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Bowflex C6 exercise bike is an innovator in the fitness arena that allows you an affordable gym-like experience at home. Bowflex has got you covered from head to toe with equipment ranging from treadmills, home gyms, accessories, and high-tech JRNY fitness apps.
When it’s time to get on track with your fitness regime, you can rely on Bowflex’s indoor cycling bikes for a great workout and excellent results. Get your cycling shoes ready as one of their latest exercise bikes, the Bowflex C6, is undoubtedly a winner.
All of this sounds good, but no product is perfect, and the Bowflex C6 exercise bike is not immune to the rules of a strict review. So, let’s get down to business. Is it worth your buck and will it help you to reach your fitness goals?
We’ve put this bike through rigorous tests to answer some questions you might have so that you can make an informed decision.
- 4-way adjustable handle bars
- Padded seat
- Dual-sided pedals
- 40-pound flywheel
- Media/device holder
- Center resistance knob with 100 adjustable levels
- 1-year JRNY membership
- Backlit LCD metric console
Design Features
A short analysis of the Bowflex C6 bike design features will help you to decide whether this is a good choice for your needs. The well-built steel frame bike, coated with a sleek black and red design, could perfectly fit your at-home gym space.
The Bowflex C6 exercise bike offers several high-tech features such as a HR tracker that works with Bluetooth connectivity, a tablet holder, and fitness apps. Here, we’ll take a look at some design features to consider before purchasing this bike:
Adjustability
The Bowflex C6 exercise bikes has adjustable four-way handlebars and an adjustable seat. An adjustable seat is a must for us as we find that the wrong fitting can be uncomfortable and bring on fatigue. Being able to adjust the seating means you use the correct muscles and push through a cycling session for much longer.
Also, if your seat is either too high or too low, it could lead to an uneven distribution of your body weight. A pro tip is to swap out the default seat for a larger one to improve comfort while exercising.
The Bowflex bike is fantastic for taller riders. However, if you are on the shorter side, it will take some adjustments to comfortably reach the dual pedals and toe cages.
JRNY Cycling App
The most exciting feature of the Bowflex C6 exercise bike is probably its JRNY compatibility. Unlike many of its competitors, this great bike comes with a year-long JRNY subscription valued at $199.99. This was an excellent added feature that allowed us to save money.
The JRNY app ultimately elevated our workout. We had access to adaptive workouts and real-time coaching.
It replicates a gym workout at home, complete with a personal trainer to coach and motivate you to push on. The JRNY app assesses your fitness levels and abilities and recommends exercises based on that.
We enjoyed being able to binge-watch or stream classes or series from Netflix, Hulu, Disney +, and Amazon Prime while cycling. By the time we reached the end of an episode, we hadn’t realized how long we’d cycled, so it’s an easy way to get in a good workout.
Just make sure watching doesn’t lead you to idle time while on the bike. You don’t want to get so into your series that your workout intensity suffers.
The Bowflex C6 exercise bike also works with Peloton and Zwift cycling apps. Other apps compatible with this indoor bike are Sufferfest, TrainerRoad, and MyFitnessPal.
Frame
The Bowflex C6 frame is sturdy and strong enough to hold a weight of up to 330 lbs, similar to the Bowflex Velacore Bike. The C6’s frame is narrow and tall, so it can easily fit into your home. Due to its height, you’ll want to place your bike in a space with a ceiling height of at least 15” above your head.
The dual-sided pedals on either side of the frame mean you can position your feet without slipping. The most annoying and disruptive aspect of general cycling is probably not having your phone or water bottle within reach. So we found the media holder and the two bottle holders to be very convenient additions to the frame.
Keep the weight and ceiling height limitations in mind before purchasing the C6 bike. Other than these two mentions, we find that the frame lives up to the quality of the Bowflex brand.
Magnetic resistance
The magnetic resistance, with up to an impressive 100 resistance levels, makes this indoor cycling bike a monster machine. We could genuinely put our abilities, stamina, and strength to the test with this Bowflex bike’s intense magnetic resistance.
Across the team, we adjusted these levels to accommodate our different workout goals. Some of us enjoyed more of a HIIT-style workout with bursts of high-resistance cycling while a few members preferred keeping it at a steady resistance for longer periods of time.
Bowflex C6 – Features Summary
- 4-way adjustable handle bars
- Padded seat
- Dual-sided pedals
- 40-pound flywheel
- Media/device holder
- Center resistance knob with 100 adjustable levels
- 1-year JRNY membership
- Backlit LCD metric console
- Set of 3-pound dumbbells
Bowflex C6 Bike – Additional Features
The Bowflex C6 comes with a few additional features:
The media rack with a USB charging station makes it easy to keep your phone with you and charge it at the same time while you cycle. We loved this feature as knowing that you don’t have to get up every time your phone rings is a winner.
Plus, some apps drain the battery on our phones quickly so we found it helped to stop it from dying on us. The dual water storage also made it convenient for us to stay hydrated without leaving the bike for more water.
Another excellent additional feature is the Bluetooth HR armband. This is the perfect addition for those interested in heart rate training and monitoring. An HR armband tends to be more accurate at tracking heart rates than wristbands.
In conjunction with the Bowflex JRNY app readings, you’ll be on top of your health and fitness games with the Bowflex C6. Other additional features include three-pound weights and a backlit LCD metric console.
Exercise Options on the Bowflex C6
Training on a stationary bike is all about building resistance and movement. We suggest using a lower resistance setting over longer intervals for weight loss and low-impact exercise.
If you’d like to warm up and push up your heart rate, you can go at a medium speed and resistance for a short period. This type of pace and resistance would be excellent for toning and general fitness.
But, if you’re looking to build muscle and bulk up, you can do strength training with the Bowflex C6. Turn up the resistance knob until you feel as if you’re pedaling uphill and cycle for shorter intervals.
