As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The Life Fitness C3 is a premium-grade upright stationary cycle. It is engineered with some fabulous features that motivate you to do more work out. Firstly, Life fitness C3 is an ergonomically designed bike and it has an excellent weight capacity of 400 lbs. Plus, it comes with 20 magnetic resistance levels, 22 lbs. heavy flywheel, a smart console, and a belt drive mechanism. Not only that, this C3 upright bike is self-powered that requires no cords or outlets. Hence you can easily move this bike to any room in your house. Besides, it provides a club-quality facility that assists you in weight loss training and saves your money and time from the gym. Again, it has wireless heart rate monitoring system to measure your heart rate. So, with these amazing features, this upright stationary bike is definitely a bit expensive. But I think it’s worth the price because of the excellent endowments. Also, you can enjoy the real outdoor bike ride feel with this Life Fitness C3 bike. Anyways, you might be wondering I am talking way too much here. Okay, that’s all for now. We will directly go to the Life Fitness C3 Upright Bike Review to learn about this bike in detail. Besides, I will try to give a real outlook on this bike. Alright, let’s get started.
Check the latest price on Amazon
Life Fitness C3 Upright Bike’s Description:
Life Fitness is a well-known and reputed brand in the Health and Fitness Industry. It aims to provide exclusive gym equipment for both commercial and home use. Life Fitness design many appliances, such as cardio and stamina boosting machine that aids in weight loss and for a more intense workout. Besides, their equipment is often appreciated by the users due to its durability and notable features.
Frame Design:
C3 Life Fitness upright bike is designed with a steel frame and it has crossbars. Crossbars assist you to stay steady while doing any type of intense workout. The upright bike weighs 118 lbs. which is pretty heavy and its weights play an important role in providing a consistent workout. Plus, it adds durability to the bike. Again, the dimension of the bike is 45” L X 27” W X 56” H and it can hold maximum user weight up to 400 lbs. or 182 Kg.
Bases of the bike have stabilizers to level up your bike to any kind of floor. Hence if you feel your bike is moving then adjust your rear base stabilizer to balance the bike.
This upright bike is self-powered so it needs no cords or outlets connection and you can easily store it any room.
Resistance and Drive System:
Resistance of the Life Fitness C3 is electro-magnetic and it has 20 levels that are regulated by the console. You can regulate it via console either automatically or manually while following any of the pre-set programs.
From the starting resistance levels, it seems very easy then gradually it increases the brake intensity until it gets tough to pedal.
Again, the lower levels of resistance are ideal for beginners who want to do easy and light workout training.
While the mid-levels of resistance can offer a good cardiovascular workout where it can get the heart rate high, makes you sweat and breathless.
Lastly, the higher-levels of resistance are fairly tough but it is not adequate for athletes who are looking for the most serious and challenging workouts.
By the way, the transition of resistance levels is very subtle or smooth. That’s why you don’t have to worry about the sudden increase or decrease in the resistance.
Drive system of the Life Fitness C3 consists of a Poly V belt that helps to turn the 22 lbs. flywheel. Belt drive system makes very little sound and provides a very smooth pedaling stroke. Because the heavy flywheel helps the pedal to rotate 360 degrees by pulling the pedals as we increase the resistance levels. As a result, the motion of pedaling becomes smooth even if there is a little vibration at the top of the resistance.
The drive system is enclosed by the plastic cover inside so that it stays safe from the pets and children. Also, it protects the system from dust and dirt.
Seat and Handlebars:
A contoured and large padded seat is designed in the Life Fitness C3 upright bike. It is pretty comfortable and large enough that any users can workout be sitting on it for a long time.
Basically, most of the users find the bike’s seat very smooth and comfortable. However, if you feel any kind of pain or prick in your butt then you can try using gel seat cover or padded bike shorts.
Still, if you want to replace the bike’s seat then it is possible to do but there is a slight issue. Here the issue is the bike’s seat is not standard bike seat but it is attached to the pole with 3 screws. So, to replace the bike’s seat you can get a universal bike seat adapter. Because it lets you fit any kind of standard fitting bikes seat to the pole.
Handlebars of the bike are covered with rubberized foam that is comfortable and gives a non-slip grip even if your hands are sweaty.
Also, the handlebars are designed in such a way that allows you to lean on them if you want with angled end upper half part for gripping when you keep your upper arms on the bar.
Contact heart rate hand sensors are integrated into the handlebars to measure your heart rate.
Handlebars of the bike are non-adjustable and you can’t change its angle but they already have nice angling. Thus, the fixed angling position provides you various grip postures that can go with different types of heights.
Console:
Console of C3 has a large LCD screen of 6.4” and it has a blue backlight. All the workout data are white displayed on the screen and the workout stats are easily readable. LCD screen of the console is divided into 2 panels. Top half panel features 3 different segments that shows your resistance, speed (mph and kph) and elapsed time.
While the bottom panel tracks the current preset workout program you are doing. In this panel, you can see your heart rate, distance, percent of targeted heart rate and burned calories. But the heart rate measurement is only displayed when you are wearing the chest straps or gripping the hand sensors on the handlebars.
In the bottom section below at the left, there is a column that graphically indicates your resistance level. Later on, it indicates the run profile in a series of 24 columns across the rest screen. It is usually shown with the height that indicates the amount of resistance when you are doing a preset workout program.
Below the LCD screen, there is a control panel that has some important buttons to operate the console. Such as the navigation buttons, Enter/Start, User profile, Pause/Resume, Reset, Race, Goal workout button and Energy saver.
