I debated which of my blogs to post this on…but settled here. Although I love what I do for work, “work/life” balance is important, and part of “life” should be exercising.
Where I live on the high plains east of Denver, I consider it relatively temperate. However, my favorite mode of staying in shape, bicycle rides, isn’t always…err…comfortable. 🙂
So, I always have an indoor exercycle too. Bowflex just released their version last week, although it is an “exercise bike” versus an exercycle. (What is the difference, if any? Are exercycles recumbent?)
I’m a huge fan of Bowflex equipment, so I bought the Bowflex C6 Indoor Exercycle the first day was available and assembled it two days ago. Yesterday I exercised it (pun intended!) and a few applications that work with it. Here is my first use/first impressions review based on that positive experience:
Pros:
- Well-built and sturdy (very little dependency on plastic)
- Beautiful, thoughtful, functional design (e.g. it is rubberized in all the right places)
- Doesn’t tie you to a specific riding application or require one (more below)
- Two water bottle holders (which hold a smart phone well too)
- 100 levels of tension adjustment
- Useful, two-color console (although I’ll almost always use an app instead)
- Nice forearm heartbeat monitor
- Inexpensive compared to the Peleton equivalent
- Relatively easy to assemble
- Awesome customer service
Cons:
- Assembly instructions overly-concise (but, if I could put it together, you can :-))
- Customer service not available on weekends (but, I did find you could chat online)
- The pedals and levelers did not seem the same quality as the rest of the bicycle
- The Bowlfex logo wasn’t installed straight in the device holder (which would drive me up the wall if I wasn’t covering it up with my iPad Pro all the time)
- Compared to the Peleton: you have to provide your own smart device (but, it should be noted that the base price of a Peleton is $2,245 versus $899 for the C6…and it might actually be a plus that you aren’t tied to a proprietary implementation of a tablet)
The video spends a little time talking about the applications I tested with the C6. One of the biggest pluses with the C6 is that you aren’t tied into a specific app (unlike Bowflex’s main competitor). I tried Zwift, FulGaz, and Rouvy. Thumbs up on all three. Zwift is virtual:
FulGaz and Rouvy use real videos to give you a sense of not being stuck in your basement:
The picture doesn’t do FulGaz justice…the video was crisp and clear and I did feel like I was riding along with others.
Based on initial impressions, I would recommend all three services. I have already subscribed to Zwift ($14.99 per month) and will to FulGaz when my trial runs out ($12.99 per month). I know at least FulGaz is cheaper if you pay a year ahead. (Bowflex is due to come out with their Explore the World app later this month, and I am looking forward to see what that offers. If you read this review Bowflex, any chance I can beta test it? :-))
Update: I may subscribe to Rouvy instead of FulGaz, we’ll see. Rouvy and Zwift both have Android apps (although FulGaz’s is due later this month)…and I was thinking of making my Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 my “exercise tablet.) Also, Rouvy is a bit less expensive then FulGaz.
Update: Jerrod asked how to pair the C6/IC4 with the Peloton app. Bowflex Support was kind enough to send me directions, which you can find here.
Final note about the apps. The will be able to measure your speed, wattage, and heart rate, but will not control your tension for you. Oh, and remember, you don’t need an app at all…the included console is enough.
And, speaking of final notes…
As of penning this article, the Schwinn IC4 is the same bike except for two things:
- Some color differences
- Branding
So…
The Schwinn IC4 ($799) is the same bike as the Bowflex C6 ($899). Right now, both come with free shipping.
Remember how I said that Bowflex has awesome customer service? When I heard that the IC4 and C6 were the same bicycle (some seemingly grumpy person on Facebook), I first used the online chat and then called…and in both cases they were 100% honest and told me that there was no difference beyond the colors and branding. The guy on the call spent a lot of time researching to confirm.
And, they also admitted the warranty on the IC4 was better. As of publishing this article…
- IC4: “Frame: 10 years / Mechanical & Electrical: 3 years /Labor 1 year”
- C6: “2 Years Parts, 90 Days Labor”
(Update November 15, 2019: The Bowflex C6 now includes a free $99 mat.)
So, which one should you get? It’s up to you. I always buy the extended warranty on exercise equipment, so that part is moot for me. Would I have paid the $100 more if I knew ahead of time the IC4 was the same? I don’t know for sure, but there is a good chance I would have. God has blessed me with enough money to do so, even if it could be considered a vanity decision.
Should you?
The same company is behind Nautilus, Bowflex, Schwinn, and Modern Movement. I can’t tell you whether you should save the money or not, but I can tell you that if you want a great deal on a tremendous piece of exercise equipment, you should get the Bowflex C6 or the Schwinn IC4.
Punch line? A big thumbs up to the C6…and to Bowflex!
Update: A Zwift image to show what it measures from the C6 for a reader/commenter:
Just in case: as mentioned above, the C6’s resistance is not controllable by apps…even though Zwift appears to believe it is.
Update: Another commenter wanted to see it in the Peloton app (here is how to connect the C6/IC4 to it):
I will admit, I am impressed by how easy it was to connect to the C6 (and heart rate monitor) and how it looks. Also, the trainer tells you what resistance to set, which works better than Zwift, FulGaz, and Rouvy, where you have to guess at values to fake the inclines.
But, I am going to limit myself to subscribing to only two services!!! 🙂
Might switch one to Peloton…hmmm….
Update: Ronika asked for a video on how to turn the Bluetooth heart monitor on and off…
If you go in about 1:10 in, I do it in a more coordinated manner. 🙂
Update: Joe asked how to pair Rouvy with the IC4/C6. It’s “General BLE FTMS trainer” under “Other Trainers” and “Other”:
Update: The IC4/CS6 calibration instructions.
Update: Someone asked for a video of the console:
Thanks for the write up! Can you expand on how the bike integrates with Apple Health? The product website claims it does but I have been unable to find any more info. Thank you!
I checked, and I am not sure…couldn’t see a way with my iPhone. If I have time and remember tomorrow, I’ll check with Bowflex when their support chat is available.
I wonder if they prematurely said it was available, since there is a Bowflex Results app that does feed data to Apple Health, but it doesn’t support the C6 (at least yet).
Hopefully, more to follow…
Thank you for this review. Does the resistance level appear somewhere on the console or tablet when hooked up to an app?
You are welcome, thanks for reading it! The resistance level shows up on the console. In the apps it generally will implicitly show up in the power or wattage number (of which it is a factor).
Not in the Peloton app which is really disappointing. I was disappointed that resistance does not show in the app. Minor annoyance that Output, power and or wattage is missing also. It would be really nice to treack my resistance and see how I am progressing.
That said a HUGE thank you for your amazing incredible review of the Bowflex. I bouhgt mine becasue of your review and other than the peloton app issue love the bike itself. Thanks for all the work you did to share your review with the world!!George Valkenburg
Thanks for the kind words George…and agreed.
Enjoy the ride! 🙂
So, Mike, I checked with Bowflex, and it does not appear that the C6 can sync with Apple Health yet. The person I spoke with didn’t have info about when/how/etc.
Right now, it seems that the Bowflex Trainer app, which does not support the C6, is the way they sync with Apple Health. Perhaps they’ll add C6 support to that in the future, or the Explore the World app they are due to release this month will.
It also could be some third party apps already support both the C6 and Apple Health.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Alan
The bow flex comes with 99 Mat. And Schwinn is 100 cheaper cause you have to buy the mat for 99$. Do you recommend a mat under bike if you have carpet. When do you and do you recommend a mat?
I don’t think you need with a rug, but I generally get one. It looks nicer and will protect the rug.
I got the mat with the Bowflex, but didn’t use it…using a rug in my basement instead. I do use mats with exercise equipment on rugs upstairs though.
Please don’t purchase the Bowflex for the overpriced mat. The following mat is far less expensive, and excellent: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001THTUAO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_bFypEbESV648F
Does the bike track distance based on the resistance/level? I.e. distance moves slower when resistance is lower and distance moves faster when resistance is higher?
How does Zwift get the power/watts number? Is the bike sending that? Or is it calculated (a proxy number)?
Speed is probably proxy, but power and cadence appear real. I’ll add an image at the end of the post…
Interesting. You say that Zwift will not control your tension for you, but the image looks like its identifying the bike as controllable. What’s up with that?
Not sure if the C6 is advertising itself as having this capability to apps or if Zwift is making a mistake.
But, regardless, I can confirm Zwift is not able to adjust the tension.
That’s a deal breaker. I will really love if bowflex supports zwift app tension control. Good review!
Thanks Edwin, and understood…
Yeah it seems to me that power and tension (resistance) control are table stakes for a Zwift setup. Cadence and heart rate can be added on, but those two things need to be part of the bike. If they had those features on a sub $1000 bike they’d be onto something. (Assuming, or course, that the rest of the bike didn’t ruin the experience.)
In the absence of a Smart Trainer, Zwift calculates power in one of two ways: 1. power meter, 2. speed + cadence sensor. The power meter will be most accurate. Unfortunately, in the case of the C6, the data sent is not accurate. If one is willing to add power meter pedals the Zwift experience is seamless.
The following links may be helpful. Note there a number of indoor bike options and with one exception, the Watt Atom Bike (~$2500), none of them support controlled resistance.
https://zwift.com/hardware
https://support.zwift.com/categories/gearing-up-for-your-first-ride-SJXnVwmDQ
Thanks Chris. Which pedals do you recommend?
These are extremely accurate and happen to be the least expensive. They have a one-sided option that is a couple hundred $ less as well.
https://www.clevertraining.com/assioma-pedal-based-cycling-power-meter
Hi Chris,
I am planning to order assioma pedals, could you recommend some compatible shoes for this pedal? I am total newbie so no idea about cleats shoes pedals etc.
Thanks
Hi Jan,
The pedals will come with cleats (“Look” pedal compatible) that you mount on shoes (3 hole). Since you’re just getting into this, ideally, you could take the cleats with you to a store and ask to try on compatible shoes. Shoes can get quite expensive, but expect to spend a minimum of $75-100 for something worthwhile. Given current circumstances, going to a store may not be possible / agreeable. Amazon has loads of options that offer free returns. I’ve not used them, but I suggested the Shimano SH-RP400 to a neighbor ($125) and he really likes them. Good luck.
Hi Chris,
I have finally bought the assioma uno. It was sold out for months. A question: when you use this pedal with boxflex-c6, do you use the washers that comes with it? According to the user manual I should I use washers because the the crank arm has a recessed seat, but without them I can still see some very small gap, so sensor is “almost” touching to the crank.
Jan – Yes, I use one washer on each side. Congrats on the pedals and the resulting REAL data! 🙂
Hi Chris,
Thx pedals are fine but I have a problem. These are uno pedals, so I noticed the wattage I see on computer can change very rapidly and a lot . For example When I try to the keep cadence stable, depends on how I press the pedal wattage plays between 145 and 175, which is very confusing.
I’m a newbie so maybe its because I didn’t develop an equal pressure pedal stroke yet? Or my approach is wrong, usually when I try to keep up with a cadence lets say its 60, I think of stomping my foot to a music beat, so beat falls on to the right pedal. meaning probably I am without knowing accentuating the beats whatever pedal they fall on. Any suggestions? Or maybe I am over analyzing when I ride for 20 mins on average wattage will be averaged on sides.
Hi Jan. I have only used the Duo pedals, not the Uno. I have the pedals on one of my outdoor bikes now, so can’t test, but I believe there was a configuration option when connecting to the Zwift app in terms of how power is measured? Outside of that, be sure that you perform the zero offset as described in chapter 10 of the manual.
Hey guys I started using Kinetic Fit on my iPad to see my metrics. It connects Bluetooth to C6.
Chris,
I am super bummed to hear that the bike’s data output is not accurate. I just got it and have been loving Zwift paired with Strava. However, I suspected the power calculation was off when I compared my power to a known strong cyclist. My power is too high. Is there anyway to correctly calibrate the bike? Unfortunately I cannot find any information on the calibrating the ic4’s resistance or speed. I did not know until reading this post that is was the same as the bow flex c6. I’d rather not spend $600 more if possible.
Thank you,
Matt
Hi Matt,
Yes, it is unfortunate. However, even a standard road bike on a “dumb” trainer, using speed and cadence sensors (same as IC4/C6) is not accurate on Zwift. The spin bike is wonderful in every other way, including perfect integration with Peloton Digital.
I just joined Zwift on December 8 with the IC4, and it is a fantastic experience. As of today, I’ve logged over 650 miles. What a great option to have this time of year. In my case I just moved some power meter pedals over from another bike, so no added expense. While the cost of power meters have come down from the stratosphere in recent years (cost of entry used to be $1,500+), I still appreciate the fact that this nearly doubles the cost of the investment. If there’s any bright side it’s that you can move them to an outdoor bike when appropriate.
Chris
Thank you for the quick reply, Chris! Yeah, I’m just thinking that is retrospect I should have gotten the $600 power meter pedals you reference and a cheaper IC3 bike since the resistance/watts produced would be measured more accurately by the power meter anyway… oh well. I got the IC4 because I wanted to know my “relative” level of resistance and I didn’t know anything about watts at that time. Live and learn.
Also, it seems that the bike must use resistance in the power formula. So maybe resistance level, cadence are the two data points from which power and speed are calculated. I’m thinking this because, as Lenny points out below, you can observe a wattage increase as you increase resistance but maintain the same cadence. It is just really a shame that they did not calibrate this correctly to match an accurate power meter… you would think it would be basic physics as stated below. Mine does not appear to be as out of sync as Lenny’s below though: I do not achieve 400 watts at 30% resistance and cadence of 80 rpm.
So when you zwift (can I say that?) do you link the ic4 console to the app at all now or just your power meter pedals? I’m concerned about the heart rate data too. My current set up is just iPhone XS running the app mirrored to an apple TV (gen 3, I think).
Thanks again, Chris for the response and Alan thank you for the thought provoking review of the IC4.
No problem, Matt. I think over the long term the IC4 is the better choice with its magnetic resistance, but that’s just me.
Virtual power is a difficult thing to get right. Even on the actual Peloton Bike what is shown on screen is 20-30% higher than actual (as tested by a good friend, with power pedals). Sure, if you want to keep from getting too serious (and there’s value in that :)), you would do just fine with the relative values. The problem where Zwift is concerned is people generally get flagged as “flyers” due to the inflated power numbers.
My Zwifting setup (yes, it’s a verb ;)) includes my 13″ iPad Pro connected via Bluetooth Smart to my Assioma Favero Duo pedals and my Wahoo TICKR HR monitor. All data is displayed in the game, and it’s flawless. The IC4 does show up on the connection screen at the start for Power, Cadence, and Controllable (though, it’s not), but I do not select them. I think I’ll do a 5k test later today and will post the absolute differences in power output between the IC4 and the power pedals.
Alan – is it possible to add screenshots in comments? I noticed you do so as the site owner, but don’t see a way for commenters to add.
Chris
Hi Chris,
If it’s not giving you an option, then probably not (which makes sense). However, if you e-mail them to me, I’ll add them. The e-mail address is alan@ the domain name.
My best,
Alan
Ok. Will do. Thanks.
Thank you Chris and Alan,
Thank you for affirming my purchase I’m still pretty happy with the bike.
Yes, I’d be curious to see the readout differences between your meter and the IC4/Zwift estimates. Though I’d bet it varies by a certain margin between individual bikes as the customer support guy said in a post below.
Yeah, maybe it’s the absolutist in me but I like to know the facts (or at least all be using the same set of facts 😉 ). I see Alan’s point about being trend-able and that having value, but I want to be able to compare myself to others on Zwift. And I definitely don’t want to get flagged as a flyer (maybe my low level of fitness has so far shielded me from that 🙂 and the fact I have not competed yet). However, as long as the data is consistently off I could still look at power zones and use the workouts beneficially, but ignore the actual numbers. That way I could still benefit from interval training but I just couldn’t compare my stats to others. Yeah… I think I’m going to have to buy those pedals. 🙂
Also, I don’t even trust that the IC4 (C6) is consistently wrong. Meaning it could be 10% off at the lower levels and 40% off at higher resistance and cadence levels. Perhaps it’s ideally calibrated at a median resistance and cadence but as you vary either direction it gets more and more off both at the higher end and lower. That would be my guess if it is as tricky a thing to measure as you say. I’m curious to see what your test shows.