The key muscle groups that are targeted through cycling are:
- Hamstring Muscles
- Gluteus Maximus
- Quadricep Muscles
- Shin Muscles
- Calf Muscles
So depending on your fitness goals and type of training, the Bowflex C6 is quite flexible. Unlike its competitor, the Peloton Bike, the Bowflex bike comes with 3 lb dumbbells, which we found pretty handy.
You can use these dumbbells while cycling to improve your core strength. This is fantastic for pro-cyclists who need to hold a strong position. It’s also a convenient addition to an at-home setup.
The Bowflex C6 bike, in conjunction with your tailor-made JRNY cycling workouts, makes it possible to achieve many levels of training. Below are the types of exercise you can gain using this bike:
● Full-body conditioning
● High-intensity interval training (HIIT)
● Low-intensity steady-state exercises (LISS)
● Low-impact exercise
● Heart rate training
● Weight loss
● General fitness
● Performance training
● Strength training
Warranty for Bowflex C6
The C6 Bowflex bike comes with the following warranty:
- 10 years – Frame
- 3 years – Mechanical parts
- 3 years – Electronics
Bowflex C6 Bike: Customer Reviews
With specs and features out of the way; let us look at what other users think about this Bowflex C6 exercise bike. Having a general summary of how different users experienced this product or any other product is beneficial for every consumer.
With over 2700 reviews and a whopping 97% of customers who would recommend the C6 bikes to their friends, plus our own testing, it seems to be a good investment. However, as mentioned before, no product is perfect — so we will also consider some of the flaws noted in the customer review section.
Pros
Before getting into a few specific pros, most customers agree that the Bowflex C6 bike is quite affordable. Many see it as the perfect alternative to the pricier Peloton and NordicTrack S15i bikes, which will cost you about $400 more.
Quiet
The innovative design’s incredibly smooth and quiet ride is one of the reasons why customers have highly rated this bike. We agree that a gentle hum is soothing while cycling and perfect for smaller indoor settings.
Sturdy and comfortable
Most customers have mentioned how comfortable and sturdy they find the Bowflex C6. You’ll be spending a decent amount of time cycling on this bike so these are essential factors to consider– seeing these two factors pop up everywhere gave us a positive outlook on the product.
Easy to set up
Most customers found that the Bowflex C6 bike is relatively easy to set up. However, most customers paid to have it set up for them, so that could also play a role in how easy it was.
You can go the easy route if you have the extra cash, but it shouldn’t be too much of a bumpy road if you’re willing to set it up yourself. We managed to put the bike together in under an hour.
Easy to use and plenty of storage
Overall, most reviewers find the C6 bike relatively easy to use. The adjustable seating and four-way handlebars play a role in its easy use.
Many customers are pleased with how everything functions as it should. Also, many users value the device and water bottle storage spaces, which can fit two bottles, a phone, and a tablet.
Cons
The number of pros far outweighs the cons. But, there is one general concern that may have an immense impact on whether you purchase the Bowflex C6 bike or not. The concern is that shorter people have not had the best experience with the product.
Height issue
Many of the shorter customers had some trouble adjusting the seat to their liking, with one reviewer remarking that they would have liked it if the seat could go two notches lower for more comfort. So, definitely consider this if you value your comfort over all else.
Narrow seat
The default seat that comes with the Bowflex C6 bike was too narrow for some users. Some users that are a bit older, injured, or looking to do less intensive workouts, have mentioned that a wider seat may be more comfortable.
Faulty cadence reading
A handful of users complain about a false cadence reading shown by the built-in LCD screen. One user claimed that the workout metrics are impossible to read.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear what’s causing this. But, if you synchronize with the JRNY app, you should have a better display of your cadence reading.
Bowflex C6 Pros & Cons Summary
Pros:
- Quiet and smooth
- More affordable than the competitors
- Sturdy and well-built frame plus 10-year warranty
- Comfortable seating and positioning
- Easy to use and set up
- Ample storage with USB charging station
- Includes dumbbells
- Includes a 1-year JRNY subscription
Cons
- Narrow seats are not ideal for shorter, older, and beginner users.
- Faulty cadence reading for some users
Review Overview
Rating
4.75
The Bowflex c6 is an excellent and affordable alternative to other bikes. It costs much less than the comparable Peloton and NordicTrack bikes and comes with a free 1-year JRNY subscription.
So people who are on a tight budget would benefit from this product’s great price point. Not to mention the C6 bike’s durability and warranty of 10 years, which is double that of the Peloton.
The adjustable seating position and 100 levels of resistance make this bike a versatile and flexible option for specific fitness regimes and workouts. The bike’s sturdiness offers excellent support for avid cyclists, but not as much comfort for short people.
Lastly, the Bowflex C6 is an ideal addition to a home gym. It’s easy to set up and small enough to place anywhere in your home. It also performs just as well as an IC4 Schwinn bike or the Bowflex c7 — the only significant difference being that the latest c7 model comes with an HD touchscreen console.
Overall the Bowflex C6 bike is an excellent product for indoor cycling that delivers on its claims with minor complaints.
Product dimensions: 48.7" L x 21.2" W x 51.8" H Weight capacity: 330 lbs”
Nadia is a USA-HomeGym.com Senior Editor with 15 years+ experience in the health, supplement and nutrition niches. Nadia became a health & fitness evangelist after rebuilding her gut health in 2008 using the Weston A. Price method. She developed a Facebook group that grew to more than 15,000 members sharing information on diet for allergy reduction, eczema & psoriasis cessation. Since 2011, Nadia has been an avid stair climber, achieving race times in the top 5% of her age group and maintaining average times of 3’40 – 3’55 minutes per 12 floors.