When you are doing a heart rate workout, it shows the level of your max heart rate and there is an arrow over the column that tells your recent level.
Along with that, the console has 13 preset workout programs that ensure to give variance and excitement in your workout. Following the list of the preset workout programs are given:
Quick Start:
In this program, you need to adjust the resistance levels manually using the navigation up/down buttons.
Manual:
Pretty much similar to the QuickStart program and it starts in level 1.
Hills Workout:
Hills workout is an interval training workout that varies between hills and recover time segments.
Random:
This program provides you plenty of variety with more than 1 million patterns of valleys and hills in the resistance profile created by the unit.
Along with that, there are some workouts that are similar to the concepts of varying resistance. Such as sports training, EZ incline and fat loss workout.
Next comes heart rate monitoring workouts. It is a form of cardio workout which has a goal of getting your heart rate up to 80% of the maximum heart rate by varying the resistance level. Again, there is a heart rate hill workout where your maximum heart rate is used for hill training. Besides, there is also an interval heart rate program meant for determining the intensity and current resistance level using your heart rate. Lastly, there is an extreme heart rate program that just works like an interval heart rate program. But the additions are that they shift quickly between intense and recovery training similarly like a sprint program.
There are also 3 goal workouts set up in the console. These workouts are quite similar to the manual workouts where you can set goals for calories, distance and heart rate goals.
Moreover, there are 2 custom workouts for each user. Here you can customize a profile workout or heart rate workout that is the same as the profile workout. But except the intervals are set at the targeted heart rate.
In a race mode workout, you need to select the speed. And in the user profile, you have to enter your age, weight and preferred resistance level, distance goal, time goal, a setting of your custom goal, warm-up time, cool down time, etc.
Although these workout programs provide a lot of challenges to you still there is a lacking. And the lacking is that they don’t keep records of your workout results.
By the way, the Life Fitness C3 is a self-generating bike. You don’t need any cords or outlets to charge up the machine. Hence, it can be stored easily in any room.
Still, if you want then you can plug up the bike especially when you are not pedaling and you are setting up your profiles or making any changes.
However, the console doesn’t sync online connectivity or any Fitness App.
Pedal:
Pedals of the C3 upright bike are non-slip and they come with adjustable feet straps. So that it gives firm support to your feet while pedaling. The pedals are also self-balanced and you can always find the right side up when you get on the bike.
You can easily adjust the straps by pulling the clips to tighten or to loosen it just pull the straps.
By the way, you can’t stand on the pedal of Life Fitness C3 upright bike. Because they are only designed for seating and pedaling.
Assembly and Maintenance:
Life Fitness C3 comes partially assembled and you need to supply your own tools for assembly. Assembly of the entire bike is not that hard you just have to fix the back stabilizer, seat post, seat, front post, console, handlebars and tablet holder. One person can assemble the entire bike however you can take the help of another person if you need it. And the bike assembly might take 1-2 hours to complete.
Since the bike consists of a belt drive system so it requires no lubrication. But dust your bike regularly and wipe it off with a damp cloth to keep it clean.
Check the latest price on Amazon
Features:
- Self-powered upright exercise bike and doesn’t require to plug into any electrical source.
- 20 levels of electro-magnetic resistance system enable you to have custom-fit tension.
- Belt drive system provides a smooth and quiet performance.
- Standard Upright Bike Seat with luxurious cushioning and stuffing.
- Racing Style handlebars with ergonomic design include ritzy forearm support.
- A smart console unit that tracks various important workout data and comes with 13 preset programs.
- Console includes the wireless heart rate monitoring system namely contact heart rate hand sensors.
- Non-slip, self-balanced pedals have improved padding and come with adjustable feet straps.
- Extras of the bikes features dual accessory tray and built-in tablet holder.
Specification:
- Product’s weight: 118 lbs.
- Supported weight: 400 lbs.
- Dimension: 45” L x 27” W x 56” H
- Type: Upright
- Resistance: Electro-magnetic, 20 levels
- Drive: Poly V belt
- Seat: Elegant padding and upholstery
- Handlebars: Racing style, deluxe forearm support
- Console: 13 preset workouts, Wireless heart rate monitoring system.
- Pedal: Self-balanced, non-slip, adjustable straps
- Power: Self-generating
- Extras: Dual accessory tray and tablet holder
- Warranty: Labor- 1 year, Parts, Console- 3 years, Frame: Lifetime
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
- What is the weight capacity of the bike?
- Ans: 400 lbs.
- Can I stand up in the pedal while riding?
- Ans: No, it is not recommended.
- Can I plug in the bike?
- Ans: Yes, you can if you need.
Buyer’s Guide:
Always buy from a trusted online site in case of online purchase and do consult with your doctor if you have any back pain or injury.
The Last Words:
Life Fitness C3 is a special bike for those who are taking their fitness goals seriously. Plus, it is also beginners friendly. This upright bike provides you numerous workout programs that keep you engaged and motivated. Here, you can set the resistance as per the intensity you want. Smooth and quiet performance is always offered by this bike. Besides, it is a self-generating bike so there is no need for plugs and stuff. Talking about comfort, then it has a deluxe cushioned seat and racing style handlebars that both are comfortable. Though the bike is pretty expensive it has an excellent warranty deal and I think all the amazing features worth the price. So, now the decision is your whether you want to buy it or not. But thanks a lot for reading our Life Fitness C3 Upright Bike Review.
If you are interested in more of this type of upright exercise bike then why don’t you visit these links:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
