Diamondback Fitness 500Ub Upright Exercise Bike

Diamondback Fitness 500Ub Upright Exercise Bike

Proving that an upright bike doesn't have to be an uptight bike, the 500Ub upright exercise bike from Diamondback Fitness is a beautiful blend of form and function.

The 500Ub–which takes up far less space than most competing bikes–is equipped with an efficient eddy current brake system that provides up to 16 levels of resistance. As a result, it's easy to find the perfect resistance level for your needs, whether you want to warm up before hitting the weights or challenge yourself with a serious cardio burn. The precisely padded seat, meanwhile, is ergonomically configured to disperse your weight evenly, with flexible panels to reduce pressure and eliminate numbness. Add in a set of self-leveling pedals with adjustable straps and you have a terrific workout accessory for people who want to burn calories without compromising their knees and ankles.

The 500Ub's integrated console helps track your workout progress. The bike includes an adjustable, ergonomic seat that disperses weight evenly.

The 500Ub offers plenty of workout flexibility, with an easy-to-read console that supports several different program types, including manual, random, fat-burning intervals, glute max hill climb, target heart rate, and custom trainer. It's also a breeze to track your workout progress thanks to the blue backlit LCD, which displays your time, pulse, calories, intensity level, RPM, speed, distance, and watts. And no workout is complete without a little motivational music, with is why the 500Ub comes with a set of built-in speakers and a plug-in jack for your MP3 player. Once you're plugged in, you can listen to your favorite playlists and tune out the rest of the world as you cycle through the imaginary hillsides.Other features include contact pulse sensors in the handgrips for reading your heart rate, an accessory holder on the console for magazines or books, a built-in Smart Fan, and a weight capacity of 275 pounds. The 500Ub measures 39 by 60 by 20 inches (W x H x D), weighs 85 pounds, and carries the following warranties: limited lifetime on the frame and brake, three years on parts and electronics, and one year on labor.

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star Great While It Lasted
I purchased this bike from Amazon in May and was so impressed with its initial performance that I immediately tapped off a five star review. In early July, the bike developed a loud grinding and knocking sound. Email to Diamondback in an attempt to get information on how to fix this went unanswered. I have since removed my original review, and have noticed some interesting information on the Diamondback website in the interim. Any potential buyer should go to the Diamondback web page and read their "Website Policy" before purchasing their equipment over the net, or anywhere else for that matter. The key elements are (and pay particular attention to that second paragraph):

"In the event a Diamondback Fitness product needs service, only authorized dealers and/or authorized service providers may perform this function. Diamondback's Warranty infrastructure is set up to support our authorized dealer network. We provide our dealers technical and parts support.

Therefore, our policy does not allow sales of Diamondback Fitness products through the Internet. We recognize the value of the Internet to help educate the consumer and to act as a marketing tool for Diamondback Fitness dealers. However, Internet sales of Diamondback Fitness products are unauthorized – even through an authorized Diamondback dealer.

We are also aware of unauthorized entities on the Internet that claim to be Diamondback Fitness dealers in good standing, but in fact are not. Since we cannot verify the origin or the condition of machines not sold through our approved authorized dealer network, nor can we assure the consumer in any way, buyer beware! We will not Warranty those products purchased through unauthorized dealers or over the Internet."

So, essentially, if you buy one of these bikes through Amazon, or anywhere else on the Net, and you have problems with it later on, you're screwed. Amazon should be made aware of this, and a warning should be placed on this page in big red letters. Even better, if Diamondback is implying that they can't guarantee the authenticity or integrity of their products that end up sold through Amazon, then perhaps Amazon should stop selling those products. In the meantime, my 500UB upright bike is headed for the trash. Needless to say, its replacement will not be a Diamondback.

5 Stars Excellent value
Very sturdy, well made, not too difficult to assemble. Just what I've been looking for!

2 Stars Awful assemble instructions, poor support from Diamondback
Based on the positive reviews and ratings, I purchased the 500ub upright exercist bicycle. I had quite a bit of difficulty with the assembly, as the instructions are often gibberish and the person assembling has to frequently rely on vague drawings and photos of the unit. Upon completion, I seemed to be missing 2 of 3 bolts required for the mast assembly (on a standard bike, this would be the equivent to the handlebar post) and a mast cover. The handlebar mast rocks forward and backward when using the unit – not a good feeling. I had immediately registered the unit with Diamondback online after purchase and, when I realized the problem with the mast unit, sent an email via their support contact online. After a couple of weeks with no response, I sent a second email requesting parts and/or assistance. After several weeks and still no response of any kind, I have sent a third email request for help.

I have to say I am very disappointed in this product, simply from the assembly and support perspective. I suspect that with adequate assembly instruction and part support, it would be a good experience. However, these issues have resulted in a very poor experience overall. This is definitely a buyer beware product!!

5 Stars Outstanding bike
My wife and I have had this bike for a week now. It is a wonderful bike. It is solid and heavy so it won't tip over. The control panel looks real nice and is functional. We use different exercise programs with the built-in trainer. The speaker system is nice. We use our Zune with it. This is the first bike I've owned so I can't compare it to anything.

It took a couple hours to put together. Overall, highly recommended and I would buy another one.

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