, the bike is aesthetically pleasing. I like the monochromatic grey/white color scheme.
- iPad/iPhone holder is finished in a classy wood veneer which is a nice touch.
- An outer shell keeps the inner workings of the gears/belt hidden away, making for a clean design, and keeping things safe should a child or pet be nearby.
- I find the handle grip to be perfectly designed and on par with Peloton.
- Noise-wise, it’s very quiet. You could cycle no problem worrying about waking up the family.
- Bluetooth syncing with my phone is fast and reliable.
- The Mobifitness app (free) works well, though content appears limited (for now). More on that in the full review.
- Pedals come with standard flat/cage attachment. They can easily be swapped as they’re industry standard. I replaced them with an extra pair of Look Delta Peloton pedals that work great.
- Seat and handlebar adjustments work just as they do on the Peloton Bike with three adjustable knobs and levers. Fit was not an issue for me. Comfort excellent.
- Full review coming shortly to Stark Insider.
Mobifitness Turbo Exercise Bike:
Assembly Process
Here are the requisite unboxing photos. Again this took me about an hour with pauses to occasionally snap a photo.
I think two people could easily assemble the bike in about 30 minutes. Instructions are clear. Best of all: all the tools needed are included and well labelled.
Note the shipping box specs:
- Dimensions: 41″ L x 9″ W x 33″ H (1085mm x 230mm x 870mm)
- Weight: 112 pounds (51 kg)
You’ll definitely need a pickup or small truck/SUV to transport the unit from a local postal box to your home. This will likely be the hardest part of the entire setup process and may require two people at times. Assembly itself though is surprisingly easy as the core of the bike comes pre-assembled. As you an see in the photos below you’re just going to need to attach handles, the base, and various other bits to complete the process.
Finally, here’s a summary of what’s included in the box:
- Spinning Bike
- Power Adapter
- Toolkit
- Manual
Mobifitness Turbo Exercise Bike:
Unboxing Photos
On the last photo above you can see the bike is paired with my iPhone running the Mobifitness app (no subscription required). Core metrics are shown in the (rather nifty) control dial. Twisting it changes resistance. However, the app will do that for you automatically, allowing you to focus on the work at hand.
The Mobifitness Turbo Exercise Bike. So far so good.
Look for the full review shortly on Stark Insider.