Customers have good things to say about the C7 Bike's ease of use, build quality, and quiet operation. Many appreciate its features and resistance settings, along with its stable design. However, some customers express concerns regarding the seat comfort and the size and responsiveness of the screen. A few also mention challenges with the assembly process and the tablet's performance.
This summary was generated by AI based on customer reviews.
The vast majority of our reviews come from verified purchases. Reviews from customers may include My Best Buy members, employees, and Tech Insider Network members (as tagged). Select reviewers may receive discounted products, promotional considerations or entries into drawings for honest, helpful reviews.
Page 1 Showing 1-20 of 116 reviews
Cons mentioned:
Screen size, Seat comfort
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Happy I bought this
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Mine just arrived a couple days ago and i assembled it right away to find that the piece which bolts to the back of the screen and holds the screen onto the bike wont fit the coord inside as it should. Its bent too narrow for the cable to go inside so I'll be contacting bowflex for a replacement. However, im very happy with the workouts. To get your free year JRNY membership you have to go and act like youre purchasing the membership from their website, then itll give you a free code at checkout. Use the same email as you'll use to log into the bike. I was sweating and tired on the first assessment haha. I do recommend getting the comfier seat option as the one that the bike comes with is almost unbearable to sit on. Overall, im happy I bought it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Bowflex Customer Service
Posted .
Hi Rachel! We appreciate you and your feedback! We are happy you are enjoying your Bowflex C7 Bike and its features! Wishing you the best on your fitness journey! - Bowflex Team
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Bowflex C7 Bike
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
An excellent purchase! My husband and I choose our workouts based on our individual preferences (length of time per class, challenge levels, and music). Having multiple accounts makes it easy to keep track of my own progress and workout history. I love the functionality of this bike- it’s so easy and fun to use!
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Bowflex Customer Service
Posted .
Hi! We appreciate you and your feedback! We love that you are enjoying your Bowflex C7 Bike and it features! We wish you the best on your fitness journey! - Bowflex Team
Pros mentioned:
Noise level
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great exercise bike!
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Posted . Owned for 9 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I love this exercise bike! Has essentially all the functionality of the peloton yet it’s about 1/3 of the price. It’s also whisper quiet!
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Tablet
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
Crooked screen, scuffs, and a tear.
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Posted . Owned for less than 1 week when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I was excited to receive the excercise bike, but upon finishing assembly I was really disappointed. The packaging was not damaged, but parts of the bike were scuffed, torn, and the touchscreen is crooked due to bad welding placement.
-The touchscreen is crooked and cannot be straightened because the welding for the screw was placed poorly. This drives me nuts to sit and stare at a crooked screen.
-There is a deep cut in the rubberized grip of the handle that seems to have come from the facrory that way.
-The top part of the bike facing the seat is scuffed down to the metal, below the paint. It seems to have arrived from the factory that way and not due to shipping mishandling.
Where was quality control? Refer to the photos.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Bowflex Customer Service
Posted .
Hi! We appreciate you and your feedback! We apologize for the inconvenience on your Bowflex C7 Bike. We would like to help resolve any issues please contact Nautilus Customer Care department at (800) 605-3369, Monday-Friday, 6 AM to 5 PM PST. Thank you! - Bowflex Team
Pros mentioned:
Resistance
Cons mentioned:
Assembly, Seat comfort, Tablet
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
A solid performer, not perfect, but good enough
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
When the Bowflex C7 Bike, on sale, was a no brainer for me. I was looking for an indoor exercise bike to keep me in shape for summer outdoor riding. Plus, like most folks working from home, I was starting to get that pandemic, sitting in an office chair all the time, shape. I spent a good deal of time researching bikes, watching online review videos, reading articles, and even reading the Best Buy reviews about the pros and cons of many bikes. I found a lot of information on the C6, which is the C7 without the Android tablet, and got a good sense of the pros and cons.
Setup:
Best Buy delivery folks were good enough to drop the 100lb+ package in my room of choice. The C7’s body is almost exclusively metal. The flywheel is 40lb all by itself. Do not kid yourself. Get a buddy to unpack and position the bike. Your floor will thank you. I planned an hour for unpacking and assembly. Some of the parts slide right into place without any fuss. Other parts, such as the seat and handle bars, needed a good whack to get them to slide into place. The bike has a nice smooth paint job. However, Bowflex needs to spend a little more time on smoothing out the edges where parts meet.
