Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Nautilus U618 Upright Bike

Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2020

Very pleased so far. The package arrived on time and in good condition. It was packed in a very orderly fashion, easy to identify small loose parts. Ships with custom tools for assembly - the instructions correctly recommend only to provide a utility knife and scissors for unpacking.

The assembled unit is extremely quiet. The loudest sound comes from the surprisingly effective rider cooling fan mounted in the display console. This can be aimed up or down separately from the adjustable console tilt.

Ergonomics are very good. I am 6' 4" tall and had no trouble adjusting for comfortable leg extension. The seat is fairly comfy, but it is replaceable with any standard bicycle seat to suit the rider. Also, it adjusts not only up/down but also fore/aft, and feels quite secure under my 265 lbs.

The display console mast wiggles just a bit in its base socket, but this does not appear to be a significant mechanical weakness.

The pedals and their included straps are large enough for my Size 16 shoes and feel quite secure. These may also be replaceable with standard bike pedals for those riders needing something specific (shoe locks, etc).

The included wireless heart rate sensor is an ECG Chest Strap type. It suffers from the problems which all such units (as well as handlebar contacts) have relating to electrical contact with the skin, signal noise from "muscle artifacts", electrical interference, etc. I find that after I've worked up a good continuous sweat, the HR readings become steady and reliable. Also, one could use medical-grade ECG probe contact conductivity grease with the chest strap to improve the signal reliability.

The instructions indicate that the display console can receive wireless HR signals from some Polar sensors. I have 2 Polar sensors (one ECG chest strap, on optical arm band), but the display console does not recognize either of them. In general, I find that my Polar optical arm band sensor is by far the best - it is stable and reliable, and does not depend on sweat or moisture to maintain proper connectivity. It would be nice if this exercycle could recognize it.

The display console does a pretty good job of setting up resistance and HR ranges based on user input of height, weight, age, and gender. This feature tracks my Polar fitness app figures fairly closely. The console allows for separate profile setups for up to 4 different users.

The pedal resistance is very smooth. The unit only has a small flywheel, so "accelerating" (increasing pedal RPM) doesn't feel quite like a real bicycle, but I quickly stopped noticing the difference.

As on all exercycles, the display values for "Speed" and "Distance" are arbitrary. Compared to my real bicycle, these numbers come up higher than out on the road. It would be nice if the display console setup allowed for configurable scaling of these display parameters.

The available pedal resistance range seems reasonable. I've started off with a resistance setting of 9 (out of 25), which gives me a nice easy "cruise ride" with HR around 120. The "Intensity" bargraph on the upper display comes up at about 40%, and the HR bargraph on the right at about 70%. My actual maximum HR is somewhat higher than the recommended "220 Minus Age" value - I wish this parameter could be customized to my actual value. The "Intensity" bargraph does recognize pedal RPM increase as well as resistance increase.

The arrangement of the display console is nice - the "split display" feature allows me to use my smartphone with the Polar fitness app for HR, calories, etc, in place of the "upper" display, but still see the times, RPM, etc on the lower display. I have not tried the on-board data logging feature (dump to USB drive), because I like to keep all my fitness data in a single general-purpose app on my smartphone. I also have not tried the recommended Nautilus fitness app for my smartphone.

All in all, I can highly recommend this exercycle - it is so convenient having it always set up and available. No more scheduling qym trips, road traffic, weather, or outdoor air pollution to deal with.

21 people found this helpful

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Robert Krzeszkiewicz

Almost Gym Quality For The Home

Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2022

Verified Purchase

I'd always used the commercial grade LifeFitness LifeCycles at the gym for perhaps 30 years. I always liked the programs and smooth resistance. So I wanted the same thing at home but without the commercial price. I've had it about a month now and am enjoying it, not burning to a crisp in the intense Texas sun.