Thanks again, Matt
*Also, sorry if this response appears out of sequence the “reply” button seems to have disappeared for me on the lower replies.
Hi Matt and Alan,
I was able to do two comparisons this afternoon and just sent the files to Alan for posting as he sees fit. One important disclaimer, to which Matt alluded earlier, is I suspect the result of the output on the spin bike will vary bike-to-bike. Honestly, I was surprised how close they were in some respects.
To summarize: below a resistance level of 20, the power pedals showed a higher wattage. Somewhere between 20-25 resistance the pedals and the IC Bike intersected, with anything above that the IC Bike showing higher numbers. Interestingly, the IC Bike consistently showed a lower cadence (3-4rpm) than the cadence sensors in the pedals. Odd since there’s no reason for them to be identical.
Heading to the movies now with my daughter, but will check in later. Good dialog.
Chris
Interesting. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the kind words and reading Matt!
Thanks tons Chris for sending the files. This is the Ramp Test and this is the 20K Ride Test.
I’ll have to defer to you on how to read them. 🙂
Thanks again!
Alan
No problem, Alan.
The graphs are pretty self explanatory, but the “Stats” summary toward the bottom tells the story. Power values (virtual) coming from the bike are higher then those coming from properly calibrated power meter pedals.
Chris
Chris/Alan,
Wow, thank you for educating me on this. Your bike seems much more accurate than mine based on where I think I should be as a relative novice (average of 1.5 w/kg) and what my average readings are currently (around 3 w/kg). Though, even your differential is enough that it definitely would give you that competitive edge if you were racing.
Chris, that is some pretty neat software you ran it through to compare the all the data side by side. What did you use?
Thanks again for making the inter webs a kind, helpful and collaborative space!
Matt
Hi Matt,
Since you brought up the relative accuracy of my IC4, I would like to note that it was not like this out of the box. I stated yesterday that I was surprised by how close the numbers were, mainly because the discrepancy was much higher when I first signed up for Zwift, and prior to moving over the power pedals. In another comment on this thread I shared my experience with Schwinn support, which was outstanding. However, after the tech replaced the faulty part (my bad) the resistance knob did not work as it did. So, having the repair instructions on hand from Schwinn I removed the fender and fixed myself. This clearly improved the function of the resistance setting. That stated, as you alluded, even a 15% error is HUGE. Apologies for the longwinded explanation.
I agree, the data analyzer software I used is excellent. You can find details on it here: https://www.dcrainmaker.com/analyzer.
Chris
Hi Chris,
It took a bit of scrolling but I found it. That sounds like pretty great service. I think I will try to give support a call tonight after I get the kids down. I bought direct from Schwinn’s site.
I hope I can get the calibration a bit closer while I save for power meter pedals.
Thanks, Matt
Hi Matt,
If you don’t want to wait for support, and are the least bit handy, it’s a simple item to attempt yourself. In yet another comment in this thread I shared the details, which I’ll include again here for ease.
Chris
“Remove the fender ( four screws). On the left side of the bike (as viewed when sitting), there is a 13mm (?), or thereabout nut. Loosen that slightly and you will no longer have to lift up when decreasing the resistance. The nut is the only one of its size, and essentially determines how tight the tension is on the pivot for the magnets. Hope this helps.”
Hi gang, just came across this doing a little research on the C6/IC4. I bought the IC3 last year and added Garmin Vector 3 pedals to it so I could Zwift/Sufferfest. it works pretty good but the manual resistance knob with the felt pad is kind of a pain when training with short “burst” intervals. Does the C6/IC4 have some kind of index or indicator either on the knob or the console of what your current resistance is? It would make dialing in the proper wattage MUCH easier if I could use that as a reference and might be worth it enough to upgrade. I will mention that after logging over a 1000 Zwift miles on my IC3, the seat post began to wobble when doing higher cadences and made a clanking noise. Not the end of the world but something to keep an eye out for since it looks like the IC4 uses the same seat post and rail from the IC3. I will say that Schwinn/Bowflex customer support is outstanding. Just received my new seat post and tightening knob today and it pretty much fixed the issue. I suspect it will loosen again over time but at least I can get parts to fix it if needed.
Hi Chris,
I’m not 100% sure I understand the problem you are having with the IC3 knob, but the IC4 sets resistance magnetically, not with friction. Also, the IC4 console shows the resistance setting.
Does that answer your question? I’d check through the comments, especially Chris’, to read about how accurate its measures are.
My best,
Alan
Hi Lane,
The answer to your question is YES. The console shows the resistance on a 0-100 scale and, in my view, works excellent with Zwift. For reference, I’m in the 20-25 area when cruising on flats. For long climbs, like Alpe du Zwift, I’m pushing in the 40-50 range with 70-80 cadence, which is ~300 watts for me. The point is I refer to the console constantly when Zwifting, just as I like to know what gear I’m in when I ride outdoors.
I’m 6’ 3” and have the seatpost at its highest position. The only time it makes any sound is when I’m flat out. I don’t view it as an issue, but given my own experience with Schwinn support I don’t doubt it would get resolved were it to become one in the future. Good luck.
Chris
Chris & All – when you calibrated the 100 reading for your IC4, did you follow the official Schwinn instructions and turn the resistance knob basically until it completely stopped and then back it off by 1/4 or 1/2 turn?
Or did you calibrate 100 to the point when the rubber brake just started to hit?
Or some other way?
I’m thinking that this setting is key to getting more accurate power readings in Zwift
After a couple weeks of riding the IC4, using primarily the free Peloton trial, I checked out Zwift. The numbers were very inflated based on the initial sync screen, so I held off the first ride until I calibrated.
Calibration is now complete, and I set 100 where the brake started to rub. This is what the Schwinn customer support also recommended during a call.
Post-calibration, I completed the Zwift FTP test with output of 323w and 4.24w/kg.
My other reference – SPIN classes at the gym. On Precor Spinner Chrono Power bikes I maxed out at 250-270w average over 50min when giving a full determined effort. So Zwift seems a little bit high
Presumably if I recalibrate again and set 100 at the “crank the resistance know all the way” point, I’d get lower power numbers. But given the lifetime max of 3 recalibrations, I’d love to hear feedback.
Thanks! Bill
I followed initial instructions of tightening and then backing off until wheel can spin freely. My lower limit was close to what the factory setting was but the upper was way off. My first impression is that it is more realistic in terms of speed reading and calories burned. I downloaded KINETIC today so I will try it and see if I get similar results..
Hi Bill! For my 100 calibration reading, I cranked the knob until it locked the wheel and then backed it off until the wheel spun freely. Seems to still be working fine for that range. As to Zwift and accuracy… I honestly don’t think you’ll ever get it “accurate” if you’re using the power output from the bike itself. I read something yesterday that apparently Schwinn/Bowflex and Zwift are aware of the problem. The IC4/C6 still aren’t added to the “Supported” indoor bikes on Zwift’s site. Probably because the numbers are too inflated. Honestly don’t know how they could fix it without replacing the console unless Zwift themselves put in some kind of modifier which isn’t very realistic because the QC on the bikes and calibration seem to vary widely from what I’ve been reading.
Here’s a link to Zwift’s w/kg ratings.
https://zwiftinsider.com/rider-categorization-based-on-ftp-how-do-you-rank/
A 4.2 would put you at the bottom of the “Very Good” range. I have no idea how much you ride or how strong you are so you very well might be in that tier. Chapeau if you are! 😀 But my own tests with comparing the same ride and the IC4s power output to the Garmin Vector 3 power output… they aren’t even close.
As Chris and others have pointed out though… it’s all relative. You can still get very good gains in riding strength and endurance using the bike’s power calculation and doing wattage target-based training. I do find that even thought the numbers are inflated, they are consistent. Meaning the resistance at 20% always feels like the same resistance. As Chris mentioned elsewhere, the only real problem you’ll get is if you try to race in Zwift. You might get flagged for the inflated values.
+1 to everything Lane states. ???? Note, also, I have never officially recalibrated the bike. I have, however, adjusted the nut on the brake magnet pivot bolt to allow it to actuate more freely, but that has no relevance here.
I’ve been riding outdoors more lately, but have done over 2,200 miles equivalent on Zwift with the IC4 since early December. I use power meter pedals to connect with Zwift, however, not the bike. While the IC4 does show as an option for power meter and cadence I select my pedals instead, which are among the most accurate in the entire powered meter universe. There were some earlier discussions about the inaccuracy of the IC4 / C6 inflating the power numbers, with real data provided. As ever, I suspect this will vary bike-to-bike.
Power output error- I spent 4 hours breaking down my Bowflex C6 to figure this out as I typically do about 21mph, 10.5 miles with 418-440 kcal at 30 minutes on gym bikes. On my C6 I’m getting 933 kcal and 15.5 miles at 30 minutes. I called technical support and they gave me a song and dance about “no industry standard” for resistance….
-I have pictures of what I did, but basically there is a circuit card with a magnet and plastic nob that fits over a Allen wrenched nut on the right of the tension assembly. Small tweaks to this actually makes a huge difference in the power required to pedal the bike. A 3mm counterclockwise turn changed the readings dramatically. Because of the slot in the metal resistance gear I used a rubber grommet from a garden hose to put enough space so the plastic tab didn’t fall back into the groove of the metal assembly. There was trial and error here but now I have the same output readings as I do on any standard gym exercise bike.
Thank you Vince,
Yes, I have not had much luck with the customer service team so far either. The woman I spoke with did not understand what power was and how it interacted with apps. My concern with messing with the resistance knob is that I have no idea what to measure my changes against. I do not have a power meter, but I know my readings are too high via comparison to average serious cyclists:
My FTP is reading 3.7 W/kg via Zwift on the IC4 / C6 bike.
57.9% of people have an FTP below 3.6W/kg.
32.5% of people have an FTP of 3.8W/kg or more.
9.6% of people have an FTP between 3.6W/kg and 3.8W/kg.
from the website: https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/blog/2018/06/how-does-your-cycling-power-output-compare
I could simply adjust the magnets to be closer, but I would like to know what the correct zero distance should be for the Watt algorithm on the console. I believe the console is making the Watt estimation and feeding that to Zwift (or other apps) even though it does not display Watts on the console.
Thank for the response and I’m glad you get yours in the range you wanted.
Hi Vince, right off the bat I already suspected my cadence and resistance is way off (to slow). I cannot even break past 85 cadence considering how hard I pedal. Another point of reference is by matching the cadence and pedal stroke to an instructor in peloton and it is way off. Whenever you have the time, can you please upload the photos of what you did to adjust the sensor… Thanks!
Hi Mark,
Be careful to not conflate speed and/or wattage with cadence. That stated, there may be an issue with your sensor. The cadence (and speed) sensor is located on the hub to the left of the flywheel (as viewed when sitting on bike). There is a magnet on the flywheel as well. Given that it’s essentially a fixed gear setup, each turn of the flywheel equals one full revolution of the crank. A cadence of 85 rpm is quite fast, and given your comment I assume you know what your effort should amount to. You can test by using a timer or stopwatch and pedal so you’re doing one full pedal turn every second, which would equal 60 rpm. Good luck.
Chris
In the video of your ride in Zwift, do you think that the reported wattage of 300 to 400 watts is accurate? I only ask because I too bought a C6 and saw the same type of numbers, both on Zwift and Sufferfest, but in my case, the C6 reports 400 watts at a low resistance (30 out of 100) and ~80 rpm. I pass no one in the wild and small hills slow me down so it is hard for me to believe that I pass everyone in Zwift with what I feel is low effort.
My question to you is do you believe that the numbers reported by the C6 are accurate? I contacted Bowflex support and received a non-answer saying all bikes are different.
Thanks!
Update: Please see my other comments to Lenny. Bowflex says it isn’t engineering-level accuracy, but the wattage is accurate.
——-
Hey Lenny,
Short answer is yes and no, but mostly no. 🙂
No, in that if compared to an accurate measuring device, I imagine it won’t be right…and not necessarily just because BowFlex would be off. As is pretty clear when we use Zwift and other apps, the apps have a habit of translating things differently. (I have not yet compared the wattage number between apps, so they may show the same value with all other conditions the same, but the Zwift behavior you mention is definitely how they choose to translate your revolutions and wattage.)
Yes, in that I have tested increasing the resistance and the wattage increases. So, if you see higher numbers you are working harder.
Which is actually important. I do metrics as part of my living, and I’ve said a good metric only has to do two things:
– It has to be trendable
– It leads to good questions
And the wattage reading does that. 🙂
Sorry I cannot answer for sure either way. I may hit up Bowflex independently…or I might ask about the Schwinn IC4 instead and see what they say about that. 🙂
Thanks for reading my post and the comment!
Alan
I would agree with you on speed(mph), but wattage is straight math and physics involving crank length, pedal rpm, gear ratio, flywheel weight and diameter, and the resistance applied to the flywheel. Plus it is easily verified by using external power meters. While true that wattage does increase on the C6 if pedal rpm remains constant and resistance is increased (trendable in your words) it is only useful in this context if you are only measuring your own progress and not comparing it to others. When you try to use it in a training program like Sufferfest where specific wattage and rpm values are specified then the (I believe) incorrect wattage number reported is useless and the reason for having a training app is nullified. Just my $.02.
Great points Lenny. I have no proof wattage is right or wrong. I am going to try to get something with a bit more commitment from Bowflex.
Hi Lenny,
I called Bowflex and they said that it isn’t engineering level accuracy, but yes, the wattage should be basically correct.
I don’t know of any way to confirm it…but the rep checked with the technical folks to confirm.
Happy Friday!
Alan
I ended up returning the bike because the wattage was so far off, and it was off by different amounts depending on the cadence-resistance pairing. At 20 resistance 100 cadence I got about 200 watts so it was probably correct within 20%. At 80 resistance 50 cadence it gave me 400 watts, but my heart rate was only 110 bpm. There is no way that is accurate, even within a factor of 2.
I would recommend people hold off on buying the bike for full retail until this gets sorted out.
Hmmm…it appears they are figuring out wattage by resistance times cadence…if your two examples hold across the board.
It is not accurate at all. I’m an avid road cyclist who has ridden with power meters for years. With power, there is something known as FTP – Functional Threshold Power. Essentially, it’s a reflection of the maximum power one can sustain for 60 min. My current FTP is 328 watts.
I received the Schwinn IC4 (same Bike) 3 weeks ago and did not move my power meter pedals initially. My first test on Zwift had my effective FTP at 467 watts! I was immediately contacted by Zwift support that my numbers were sketchy (they are good about that). Swapping the pedals returned everything to normal, and within 2% of my real world experience.
Hopefully this can be fixed, but it is not uncommon with this type of setup.
Hi Chris!
I currently have the C6 with no way of understanding my wattage. Even if it multiplied cadence by resistance, it would be completely off because as you know, the resistance is challenging at level 0! Do you know of anything I can purchase to add to the bike that can sense the necessary data to tell me what my power/wattage is? Thank you!
Hi Lisa,
As I mentioned in another comment in this thread, power meter pedals are your best bet, though, not an inexpensive option.
Yes, I read that but got a little more confused when I tried to buy a pair of Shimano off someone on craigslist and he said that they did nothing more than make the ride more efficient, that I would still need to purchase other items that would keep track of cadence and resistance. *sigh*! Do you know if “Avio PowerSense Left Side Power Meter A-Type Shimano” will do the trick?
THANK YOU!
