**REVIEW** Harvil Foldable Magnetic Exercise Bike

This is the Harvil Foldable Magnetic Exercise Bike that I am reviewing

currently priced at $148.99

The full name of this bike is Harvil Foldable Magnetic Exercise Bike with 10-Level Adjustable Magnetic Resistance and Pulse Rate Sensors. Yeah.

I think this is an excellent bike for anyone wanting to get off the couch and get moving. Without, you know, actually going outside. Outside is cold right now, and windy. Outside does not have TV or a bathroom nearby. 

There are 3 reasons I liked this particular bike when I was trying to make a decision:

1. A backrest
2. A wide seat. and
3. 2 positions - recumbent an upright.

Upright position

Recumbent position

That last reason might be enough for some people. For me, I had a hard time deciding which type of bike I would want. I thought that a recumbent bike would be more comfortable for longer use but that an upright would give a better all-over workout. This Harvil model solved the dilemma.

Another huge Plus is that this bike folds up and can be rolled into a corner. It doesn't roll as easily as I think it should, but it doesn't tear up the carpet, so, oh well. My place is almost too tiny for the small dining table I have, let alone a piece of exercise equipment taking up space.

Before I get into more detail about using the bike, let me give you some more info:

• The bike (like all Harvil products) is "designed and engineered by creative people right here in the USA". It's a family business (I love that part).
• Max user weight is listed as 330 pounds (about 150 kilos). Min user height 3 foot 10 inches (about 117cm). The bike itself is listed as being 44 pounds (about 20kg).
• The Dazadi guarantee is awesome and reads as "Items ship to your door without defect or shipping damages or we will replace it. We repair and replace defective parts. If you still aren’t satisfied, you will get a full refund." You couldn't beat that with a Cuisinart.
• By the way, reading through almost every review shows that, when there were problems mentioned (broken part, missing part, etc), the Dazadi responded offering an immediate remedy. When I personally wrote them to ask about the seat, they responded within hours. Like I said, awesome. 

stores away nicely

Now, let's get down to business. I am going to bullet point my experience from receiving the bike to using it the first few times.

• The bike arrived package really, really well. It's heavy (shipping weight is listed as 46.8lbs). I happen to have an amazingly nice UPS man who delivered with a smile in sub-zero temps and carried the box all the way into my living room so I didn't have to. 
• The body of the bike is pre-assembled, thank Jesus. For what my neighbor (yes, I recruited help) did have to assemble, there was no trying to identify the different nuts and bolts; those were all lightly attached to the appropriate part for us to match up to the bike and tighten.
• I'm not going to make it sound like the assembly was a breeze. It didn't start out all roses. For one thing, the assembly manual was absolutely the WORST. We ended up using the YouTube video linked on the product page. The video instructions were perfect - once we figured out the way it was edited. If you use the video, you will first see a written and diagrammed instruction step. then you will see people performing that step. Basically, you will be hitting the Pause button a lot. Or you can set the video speed to Slow.
• Once the bike was assembled, I couldn't wait to get on. Best thing is that the bike is super quiet. There is zero noise from pedaling and because the frame is sturdy, there was no rocking motions. For someone that lives on an upper floor, this would be important to keep peace with the neighbors.
• Riding in the standing position is what I prefer, but the recumbent position seems like it would be more comfortable with someone who is taller. I have long legs, but I am only just over 5"5' and I felt as if I were stretching a bit to reach the pedals. (The seat is adjustable, but I was too lazy to mess with it and my neighbor had gone home by then.)
• The backrest is nice to have but I found that it doesn't stay in the position that I want it to. I actually like the upper part to tilt in towards my spine so I rigged it by inserting a piece of cardboard. I have something ordered that I might be able to use as a pillow to give me better back support.
• Now, let's talk about that seat. It's nice and wide - that's a Plus - but after sitting on it for more than 5 minutes, it's like a concrete saddle. Like I said, I have ordered a cushion and in the meantime, I am padding the seat with a small comforter. When I really want to get in some time riding, I will fold a hand towel into the inside of my pants to sit on. Don't judge me!
• Being able to fold the bike and roll it out of the way - Plus Plus.
• I don't count on the monitor readouts for the Calories Burned or Pulse because there is no way to input my weight. I do use the Time and Distance reads though. Trust me, I am never so thrilled as when I hit that 5-mile point.
• The side handles are excellent for when I am not using the handlebars. I find that I prefer riding sitting up rather than leaning forward anyway. When I ride sitting up, I can include some upper body motion by either swaying my shoulders, swinging my arms, or even doing a little bit of chair dancing.

All in all, I have to say this is a really good piece of equipment. Another not as important feature is the color. I chose the peach shade and it really looks good with the rest of my decor. The 2 other shades are Teal and Black.

Peace
--Free