The Nautilus U616 has an easy to use electronic interface and programs just like the LifeCycles you find at the gym and it will store your results once you've created your own user profile. You can output to a USB stick. It tracks all the usual stats like distance, speed, cadence, calories, heart rate and tells you what zone you are performing in like fat burn, aerobic, anaerobic, etc. I couldn't get my Android Phone to connect though to use the 3 free ride videos they offer. Many have said it only works with Apple phones. No big loss as I can put on a you tube video of the thousands of uploaded rides all over the world and ride in the Alps or deserts or anywhere else and just press the + or - button to change resistance for when the video is climbing, descending and riding flat. No need to waste money subscribing to those mothly workout class services.

It's lightweight so homeowners can move it around for space savings. What that boils down to is that it will never be as sturdy and solid feeling as a commercial unit but it is durable enough to handle what a weekend warrior MTB rider can put out. It's pretty stable but you can tell it isn't as rigid as a commercial unit but I can't complain because I know I'm not going to be able to break it. It's sturdy enough IMO. The seat is probably fine for a woman because of the shape but as a man, something narrower was needed so I replaced it. Also the weighted pedals and rubber staps had to go. I put on a set of cheap SPD/platform pedals with toe staps. My wife uses the platform and cinch strap side and I have the SPD shoes so I can spin properly. The bars do not adjust up and down for height. Only the angle of the bars can be changed and they are fine for roadies as they are shaped like aero/endurance bars. For us MTB people, it would be nice to have a wider flat bar style that's a little higher. But no one makes those for these bikes so it's moot. I can fabricate something like this easily. The built in fan is kind of useless. It's mounted too low and can hit your neck at best but mostly only your chest. I bought a USB powered clip-on fan because the U616 has a USB input and I mounted it to the top of the display. Problem solved.

I only paid $430 on sale and I feel that the U616 is every bit as functional as the LifeCycles at the gym. Even if I had a LifeCycle brand, I would still replace the seat and peadals and mount a fan, so the mods I did are a wash. The programs are the same style, maybe the Nautilus has more. I never had any intention of subscribing to those streaming workout services so I'm not bothered that my android phone didn't connect to it. Maybe if I had a better phone it would but I refuse to pay over $200 for a phone. Phones are not important to me. However for those that do love their phones, you can stream music and the Nautilus has built in speakers.

I would buy this again without hesitation.

15 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Best Decision Ever

Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2020

Verified Purchase

I have always wanted an at-home exercise option (I use my gym membership religiously) and just didn't think I had room for anything in my small home. Public gyms getting closed due to COVID-19 caused me to take a second look. After much research I settled on the Nautilus U616. It fits perfectly in the corner of my spare room. Due to the tires on the front end, I can easily roll it to my living room where the TV is, and then roll it back when I'm done working out.

Because I'm used to commercial-grade equipment, I wanted a sturdy machine that had many levels of resistance that I wouldn't be able to max out (I am not a beginner when it comes to working out. I've been doing so for years and may legs are strong). I am beyond pleased with my purchase. The bike is VERY quiet and sturdy. I get an excellent workout and I'll never be able to max out the levels of resistance (not even close) which makes me happy. After I took the bike out for its maiden voyage, I did discover that I didn't have everything tightened down like I thought I had. So I tightened everything up after my first ride and my second ride was just fine.

Putting it together wasn't too bad (I was able to do it by myself) but the instructions were horribly inadequate when it came time to wire and install the console. Thank goodness for the guy who had the same problem I did and made a YouTube video. That saved me. Otherwise putting it together wasn't terrible. It took about 90 minutes or so. Also, a screwdriver/wrench combo tool is included with the parts. It mostly did the job except for when it came time to put on the seat. I went and found my socket wrench for that. If I had to rely on the included tool, I'd still be sitting there trying to tighten down the seat bolts. If you have your own wrench set you will also probably appreciate it for tightening up the pedals.