Hi Lisa,
That power meter is a crank arm. Not power meter pedals. I would highly advise against trying to replace the crank arms on the IC4/C6. I’m almost positive that would void your warranty “if” they even fit. Which I’m not even sure they would. As Chris mentioned, your best bet is a set of power meter “pedals”. The cheapest brand new would be an Assioma single pedal.
https://www.clevertraining.com/assioma-pedal-based-cycling-power-meter
Run you around $419.99. Your local bike shop should also be able to get them. A single pedal will take the power output of 1 leg and double it. Not quite as accurate as a double pedal but close enough and will do an admirable job getting you riding in Zwift/Sufferfest/Rouvy and other apps. The Assioma also has a built in cadence sensor so it would be all you need to purchase.
One thing to note, the Assioma single pedal comes with “two” pedals. But only one has the power meter. The other one is just a regular pedal so that they will match and feel the same. You can always upgrade the single to a double later but you’d pay a bit extra than if you just bought the double pedal to begin with.
Hope that helps!
Spot on. Every bit of it. Thanks, Lane.
Thank you Lane, Nate and Chris! I was very confused about what to get, this was so helpful!!
I am glad you wrote this up, specifically on the Schwinn vs Bowflex issue. I noticed this recently when researching the Bowflex C6. Can’t believe exact same bike! The only thing that is different is Bowflex offers you an equipment mat with the bike, but it is not worth the $100 difference IMHO.
Thanks for reading the review and commenting James. It’s interesting they’ve added the mat. Given the mat is $99, I agree that it doesn’t, in and of itself, make up for the $100. 🙂
So would you get the Schwinn?
Have you used the heart rate monitor with the C6? I ordered the C6 but I use my Apple Watch to track my calories. I called Bowflex and their customer rep informed me that the HR arm band works with the console but will not store your workout. My guess is that I will need to have my watch on and then edit my workout based on stats from console. Have you used Peloton with the C6?
I have used the heat monitor, but I connect it with Zwift and FulGaz via the device I run them on (versus the console). I have not used Peloton. I was so happy with Zwift and FulGaz, I stopped after trying them and Rouvy.
Hope you enjoy the C6. I really like mine!
Great review. Have you tried it with the Peloton app? I just got the Scwinn IC4 and so far love it. I like using Zwift but my wife prefers Peloton. Can’t seem to get the Peloton app to pair with the bike. I keep reading the app can be used with this bike but no luck for me. Not sure what I’m doing wrong
Thanks
Hi Jerrod,
Thanks for the kind words. I just added a link in the review above to directions on how to pair the Peloton app. I haven’t tested them, so please let me know if they work.
Happy Sunday!
Alan
Wait, I can embed the link here too. 🙂
Doesn’t work for me. It just says searching for cadence sensor then times out and says it can’t find it.
The console has to be on (which you can do by touching a button on it). If it is on, then have you been able to hook the app to the heart rate monitor? If it can’t do that, then maybe the app hasn’t been given Bluetooth permission.
If you contact me, I’m glad to try to troubleshoot more.
I got it to work last night, first try, so it should work for you.
Any idea if this bike can be paired to Zwift AND Peloton simultaneously?
Right now with my smart trainer, I can pair to Peloton on my iPad and Zwift on the AppleTV (ANT+Bluetooth). As a Zwift user who is trialing Peloton classes right now, I enjoy still having Zwift running to track my ride. Looks like the Bowflex does not have ANT+, but curious if you’ve tried (or could try) pairing to Zwift + another app on another device
I just tried it (Zwift on my Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 and FulGaz on my iPad Pro). Doesn’t work. Then I tried Zwift on both…and the Zwift on the iPad Pro couldn’t find the C6 until I killed the app on the Tab S4.
So, it looks like an app gets an exclusive connection to the C6. However, I suppose you could try to connect power to one app and revolutions to the other…
That I did not try.
I was afraid of that – thanks for checking (and so quickly!) much appreciated. Looks like if I want to run Zwift at the same time, I’d likely have to go the power pedals route, connect the pedals/cadence sensor to Zwift and connect the C6 to Peloton, which would still be cheaper than a full on Peloton
You are welcome. Happy Monday!
So, I did a quick test, and although the Peloton app only shows grabbing cadence, it also had an exclusive hold on the C6. I was hopping I could use the power meter with Zwift. Nope…and as soon as I killed the Peloton app on my iPad Pro, Zwift on my Tab S4 found the bike.
Hi!
I really appreciate the in-depth review. It’s nice you’re taking the time to get all this information out there when Bowflex doesn’t seem to have much media content on the device yet!
I am really interested in purchasing the C6. I’m debating C6 vs Peleton. Recently I downloaded the Peleton app and used the 30 day trial at my local YMCA. I was really happy with the app.
If you have the Peleton app, would you be able to post a video or two of what the Peleton app looks like while using the C6?
I’d like to know if it’s possible to see resistance, cadence, and HR on the iPad screen while working out.
You are welcome Jordan and thanks for the kind words. I had surgery last week, so I am not allowed to exercise until Friday. However, I have made a note to try it then.
Although I might be able to test it from a “just showing it” today or tomorrow. However, my trial Peloton membership has expired…so I’ll have to work past that impediment first. 🙂
More to follow. However, unless the Peloton remote changes the resistance, I cannot imagine it is worth the extra $ (based on my priorities).
Hey Jordan, please check out the video I just added at the end of the review. I think it’ll cover what you need.
Thank you so much for posting this video! This may have been mentioned already related to specific apps. Do you know if there is a good way to track your workouts/rides on the C6 bike?
For example, it would be neat to be able to see over time that you are actually doing better by looking at your performance history. Do you know if any apps track that? Or maybe it requires linking to your apple health to see the progress?
I know that Zwift uploads sessions…and think Peloton and FulGaz also do. Strava seems an option too…not only possibly directly…but I thought I saw Zwift could also send up to it (as may others). Strava seems especially built for what you want, but I haven’t dug into it.
When I last checked, the C6 didn’t yet support Apple Health.
I probably would first see what your favorite bicycle app records for comparison.
Sorry if I am a bit incoherent…gettin’ tired.
I forgot to comment, the one specific app I keep hearing about that would provide trending performance data is called Strava. Have you used this one at all?
I have installed it, but not used it. On the surface, it seems to do what you want…and I think also allows you to have programs that push you too increase your endurance, etc.
Last question!!
Does the Bowflex show your resistance level anywhere on the iPad screen or the Bowflex included screen? Or do we have to guess what level our resistance is at during the workout?
I just noticed I haven’t seen that displayed anywhere yet!!
I have not seen it in apps, but it is available as “Level on the console”:
Happy Thanksgiving Jordan!
Strava works very well. In my local cycling community, the saying goes… “If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen!” 🙂 Strava will give you a nice analysis of your ride using data from Zwift. There’s a free account option I believe but I find the “premium” account to be worth it as I use it for my road rides as well as my indoor rides. You can also get a free limited account on Training Peaks that Zwift will upload to after you finish your ride. It’s fairly straight forward to connect your Strava account with Zwift. Think it’s in the settings somewhere under “Connections” if you log into their website.
Yes, Strava is excellent. As a 10 year user, amongst all the fitness apps, it’s my choice for tracking all activity, including those from Apple Watch. The spin bike will not send any data to Strava directly. You would need to use other apps, such as Zwift (as Lane started). You could use a bike computer (Wahoo ELEMNT, Garmin) connected to the bike, but this would only be useful for tracking relative fitness given the accuracy issues discussed throughout the comments.
Hi Jordan – You may have made a decision by now, but I can confirm the Peloton Digital experience on the C6 is excellent. Following is a snippet from a comment I made yesterday. Note that HR will also show in the app from a compatible Bluetooth monitor. Save yourself the $1600.
“The C6 or IC4 is not only a viable Peloton alternative, it’s the better option, period. As a spin bike, it’s much better quality (I’ve ridden the Peloton bike several times). And, as you stated in your review, you’re not “locked in” to just Peloton. Specific to Peloton, the two key variables that determine output are cadence and resistance, and the C6 has both – cadence shown in app automatically, resistance on console directly below. These are what the Peloton instructors use to focus output.”
Just found the following on YouTube that maybe of use. Assuming the tablet is on the tablet holder, the resistance (level) will be directly below on the console. Great experience.
https://youtu.be/eg4ADJAztrk
Hey guys. I came across your review Alan and it encouraged me to get the bike. I went for the Schwinn to save a hundred bucks. I am using FulGaz which uploads my rides to Strava and then it writes them to Apple Health. It works great. I just did a 45 minute ride in San Fran and my map and vital stats are all published on Strava. I have to adjust the resistance manually of curse but it is not a big deal to try AMD match the grade somewhat. I have also used the peloton app, which seems to work fine, although its not quite as seamless.
Wow Jason, that’s great news. I like how you also found a way to get it into Apple Health…and that you have confirmed it working with Strava.
Congrats on the new bike and successful first outing on it!
And thanks for the comment, I think it’ll help others debating about getting the bike (C6 or IC4).
Oh, and be sure try some of FulGaz’s Australian options. 🙂
Hey there guys, my bike came in a week ago today and I have done about 3 Peloton rides and am hooked. Only issues I am having is connecting the heart rate monitor from Bowflex and the one I already have to the bike. Is anyone else having connectivity issues?
Glad you like your bike!
Can you clarify the trouble you are having? The heart monitor can only hook up to one device at a time, so if you hook it to the bike you cannot have the app do so too. (However, I never have used it, but I thought I saw one app say that it could get the heart rate from the bike. I may try it later depending on how my homework goes tonight. :-))
Well there is no on/off switch on the heart rate monitor from Bowflex so I guess it needs to be fully charged and blinking before you place on your arm?! I have a Schoshe Rhythm and connected it to iPad but Peloton couldn’t locate it. There was an update in the App Store for the app today so once I’m home I’ll see if it will connect to my rhythm.
Actually, the Bowflex monitor has an on-off switch, it’s just not obvious. I believe it explains how in the instructions sent with the bike. If you cannot find it, please let me know and I’ll add them here.
I am not familiar with the Schoshe Rhythm, but you may want to consider unpairing it from your phone, put it in pairing mode, and then see if the Peloton app can find it. That’s how I use the Bowflex heart monitor (directly from the app, not paired with the iPad Pro).
My best,
Alan
Hi Alan, I’m guilty of not reading instructions for monitor. I would appreciate a video to show how to turn it on and off. Thank you!!
Sure…I’ll try to do it tonight…
Hi Ronika,
Please look at what I just added at the bottom of the review. Does that help?
My best,
Alan
BTW, after connecting the monitor to the bike, Zwift was able to get the heart rate from the C6. FulGaz and Peloton could not (although, perhaps I just wasn’t doing it correctly…but I think I was :-)).
However, all three can connect directly to the heart rate monitor.
FYI, for iOS users Peloton just added an Apple Watch iOS app yesterday that will display your heart rate from the watch onto the phone/tablet/apple tv app so you can use that instead of the IC4/C6 monitor. They also dropped the app price from 19.99 a month to 12.99. Nice incentive for ic4/c6 users. Now I just want to see if Nautilus can get their promised, and delayed, Explore the World app out so I can compare it to Fulgaz and see which I want to use in addition to Peloton when I want street/mountain rides.
Thanks…and agreed…I am looking forward to Explore the World coming out.
Another question I have for anyone here is about the spinning shoes. A video demo of how shows work with this bike would be excellent. I’m shopping for shoes and not sure what kind of cleats I need for Bowflex C6.
Hi Ronika,
Please check out this article: “How to Choose Bike Shoes”
The big thing is the pedals are for two hole shoes and the C6 comes with clips you can attach to the shoes.
Although, you could replace the pedals to match with the three hole type.
Other than making sure they are compatible, it really is a matter of price and comfort…and looks, if that’s important to you. 🙂
My best,
Alan
However, you could also replace the
The pedals are just standard SPD type. The cleats are included with the pedals. Any two hole shoe will work. For spinning indoors only, I highly recommend Tiem Slipstreams. My wife uses these and loves them. They are light, breath well, and have great support in the cleat spine. My real world bike has Crank Bros. pedals, so that is what I put on the C6 just so I can use the shoes I already own. I simply put Crank Bros. cleats on my wife’s shoes. But the simple answer is ANY two hole cleat cycle shoe will work.
thanks for your review…quick question…can the pedals be replaced with any road bike shimano SL pedals?
I don;t want to have to use separate shoes\clips for this bike…And I am not a fan of toe cages.
thanks
OR
Yes. They use standard connectors.
Thanks for watching my review!
Hi Alan,
Your review and videos of the C6 are the best! I got into road cycling over the summer and purchased the C6 to indoor train over the cold winter months. I did my first FulGaz ride last night and have some questions.
I was riding just a cruise cadence at around 70-75rpm. This usually nets me somewhere around a paltry 12mph on my gravel bike on my usual trails. However, on the console, I was seeing speeds of 20mph. I can tell you, I was not peddling to make 20mph. This also threw my mileage off.
I rode for 1 hour and on the FulGaz ride, completed the 14.5mile ride. About what I would expect for a roughly 75rpm cadence. On the bike console I had ridden 20miles, which confirms the 20mph pace the bike said I was making. I am very confused as now I do not trust the bike. Any insight?
Alan,
Did your Fulgaz ride contain a lot of downhill riding? If so, that would make a huge difference. I did a Marin County Golden Gate bridge ride and on the big drops I could pedal at 70 RPMS and hit 45 mph? It is just something to look out for in the app. because they really want to simulate coasting portions. That being said, on Fulgaz at least, I find the app is calculating my pedal power (watts) at a far higher rate than on an an actual bike. Either Nautilus needs to play around with the firmware on the built in monitor or they need to do something with supporting apps to ensure a better calculation. It is not quite there yet. My stats on Fulgaz tell me that I am a pretty accomplished rider. I am not.
Hi Jason,
Yes…the links I shared with Dan pick up on the coasting type stuff, and indicate the wattage reading from the Bowflex May be the culprit if things are too high.
One would hope at least RPMs are correct, eh? 🙂
I just wish I had a way to prove what the power readings should be.
Happy Monday!
Alan
Hi Dan,
I have wondered about the speed thing too. I’ve got a lot on my plate this week, so I don’t know when/if I can can do some tests and then connect with Bowflex support, but if you have time I would hit them up on their support chat.
A couple interesting articles:
https://zwiftinsider.com/how-does-zwift-calculate-my-speed/
https://support.fulgaz.com/hc/en-us/articles/360004668432-My-KICKR-or-other-trainer-speed-is-different-to-the-speed-in-FulGaz
I hadn’t really paid attention to my console, but I know my speed in FulGaz seemed high. If the apps basically agree with the console, then it is how Bowflex is measuring things. But, as you can see with the Zwift and FulGaz articles, they do not just use RPMs.
Personally, I am not terribly worried about accuracy other then trending (e.g. more resistance = more wattage). But, if it turns out it’s measurements are incorrect and that is important to you, I wouldn’t hesitate to return the exercise bike.
It’s a great deal, but it isn’t free…so you should be satisfied.
I’ll do some tests, and hopefully have something to post before the week is out. Bowflex may have a good explanation.
Hello! Your reviews on the C6 helped me decide to purchase the bike! I use a peleton bike at work, am familiar with the classes, instructors, etc. My main complaint with the C6, when I’m supposed to be warming up at a resistance of 25, it’s like I’m already pushing through thick mud. I have a very difficult time with the resistance on the C6 vs the peleton. Do you know how to calibrate the resistance or loosen the flywheel??
Hi Erin – I am having the same problem – did you get this resolved? Please let me know!
Same here!
Laurie! What should we do? I have read that recalibrating might not be worth it. How many gears do you find your bike to be off by? Mine feels off by at least 25. At least!
