Review on ATIVAFIT Exercise Bike: Foldable Fitness Indoor Cycling With Resistance Bands - Home Workout! by Mitchell Norman

Since I appreciate detailed reviews when I'm looking at products, I made sure to take notes on this one to help others looking for a decent exercise bike.First impression on opening the box: Styrofoam. I hate styrofoam. It gets everywhere. I know an exercise bike is probably too heavy for bubble wrap, but maybe packing peanuts? Or at least shrink-wrap the styrofoam blocks so they don't shed tiny pellets? But moving on. The flywheel casing was cracked (see pictures). Really, people? Styrofoam, and still a cracked casing? But it's plastic; I was able to use my pocketknife to pry the edges back around to where they should be. Still cracked, but at least no sharp edges poking out anymore.Instructions: I read through them before starting. They weren't very informative. The pieces have numbers in the instructions, but the actual pieces aren't numbered, so saying "separate main frame (1) from front support tube (2)" is a bit confusing. [FYI - it means unfold the main part of the bike; you're not really separating anything.] Luckily, most of the pieces are easy to figure out by looking at the pictures. Except the front and rear bottom tubes - the only difference between them is that the front has inset wheels. (And even then there's nothing to tell which way is frontwards. I ended up putting on the front bottom tube backwards and had to take it back off and turn it around after I'd finished assembling the bike and realized the wheels weren't touching the floor when I tipped it.) The package includes an open-end wrench and an allen wrench, which is helpful, but nothing in the instructions says which one to use or which end to use. I had to figure it out by looking at the bolts. Some of the instructions are in a poor order for ease of assembly; halfway through assembling the back I decided it would have been easier to put it all together before attaching it to the frame. (And I definitely attached the monitor before connecting the wires, not the other way round like the instructions said.)Fit: I'm 5'8" and have long legs. With the seat at its highest setting, the pedals were comfortable for me (slight knee bend at lowest position, knees don't hit the handlebars at highest). I'm not sure if someone who is 6'2" would be super comfortable, but maybe up to 5'10" or so with average length legs. Changing the bike from recumbent to upright to folded was impossible from a standing position - I had to kneel down so I could see where the holes were to line them up. (I ended up marking the different positions on the adjustment tube with a Sharpie; now I can tell where the holes should be and I only have to bend over to align them.)Performance: I did a quick spin through the resistance levels to see what I thought. My opinion - levels 1 and 2 are basically free-wheeling (really easy pedal); levels 3-5 are a bit more solid (took a little more effort); levels 6-8 are definitely solid (took a lot of effort). Works for me since I'm just starting out; someone who is an avid cycler might want something with higher resistance levels. I have an area rug under the bike when I use it, and the noise level when I'm pedaling is almost unnoticeable. You'd have to be standing right next to the bike to hear anything. The monitor is good, but it has a couple of quirks. For one, I cannot get the total distance to zero out. I wanted to remove the miles I put in testing the resistance levels so I could keep track of how many I'd pedaled which actually exercising.nope. So I keep track of daily mileage on paper. And for two, the pulse monitor is doesn't read correctly. I compared what the monitor said to what my pulse was at my wrist.not even close. (I compared to my pulse at my neck as well.same thing.) But that's not a big deal for me; I usually judge my exertion level by how I'm breathing, and I can always check my pulse manually if I need to.So final verdict. I'm pleased with my purchase. Assembly was a pain in the neck, but the performance of the exercise bike is all I'm wanting. Four stars.