Mobi Fitness already makes a number of home exercise machines, including rowers and ellipticals. Now you can add a spinning wheel to the mix. Here is a link to the PR from the start this week.
Potential Peloton competitor – officially called the Mobi Fitness Turbo Exercise Bike (MBH3208) – was announced this week and is now shipping on Amazon for $ 899 (currently there is a $ 90 coupon that makes this a compelling option power).
At first glance, the bike looks like pretty much any other bike on the market. But spend some time putting it together and taking a few courses, and some differences, especially when compared to the entry-level plan (say under $ 499), will become apparent.
Build quality for one. The Mobi fitness bike feels very well made. As a peloton owner, I made side-by-side comparisons and found the materials and overall robustness to be first class. This is one bike that you can get out of the saddle on and really step up its performance without worrying about the thing tipping over or falling apart.
A really nice feature here is the auto-resistance.
This means that the bike automatically adjusts the flywheel tension, which makes pedaling easier or more difficult depending on the interval or exercise.
In comparison, on the basic peloton bike, the rider has to manually turn the resistance knob to adjust the tension based on the instructor’s instructions. You can purchase an auto-resisting peloton, but you’ll have to shell out a whopping $ 24.95 (plus a monthly subscription fee) for the privilege.
In any case, I will shortly publish a detailed review of the Mobi Fitness Turbo exercise bike. Stay up to date with Stark Insider.
In the meantime, you can check out the unboxing process below. No doubt you will be wondering how difficult it is to assemble a bike (Peloton buyers can get their pre-assembled on their doorstep). You can probably put all worries aside. It took me less than an hour to assemble in my garage – and that included time to take the photos you see below. Moving the bike is easy thanks to a pair of front wheels. Tilt it up and roll it around with ease. However, if you want or have to carry this thing up a flight of stairs, you absolutely need a helping hand. This is a heavy bike (in a good way!).
Mobi Fitness Turbo exercise bike: first impressions
Here are my first impressions. The early response is based on unpacking, assembling and completing a few courses in the Mobi Fitness and Companion App.
- Great design, the bike is aesthetically pleasing. I like the monochromatic gray / white color scheme.
- The iPad / iPhone holder has a fine wood veneer, which is a nice touch.
- An outer shell keeps the inner workings of the gears / belt hidden, which makes for a clean design and keeps things safe in case a child or pet is around.
- I find the handlebar grip perfectly designed and on par with the Peloton.
- It is very quiet in terms of noise. You could easily ride a bike and worry about waking up the family.
- Bluetooth syncing with my phone is quick and reliable.
- The Mobi Fitness app (free) works fine, although the content seems limited (for now). More on this in the detailed test report.
- Pedals come with a standard flat / cage mount. They can be easily replaced as they are industry standard. I replaced them with an additional pair of Look Delta Peloton pedals which work great.
- Seat and handlebar adjustment work like the Peloton Bike with three adjustable buttons and levers. Fit was not an issue for me. Excellent comfort.
- Full review comes to Stark Insider shortly.
Mobi Fitness Turbo exercise bike:
Assembly process
Here are the required unboxing photos. Again, it took about an hour with breaks to take the occasional photo.
I think two people could easily assemble the bike in about 30 minutes. Instructions are clear. Best of all: All the tools you need are included in the scope of delivery and are well labeled.
Note the specifications of the shipping box:
- Dimensions: 41 ″ L x 9 ″ W x 33 ″ H (1085mm x 230mm x 870mm)
- Weight: 112 pounds (51 kg)
You will definitely need a pickup truck or small truck / SUV to transport the unit to your home from a local post office box. This will likely be the hardest part of the entire set up process and can sometimes require two people. However, the assembly itself is surprisingly easy as the core of the bike comes pre-assembled. As you can see in the photos below, all you need to do is attach handles, the base, and various other bits to complete the process.
Finally, a summary of the scope of delivery:
- spinning wheel
- power adapter
- Toolbox
- Manual
Mobi Fitness Turbo exercise bike:
Unpack photos
In the last photo above, you can see that the bike is paired with my iPhone, which is running the Mobi Fitness app (no subscription required). Core metrics are shown in the (rather nifty) dial. Turning it changes the resistance. However, the app does this for you automatically, so you can focus on the work at hand.
So far, so good. I will have the full review shortly on Stark Insider.
