Sole Fitness happens to produce some of my favorite machines. Overall, they’re solid, affordable fitness units for light commercial settings and home gyms. Their light commercial and residential exercise bikes fit different categories, whether traditional upright bikes, recumbent bikes for general use and physical rehabilitation, as well as indoor cycle trainers for competitive cycling practice and other intense workouts. As someone who cross-trains a lot, I really like that.
Sale prices on the Sole Fitness website range from just $1,100 to $1,800. These bikes often go on discount with regular specials offered. One thing I have to say about Sole is they’re very competitive when it comes to pricing. They’re rarely at the either end of the extreme and a lot of their products fit into what I call the ”Goldilocks” box – not too high, not too low.
That said, the overall quality of Sole exercise bikes is high, hence their terrific warranties. These bikes all have steel frames and provide smooth ergonomic cycling for trainees of most sizes. All of this year’s Sole bikes have built-in workout programs and can connect to mobile fitness apps via Bluetooth. What I like about that is you can use apps if you want, or simply ride using the built-in programs. The Sole+ fitness app is terrific but it does cost about $15 per month depending on the level. With that comes thousands of on-demand routes and programs, but if you try the free trial and decide to skip that payment, you’ll still be able to ride for free. This isn’t the case with all bike brands obviously.
Meanwhile, their flywheel weights range from 20 to 36 pounds. As a rule, the heavier the flywheel, the smoother the ride. I like a solid 20-36-pound flywheel myself as anything lighter than that just feels flimsy. Meanwhile, there are bikes with massive flywheels and that’s typically reflected in the cost. In my experience, the Sole bikes hit that sweet spot for the average rider.
Why You Should Trust Our Review Of Sole Exercise Bikes
At ExerciseBike.net, we bring you comprehensive reviews of exercise bikes so you can decide which one is right for you. Our staff thoroughly test all the exercise bikes we review. We install them, ride them, and try out all of the features. We get to know each and every exercise bike we review extremely well. Our reviewers log miles riding. We listen and record the sound of the motor, try out all aspects of the console and try the bike’s features.
Every exercise bike we review undergoes the same rigorous process. That way we can compare and contrast them and give you an honest review of what we think.
Our reviewers are exercise bike and fitness experts. Brian, the author of this review, is a competitive bodybuilder, and is a 7-time national qualifier in both men’s bodybuilding and classic physique within the NPC competitions. He has coached and been coached on cardiovascular training, HIIT, and nutrition, particularly as it pertains to weight loss for competitions. He is an expert at exercise bikes, has been on this bike, and you can trust his opinion on all of the bikes he reviews.
Here are some pros and cons about choosing a Sole Fitness exercise bike.
The Great:
- Sturdy Steel Frames: Sole exercise bike frames have lifetime warranties and can hold up to 350 pounds. Each frame has a steel core and is shrouded with aluminum. This smart design provides stability while allowing a manageable machine weight. When I get on a Sole bike, I feel secure.
- Heavy Flywheels: Sole Fitness provides a wide range of challenge and smooth resistance with up to 36-pound flywheels on its indoor cycle trainers. Flywheels on Sole recumbent bikes and traditional upright bikes range from 20 to 31 pounds. When I ride on these bikes, I like the smooth ride, which is significantly better than units with lighter flywheels.
- Built-In Programs: This year all Sole exercise bikes give access to 10 workout programs including two that are user-designed and two that are controlled by heart rate. What I like about this is you’re not tied to a monthly app fee. I can’t outgrow the programs built into these bikes and I doubt the average ride can either.
- Bluetooth: Upright and recumbent bikes from Sole have Bluetooth for connecting with the Sole Fitness mobile app. The app supports program setup, data storage and data sharing with other apps such as MyFitnessPal and FitBit. I have yet to experience a problem with these bikes’ Bluetooth.
- Comfortable Pedals: Oversized and cushioned, the pedals on Sole bikes are designed for comfort. Narrow spacing between pedals and two-degree inward angling also contribute to pain-free pedaling. My feet are size 11 US, pretty average, and the pedals give me plenty of room.
- Heart Rate Monitors: All Sole exercise bikes can help trainees track heart rate. Each bike has contact grips and can also be used with a wireless chest strap. I’m a fan of heart rate monitors for all things fitness and appreciate this feature greatly.
- Transport Wheels: Sole bikes have pop-out caster wheels for easy transport. I really love being able to move the bikes into my living room and watching television while I ride.
- Adjustable Saddles: Riders generally find Sole bike seats to be comfortable. They can be moved vertically and horizontally, and the recumbent bikes have adjustable back rests. Some Sole bike seats are interchangeable with standard bicycle saddles. I’m 5’10” and have no problem seeing taller and shorter people using these bikes.
- Adjustable Handlebars: Handlebars on all Sole exercise bikes can be moved up and down, forward and backward to fit different riders.
- Extras: Sole bikes have sound systems, tablet holders and accessory racks for storage, water bottle holders and workout fans.
- Self-Generating Power: Sole’s light commercial exercise bikes generate their own power from users’ expended energy.
- Quiet Operation: These bikes help keep the peace. Sole exercise bikes use frictionless magnetic resistance systems and Eddy current brakes for virtually silent operation. I really like the smooth feel of magnetic resistance, and the fact that the bike is silent.
- Small Footprints: Sole exercise bikes take up relatively little space compared with other cardio trainers. The light commercial Sole LCB Bike, for example, has a 44” x 23” footprint. Sole recumbent bikes have up to 57” x 30” footprints.
- Warranty: Sole warranties are generous for the industry. All of their exercise bike frames have lifetime guarantees. The top warranties provide five years of parts and electronics coverage plus two years of labor.
The Not-So-Great:
Sole is a strong brand. In our individual Sole bike reviews we’ve noted minor customer complaints such as weak console fans. However, there are no deal breakers in terms of quality.
Who Should Buy a Sole Exercise Bike?
Sole exercise bikes are ideal for light commercial fitness centers and they’re affordable for individual use. Each has a high weight capacity and can adjust to fit different stride lengths and ability levels. Sole recumbent bikes are recommended for rehab and general training; Sole upright bikes are recommended for general training; and the indoor cycles are suggested for competitive training, preparing for outdoor rides, and advanced strength training.
Personally, I’d recommend the Sole brand for those riders who aren’t dependent on a specific app but instead are satisfied to use built-in programs or their own device. Sole bikes typically come with tablet holders so you can always bring your own screen and watch Netflix, or just park the bike in front of a television. Other brands really go out of their way to build the machine to work with a specific program and this typically comes with a monthly fee. The warranty on Sole bikes tells me where their money goes, and that’s into the machine itself, as opposed to fancy workout programs.
The Bottom Line
Sole Fitness makes an indoor exercise bike for just about everyone. Their product quality is above average to excellent, and the bikes are designed for everything from gentle rehab to prepping for intense bike trips. Generous standard warranties and helpful customer service agents help keep Sole a leader in the international fitness industry.
As someone who likes to ride exercise bikes for both fat loss and muscle-building, I’d give the Sole units a hearty thumbs up.