My husband recalibrated my bike to no avail. After using a peleton, I “think” an accurate resistance is about half of what the peleton cycling classes call for. So when an instructor calls for a resistance of 50, I set my resistance for 25. I don’t have any trouble keeping up with the cadence, just stay in sync with the instructor. I also monitor my HR continually to monitor my exertion.
Unfortunately, I have not!! Despite calibration! Read below as I responded under Laurie’s thread.
I am thinking of purchasing this bike and using the Peloton app. I am returning a bike because een when the resistance is a 0 it was hard to turn. What is this bike feel like on 0? Does it feel like a flat road?
At a zero, yes. But if you’ve ever used the peloton app, they consider a flat road 20-25. And the C6 does NOT feel like a flat road at this resistance.
Hi! I am having the same problem with my C6! I wrote to Bowflex and surprisingly have not heard back. On Level (Resistance) 0, it feels comparable to 20 on other bikes and Level 50 on a C6 feels like 90 on other bikes I have been on. I used WD-40 on the nuts/bolts and that helped a teeny bit but I have to keep applying it and it’s not ultimately resolving the issue.
If anyone has ideas please LMK! I don’t want to have to return the bike nor do I want to take it apart 🙂
I have been wondering about this. At least you have ridden both so you know. I got the C6 and have been using the peleton app. My gym closed mid-March and I hadn’t ridden in awhile. I felt wow I’ve really gotten out of shape. Warming up at 25 seems crazy especially if they want you to go 100-120 rpm.
Same issue here! For now I just cut the resistance in half from what is suggested on a Peloton class. I’ve been happy with the C6 and for me buying the Peloton bike was not worth it (plus their monthly fee). If there are any solutions, let me know!
So I just called to order the iC4 from Schwinn and was on on with customer service which doubles for both Bowflex and Schwinn for the C6/iC4. Price quoted for iC4 was $799. Price quoted for the C6 was $899. I asked about a military discount and was offered 10% for the iC4 or 30% for the C6. Just for everyone’s info
And since the C6 also comes with a free $99 mat, you got a great deal Vince! Thanks for sharing…
Hi there! Thanks for your review and answering all the questions your way! Your review helped me make my decision to order this bike and it should be here in a week or so – I’m very excited to spend some time riding over the holidays!
Question for you – the website indicates that the bike comes with SPD dual link pedals that include toe cages… I’m not a big fan of these, so I was hoping to get a pair of shoes that I can clip in. Do you know if I will need the 2 hole clips or 3 hole ones? Once I figure this out I will get some shoes and clips ordered so they arrive at the same time as the bike!
Thanks again
I believe they are two hole clips…will post a picture after work.
They also come with the clips, although I was able to use the ones I have on my existing shoes.
Hi Krista,
Hopefully this will help. This is one of the clips that came with the bicycle:
And this is the clip on my shoes:
My best,
Alan
From what I can see you will need the 2-hole kind. Basically the pedals appear to be compatible with shimano SPD Clips which are two holes and mainly mountain bike type cleats.
The 3 hole cleats are road bikes and are SPD-SL.
They are just standard SPD cleats. The bike comes with a set and shims. You just need standard two hole shoes.
To ask an obvious question. The purpose of the shims and when to use them?
Thank you for the in depth review and comment section. I actually got a IC4 on thanksgiving morning for 25% off! Can’t beat the $599.
However, I can’t seem to find the bike on my iPad when trying to establish a Bluetooth connection. Have you heard any issues with this?
Hi Mike,
That was a great deal! Congrats!
So, I am not sure what you are experiencing. The iPad will not connect directly to the IC4. The app you use will.
Now, if that isn’t happening, it may be that your app does not have permission to use Bluetooth yet.
Can you explain more what you are running into?
My best,
Alan
After reading the correspondence among bikers and yourself, I am planning to buy an IC4 this weekend. Would you say it has a better sitting pad than the Bowflex? Thanks for providing detailed info about the bikes. You’re the best.
Hi Nimfa,
I am not sure what you mean by “sitting pad.” Can you clarify?
I have not actually touched an IC4, but my understanding is that neither bike is better in any respect…that they are exact matches except for branding. Well, other than the IC4 is cheaper and, last I knew, the C6 came with a free pad to put under the bike.
My best,
Alan
Hi Alan,
Just a big thank you for attending to so many questions and helping people out with their bike.
I got the IC4, and found your C6 video assembly/review right after you posted it. Helped me with assembling my IC4. FYI, you were right about putting together the handlebars in a particular order.
For those that run into this review, here are some things to consider about Power-output of the bike and tying into the various apps:
-If you really want accurate power/output/wattage you need to consider getting the power pedals. This sounds like an easy proposition, however they start at close to $1000.00. Other than that, they simply can be swapped out for the original pedals. This could be worth it if you really want to compete on your apps, have spare cash, or if you want to do the Power-related rides on the Peloton app long-term to monitor and improve your fitness/performance. I may go that route to help me not cheat on my workouts.
-Look at the previous comments and answers from Alan for help with connecting to apps. There’s good info about pairing the provided heart rate monitor to either the bike-console or your app of choice. I am able to pair the HRM to the bike-console first, and then turn on my Peloton app. From there I can have the Peloton app recognize the bike-console which shows heart rate and cadence, coming from the bike-console, while I do my workout.
Good luck & thanks again Alan.
Warm regards,
Dominic
Thanks for the kind words Dominic!
100% agree. Pedals are the way to go for accurate power / speed with Zwift, and potentially others. While I appreciate the added expense may dissuade many, it’s a necessity for virtual training. Even the best algorithms are off when compared to real power meters. If the C6/IC4 were “in the ballpark:, this would be a moot point but, sadly, they’re not. I installed the pedals linked below and the Zwift experience is outstanding. (Note I’m an avid road rider, logging ~4k miles per year outdoors.)
https://www.clevertraining.com/assioma-pedal-based-cycling-power-meter
Interesting enough, I tried out Bowflex’s “Explore the World” app (on an Android tablet) tonight. The speed it showed was the most accurate I’ve seen (and toward half what the console said). I hope this means something is coming that will improve the accuracy of measurements.
Just throwing this in the thread since it was relevant 🙂 Just got my IC4 today and put everything together. (wish I had remembered Alan’s installation video.. those handlebars were annoying LOL!) Did my first Zwift ride (with my Garmin Vector 3 pedals) and it was a strength training with short high power intervals. SOOO much easier to dial in the right power target with the magnetic resistance and the console level readout. Totally worth the upgrade from the IC3. So after I finished I decided to pair Zwift with the IC4 for power and cadence. Cadence was fairly close. I measured the cranks to be right at 170mm which is what I set in the Garmin app for the pedal settings. Anyone get a different length?
The power, as has been stated, was a bit off. I did 3 different resistance levels at the same cadence for comparison with my power meter pedals:
Resistance @ 8 : IC4 was about 20watts higher than my Vector 3 pedals.
Resistance @ 15: IC4 was about 60 watts higher.
Resistance @ 40: IC4 was bout 200 watts higher.
This weekend I’ll pair the bike with Zwift and pair my pedals with my Garmin head unit and run a comparison on the files with DC Rainmaker’s analyzer. I’ll post my findings for everyone who might be interested.
Overall, I’m really liking the bike. Smooth pedaling and seems as sturdy as I found the IC3 to be. We’ll see how it holds up after a few Sufferfest cadence builder workouts pushing 150 rpm LOL 🙂
Good inputs, Lane. Yeah, it really is a great bike, made even more useful with power pedals. My bike was delivered / built on 12/4/19, and I did my first Zwift ride on 12/8. I’ve since logged over 1,200 miles on the IC4 with Zwift. I’m 6’3″, 270 lbs., and push a lot of power and the bike is rock solid. In general, spin bikes are so low maintenance I don’t see this changing. Happy riding.
Does anybody happen to have any problem with the resistance knob being a little slow to react and quirky? Is there a way to calibrate it? Its not horrible but I like to do Ful Gaz rides and manually keep up with the resistance and its fussier than I would like as it jumps around a lot. It helps to make sure I lift up as I turn, but it is still an issue?
I also keep wondering if there is any physical hack that could be utilized somehow to feed the resistance from an app like Ful Gaz or Zwift back to the bike so that the resistance is automatic like the smart trainers. I am sure it would be beyond my skill to build though.
Hi Jason,
Mine is probably quirky too, but within a reasonable level. It is not, however, as simple as a slight turn raises the resistance 1, a larger turn, 5, etc.
Might be worth chatting with Bowflex about…
My best,
Alan
Thanks for the reply Alan. Glad to know it is not just me. Happy holidays.
Happy Holidays Jason!
Remove the fender ( four screws). On the left side of the bike (as viewed when sitting), there is a 13mm (?), or thereabout nut. Loosen that slightly and you will no longer have to lift up when decreasing the resistance. The nut is the only one of its size, and essentially determines how tight the tension is on the pivot for the magnets. Hope this helps.
Thanks. I will try that
Hi Alan. Any news on the release of the Schwinn/Bowflex “Explore the World” cycling app?
Not yet John…but I’ll try to see if I can get an ETA.
Looks like "now" John. 🙂
From the always-helpful Bowflex customer service team:
That’s great! Thanks Alan!
Just wanted to say great review and engagement with your readers. Top notch. The C6 or IC4 is not only a viable Peloton alternative, it’s the better option, period. As a spin bike, it’s much better quality. And, as you stated in your review, you’re not “locked in” to just Peloton. Specific to Peloton, the two key variables that determine output are cadence and resistance, and the C6 has both – cadence shown in app automatically, resistance on console directly below. These are what the Peloton instructors use to focus output.
Thanks for the kind words Chris. You clearly have a handle on all this, so I’m hoping a lot of folks will see what you have written.
Just got the C6 for Christmas and can’t wait to try it especially after reading your review and comments.
I was wondering if there is a special sneaker I should be wearing or if the clips are compatible with any sneaker?
Thank you for your help and Happy New Year!
Hi Heather,
Congrats on the new C6!
You will need to buy special sneakers that the screws can go into to use the clips. However, you can also strap in normal ones with the C6’s dual-purpose pedals.
(I would buy ones that will allow you to clip in.)
If you look for a comments by Ronika and Krista, there is a discussion that should help you choose.
Happy New Year!
Alan
I also wanted to comment on the support provided by Nautilus/Bowflex/Schwinn – it is excellent. I purchased the Schwinn IC4 from Amazon and it was no issue at all. Following is a comment from another site:
“A final point re: product support, on which I read nothing but positives when researching the Schwinn IC4 (again, Schwinn, Bowflex, Nautilus = same company). When fiddling with the installation of a speed sensor on the flywheel for communication to another app I broke the speed/cadence sensor on the spin bike. I called the support line the next day asking to buy a new cadence sensor, hoping for instructions on how to replace. Long story short, they overnighted the sensor, as well as additional tools needed for the repair, and sent a certified tech two days later to do the job. All at no cost to me. Support is US based, and my experience was excellent.”
Agreed. I have found Bowflex to be awesome!
quick question for you, how did your phone/tablet synced with the blue tooth on the bike? I just bought the bike and had my first ride but I couldn’t get it synced to my tablet. i got the heart monitor to work however.
Hi Mike,
You need an app like Zwift, FulGaz, Rouvy, or Peleton. All have trial periods for you to test it out. Rouvy was the hardest to connect and Zwift the easiest.
My best,
Alan
P.S. If you have an Android tablet, Bowflex’s Explore the World app is now out, but it is clearly a “minimum viable product” at this point. However, it is the cheapest for a year.
Hi Alan
How did you get Rouvy to connect? I couldn’t locate the ic4 as an option in the app.
In bed right now…so I’ll double-check and share the answer tomorrow Joe. ‘Night. 🙂
Hi Joe,
Please check the end of the post and let me know if that covers it for you.
Happy New Year!
Alan
Hi Alan
Thank you for the Rouvy connection info!
Happy New Years!
Joe
Thank you for this. I was about to give up when I saw the app icon on c6 product page but not in the item list.
You are welcome Aditya!
If your question is specific to the Peloton Digital app, do the following:
– start a workout in the app
– wake the console on the bike by spinning the crank (the console is what sends the Bluetooth signal)
– tap the sensor connect button in the app and the bike should show as a cadence sensor
Hope this helps.
Did you have to adjust the tension? i find that it seems to have a lot of resistance on a low level
Hi Julie,
Are you saying that the tension is high even when the resistance is set low (e.g. 1-20)? If so, I would contact Bowflex (or Schwinn, depending on which one you have). It should not be (mine isn’t).
My best,
Alan
Hi Julie,
Sounds like the pivot bolt for the magnets is too tight, thus not allowing the magnets to raise away from the flywheel – apparently a relatively common issue. To confirm, try pulling up on the resistance knob. If that appears to do something, and the pedaling becomes easier, that indeed is the problem. If so. I’m copying an earlier comment I made on how to resolve:
Remove the fender ( four screws). On the left side of the bike (as viewed when sitting), there is a 13mm (?), or thereabout nut. Loosen that slightly and you will no longer have to lift up when decreasing the resistance. The nut is the only one of its size, and essentially determines how tight the tension is on the pivot for the magnets. Hope this helps.
By the way, what I suggested is not complicated, but if anyone is uncomfortable doing this on a new bike (or is, understandably, upset that they would have to), do call the number on the paper that came with the bike (Alan showed this paper in his video). It’s the same number no matter how the bike is branded. They will send a tech to your home to remedy.
Chris, would you say the C6 and Peloton resistance levels are different? When the Peloton class asks for a resistance of 25+ it seems like a much higher resistance than I had on any other spin bike.
And thank you Data Guy and all the tips on here, help me purchase a C6 without assuming that buying a Peloton was the only way to go. Very happy with C6!
Hi Lauren, From what I’ve read on the Facebook group and also on this forum, the C6 and IC4 resistance levels are all over the place and not consistently set at the factory. So there really is no way to tell if your resistance levels are close to the Peloton or not. You’d have to get your C6 next to a Peloton and try them out. If you’re used to being around spin bikes and it feels “off” to you, then I’d say you might want to try calibrating the bike. There’s directions for this I posted somewhere in this forum or you can call the support line for Bowflex and they’ll walk you through it. Takes about 5 minutes after you get a hold of someone. (which could take an hour or more from what I’ve heard LOL )
I will also mention that a lot of people seem to be coming up with their own charts to convert the Peloton resistance callouts in the sessions into a C6 reference. Again, a chart that works for some will not work for others because the C6/IC4 resistance isn’t consistent between bikes. From what I understand of the Peloton classes, they want you to feel like you’re pushing yourself. So if they say go at level 25 and your feeling pushed at 15, then 15 is your 25 (arbitrary numbers) Most people have said it doesn’t take them long to dial in the correct conversion for their bikes. 1-3 rides and then they get the hang of it.
Hope that helps!
Lane
Hi Lauren. Agree with everything Lane stated. If you’re accustomed to riding bikes outdoors, the 25 number on Peleton is meant to feel like riding steadily on a flat road – not pushing hard, but not cruising. Find this spot on the C6 and make relative adjustments from there. For the two weeks I used Peleton Digital I found my IC4 to be calibrated remarkably close to the Peleton Bike…luck of the draw.
Im having a hard time connecting my heart rate monitor to the Pelton app. I want my workouts recorded. I can use the app with this bike, but it makes me feel like they are false advertising that the ‘bike connects to Peloton app’. I dont mind if I cant use the ‘leader board’ but I want my stats of the workout recorded to watch personal records and progress. If I cant connect the actual bike to Peloton is there an app that I can download that works with the bowflex heart rate monitor/ bike to record my workouts if that makes sense.
Example: I want to see over time, how many miles, how much time, how many calories etc.
I tried to contact Bowflex but all they said was the bike IS compatible to connect to Peloton, but I still dont have my answer to how?