Other reviewers have talked about the seat. It's not the most comfortable seat I've ever sat on but it's not the worst either. It will do for now. After I've had the bike for a bit I'll see if I want to swap out the seat or not.

When I initially ordered the bike on 3/24/20, I was given a delivery date of 4/24/20 (I live in Alaska). Thankfully the bike showed up 22 days early. I'm extremely pleased I didn't have to wait a month especially given the circumstances of home isolation/quarantine right now.

You get what you pay for. I knew I would not be pleased with a $100 fold-up bike. I needed quality and this is it.

17 people found this helpful

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Guardrail

Great product, great support

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2023

Verified Purchase

I chose Nautilus because Nautilus is serious equipment. To me they are the best. This bike has cosmetic appeal. It was not hard to put together, everything was very well thought out. I really love the console, everything on the console is set up perfectly. It is easy to read and use. It has a very nice built in fan to help keep you cool with 3 speeds. This bike, once put together correctly is super sturdy. The foot pedals really are very comfortable with brilliantly smooth action. The bike makes no sound, or noise at all. The seat is pretty darn comfortable. The handlebars are just right and comfortable. I had to call Nautilus after the bike was delivered. The box it came in was damaged and I had a missing part. Nautilus immediately shipped what I needed. Great support, great product, great price. You can't go wrong with Nautilus.

6 people found this helpful

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Ronald N.

Works as advertised. Easy to assemble.

Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2020

Verified Purchase

Easy to assemble, approximately 80 minutes. Easy to follow instructions and tools are included. Majority of screws (12) are already inserted in place so you won’t have to sort and match. Also easy to move with built in rollers.
Quality of bike is what I expected for the price and reading the reviews. Not like gym quality but close enough and priced right. Quite and smooth, also easy to program and use. In fact, ten minutes after assembling I was using it and 45 minutes later I was sweaty and tired!
Update review after 16 months of use.
The bike has held up better then I expected. I use the bike almost everyday for a average of one hour a day and as long as 3 hours. It’s still as quiet and smooth as the first time I used it, the only maintenance that I perform on it is wiping it off with a paper towel and Windex. I’ve lost a total of 25 pounds since purchasing it and in combination with my Apple Watch, witch I use the bike to close my exercise and move rings and complete monthly challenges.
Highly recommend and 100% would purchase again.

13 people found this helpful

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AudibleFan

How to operate is impossible

Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2020

Verified Purchase

Assembled ok - set up profile fine - now just try to work it - try to pick a program, try to set a range - impossible. So I downloaded the huge pdf manual. Page after page of what to wear while exercising, all the assembly and setup again. And hugely detailed recitation of all the fancy features, but obviously you need to be in some magic mode for these buttons to work, because they do not. So I push buttons for several minutes until I somehow get to the right magic mode where I can actually select the intervals profile I want. I was hoping it would save the last workout I selected and I could simply be able to play it again (which my former bike did) - but no! You have to start from scratch. Painful. Wanted to try bluetooth and it said go to a link online - PAGE ERROR no longer there. Searched online for answers to questions - got another link - nope - no longer there either. Obviously they do not test their labeling. Only have struggled with it for 2 weeks - will report back if I ever master it - GOOD LUCK!!

5 people found this helpful

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Katrina

Gets the job done

Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2020

Verified Purchase

I picked this up recently to add to my home gym setup.

Setting up the bike was pretty simple and straight forward. All the tools to set it up are included in the box, but I did grab my own tools for attaching the seat, pedals, and console. The tool included would have worked, but my tools were more efficient and comfortable to use. Overall, the setup took about 30 minutes. I probably could have used an extra set of hands when it came to attaching cables then attaching parts that contain said cables, but it was certainly doable on my own.

Using the bike is what I expected. There is very little noise from the bike. The fan is a nice feature, though it does smell like new plastic - I hope that goes away fairly quickly. Everything is pretty straight forward. The setup process starts up when your first power the bike and is fairly intuitive (though, there are instructions in case you have questions). While working out the bike works fine. It is fairly sturdy, though, you could knock it over if you really tried, but I have no concerns with tipping or even ricking while using it.