The only real issue I had with assembly was passing the power cable for the Tablet through the neck of the tablet’s stand. I do not believe anyone at Bowflex spent any time vetting this piece. The neck ships with a thin, plastic coated wire that you are to use to help snake the power cable through the neck and around an elbow. First, the wire won’t work because the power cable harness on the end of the wire is too big to fit around the elbow without a lot of helpful force. And when I say force, I had to use a very big flathead screw drive and some pounding force on the head of that screw driver to force the assembly around that elbow. I made it work but really Bowflex?! If it was that easy then it probably would have been better if the neck shipped with the power cable pre-inserted.
Once the bike was setup, adjusting the bike for my comfort was easy enough. I am of the minimum height for this bike so seat and handle bars are set their lowest levels.
Android Table:
First, you have to setup a JRNY account. You have zero choice in the matter! It took me three tries to setup my account because the process kept freezing the tablet. There is no timeout for program, and no “home” or “rest” button that will break out of the sign-up process. You will have to unplug the table, wait a minute, plug it back in, and then start all over again. Second, you have to run the calibration segment. Again, you have zero choice unless you want run without the table and without any metrics. However, you do not need to pay for a JRNY subscription to get basic functionality from your bike. Actually, 90% of the workouts offered on JRNY have zero to do with the bike and more to do with streaming different types of workouts through the tablet. No thank you. I just want some road videos and some metrics.
The metrics captured during your ride are things like heart rate, cadence, calories burned, speed, and distance. There are three free routes to ride, though you do need to dig them out of the JRNY app. I had to press the “Heart” icon on the three bike routes after browsing through 50 or so workouts that have zero to do with riding the bike. Everything else is like weight training, yoga, and resistance training videos. I find this absurd and obnoxious. There should just be a screen dedicated to riding and the free stuff should be front and center. The paid content should come next with some description of what would compel me to invest in a subscription. I also find it absurd that I must subscribe to a paid JRNY membership to stream services that I already have subscriptions to.
The solution? Sports headphones, tablet, and/or phone. I use a combination of sports headphones and a Windows Tablet. I also stream music from my phone to the headphones when I just want music. The handlebars have a mount that will handle a 10” tablet. However, depending on your riding angle, the android tablet can block the top part of your tablet’s screen. Should not be an issue for something as small as an iPhone or Android phone. The handle bars are rubberized. This is grippy enough to allow a larger table to rest comfortably under the mount without worry of it slipping onto the floor while riding. You will want to be careful if you go with this configuration because the tablet will be close to your hands which increases the opportunity for it to be bumped and dropped onto the floor. Thus far, I have had no issue with either an HP windows tablet or my MS Surface Table.
The one thing I found the most annoying about the included Android table is that the speakers randomly generate white noise. I press a physical button and the speakers give me three seconds of white noise. I press an on-screen button and I get three seconds of white noise. The table performs a software update and I get constant white noise. This is true regardless if the speakers are muted in software or not. I finally pulled the speakers plugs from the system board in the tablet to end the problem. What a pain. The good news is that I never had any intention of subscribing to JRNY or using any of their services other than what shipped free from the manufacture. Otherwise, I would be a little upset that I have a constant source of white noise that the developers from Bowflex seem to not care about fixing. The issue only seems to get worse with every update.
Riding:
Overall, the bike is very smooth to operate and super quiet. The number two reason I chose the C7 is because of the magnetic resistance is super quiet to operate. All I can hear while riding is the magnet on the flywheel passing bay counter on each revolution. That’s just white noise at speed. I live in a fairly small home. Nobody in the house knew I was riding the bike until they came to check on me. Noise is 100% not an issue with this bike.
The seat is very hard. At first, this did not bother me. After a week I migrated my gel seat cover from my road bike cover the C7’s seat. And even now, I am thinking about wearing my padded bike shorts. Some people like hard seats. Some people do not. I am someone who does not like a hard seat.