Hi Jennifer,
Sorry you are having trouble. Does this help?: https://dataguy.me/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Peloton-Pairing-Instructions.pdf
If not, can you give me a bit more info on what you are running into? You should be able to connect both the heart rate monitor and the bike to the Peloton app. You may be able to hook the hear rate monitor to the bike and then have Peloton get it from the bike, but you cannot hook the heart rate monitor to the bike and to the app directly.
Happy New Year!
Alan
Hi Alan,
I *think* my issue might be I’m using an Android tablet. My Pelton app does not show me the additional options to connect to Bluetooth. Have you heard of anyone having issues with Android?
I’ll check out the Android app after dinner Jennifer and let you know. (I am a tech nerd and have a Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 too. :-))
Hi Jennifer,
Yes, that’s it. I’m not an Android user, but have read complaints from others. The Android app does not support in-app data dis-lay for cadence or HR.
I have confirmed what Chris said. Depending on timing tomorrow, I may call Peloton to see if they have an ETA for support.
Thank you!!!! I appreciate the info and support. Let me know if you get a hold of Pelton and what they say!! 🙂
Peloton says they are working on it, but don’t have an ETA yet. Sorry that I don’t have better news Jennifer.
I read somewhere that ~90% of devices running the Peloton Digital app are iOS (Apple), so not a priority, and I wouldn’t expect anything anytime soon, if at all. Android app reviews indicate they’ve been giving that same answer for quite some time.
Jennifer,
If your heart rate monitor is Bluetooth (not ANT+), and is not connected to anything else it should show up as a heart rate option when you tap the “connected devices” button in the Peloton app, as shown in Alan’s instructions. All of your workouts will show in your Peloton profile, with included heart rate and cadence data, as well as calories burned. Distance is not tracked.
Hi Chris,
I *think* my issue might be I’m using an Android tablet. My Pelton app does not show me the additional options to connect to Bluetooth. Have you heard of anyone having issues with Android?
Great article, Didn’t happen to see if the bike is chain or belt driven?
Thanks Al. It is belt driven.
Thank you this was very helpful! I am considering getting one of these bikes. Do you think the customer service on the IC4 as good as/the same as the Bowflex customer service? I’m leaning towards the Schwinn because of the longer warranty, even though the darker color of the C6 is a bit sleeker. Thanks again!
I saw your follow-up comment Ana…so I’ll just add that I kind of like the IC4’s branding more, minus the Schwinn name. The C6 is actually a bit blander.
Hello again, After re-reading and re-watching your post, I found the answers to the questions I just posted regarding customer service and warranty – which has changed to be the same on both bikes. Is the accent color RED or ORANGE? It looks red in their advertisting but orange in your video.
It’s red. Unless I am colorblind. 🙂
Wow what an outstanding review! Practical, clear and spot on. Thank you. I have been looking for good info about this product and you provided it! I think I will get the C6 as they have a free floor mat and special financing through CareCredit right now. Thanks again Alan!
Thanks for the kind words Ric and I hope you love the bike as much as I do!
I don’t know if you reviewed the comments, but the only big gotcha that comes out with both the IC4 and the C6 is accuracy of metering. It doesn’t bother me…but it does some others…
Thanks again,
Alan
My bowflex C6 heart monitor bluetooth will not sync to the bike. it flashes fast but never slow and eventually cuts off, replaced monitor still not working, any suggestions as to what I might be doing wrong.
Hi Perry,
The way I get the monitor to sync with the bike:
– Turn on the monitor (it blinks fast)
– Hit any key on the console to turn it on
– Wait for the P to show up in the bluetooth reading
– Press the bluetooth button
It can take a little bit, but it always connects for me.
Hope that helps,
Alan
Hi
looking for some help, recently purchased the C6 and have been taking peloton digital classes. Question is on resistance, peloton instructors say flat road is 20-30, however 20-30 on the C6 feels like a 50 on a peloton bike and there is no way that is “flat road” on a the C6. I contacted Bowflex support for insight and they mentioned the 0-100 but were no really helpful. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
Hi Ami,
I am hoping Chris sees your post and replies. If you look through other comments, however, you may find what you can do to change the resistance.
Until then I wouldn’t feel guilty about translating the settings. If they say 50 and it’s the equivalent to your 30, then go with 30.
And if it is to hard and you don’t want to try to do the adjustment yourself, I wouldn’t worry about pushing Bowflex to come fix it. (I had to do that with NordicTrack one time with a rower whose lowest resistance was too high.)
My best,
Alan
Thanks Alan, much appreciated!
You are welcome. 🙂
To piggy back on Ami’s comment about the resistance, has anyone done the mad scientist experiment to tweak the resistance to match (or even come closer) the Pelotons resistance? Like Ami stated, the resistance numbers are pretyy far off which makes it more difficult to follow the Peloton classes (on top of already not being able to see the metrics on the screen like you can on an actual Peloton screen).
Would love to know if some one out there has cracked the code in either adjusting their resistance on the actual bike or narrowing it down where you know the C6 resistance equals Pelotons minus 20 or whatever the number may be. Right now I am going off feel and makes the classes harder to follow
Thanks!
So I talked to customer service on Friday and they sent me a procedure for calibrating the resistance sensor. I plan on testing this out this evening (got a cold from my kids this weekend and didn’t feel like messing with it LOL!) Basically this procedure has you set the 1 position and then set the 100 position based on the range of the shoe that holds the magnets. Reason for my call was I noticed quite a few extra turns past 100 to get the rubber pad brake to engage the flywheel. So I suspected that my “range” was off due to this and the tech agreed. Apparently the bike’s initial calibration at the factory might be a standard range that may or may not correspond to the actual range you’re getting due to tension/tightness between the knob and the shoe that moves the magnets. The memory that holds the calibration is read-only and can only be saved 3 times before you have to get a new sensor. I thought it was strange, but who knows 🙂
But this could explain why I wasn’t able to hit higher power targets higher than 700 watts (high range max was too low) and could also explain why some people think 20-30 feels like it should be 50 (low range min is too high)
Once I get this tested I’ll try to get some comparisons with my power meter pedals and see if they are more closely aligned than before and post an update.
Hi. I suspect the pivot bolt for the magnets is too tight, thus not allowing the magnets to “pull away“ from the flywheel at lower resistance levels. You can test this by pulling “up” on the resistance knob when you believe pedaling is too difficult for the displayed resistance level. If the magnets pull away, and pedaling becomes easier, you confirmed the issue. If this is the case look for my other post on how to remedy. Otherwise, there is no standard for resistance, so experiences will vary. That said, I find the levels on my C6/IC4 to be very equivalent to the PB. Good luck.
Thanks Chris, I will give this a try. Appreciate the help!
Quick follow up. I tried pulling up on the restistnace knob while pedaling, however the knob will not pull up. So I called bowflex support, they sent me instructions on a potential fix, however I asked them to send a tech to look at it, they are also sending a new resistance unit and knob to be installed by the tech.
Thanks for the follow up. Good luck.
Hi, what were the instructions for calibration. I just got my bike and I can turn from fully counter clockwise where level = 0 to level 100 in a few turns. But the know can be turned many more times yet before I get to a really hard resistance and eventually lock the wheel. Is this normal? It would seem to me the 0 to 100 in relation to the knob turns is not correct. THanks
Here’s a link to the comment I posted with the calibration instructions. I had the same issue as you where I got to 100 and still had a lot of turns before the wheel locked up.
Remember you might have to do the procedure twice to actually get it to set correctly.
https://dataguy.me/2019/11/review-bowflex-c6-indoor-exercise-bike/#comment-852
Thanks. What’s the reasoning behind you can only do this 3 times? Did they say why?
Thanks
Has something to do with the memory used for the sensor. They said you couldn’t overwrite it and it only had room for performing 3 calibrations and that’s it. Seemed like a silly limitation to me. Main reason I suggest you have them on the phone though. If something happens and you mess up twice, you might have a hard time getting them to send you a new sensor for free if it’s been “calibrated” without them knowing about it 🙂
So my computer engineering background got me thinking about this. 3x, must be using some kind of WORM memory where they can only write to it once and have 3 slots.. Not sure but Why did you have to do it twice for it to take effect. I thought I wonder if it reads the values on power up so when you did it the second time and pulled the power, it actually read the values on power up and would have been ok. I tried it, followed instructions and did it once. After I was done, it still was the same feeling even thought the console had my new values. I unplugged it and plugged it back in and voila, 100 is now near the top of the restriction as it should have been.
Hey Tony, that makes sense on reading the values on power up. I did not try that which is probably why it took me a couple of times to get it to work 🙂
Lane, did you record the upper and lower limits were when you did the recalibration? I just went through the process today with Bowflex/Nautilus support and it greatly improved the resistance range but curious to see what others range numbers look like.
I actually haven’t bothered to check that. Would depend on the cadence. My average when doing a training session is usually in the 85-90 range. Not sure I could maintain that at 100% to get an accurate reading LOL! I’ll see if I can come up with some sort of baseline during the week and report back.
Thank you for all the info!!
Hi, and thanks for all the info. I have the IC4 and so far so good. I’m testing a few apps and for my need I prefer FulGaz so far. However, I’ve noticed that the calories burned on that app are about 70-80% of the calories shown on the console. Since I’ve entered my height and weight in the app setting, I’m assuming that it is more accurate than the console…? Any idea if heart rate is being used in that calculation or any way to have a more accurate reading with the console? I’ve also noticed that on FulGaz it takes a little while for the BMP to catch up to the real pulse.
I tried “Explore the World” app today, and it’s nowhere near the same quality as FulGaz!
Any feedback would be appreciated!
Anyone has any idea whether heartbeat is being used in the calculation? Thanks!
It absolutely should be, but I doubt it. A question for Schwinn / Bowflex.
Thank you. I did call customer service and they said calories shown on the console are indeed simply based on rpm and resistance. I should have known that ????
Are you able to swap out the pedals for better one’s? Does this have any affect on the warranty?
Yes you can swap it out. I cannot imagine it voids the warranty, but if you put the old pedals back on, they wouldn’t know. 🙂
But, I would check with Bowflex if you are still worried.
Thanks for the quick reply.
I talked to a support rep for Schwinn/Bowflex about that for the IC3. The rep told me that swapping the pedals would void the warranty on the cranks but not any other part that wasn’t directly affected by the swap. Keep in mind that this was their “interpretation” of the warranty. Sometimes I get the feeling they may not really understand everything about their products on the front lines. I asked about the crank length and the rep actually took a tape measure to measure the bike he had sitting in the room next to them LOL. Great customer service but sometimes they seem in the dark about things that the users would want to know…
But as stated, just keep the old pedals and put them back on if you ever need to. 🙂
Hi Lane,
Thanks for contacting them and posting the results!
My best,
Alan
Any suggestions of a free way to log console data in one central area. I use peloton app but on my fire tv so no data is there, Id like to connect the console to an app on my phone to log distance etc. I was hoping for Strava but it looks like that wont work without Zwift which I am not a fan of to be honest. Anyone have any suggestions
Hi Donnie,
I’ll have to defer to others…but hopefully you’ll get an answer soon.
My best,
Alan
You can manually log the data shown in the console into Strava, or your own s/s. Those are the only ‘free’ options that come to mind.
Are you on iOS or Android?
I’ve been using Cyclemeter for iPhone with my IC4, and I can get cadence, distance, heart rate, and calories synced with Apple Health. Hoping for some kind of update to also get resistance since it is in the bike computer.
It’s not perfect, but works well. I even pull my heart rate data from my Apple Watch which is really excellent so I don’t have to fuss with the included heart rate monitor.
For the settings, I have the wheel diameter set to 18.5- but that’s the best measurement I could get. (If anyone has a more official number or own measurement please reply)
Mike makes a good point. Cyclemeter is great. Resistance is not a Bluetooth element on the bike, so it will not be possible to relay it to another app, unfortunately.
I also use the fire tv peloton app and use the wahoo app on my phone for the bike data. It will send the data to strava and MapMyFitness at the end of the workout.
Does the bike connect directly to the Wahoo app? Or do you need to go through some other steps/app to do it? What data do you get? Distance, time, etc. …
thanks
Great review! Planning to buy soon. A few random comments/questions. Anyone know why there are two versions, and at a $100 different price point? I assume my wife and can both use the same bike pretty easy, not just by adjusting setup, but tracking stats? I have Strava and Zwift already, will my new stats from these workouts auto load to Strava? I hate the idea of buying new cycling shoes(already have two for road bikes). Can I get different cleats to attach to current road cycling shoes? Finally, how did you all decide between bow flex and Schwinn? Thanks!
Hi Jason,
In order:
– Nautilus, apparently, has Bowflex as it’s premium brand. I think they made a mistake having the C6 being exactly the same as the Schwinn IC4.
– Yes with your wife and you using it.
– I have not used Strava.
– I use my existing cycle shoes. It comes with the attachments for its pedals and as long as your shoes use two screws, they should work. Mine clipped in as is.
Hope that helps!
Alan
To add to what Alan shared, Strava and Zwift may or may not fulfill your wish due to the data accuracy issues described throughout this page. If you’re just after relative improvements they will work fine. For Strava, you will need to use another app (iOS), like Cyclemeter to connect to the bike sensors, then upload from the app to Strava. Or, you could use your bike computer (assuming you have one already based on your comment). I use Zwift exclusively on the IC4 and love it, but I did move a set of power meter pedals over from one of my road bikes to get accurate output. If you don’t own power meter pedals, however, that would set you back another $400-650.
Regarding the pedals, standard road shoes have 3 or 4 hole cleat installations and, as such, are not compatible with the MTB style clip ins on the spin bike. Acquiring pedals that would work with your existing shoes, or picking up some inexpensive shoes that would work with the bike are both options that don’t need to cost an arm and a leg. Good luck.
This thread is full of so much quality information. Chris has been a fountain of knowledge. I started doing Peloton rides using the app a year ago. I have been using a felt pad bike with wahoo sensors and wanted to upgrade to magnetic. My issue has been the instructors I use all focus on FTP. I was hoping this bike would be that crossover bike as the PB price tag just hurts. I really want an indoor bike that is accurate with Watts but it appears even with this bike I would need to add the 400 pedals which makes it 1200 plus tax.
I also looked at the Eschelon EX3 Bike but I know there instructors are supposed to suck . With the EX3 you can connect to the free portion of their app and it will give cadence resistance and power output on a tablet which I could then use to have my numbers for the Peloton classes.
Starting to think a less expensive magnetic bike of Amazon and a set of power pedals is my best option as I can also use them on a road bike if I decide to buy one later.
As long as you wouldn’t benefit from knowing the resistance level on the console, sounds like a good plan. ????????
Sorry if this question was already answered – is the seat comfortable?
I looked at Echelon vs Pelaton seat and the Eche had a wider seat that I think would be more comfortable.
I find it comfortable enough, but you can replace it with another bicycle seat if you want Tracy.
Good info. Thank you!
You are welcome. 🙂
Can you install any bicycle saddle on the IC4? Can I just move the saddle I use on my road bike to the IC4?
As long as you don’t have carbon rails, it should be fine. I put a Ti rail saddle on mine. Works great. I don’t like the clamp they use but it will take standard size rails. Carbon ones might be too tall to fit though.
I don’t think it is and was going to see if anyone has a recommendation for a good cover.
Hi gang! As promised, here’s my power comparison (and cadence) of the IC4 vs the Garmin Vector 3 pedals.
You can view the analysis here:
https://analyze.dcrainmaker.com/#/public/d279ccbb-b08d-46b0-4c39-08a02f756c73
So this was a tempo ride in Zwift. My current FTP is 155 so they workout had me spending 6 minute intervals @110watts with recovery intervals of 2 minutes @80watts. (FTP used to be higher but I blew out my ankle last October doing my first century LOL! Took 3 months to recover. Amazing how fast you lose you progress… 🙂 ) During the first warmup period I increased the resistance a bit to around 40ish I think just for a few seconds. You can see that the IC4 was registering around 430ish vs the Garmin which was around 250ish.
Most of the ride I was at resistance 9 which had me hovering in Zwift @110ish watts. The Garmin was registering 90ish watts. Not that far off at lower resistances. Recovery periods at resistance level 6 were even closer. 80ish vs 70ish. The last cooldown period I varied the resistance up and down to show how much they differ as you increase. Quite a bit. Max power registered on the IC4 was 650 watts vs 418 on the Garmin.
The cadence between the two was pretty much spot on though so that was nice 🙂
Hope it helps!
Great info! Thanks for taking the time to share Lane!
Great review and the comments are just as helpful. The product page for the bike says it is compatible with Strava but in reading some of the comments above it sounds like it isn’t without using some sort of intermediary app to get the data to Strava.
My question is what do you get/see if you just pair it with the Strava app and no third party app? I’m looking at this bike as a cross trainer for the days I don’t run so I don’t need a lot of data, I’d be happy with time, distance, speed/pace, and heart rate. But I’d rather not jump through a lot of hoops to get it to Strava (which I already use).
Thank you for your wonderful review! How much does the C6 weigh in total? The Peloton weighs 455 lbs.
Thanks for the kind words June. It is 106 pounds.
Thanks I made a mistake and was reading weight limit. I am leaning towards the Schwinn IC5 now. Looks like it could take 2 months before I get it due to popularity and its all the companies.
Do you mean the IC4 June?
Either purchase will be worth it. If the mat that comes with the C6 would benefit you and it’s in stock, it might be worth going that direction to get it sooner.
My best,
Alan
When I ordered my IC4 the delay was 20 days to delivery. I received it on the 19th day after ordering. The Bowflex C6 was 30 days out. Not surprising the delay has grown if it’s been a popular item. 🙂 As Alan said though, get whichever comes in sooner. 🙂
I believe the shipping weight was around 160lbs. Specs on the site say the assembled weight is 106 lbs.
Sorry.. shipping weight was 120 lbs 🙂
Note that, according to the user manual, the Peloton Bike was 149 lbs.
Question for those of you that have power meter pedals installed…. What’s the max power you’ve been able to hit? Seems like the magnetic resistance has a break point that my legs can get past rather easily in short bursts. With the IC3’s felt pad, I could crank that thing down and easily break 1000watts. This is specifically in reference to Sufferfest’s 4DP Full Frontal test (their version of an FTP test) Early in the test you try to hit your max power for 5 seconds. With the IC3 I held at 1022 watts. I can’t even get close to that on the IC4 even with the resistance max’d at 100.
Just wondering if it’s possible that I’m having an issue with the resistance mechanism not moving freely and I need to take a look at it as has been mentioned in other comments.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide!
I peak over 1000w onmost rides; max I’ve seen is a bit over 1300w. That is cranking out of the saddle at ~80 resistance. I haven’t noticed any limitations.
Hmmm.. most I’ve hit so far is around 650-700. Guess I might need to take a look at that nut and see if it’s limiting the resistance.
Thanks!
Hi gang!
So I got through the calibration process this afternoon. Power seems a bit closer than it was but still quite a bit of difference the higher you go. Link to the new comparison:
https://analyze.dcrainmaker.com/#/public/7cfd7f98-4f51-4d87-780d-6e64c9920226
I will say this, my 100 is now really 100 when it comes to available resistance on the bike. The calibration procedure is still considered “beta” by Schwinn/Bowflex. I couldn’t get it to work at first based on what they sent me so I had to call. And it’s not without its quirks. Once you put it in calibration mode, there’s something measuring the current “something” on the knob. Not sure if it’s torque or tension or what.. but the top number is showing you the current measurement of whatever it is measuring. For me that was when the magnet shoe was just starting to dip down and it read 1717. Right underneath that is a flashing number which represents your current setting for Level 1 resistance. For me, mine was set right at 1717 so it looks like I was starting in the correct place. Underneath the flashing Level 1 measurement was another measurement for Level 100. Mine was set at 1863. So I started cranking the knob to increase the resistance and got it to where the rubber brake pad stopped the flywheel from moving and then backed it off until the flywheel would turn again by hand. The current measurement on the meter was 1898. So 35 “whatever” more than the previous setting for 100. So I set that and tried going through the levels. 100 was still coming way too early. The Schwinn/Bowflex tech and I decided to go through it again. Remember, you can only do this 3 times. Got into the calibration screen and it read 1717 for current reading, 1717 for Level 1 and 1898 for Level 100. Which is what I had set previously. So I went through the motions again and set Level 1 and Level 100. After doing that the second time… everything worked as I expected it to. 100 now brings it just before the rubber brake hits and 1 is just as the shoe starts moving down. Takes a much longer time to get through the full 100 levels too which is a sign that it did something right 🙂
So here’s the procedure for anyone that wants to try it:
*************WARNING************
This can only be done 3 times and currently it looks like you have to do it twice to get the values to correctly save. If you need to do it more than 3 times, you’ll have to get a new resistance sensor. I highly recommend calling Schwinn/Bowflex support and ask them to walk you through the process just to be on the safe side from a warranty perspective. Also keep in mind the techs don’t really know this procedure yet so use the following as a guideline to help you along 🙂
************************************
Step 1: Remove the front fender. Two screws on the left and two on the right. Then slide it towards the front of the bike to pull it out.
Step 2: Turn the resistance knob to raise the shoe all the way up. Then “increase the resistance maybe 1/3 turn until the shoe just starts to move down. This will be your Level 1 position.
Step 3: Unplug the power cord. Probably don’t need to do this but if you turned the cranks like I did it might put you in a “starting” ride state. So safer just to unplug it.
Step 4: Plug the power cord back into the bike.
Step 5 and 6: Very important here… once you do step 5, you have 5 seconds to do step 6. Again, I have no idea why…
Step 5: hit the ENTER button. Bottom left. Refer to your manual for which button is which if you’re not sure.
Within 5 seconds….
Step 6: Hold the RESET and UP buttons down together for 3 seconds. The console should change to where you see some numbers in a few spots and the rest is blank.
Step 7: Hold the RESET and UP buttons down together for another 3 seconds. This second time puts you in the calibration screen. You will see a value at the top which is your current measurement of the resistance knob. Underneath that will be a flashing number which is the Level 1 measurement. Most likely these two will be close to the same value. Underneath the flashing number is the Level 100 measurement. Underneath that you should see a 1 because this is the first time the calibration has been performed.
Step 8: Press the ENTER button. This will record the Level 1 measurement. It should stop flashing and the Level 100 measurement should start flashing.
Step 9: Turn the resistance knob all the way until you can’t turn the flywheel with your hand and it is effectively “locked”. The “current” measurement up at the top should increase in value. Slowly back off the resistance until you can freely move the flywheel with your hand. This should be your Level 100 measurement.
Step 10: Hit the ENTER button again to record the Level 100 measurement. After this you go back to the main console screen.
At this point you may be done. Check the 1 – 100 range and make sure the magnet shoe goes all the way from the top to just before the flywheel locks. If like me and your 100 still doesn’t go down as far as it should… you may have to do steps 1-10 all over again which will eat up another of your 3 calibration slots. Second time around you’ll see a 2 at the bottom indicating that it’s the 2nd out of 3 tries for calibration.
Step 11: Reinstall the front fender.
That’s it! It’s really not that hard to do but I stress again, have one of the techs on the phone to help you with this and just use this post as a guide in case the tech hasn’t done it before… because they probably haven’t LOL!
I just don’t want anyone to void their warranty trying to do a procedure that’s considered “beta” without Schwinn/Bowflex having a record of it.
Hope it helps!
Great info Lane! Thanks tons!
Great stuff, Lane!! Saving this if I ever feel the need down the road.
Chris
Hi Lane, I shared your calibration steps on the fb group and this is the response they sent to the admin..just an FYI. I haven’t needed to do this procedure myself personally.
“From Bowflex/Schwinn, Regarding Calibration of the Bike:
We saw that a couple customers were going over steps for re-calibrating the IC4 and C6 bikes. We do want to let you know that those instructions are incorrect and wanted to reach out so you could relay the correct information for us. These machines can only be calibrated twice and to only go through these steps if your bike is experiencing the following issues.
-The Resistance Knob can be rotated, and the Level value on the Console never changes from 0%.
-The Resistance Knob can be fully rotated counter-clockwise, and the Level value never reaches 0%.
-The Resistance Knob is fully rotated clockwise, and the Level value never reaches 100%.
I have also sent over a PDF attachment for the correct steps from the manual and the incorrect pdf attachment that you guys currently have for reference. If customers need to perform these actions to take the corrective steps. Also if they run in any issues or questions on if their machine needs it to contact us directly. “
Jason where is the PDF with correct instructions? Thanks
Ha. Well, I did say it was beta 🙂 Apparently it’s changed again. So the first PDF they sent me was “incorrect”. Didn’t work at all which is why I called Bowflex support. The steps I detailed above were straight from them at the time.
Interestingly enough, the three scenarios don’t cover the problem Tony and I were seeing. Turning the knob clockwise gets to 100% prior to the actual resistance getting to 100% or just before locking the wheel.
Again though, that’s why I had mentioned you should have support on the phone when you do this because 1. they can update you if the directions have changed and 2. they can be aware that you had a problem and you can say that they told you to do it. That way if it doesn’t work they can send you a new sensor under warranty.
Thanks for the update Jason!
Well I must say, nothing about the way the bike behaved before calibration made any sense.
1. Resistance would reach 100% and there was several turns more on the knob before maxing out. The online manual sent by bowflex states as follows and note it says to slightly past 100% locked flywheel.
Resistance Adjustment
To increase the resistance and workload, turn the resistance adjustment knob clockwise. To reduce the resistance, turn the resistance adjustment
knob counter-clockwise. The range of movement of the Resistance Adjustment Knob is 0% to slightly past the 100% level of resistance (locked
Flywheel). Do not turn the Resistance Adjustment Knob past the range of movement. If turned past the range of movement, damage to the machine
may occur.
2. My speed while barely peddling I would see it read 50KM/H. The speed is a caculation they use with RPM and resistance but because 100% had little resistance, it showed a very high speed.
3. At the end of the workout I would show 500+ CAL burned while the online apps Peloton or Zwift would show half that.
So I disagree with the reasons why one would need to calibrate.
I also find it very disturbing that they would ship out the bike un-calibrated forcing the end user to have to figure this out and all the while the computer console they built only allows 3 calibrations and then you need a new console.
My bike ride this morning after calibration showed what I thought was more realistic speed. RPM/CADENCE is a read of revolutions so I assume it’s correct. Peloton displays roughly same value as what I see on console which makes sense as I believe Peloton is just getting that value from the bike. The CALS burned now shows less on the bike than on the Peloton app this morning. But not a factor of 100% off. Since CALS is some calculation I attribute this to the way Bowflex and Peloton each calculate it.
So I joined that FB group and got the PDF. Unless I’m mistaken, it’s the exact same directions I posted above. Even still says you can calibrate 3 times. I don’t see a way to post an attachment in this forum or I’d stick it up here. So Jason, I’m not sure what you posted as I couldn’t find that actual post, but my steps are the same. I admit I don’t have the nice pictures to go along with them… didn’t take any while I was calibrating 🙂
Yes, Lane, there are advantages with comments if you own the web site. 🙂 Instructions -> here <-. Thanks for providing them!
I emailed the PDF to Alan so hopefully he can add it in here as a link for people.
I ordered the Schwinn IC4. Wonder what the IC stands for? Expected delivery is 6 weeks. I can get a mat, Im not concerned about that. Glad I read this blog as it motivated me! Im also looking at the Bowflex dumbbells. CL has some used ones fir a 1/4th the cost
Does anyone else’s bike Wheel make a clanking type Noise when pedaling?
No…but if I go fast, the foot straps can make noise (I clip in).
Hi Karen,
I got my bike in early November. Out of the box, it made a noise (more of a grinding than clanking). Contacted Bowflex customer service. They were nice, but told me it was probably a bad crank assembly. I sent them a video that showed the noise was coming from the flywheel, but to no avail. So they sent a new crank assembly and dispatched a technician (two of them actually). When they checked the bike they were quite exasperated. They said it was obviously a bad flywheel bearing. So, 10 days later I get a new flywheel and the technicians came back and replaced it. Problem solved… except there seems to be a design flaw in the resistance mechanism, and unless the flywheel is magically positioned correctly, the “full stop” break pads rub when the resistance is set to 80 or so. Not a problem for me since I rarely ride over resistance 70.
About a week ago, after riding for about 4-5 minutes, I upped the resistance to about 65 and stood up to pedal. I then noticed a grinding/creaking sound (maybe your clanking noise) with every down-stroke of the right pedal. Thought maybe it was fluke, but no. It now happens every time I ride the bike and repeat the above scenario.
So, I disassembled the crank (had the tools they sent from the previous problem…) and sure enough, the right bearing seems to be bad. When I rotate it I get a grinding noise. Obviously Bowflex cut corners on bearings…
I made a video of the situation and sent it off to Bowflex this morning. Hopefully in the next few days I’ll hear from them. Anxious to see what their response will be since the bike is now out of labor warranty. At least I should get new parts, but may have to replace them myself, which I’m not too excited about since pulling/installing bearings can be tricky. Worst case, I’ll just order new bearings (better quality than what they provide) and then install them.
Hopefully this helps. If you contact Bowflex please share that others are probably having the same problem as yours. They have been responsive so far, but they follow a script, so they’ll probably start with “it sounds like the pedals…” Good luck!
Thank you for commenting. Glad to know I wasn’t the only one. I did contact them on Monday sent videos with my problem followed up on Friday but they had no reply. When I do hear back I will let them know I’m not alone.
Robert, did this ever get resolved? Just set up my new bike, and the wheel is slightly off centered so that it scrapes against the right side of the piece at the top of the wheel at a certain point each spin.
Do you have problems with the handlebars slipping down? I have the IC4 and they just won’t stay up.
I do not Douglass. Could you send me a short video of what is happening to “alan” at this domain?
My IC4 is arriving tomorrow. At first the ETA was set at 8 weeks. It took 18 days. This is a great blog to get into the technical aspects. Thank you.
That is awesome news June! I look forward to hearing how you like it…
Alan – many have said this already but I want to thank you for the fabulous review and ongoing information AND your engagement with folks. This is like a community of users. Bowflex should have you on staff!
I wish I’d found this before ordering the C6 which we’ve had almost a month. The free $100 mat is all but worthless if you use bike shoes with cleats which we do. It’s already showing wear. But other than that we love the bike.
I have some questions/comments:
1) I find the console’s cadence gauge with tick marks to be sorely inadequate. Has anyone figured out how to know when you’ve hit 90 for instance? My husband thinks each tick mark is 7. That’s convenient! NOT! I cannot understand why the cadence isn’t a digital number the same as other data. I could live w/o calories but need accurate cadence. I’m not buying a separate meter for it.
2) And yes, I’ve read her that I can sync the Peloton app. I’m still in our free trial and haven’t decided if we’ll stay with them. My husband preferred Zwift and I want to try them all before deciding. It turns out that Peloton only can be paired with iOs. We’re using a Windows laptop in our little workout space and our phones are Android. So that is apparently not an option for us. I asked Bowflex about it and they said it’s a Peloton decision and now I’ve emailed Peloton to learn more. Will post if I find anything.
3) On the subject of apps, I know the list of options and have only tried the first two mentioned above. I didn’t mind the routes and self-directed nature or even the gaming aspect of Zwift but didn’t like the way the riders literally run through you (ie: the lack of authenticity of the experience). I wonder if anyone has found an app that uses real video of routes? That would be the next one to try. I suspect that may be what the new app by Bowflex is, but it has HORRIBLE reviews. Has anyone tried it?
Thanks Sheila for the kind words.
I’ll have to look at my bike about the cadence, but agreed…why it isn’t a digital number doesn’t make sense to me.
The Peleton limitation (usefulness-wise) to iOS is an annoyance. I didn’t pay attention to it…but I think there may have just been an announcement from them about the app…so maybe worth upgrading it and trying it again on Android.
For real videos, my favorite is FulGaz, and I believe they will give your husband access if you subscribe (may need to be for a year, but it’s a decent deal). It is worth trying out…
My best,
Alan
Has anyone had issues on the C6 with the water bottle bracket interfering with the handlebar adjustment handle and not being able to tighten the handlebars enough when they are moved toward the front of the range of adjustment (farther forward)? On mine the handle hits the bracket before the handlebars are sufficiently tightened.
The handlebar adjustment handle is spring loaded, and can be pulled out to be rotated to be out of the way.
It is a poorly thought out design. Chris is right, you can pull the handle down, rotate it “back” a little bit and then tighten some more. But I had the same problem setting up the IC4. The water bottle holders do get in the way and make it more difficult than it should be.
Thank you for all of this information, both in the original post and in all of these comments!
Would you be able to confirm the minimum inseam distance with the seat in the lowest/innermost position, by any chance? The Bowflex and Schwinn sites both list the minimum height recommended as 4’6″ (max of 6’6″). However, before purchasing, I decided to double-check the min height with customer service. The Bowflex rep with whom I spoke said the min inseam was 30″ (max of 39″)… which doesn’t seem even close to aligning with their min height.
It’s probably wishful thinking that the 30″ she found was incorrect, but there are so many great things about this bike that I’d hate to have to cross it off the list! I’ve been trying to find the best bike to use with the Peloton app, but at 5′ with a 27″ inseam, that is proving more difficult than I expected.
Thank you from a Colorado shorty!
Hi Carolyn,
I’m sorry to inform that it may not work for you. I just measured mine, and it came it at 29”, and this is with an aftermarket (thinner) saddle and pedals, with the saddle positioned at the front most position.
Chris
I appreciate you checking, Chris! Back to the drawing board I go.
We purchased the IC4 a couple weeks ago. Completely satisfied.
Anyways, our family has a 5′ mom and a 4’11” pre-teen. Both fit just fine on the second to lowest seat setting. The fore/aft adjustments on the seat and handlebars also are sufficient to be comfortable.
Hey Carolyn: I am 5’6″ and I’d say I could easily` go 4 to 6 inches lower on the seatpost, which means you’ll be OK. Most recreational cyclists have their seat way too low. You need to raise it until your hips rock back and forth and then put it at the next setting lower.
One issue you MAY have however is the crank length. It is 170 and non-adjustable. I use 165 on most of my bikes and have bad knees so I thought this would be an issue, but though I’d still like 165’s the C6 crankarms are not too bad.
So if your knees are OK you should be OK.
PLEASE HELP
How the heck do I turn the beeping off? It’s driving my dog and cats crazy.
Hopeful you have an answer ????????
Did you ever find a solution to this? The bike is silent but the beeping is loud and obnoxious!
I have not seen a solution to this yet. The beeping sound is ridiculously loud for such a quiet bike. Last option would be to open the console and disable the speaker.
I’ve been fascinated by the discussion on calibration and how the C6 interacts with Zwift. Are the power readings and such more accurate when using ROUVY sine it also reads speed and distance?
I’m trying to decide between Zwift and ROUVY. I’m a beginner and interested in training.
If you have Facebook there is a group for Schwinn IC4 and Bowflex C6 owners. Lots of great questions and feedback from Zwift users. I recently purchased power pedals for accuracy and also because I want to get into PZ training (which is another topic in itself).
Hi Steve! Hadn’t even heard of Rouvy until you mentioned it. Looks pretty cool! I’ll try to sign up for the trial tomorrow and hook the IC4 power up to it and see how it goes and report back. I suspect it’s still going to be very inaccurate though.
Thanks. I look forward to your feedback.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/380061492784886/?ref=share
Hey Steve! Sorry it took so long. Did first “real” ride of the year yesterday and was beat LOL! So I downloaded the Rouvy app and hooked the IC4 power/speed/cadence up to it. Then I connected my power meter pedals to my 830 head unit and did what was almost 10 miles in Rouvy. As I suspected, the IC4 wasn’t close. It’s about the same differences I was seeing in Zwift.
Here’s a link to the comparison:
https://analyze.dcrainmaker.com/#/public/c80e542c-7bf8-4877-787b-72eb732984b5
At its worst, IC4 was reporting almost 200 watts higher than the power meter.
Rouvy app looks kind of cool though 🙂 Might be good for those long endurance rides I need to do while my wife is working!
Wow. That’s not even in the ballpark. As you indicated, not surprising given that both apps are just taking what the bike reports. My numbers are much, much closer between pedals and IC4. At the top of what is Zone 2 for me the pedals (spot on accurate) report 270w, while the IC4 reports 285w. I’ve not done a calibration, either. The lack of consistency, bike-to-bike, is very frustrating.
Agreed. I had a fairly lengthy talk with Customer support about getting the company to add a crank arm power meter and just increasing the price by $250-$300. Would still be a much better value than getting a Peloton. She told me to send an email with a summary to some address. Never got a response back but hopefully someone is looking at it LOL!
Hi Chris,
Could you share your cadence and resistance setting while you were seeing 285 watts on IC4? I have a new bike and trying to read all inputs on this blog and try to come up with how off my bike is. thanks!
As a bonus it would also enormously help if someone can throw in a few extra data points, like what power you see on different resistance/cadence settings compared with power meters. So people can make a small test and see how accurate their bike is.
Cheers
There’s no easy way to recall this, but a little reverse engineering of some pedal data would suggest that, for me, 285w on my IC4 would come from ~mid-60s cadence and mid-60s resistance / level.
Thanks. I made a quick test and here is my results, do you think my results are way off and require a calibration? thx
At a fixed 60 cadence:
%30 res -> 190w
%60 res -> 350w
%80 res -> 500w
Hi Jan!
Did a quick test on mine. Were you using the IC4’s power output? Cause those numbers look a bit inflated. Keep in mind that Chris and I both use power meter pedals which are way more accurate. And my readings seem to line up with his.
Same 60 cadence:
30% = 120watts
60% = 235watts
80%=300watts.
give or take a couple of watts… I don’t usually pedal that slowly… took me a while to make it even LOL!
Regardless of the output.. theoretically the % difference should be similar if the resistance difference has the same ratios. Theoretically….
In that case my differences are:
30-60 = 95-96% jump
60-80 = 27-28% jump
Yours are:
30-60 = 84.2% jump
60-80 = 42.9% jump
Which is a little odd… Based on the first jump it looks like your resistance is lower than it should be @60. Which is what I was seeing before I calibrated. But the second jump seems like 80 is reporting higher relative to the 60? Well… actually, if the 60 was low, then difference between the 60 and 80 might not be the same as the difference between my 60 and 80. Sorry.. been a long week and my logic has been stamped down trying to potty train my almost 3yr old LOL.
Long story short: I think you would probably benefit doing a calibration. The PDF for that is somewhere in this forum. Alan posted it a few weeks back.
Hope that helps!
Ha. Mid 60s cadence for me, at that resistance, is going easy out of the saddle. I’d say I average 75-85, but I push a big gear.
Hi all, still trying to get used to my fabulous new C6. Where is the output/wattage?!
Thanks!
Thanks for making the test Lane! Indeed I also had to use a metronome to pedal evenly.
When I look at your power meter results my conclusion is if I always aim ~%50 more watts I will always be in the ball park with other guys in the spinning classes. Which is the most important thing for me.
This calculation will not help when racing each other on Zwift of course. I saw the pdf about calibration and since I have 3 chances I am a bit hesitant of it. Btw I also read that there is a new firmware coming soon to fix these inflated power issues.
Would you say after calibration your results got very close to power meter results?
Not sure it will help or further complicate matters at this point, but I did a short test over the weekend with the IC4 connected to Zwift, with two cadence / resistance variations.
A steady 285 watts was registered at each of the following combinations:
52 cadence, 64 resistance
82 cadence, 32 resistance.
Nope. They got a smidge closer, but still WAY off. I’m curious if the firmware update is going to actually make it more accurate. I’d probably still use my power meter pedals regardless since I have them. Understandable that it’s an extra expense.. but if you considered the Peloton, I’d argue for the same amount of money or even less… you can get the C6/IC4 + a set of power meter pedals and have a solid machine that can connect to any app out there and be accurate.
Thanks for testing Chris. I tried the same numbers with yours:
52 cadence, 64 resistance
82 cadence, 32 resistance.
And I got 320 watts.
So it’s %12 more than your 285 watts. I assume you got this readings from the bike and not a power meter, correct? Because Lane Henderson tried with power meter and I am inflated by %50 of his numbers.
Correct – IC4 as power, not pedals. My pedals register ~15% lower, on average above resistance level 25, which is much closer to reality than others are experiencing. The inconsistency is frustrating. I would be surprised if they addressed, but would welcome it.
Hello. Thank you so much for your post. My bike just came in and I got on using the Tiem Slipstream you recommended. For some reason when I twisted off my feet to clip out of the pedals, the cleat at the bottom of the shoes also twisted and it’s crooked on the shoe. Do you know why it could be doing this? I can email you a picture If you like.
The clips on the pedal are set too high for the tension. The same thing happened to me
Use the 3mm Allen wrench that came with the bike and you can loosen the tension on the pedal. The instruction manual has more details
It will make it easier to clip in and out – just don’t set it too loose or you can unclip accidentally
Wow. Location and how to loosen the tension please. Thank you.
What is the wire that came with the bike? USB on one end and a magnetic looking thing on the other end?
Think that’s the charger for the heartrate monitor.
Lane Henderson – do you have the calibration method, to make the C6 resistance match Peloton?
THANK YOU!!
I’m following this!!!! I need to calibrate desperately! My resistance is way too hard on the C6!
Hi Lisa! Here’s a link to Alan’s comment with the link to the PDF that instructs you on how to do a calibration.
https://dataguy.me/2019/11/review-bowflex-c6-indoor-exercise-bike/#comment-1146
As to getting it to match the Peloton… I’m not really sure you can get it to match exactly. The calibration benefit, from what I’ve been reading, varies from bike to bike. Meaning Bowflex/Schwinn’s quality control on that mechanism is a bit off. Some bikes don’t need calibration, some do. Some it helps, some it doesn’t.
From what I understand from reading other people’s posts on the matter… you will get a “feel” for what it should be after a while. So you probably don’t need to calibrate your bike unless you’re having major issues getting a full resistance range. Just do a few Peloton classes and see how it goes. If they say you need to do 25 and everybody is sweating bullets and your 25 feels easy, just kick it up and keep track. Shouldn’t take too long to get the hang of it. I actually haven’t done a Peloton class so I’m going off of what people post and from talking to my buddy at work who has the actual Peloton and his experiences with the app.
Hope this helps!
Thank you so much! I’m having an issue where 1-20 seems a lot harder than what is should be, but 45-50 seem fine or possibly easier. I really appreciate all the posts you have here and your response to me!
Lisa
Hi I seem to be having the same issue, I tried calibrating and I can’t really get past 20 resistance on the C6 but when I would use a peloton 20 would feel so easy…. even around 5 resistance feels hard. Not sure what I can do about this.
Hi Mallory – I decided that for my C6 (yours and all appear to be different), it is off by at least 30. So when they say “between 40 and 60 resistance”, I am at resistance 10. It stinks but it appears to be the only solution.
There is a guy on Etsy who makes an IC4-to-Peloton conversion chart you can stick onto the bike for $10. I have no affiliation with him other than I picked one up to make the class experience a little better.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/780141425/schwinn-ic4-spin-bike-to-peloton
I don’t see how this could be useful since every bike appears to arrive calibrated differently. No bike appears to be the same.
May I ask all of you – how many “turns” equates to a gear change on the console for you?
For example, 25 on the PB is meant to be akin to a flat road, and my IC4 maps nearly identically to that. Setting it to 5, or anywhere below 10 for that matter, offers next to zero resistance. It’s unfortunate these inconsistencies exist. Otherwise, a good idea.
Great guidance. For Peloton Digital, it’s all relative.
Another question… I got the C6 so that I could use Pelaton easily. So far, the gears appear way off and I am not sure calibration would help. Apart from that, as someone else mentioned here, all the fancy numbers that appear on the peloton screen with a PB don’t appear, using the C6. What I do see, is how fast I am going and my heart rate… which I sort of don’t need since the console shows speed and my heartrate monitor gives me that data. So… what did I buy this bike for? I like it, it’s a great bike… but …hmmmmm – I really like the Peloton “ranges” that appeared on the screen when I used the PB, and if I was out of range, I was flagged for it (blinking numbers). I guess it was naive for me to think I was going to get this experience with a different bike, but the website said that it was perfectly compatible with the APP, so I was very optimistic!
Does anybody know of an app that is as fun as peloton but that focuses more on heart rate percentages? If I can’t follow along with the correct gears, I would like to use an app that tells me what heart rate range I should be in. I am pretty sure Peloton only refers to numbers about speed and gear, not heart rate ranges. Thank you!!
This may have already been noted so I apologize in advance.
I love the idea/ motivation of a peloton or others in its category, however the pricing is quite high for a novice rider.
I have a heart rate monitor- and thats the only thing I really pay attention too even in my regular spin class. I am simply looking for a good spin bike to do some Covid Cardio- Even if I use the Peloton app or a different suggestion app, I can have guided rides.
Is this a good bike to consider or is there a different option you would suggest? Id like to order something ASAP.
Thanks in advance!
Hey DataGuy:
Thanks for this review. My wife got me a C6 for my birthday, so this post is kewl.
I’ve just got Rouvy going on my iPad it is pretty good.
One thing I noticed is that you can’t connect the bike to BOTH Rouvy on my iPad and my Wahoo on my Samsung phone. You can do one or the other but not BOTH.
At first I thought this was going to be an issue because I use Wahoo on my phone to upload to Strava and I like to track everything inside and out on Strava.
After playing around with the Rouvy website I noticed it will upload your ride data directly to Strava, so I did and it is GREAT. It labels the Workout as the ‘route’ you rode with tons and tons of metrics.
Anyhoo, I just thought I’d add my 2 cents.
Keep up the good work!!
Nice! Glad it is working for you, and thanks for sharing the Strava info. Hopefully it’ll help out others…
Hi. Hoping you can provide a definitive answer. I just got my bowflex c6 and I am an android user. I read that using fire stick you could use the peloton app however Bluetooth doesn’t connect, the connected devices do not appear on fire stick/galaxy10 cell/internet option only when I tested it on my daughter’s iphone did the connected devices show. If it actually doesn’t work for Android why is there an app which won’t connect? Or am I doing something wrong? I waited on the phone with tech and all they had to say was it only works with Apple products? Which is not what bowflex website says nor peloton downloads for Android. Please help? Thanks in advance.
I’ve used both the Android app and the the Apple app on an iPad, and Rouvy is like a lot of companies that ‘support’ Android but they just do it just to check the box. They don’t appear to be interested in making the app work as well as it does on Apple devices.
That being said Rouvy AR is a new app, still in beta so it might improve with time, but don’t hold your breath.
Anyone try the Samsung “View” huge tablet with a C6?
https://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/galaxy-view/
This thing has a weird ‘bump’ in the middle of the back of it but from my calculations, it should work.
Can anyone help me with accessing “output/wattage”?
Hey Data-Guy: Just some follow up since I am still in my first month of using it and haven’t found this posted anywhere.
Loving the Rouvy/Strava data uplink. Strava dutifully collects splits, personal records, achievement badges, and segments as if the course was actually ridden.
