Exerpeutic 400XL Folding Recumbent Bike Review

 

Exerpeutic 400xl Features:

Flywheel

Tucked away in the body of this bike is  a well balanced fly wheel, this is tured by the pedals via a quiet belt drive.  Exerpeutic have gone for a simple, but effective V-Belt Double Drive system.  This requires no maintenance and will give years of trouble free use.

Comfort

As you can see from the image, the rider sits back comfortably on a wide well padded seat.  We find this a great way to relax while exercising.  With the integrated back rest it’s possible to sit comfortably here for an hour or so while you work out.  There are a couple of hand grips, but I often find myself reading a book!

Because you are sat low to the ground the bike is exceptionally stable, the low center of gravity means that the bike won’t move from side to side as you ride.

Resistance

Controlled via a knob at the front of the bike, the 400XL offers 8 levels of resistance.  This is delivered via a magnetic system that keeps the pedal motion smooth even as they become harder to turn.

400xl Console

Exerpeutic have even managed to pack a simple console in with this bike.  This will keep you on target as you get stronger.  The console displays stats such as work out time, pulse, calories and distance travelled.  So you can set yourself goals and improve every time you get on the bike.

The pulse is measured via the handgrips, comfortably located each side of the saddle.  By keeping your pulse in the training zone you can improve the effectiveness of the workout.

Home Assembly

I sometimes find these the hardest part of the bike, building it at home.  Fortunately the 400xl is really simple to put together.  All the tools needed are included.

From start to finish takes 45 minutes, following the detailed instructions.  As this is not a big machine it can easily be assembled by a single person.  One issue we did find, is that while the bike is easy enough to put together the manual was overly complicated!  When you see the bike you will see that it is incredibly simple.

If you want to see more recumbent exercise bikes check out our full list here of Recumbent Exercise bike reviews.

What are other reviews saying about the Exerpeutic 400XL?

This is an extremely popular and well liked bike.  At the time of writing this bike has received over 500 customer reviews more than half of which are for a top 5 star rating.

Customers like the ease of assembly, the comfortable riding position and that its so quiet they can watch television while working out.

“I feel like I’m getting a great workout, no matter what the weather is doing!”

“Folds into smallest footprint I’ve seen on a bike.”

“Your back stays comfortable, there’s no stress on your joints, but your muscles get as much of a workout as they need”

Any issues with this bike?

With this number of units shipped its surprising that there are not more complaints.  There were only a couple someone had an issue with some cracked plastic on the housing, which happened after a year of use.  Another was a problem with the console which Exerpeutic replaced under warranty.

Apart from the two above this bike seems, for the price, well made and comfortable.

• Warranty: The 400XL comes with a 1 year limited warranty
• User Size: height 5’2″ to 6’2″/ Max weight 300lbs
• Dimensions: Measures 19 x 46 x 33 inches

These are the details to the identical 1100 version: