SportsTech ESX500 Review: Exercise Bike

– * – 1 Star lost – 11/09/2020 – After several emails sent we’ve heard nothing at all back from the company – no customer service!!!- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -25/06/2020 – two and a half years on – sticking with three stars, though we’ve had good use of this exercise bike, and during the current madness we’re all under the thumb of – Cofid-19! The reason for keeping two stars down – the computer that comes with this. It has always been temperamental, problematic, but now, as of the last few months, it does crazy things where heart monitoring is concerned, making that feature useless, and has also been faulty in recording distances. The heart monitoring sometimes sticks on ‘P’, sometimes on a number, like ’72’, and sometimes it skyrockets into the hundreds, whether with the handlebar connections &/or a chest strap. We still find it a useful item but will again be contacting the makers and sellers about this latest weirdness… Let’s hope they have a solution. We’re both in our 60s with heart issues…There has been one other issues, sometimes a loud knocking noise while peddaling the bike, though at present that has thankfully been missing this last month…- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -2018-2019 – History: first submitted as a one star review. That history and a reassessment and the rise in star counts of appreciation follow — – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – -2018, December – Ordered in time for Christmas the seller InnovaMaxx UK (SportsTech Germany) took their time and it arrived in January. It’s substantial, heavy, and though it arrived with damage to the packaging, inside & out, the enclosed parts for the bike were well packed and were fine, everything was there. SportsTech’s online video for assembly is great (all other videos are in German). In that video they have the main body of the bike supported during assembly, otherwise it’s best to have someone to help in putting this together. Three simple tools are provided, all you’ll need. On first assembly things seemed quite squiff, off center, meaning the handlebar and computer and the main post they are supported on. Loosening the main four bolts at the base of the post and with a little jiggling that was soon sorted. (Be careful not to pinch the wiring behind the handlebar) I lightly greased every thread and once assembled it looks the part, a decent design – tight, robust, steady, and appearing to be fit for purpose. Initially impressed and pleased but followed by a sinking feeling when opening the small box with the transformer in it – a Euro 2-pronged plug! – useless for our UK sockets. However, a few weeks later, confusions, probable misunderstandings on both sides, the wrong item sent, the proposal to repackage and return it – – – but eventually someone else on their side stepped in and their customer care was now considerate, 5-star service & care and the company made this right… They finally provided a proper UK 3-pin transformer (12 volt, 1.5 amp – same as the Euro 2-pin transformer) for this bike – January 26th, 2019.We plugged it in. The display was bright and clear, if not the instructions. One odd thing though, there’s no on/off switch of any kind!? We’ve later discovered that if setting it at ‘U0’ it eventually turns itself off. In this price category, having tried several other exercise bikes, this is the best we’ve seen, a good design that for a time lived up to its promises and description – it was whisper quiet!- * – 1 Star lost – While it came a substantial user manual, in five languages, the English fifth is a poor translation, in places unclear and confusing. There is a lot of waste, the same 7 pages of graphics unnecessarily repeated five times. That space could have been better used for a clearer and more useful layout and descriptions, such as how to use the computer, with a bit more time and care given to getting the English translation right and clearer.- * – 1 Star lost – for the hassle and disappointments we initially experienced, messing up what was originally purchased as a Christmas gift for my wife.We’re both, my wife and I, impressed and at present happy with this purchase, niggles admitted…P.S. – & a plus – this also comes with a heart monitor chest strap…- – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –