Why You Should Trust Our Review Of The ProForm 325 CSX Bike
At ExerciseBike.net, we bring you comprehensive reviews of exercise bikes so you can decide which one is right for you. Our staff thoroughly test all the exercise bikes we review. We install them, ride them, and try out all of the features. We get to know each and every exercise bike we review extremely well. Our reviewers log miles riding. We listen and record the sound of the motor, try out all aspects of the console and try the bike’s features, such as iFIT.
Every exercise bike we review undergoes the same rigorous process. That way we can compare and contrast them and give you an honest review of what we think.
Our reviewers are exercise bike and fitness experts. Brian, the author of this review, is a competitive bodybuilder, and is a 7-time national qualifier in both men’s bodybuilding and classic physique within the NPC competitions. He has coached and been coached on cardiovascular training, HIIT, and nutrition, particularly as it pertains to weight loss for competitions. He is an expert at exercise bikes, has been on this bike, and you can trust his opinion on all of the bikes he reviews.
In Brief
The ProForm 325 CSX Bike is the answer to budget-minded people’s prayers. A low-cost recumbent bike with a smaller frame may be all you really want. As with all ProForm products, it’s iFIT-enabled and ready for automatic trainer control workouts, or a “manual” mode if you opt out of the $39 per month app fee. Most people, me included, love the new iFIT program because it now includes Spotify, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. Meanwhile, all the great features associated with it are better than ever this year. That includes automatic trainer control, more than 10,000 on-demand workouts, and connectivity with Strava, Garmin Connect, Google Fit, and Apple Health.
With a 5-inch touchscreen, there’s very few frills, bells or whistles here. It’s well built, durable, and from my sessions, a very smooth and stable ride. I also tested the 22 levels of Silent Magnetic Resistance (SMR) and they’re sufficient for most users. The bike itself measures 35.1″ x 21.2″ x 57.7″ and weighs 79 pounds, with a maximum user weight of 300 pounds. The flywheel is 16 pounds. It also sports a USB-C charging port, Bluetooth headphone connectivity, and two 2″ premium speakers. So yes, it’s a small bike, and one that’s very easy to move about the home. If you’re a larger framed user, this might be an issue for you though.
Priced at $799 with regular discounts and free shipping, the ProForm 325 CSX Bike brings good value for the money. The bike measures a small 35.1″ x 21.2″ x 57.7″ and weighs just 79 pounds. Just as a reference, the NordicTrack 10 Recumbent bike has a footprint of 67.2″ x 23.3″ and weighs 186 pounds. So, it’s a smaller, less expensive bike with a smaller screen. Another comparison would be the the Sole LCR Light Commercial Recumbent. Built with a 10″ screen, that unit comes with 10 built-in programs and 40 levels of resistance. Priced at $1,799, you can see the difference in the dollars.
Another key difference is the type of instruction available with your $39 monthly membership. With ProForm, your iFIT videos aren’t offered live like some of the Peloton classes, and the selection of spin classes is smaller. Peloton has a pretty impressive daily live schedule of spin classes for you to choose from. The tradeoff is that iFIT includes many other benefits such as global workouts in beautiful locations, Google Maps rides where you virtually bike outside, a larger variety of personal trainers, and lots of other personal training related tips and tricks. It’s also more interactive because iFIT instructors can control your resistance and incline during workouts where Peloton workouts require you to adjust your resistance manually. During iFIT workouts, your trainer automatically adjusts your machine to match their instructions, fully immersing you in the class. Both bike memberships provide exercise guidance in areas outside the cycling arena from resistance training and kickboxing to meditation and more.
Standard warranty coverage for the ProForm 325 CSX Bike includes 5 years of coverage for the frame, 1 year for parts, and 1 year for labor. Dig deeper into the pros and cons of the ProForm 325 CSX Bike below.
Who Should Use The ProForm 325 CSX Bike?
The ProForm 325 CSX Bike is built for efficiency. It’s a low-cost recumbent bike with great support for your spine and yet is affords you 22 levels of magnetic resistance sure to work you out.
Thanks to those 22 resistance settings, this bike can offer a just-right challenge to just about anyone. Given the size, I’d say it’s better for smaller users. Yes, the machine can support up to 300 pounds, but larger users might wobble about a bit given the 16-pound flywheel. Pricier recumbent bikes have upwards of 32-pound flywheels. More expensive bikes also come with bigger screens and built-in programs. This is a great low-cost bike for those who want simple, yet durable.
Like any ProForm machine, the 325 CSX Bike delivers the best value to people who enjoy trying new workouts on a regular basis. If you like cool streaming workouts, and an unlimited number of Google Maps routes, and other customized workout programs will help you to stay motivated, then ProForm is a great brand for you in general.
Bottom Line
I have to think that ProForm came up with the 325 CSX Bike as an answer to customer questions involving price and size. The good news is you can get a great workout for under $1,000 here, even if you opt out of iFIT and just use the manual track. This is certainly not the bike for those seeking “bigger and better,” but rather those who want high-quality and low cost.
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