Marcy Fan Bike with Air Resistance

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[Editors rating (8.0)] = (Garage Gym Ideas - Ultimate Home Gym Design) score (8.0)/10


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Editor rating: 8.0 / 10
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Editor’s Conclusion
Are you looking for a great cardio machine that quickly burns calories without draining your bank account? The Marcy Fan Bike for those that want something that is comfortable, easy to use, and made to shed pounds quickly and efficiently. Unlike stationary bikes, this design utilizes both pedals and rotating handlebars to work your entire body in one small and compact machine. The central fan mechanism runs fairly quietly and provides a small level of natural resistance that intensifies the quicker you pedal.

Plus, it also provides a resistance knob at the base of the unit to increase the resistance on the line even higher and based upon previous reviews this resistance gets pretty intense. It also boasts a central LCD screen that tracks your progress that’s easy to use as well as read at a glance. It doesn’t have a lot of extra bells and whistles found on the more expensive and higher-end brands, but the low price point and quality frame make it a simple yet effective machine.

Below, I wanted to dive into all of the features of the Marcy Fan Bike that make it a simple yet effective machine that's perfect for your humble home gym.
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros

Quick and easy adjustments to seat and pedals
Runs quietly
Additional knob resistance
Comfortable seat
Affordable price point
Provides a full-body workout that burns calories quickly

Cons

Time-consuming assembly
Slightly wobbly
Very creaky

Key Features

PERFORMANCE

Air bikes earn a reputation of being a little on the noisy side, but the Marcy Fan Bike is a little different. While it has a central fan that pushes air to increase resistance, it also has a central resistance system built into the machine that can be adjusted manually. The fan helps not only to make your workout more challenging but also moves air in your home workout space to keep things cool and breezy. Making adjustments are quick and easy, and based upon previous users the resistance can get pretty tough.

This bike is designed to shred the maximum amount of calories in a short amount of time. The high resistance combined with the moving handlebars works out your entire body as you ride, burns more calories than many other stationary bikes out there on the market, and offers challenging difficulty levels. Plus, if you are just looking to work your upper body, this design boasts a pair of stationary foot pedals to give your lower body a break. Overall, I would recommend this bike to those that want to fit in an intense cardio workout in a short amount of time.

LCD SCREEN

There aren’t a whole lot of extra bells and whistles when it comes to the LCD monitor mounted on the front of this device. It requires just 2 AA batteries to get started (not included with purchase) and it has an auto shut-off that triggers once you start using the pedals to save on battery life. This screen is able to time in use, speed, calories burned, and distance. You can elect to have the screen stay locked on a certain detail, such as time or calories burned, or you can have it scan through the details of your workout.

It’s important to note that this screen is pretty basic. It has three central buttons that include set, mode, and reset, While it’s a little limited in its overall functionality, it’s incredibly easy to use. Even if you aren’t the most tech-savvy user out there, you will be able to use this very simple and user-friendly monitor screen.

ADJUSTABILITY

The adjustments are slightly limited when it comes to this machine. Users have the option of moving the seat up and down to accommodate a wide variety of users, and these adjustments are super easy to make. Simply pull out the knob at the base of the seat, and glide it along the track to your desired height. The seat is only able to move up and down, and cannot be adjusted backward or forwards. Overall, users found these adjustments were slight but effective.

This design also comes with a set of pedal straps the work to anchor your feet to the pedals to prevent slipping when gaining speed. These straps are made from very durable rubber that contours to the shape of your shoes for a secure fit. You can adjust the width of the straps by moving the loops up and down on the hook and then fastening it in place.

PORTABILITY

If you are working with limited space in your home gym, the Marcy Fan Bike is small and compact, especially when compared to other similar designs out there on the market. The frame measures to be just 49.5 inches tall, and 27.5 inches wide. It boasts a set of wheels along the base of the unit that allows users to move it around with ease to clear up a little floor space as needed. The overall weight of this unit is around 58 pounds, and when paired with the wheels on the base it makes it incredibly easy to move as needed.

RESISTANCE

A good cardio bike is only as good as the resistance that is offered. From what I discovered when researching this bike is that the central fan doesn’t offer up a whole lot in terms of resistance. It moves at a faster speed the quicker that you pedal (which really cools down your hot and steamy gym!), but the resistance from the fan is minimal.

However, it also comes with a tension knob adjustment found at the base of the seat that allows you to manually adjust the tension on the line. While the fan resistance is minimal, the knob adjustment really shines. There were some users that found the max resistance offered from the knob adjuster with just a little too tough. If you are up for a challenge, this is a great option!

ASSEMBLY

Be prepared to set aside a moderate chunk of time to assemble your bike. While the unit ships compactly, it requires users to assemble most of the components together. The main fan chamber ships pre-assembled, and you will only need to assemble the pedals, set, base, and arms. It comes with clear instructions that make it easy to assemble, but you will need to bust out your toolbox to make sure that all of the knobs and bolts are very tightly secured. Overall, most users found that this bike took them around 1-2 hours to go from the box to ready-to-use.

As with any machine for your home gym, it’s super important that it is assembled correctly to prevent it from breaking on you in the middle of a ride. If you are not very confident in your handyman abilities, there is certainly no shame in hiring the pros to assemble your machine for you!

PRICE

One of the best features of the Marcy Fan Bike is its very affordable price point. While other full-body workout bikes clock in at a pretty steep price point, this design is one of the most affordable (and sturdy) designs out there on the market. It doesn’t host many of the higher-end bells and whistles, but the overall construction, performance, and durability of this machine make it an excellent value!

Comparisons to Other Marcy Bikes

Marcy provides a wide variety of bikes that range from their Club Revolution Bike to the simple and compact Upright Bike. When you compare the performance, features, durability, and price tag of the Marcy Air Bike to the others in the Marcy lineup of bikes, this is by far the better value.

Unlike some of the other bikes from Marcy, the high resistance and moving handlebars offer a full-body workout that triggers muscles in your upper and lower body and keeps the price tag much lower than some of their other stationery designs.

Verdict

This air fan bike from Marcy doesn’t set out to redesign the wheel. It is fairly basic in its design and doesn't get bogged down in extra features that you may not need or even want (that often jack up the price tag). What I love most about this simple air fan bike is that it offers up a comfortable ride that is built for HIIT or speedy sets. Just 10 minutes on this bike, when placed at a high resistance setting, works to shred the most amount of calories in a relatively short amount of time.

One of the best features of this bike is that it runs super quietly! You can fit in a killer early morning workout without worrying about waking up anyone that is sleeping in your home. If you don’t have the time or desire to set aside 60 minutes on cardio days, the Marcy Air Fan Bike is a great choice that won’t take up that much room in your home workout space, or drain your bank account.