The only thing that kind of let me down was the bluetooth functions:
-First off, you can't connect your phone to the speakers via bluetooth (as far as I can tell). This isn't a huge deal to me since I connect my phone to my TV in my workout space and I suspect the speakers are really that good on the bike.
-When you sync your rides to your phone, the time is not accurate. This wouldn't be a big deal, except I record my workouts from my apple watch. Normally, Apple would recognize the workout and the imported ride as the same event, but since the time imports incorrectly, 2 separate workouts record - that is pretty annoying and defeats the purpose of the apple health integration (also, you can't edit the time for the workout in Nautilus or Apple software - you think the console would be smart enough to record the correct time since the time is setup on the bike).

If I had known that the bluetooth integration would be as frustrating as it is, I would have purchased the cheaper U614.

One person found this helpful

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M

Amazingly quiet and gym quality.

Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024

Verified Purchase

What's more to say? For the price you get a whisper quiet, gym-quality stationary bike.

I'm 5"11 and 180lbs. This bike is solid and quiet when I ride. At high speed/intensity there's barely any lately movement. Plenty of adjustment for height and long legs.

Please don't buy something in the sub $200 range, you will regret it. For a little more you get 10x the quality and reliability. And for heaven's sake, don't throw down $1000 for the next step up... unless you need the online subscriptions, this is the best bike out there for a home gym.

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Eagle Vision

Excellent bike for the price point

Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2021

Verified Purchase

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I got this based upon seeing it at a local store. However when I came to get one, it was sold out. I bought it here from Amazon instead.

The supports, stem for the seat, pedals, computer and stem for the computer are really all you will attach. It took more time unboxing to make sure I had everything. Many parts are attached to where they need to be placed, saving time from matching up what has to go where. The provided blister pack of screws, tools and such were needed for attaching the handlebars, pedals and stem for the handlebars. The evolution took about 40 minutes.

To tighten the seat I recommend a ratchet set. The provided took will take forever.

You’ll need a blade to open the blister pack.

The bike is stable in feel. No wobbling like you get in cheaper bikes. The seat has a gelfoam material and is wide, therefore very comfortable.

The handlebars have a heart rate sensor that feeds to the computer. I’d say it’s very accurate. There are forward grips for allowing me to simulate riding on a triathlon style bike with the elbows on padded supports.

The pedals are conventional fitness style with flat smooth surfaces therefore you can go with socks, bare feet, or shoes. Plus, there is an adjustable rubber strap.

The computer is intuitive to operate. You can have four profiles. The screen is a vivid blue LED. You can adjust resistance which the readout shows in the upper screen.

A toggle display shows the speed, distance, heart rate, calories and time. No cadence unfortunately.

The fan is the worst thing in this, and I will call customer service. It sounds like a 1970s lawnmower. It’s loud and obnoxious and lacks any power for cooling. I’ll let you know what they say.

The pedaling action is smooth at various resistance levels. The seats are adjustable fore and aft, and up and down. They use large knobs to make adjustments.

The height of the stem and handlebars cannot be adjusted but the user can adjust the angle of the bars with a Large T-Knob.

It uses an AC adapter for power and the adapter is about 3-4 feet long.

There is a cup holder for a small or standard sized water bottle.

On the computer there is a lip you can use to place a tablet. It has a stereo input jack for the speakers to work on the console.

The buttons in the console are responsive and for the most part everything is intuitive to operate.

I’m very pleased with my purchase. It is a small footprint with wheels on the front for portability, and knobs on the back support allow for the user to level the bike, if necessary.

The forward arms and handlebars also provide enough space for hangers or clothes. The cupholder works for hanging clothes, too. So this doubles as a nice clothing rack if need be.

Definitely worth the money.