So, I’ve been using my wife’s old iPad which works GREAT, but I am more of an Android guy so I bought a 10″ Amazon Fire. The Rouvy AR app downloads and installs without a hitch, BUT it will stop half a dozen times or more in a ride, meanwhile your virtual rider rides off in front of you! Really strange. No such problem on the iPad. I think it is GPU/CPU overload on the Fire tablet. Probably the top-rated Samsung tablets wouldn’t do this but heck those are 80% as expensive as Apple iPads, so for now, I’m stuck on an old iPad.
Everything else is otherwise GREAT. I should note that I am a recreational rider, not a racer so relative watt ratings and whatnot are OK with me. I think a lot of people are expecting the accuracy of a $3500 Wahoo Kickr bike, which is a professional level stationary trainer, not a spin bike.
Thanks…great info, and agreed with your conclusion.
Sorry for the trouble you are having with the Fire tablet.
Hope you have a great weekend!
Hey Alan!
Thanks for the great review, I was looking at this model seriously and your review pushed me over the edge. I wound up buying the Schwinn version simply because Dick’s had it in stock and I could pick it up same day. It seems a great bang for the buck paired with the Pelaton app. Hope all is well.
Congrats on the new bike Harry!
And you expanded your savings even more getting the Schwinn version. 🙂
Hope you enjoy it. Please let me know how you like it.
Thank you for the informative review. Do you know if there are any free apps out there that will calculate watts? I haven’t seen the bow flex app yet and the display doesn’t have watts. I was hoping to be able to track improvement, not only cardiovascular, but also strength and it seems like that’s the one thing missing from the display. I also don’t want to be locked into a paid app and have the ability to create my own workouts but still track progress. Any info you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi all, I was told that the C6 does not show wattage – but I see some of you are saying that “the C6 reports… wattage.” Can someone please help me with this? I am so confused. My bike stays at gear 0 for over a full nob turn, and there are various levels of difficulty of “0”. I’d love a way to just focus on power/wattage since the gears don’t make any sense. Any help is greatly appreciated!
C6 reports the power as kilocalories on the unit. This can be converted to watts per hour (1 kcal = 1.163 Watt Hours). Divide out the time at any given point and you have your wattage. Rouvy app interprets the Kcal/time value in real time to watts. I assume other apps are the same.
My wife wants me to do more aerobic exercise. I have spun before, but usually I hate the music 🙂 I was hoping to buy a Schwinn IC4 or Bowflex C6, but am now looking for something similar that would work with Zwift.
Turns out I’m not alone regarding this equipment as there is so much demand that it can take 60-90 days to get delivery.
Anyone here aware of something as functional at a similar price point?
Has anyone tried connecting a raspberry pi to the IC4 computer for data capture and automatic calculations?
Thank you for your review. I received my C6 bike and after self assembly, the left pedal snapped off during the first five minutes of my ride. I am not sure if the part was defective, or if I made an error while assembling the bike.
In any event, Bowflex will take 60 days to send me a new part. Would you know if a replacement pedal could be purchased at a bike shop? Thanks for your help.
Hi Suzanne,
Yes, you can get a replacement pedal from a bicycle shop. I would just bring the other unsnapped one so that the threading is confirmed.
And if it snapped off, I’m pretty confident it was defective, not something you did wrong assembling (or using) it.
Sorry for the trouble…I think you’ll love it once you get past this issue.
Happy 4th!
Alan
Any standard pedal will work. 60 days?! That’s ridiculous. Do note the left side is reverse threaded.
I hate to tell you this but if you are going to be using this much you’ll need different pedals and cycling shoes anyway. Sorry about that!
I use an old pair of Crank Brothers but any clipless pedal/shoe combo will do.
From what I’ve been seeing on the Facebook group, the pedals that come with the bike are causing LOTS of problems. If yours snapped off, a new set of pedals may not work unless you tap the threads. (Hopefully I typed that correctly.. I’ve never actually re-threaded something before LOL!) If you know what to look for or have someone around that can look for you, check to see if the threads are stripped. If they are, then a new set of pedals won’t do you any good. If that’s the case, call Bowflex support and have them send you new crank arms and someone to install them as the tool to get them off is proprietary from what I understand. What some people are doing while they wait for the new crank arms is to re-tap the threads using some set they got off of Amazon and then putting on new pedals. This should work but you’d have to check that facebook group for the right set of thread taps. Some of the gang on this forum might know which one to use. Hope it helps!
I think this will work.. but don’t quote me on that. I seem to recall the standard thread size for bicycle pedals is 9/16 but I could be wrong…
https://www.amazon.com/20-Right-Left-Hand-Thread/dp/B075N48H1S/ref=pd_sbs_201_6/132-5966708-2233359?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B075N48H1S&pd_rd_r=526368fb-04c3-4d76-a738-c02f90fe9870&pd_rd_w=IlVcg&pd_rd_wg=MztBQ&pf_rd_p=d28ef93e-22cf-4527-b60a-90c984b5663d&pf_rd_r=Q72QGZ7H4P2J4WT198CV&psc=1&refRID=Q72QGZ7H4P2J4WT198CV
According to this, I think that’s the correct ones… 9/16″ with 20 TPI (threads per inch)
https://bike.bikegremlin.com/1141/pedals-types/
JegErAlan, love my BOwflex but have a small issue to address. Becasue the handlebar stem only has one point of securement, I get a slight wobble feel at the handlebars when riding hard due to the slight wiggle in the stem. The same this happens in the seat for the same reason. So…… I was wondering …..
1. Does anyone else have this issue?
2. Any known solutions?
3. If no acceptable olutions what are your thoughts about putting another screw higher in the handlebar stem by drilling and tapping and a similar drill and tap solution in a lower spot on the seat stem?
Your wisdom appreciated!
George Valkenburg
Yeah mine was a little unstable but I found if I lowered it it was better.
Hi, just finished setting up my c6 bike. I’m trying to use it and when I peddle the rpm doesn’t show a value it stays at zero on the bowflex screen. I paired this bike with ROUVY and the guy on the screen just sits there. How do I get the rpm to work on the bike? Is this a product defect?
hey dataguy, your writeup has been very helpful in making my decision. I bought the C6 and love it! I have a couple questions:
– Are you able pair your Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 with Peleton? I haven’t been able to pair my S20 phone and it appears only Apple products can pair? Is that right?
– My heart monitor bracket will pair with the app and bike at the same time? (I’m not super Bluetooth savy).
– Lastly, what is the resistance conversion c6 to peleton?
Thanks so much!!
Thanks for the kind words Julianne.
Answers…
– Last I knew the Peloton Android app cannot connect with the C6. I only Apple ones can.
– I think I did that once. I think it is app specific (maybe it’s was Zwift that I connected the monitor to the C6 and then Zwift got the heart rate from the bike?)
– I don’t know if there is a true conversion chart (and you’ll see that folks have had varying experiences with the resistance in the comments). However, one reader had luck with this chart: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/780141425/schwinn-ic4-bowflex-c6-spin-bike
Hope that helps!
Hi Chris!
Thanks for all this information. I’m also 6’4″ and am wondering – when you’re on the bike and sitting up straight or doing a standing climb, what’s your total height from ground to top of head? We have a lower ceiling in our basement and I’m trying to figure out if this will still work.
I know Bowflex recommends user height + 15″ but I don’t know if that’s overkill.
Thx!
Hi Brady. I currently have it under a ceiling fan in a room with an 8 foot ceiling, the blades of which spin at 7’. I’d say I have a 3-4” inches to spare when out of the saddle.
How tall are you Chris…wondering the same thing about ceiling hieght
6’ 3”, 34” inseam.
Awesome review – thanks! How are you and others tracking the data from each bowflex ride? (time, calories, miles, etc) Is there an app that will sync/capture this data that shows on the console for each singular ride? Thanks!
Hey Alan!
Nice review, I agree with you, Bowflex C6 Bike is a solid start for beginner.
Thank you
Thanks!
Hi,
Thanks for putting the blog together and sharing all the tips! I noted someone else shared a similar comment. But, I have my handlebars tightened as tight as they can go on the C6 and somehow, they have started to slip during a ride. After a song or two they have slid all the way to the bottom. Any thoughts or tips on this? I am supposed to be getting a new handle bar knob thinking that that will keep it tightened in place, but it still hasn’t come and it has been a month. Thanks again!
Thank you all for the great information. I have my C6 and have been dumbfounded by the cleats. Went to my local pedal shop who correctly placed on my new Shimano AM-7 E-Bike Rated Shoe for SPD.
I can’t get the system to click in. Suggestions? Bowflex provides videos of value in this area.
Bonjour ! Ou l’avez-vous acheté ? Car je le trouve à 1399.99$ et non 899.99$. Merci
I purchased it here: https://www.bowflex.com/bikes/c6/100894.html
It looks like it is $999 US right now…
Thanks for so much info. Is there a way when using the Boxflex c6 and the peleton app I can get my output ( besides getting different pedals)
Are you talking the iOS or Android Peloton app Pen? If the latter, last I knew the Peloton Android app doesn’t support getting rpm, speed, etc.
The iOS peleton app. I am
able to get my cadence and heart rate and I use conversion chart for resistance but it would be good to get my output as well.
Hi all,
This has been extremely helpful in getting my Schwinn IC4 sorted out to accomplish what I was after. I did do a calibration, but I found that the numbers changes a relatively small amount, and didn’t alter the power readings by much. I do like the ability to do Peloton, but also to use Zwift fairly to measure myself against others. As Smart Trainers don’t adapt as well to Peloton in the ease of changing resistance, making the IC4 accurate was important to me. After tons of reading here, Reddit, Zwift, etc., it became clear that some Assioma UNO pedals was the logical answer. I installed them, set crank length to 170mm, and did my first Zwift workout with them. Virtually everything that everyone has found is accurate in the overestimation of power in the calculation that Zwift uses from the IC4. I measured my FTP using Zwift’s 101 workout, to be 217, and thus my Zwift workouts are based of that. Putting the Assioma Pedals on changed the effort enough to be noticeable, across the workout. A couple of examples below:
IC4: resistance 10, cadence 85, watts 115
Assioma: resistance 15, cadence 85, watts 115
This change of effort required to maintain the same watts has changed the workout to relatively easy to challenging, and likely my FTP of 217 is high by 20-30.
Thanks to all the input on the pedals from above posters like Chris. One question on the Assioma Pedals is I have an occasional momentary spike that occurs if I’m repositioning on the saddle. I notice that due to pedal float and release, the cleat is able to touch the sensor if the heel swings in enough. In your experience, would momentary contact of cleat to sensor cause such a momentary spike?
Thanks,
Kurt
Hi. Have just got my peloton and while I love the ride, I am super disappointed in the handlebar max height and lack of horizontal adjustment. I am a tall gal with a 35” inseam but shorter torso. I want to ride a bit more upright in position 1 and I can’t do that because of Max height on handlebars. I’m already using it at the “stop” line on the shaft so no more room and it’s a tad wobbly.
I’m researching alternatives that por w the Peloton app cause I love the classes.
Can you do me a favor and tell me what the max heigh of handlebars are measuring from floor to the point on the HB that would be closest to body or for hand position 1? Also, can you tell me the height of pedal in six o clock to floor? That way I can try to see how much wiggle room. My P is 44.5 inches from floor to top of HB. Ideally I could get 47”.
I’m not sure how you are measuring…but the handlebars on the low end appear to be about 42″ and the high end about 47 1/2″ (set as high as it says is safe). The bottom of the pedal is just shy of 6″ off the ground at 6 o’clock.
Hope that helps. I am not sure what “position 1” is…so I am providing info a bit ignorantly. 🙂
Cool! Position 1 is just when you’re pedaling in the saddle and hands are on the part of HBs closest to your body vs when climbing or leaning out to grab HB further out. On most HBs the part closest to body is shortest.
It sounds like the Bowflex HBs are actually a few inches taller than Peloton and they can move horizontally as well so much better options for fitting me.
Thanks a ton!!! Super helpful. Happy holidays.
Glad to help! I’m 6’4″ish and find riding it comfortable. Well, as comfortable as anything where you weight is on a bicycle seat. 🙂
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and yours!
Is there anyway to add or adjust height/weight/age input into the C6? I find the calorie count is wildly out compared to my Garmin. I called bowflex but the people I talked to had no idea what the console user profile was designed upon.
For example in December I had 16 rides, total calories from bowflex was 7680 vs 5023 on Garmin. It seems like the Bowflex is significantly overestimating my calorie burn (not even in the same neighbourhood!). For reference I am a fit, 65”, 140lb female.
I do not know of one, but perhaps one of the other folks who have replied before do.
I also think, as much as I like it :-), the calories are overstated on the C6.
I don’t think height/weight/age has anything to do with calorie count while pedaling on a stationary bike.
I believe they calculate it based on the resistance and RPM (=cadence) of the flywheel. This is clearly the topic of much of this thread… calibration is an attempt to make that calculation more accurate (since resistance is mechanically different on each bike).
1 Watt = 859.85 Calories per hour
So I bet calories as well as watts would be wrong in the same amount depending on the calibration. And the fact that the 0-100 scale cannot possibly be linear/the same in terms of physical resistance on the flywheel also means that, even when calibrated, you most likely won’t see it accurate across the range of resistance levels.
Hi There! I am wondering if anyone has had trouble with the handlebar adjustment? I’ve had my bike since April 2020. The handlebar adjustment has always seemed a bit sticky, but now it just seems stuck in place. No matter how hard I try various combinations of turning and pulling the knob, I can’t seem to move the handle bars up or down. They are stuck in the lowest position and for my height (5′ 7″) they really should be a bit higher. Any suggestions to get them “unstuck”? Thanks
What a great blog post and amazing comment thread!
Thank you for keeping this going Bowflex should send you any bike you want!
We just picked up the new C7 and are deep diving all options !
Cheers
Thanks Stephen. I didn’t realize there was a C7. 🙂
Have fun with the new toy! I’m interested in your experience, if you don’t mind sharing it in the future.
Hi Stephen,
I suspect you’ve now had a chance to put the C7 through its paces. I’m curious as to your thoughts on the relatively light (10lb) flywheel. The C6 has a 40lb flywheel and from all my reading, within reason, the heavier the better. This makes sense to me as it should provide a more smooth and consistent ride. Your thoughts?
Bought the C6 in October based in large part on your review and couldn’t be happier. Using it daily with Rouvy to travel the world virtually and, at times, slowly! Rouvy recognizes the C6 as an IC bike and works very well with all the training metrics. As the incline increases in real world videos, the video slows unless you pedal harder. The only problem we have had with the bike is the cleat mechanism on the pedals came loose. The attachment screws needed to be tightened and while they look like phillips screws, they seem to be a Japanese standard that makes it difficult for a phillips screwdriver to get enough grip. I ordered the Japanese screwdriver off Amazon and it works great. No problems since. Have since ordered two more C6s for other family members. Thanks for your review!
That’s great to hear Dave! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Sorry for the trouble with the cleat mechanism…but glad to hear you were able to solve it relatively easily. Hopefully, if anyone runs into a similar situation, they’ll see how you solved it here.
I got in a ride yesterday, and probably will again tomorrow…
Hi Another question for you. Do you know of any way that I can change the C6 console timeout where it resets to 0 after five minutes idle. I do a lot of 90 minute rides and like to take a break after 50 minutes and if I don’t get back on within about 5 minutes, I lose all the data for the ride. Thanks Dave
I haven’t followed this thread closely in a long time, but I am enjoying my IC4 more than ever. I used to have it synced up to Fulgaz to rice, but I recently tried an app on the Oculus Quest VR system called VZFit where you can ride anywhere in the world with a computer rider or other humans and sync it up with the bike for stats and Strava uploading. It basically takes Google Street View and turns it into 3d maps. I wouldn’t say its 100 percent perfect as each ride takes on a bit of a Disney-Ride looking version of the real thing, but its a ton of fun and has really increased my riding time. It is kind of nice to do a hard climb in Yosemite or a long ride along the shore of the ocean. Sight seeing and biking. I thought I would throw it out there because people have talked about the apps they have used with the bike.