Peddling is very smooth. The only resistance I feel is the resistance being applied at the flywheel. The bike does not flex very much it at all. The bike does not have that “athletic center” kind of solid feel to it. I feel it is very solid for a consumer style bike. I use sneakers for riding. The straps are on the peddles are perfect for sneakers. I have had no issues with my feet sliding from the peddles in any direction. I do not have special riding shoes that clip into the other side of the peddles so I cannot comment on that feature.
The heart monitor is another cool accessory. I hook it up to my forearm while riding. However, I have to re-setup the Bluetooth connection every time I want to use it. Maybe this is because I unplugged the unit when not in use. Why would I leave it plugged in if all I get is white noise from the unit for my troubles? The monitor is as accurate as my exercise watch. My heart rate is shown on screen while riding. My heart rate is also visible on my watch while riding. The numbers match. The heart monitor also comes with a USB charging dongle. I usually let the heart monitor dangle from the dongle when not in use.
Final thoughts:
At full pandemic prices I think this bike was a tough sell for me. On sale, this was a no brainer. The bike is of solid construction, is very flexible with seat and handlebar positions, and I am not forced to pay for the full JRNY subscription to get meaningful use out of my exercise routines. My goal with the bike is to keep in shape so I can have some meaningful biking experiences during the summer months. I have no interest in the full body workouts provided by JRNY. The bike is small enough to fit into the limited space I have available. It is super quiet, does not vibrate, and the resistance settings are enough for me. I would have preferred a bike that I could do routines with variable, pre-programmed, automated resistance. This bike does have some minor, annoying issues. But overall, I feel like I made a good choice and look forward to getting a lot of use out of it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Bowflex Customer Service
Posted .
Hi! We appreciate you and your feedback! We are thrilled you are enjoying your Bowflex C7 Bike and its features. Wishing you the best on your fitness journey! - Bowflex Team
Cons mentioned:
Seat comfort
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Meh
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Posted . Owned for 2 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Meh. No prebuilt workouts. Just with membership. Can use any app with it.
Seat is very uncomfortable and makes my legs fall asleep.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Screen size
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great Bike for the Price
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Best Buy had this bike on a 1 day flash sale for $800. At that price it was a no brainer. The C7 is very similar to a Bowflex C6 or Schwinn IC4 but with a screen attached for streaming and some modifications to the handle bars. Seat and handle bars are fully adjustable up/down and front/back. Pedals are cage on one side and SPD Clipless on the other side. Also they are a standard pedal thread so get any pedals you want. Installation also very simple. Bike comes mostly assembled. Just install seat, seat post, pedals, weight/bottle holder, handlebars, screen and lower stabilizer feet. All the major mechanicals of the bike are already assembled. 30 to 60 minutes tops. The box was a little beat up when I got it but the contents were well packaged and nothing damaged inside. I couldn't find any documentation for the JRNY free trial that was supposed to be included. After a quick online chat with bowflex they gave me a code for a free year of the app otherwise it is $150 a year. Bike is very stable. Only complaints are you have to use JRNY app to stream Netflix/Prime, etc. However, I got a year of the app free, $150 a year isn't bad, and I actually like the content on the JRNY app. Also while the bike is compatible with peloton, zwift, and all that the built in screen, which is just a modified android tablet won't allow you to install those apps. You would have to stream to a separate device. But none of these cons takes away from my satisfaction with the bike especially at the price I paid. If you can get this bike under $1000, which is not hard to find at that price, I think it is the best value bike under $1k
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Bowflex Customer Service
Posted .
Hi! We are ecstatic that you are enjoying your Bowflex C7 Bike and its features!! We appreciate you and your feedback! Keep up the amazing job! We wish you all the very best on your fitness journey! - Bowflex Team
Pros mentioned:
Quality
Cons mentioned:
Seat comfort
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Only one small flaw, but it still works for me.
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
I would like to give it 4.5 stars if I could, because the bolt on the seat doesn't allow you to tighten it all the way if it's moved forward. But since the handle bars can adjust back, it works perfectly for me, so I can give it 5 stars.
That said, my friend has a Peloton, and the seat adjuster (up and down) has that same type of bolt, with the long handle, and it sticks out and hits my leg while I'm riding. So this is designed better than a Peloton.
I love this bike. It is stable, strong, and gives me a great workout!
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Quality, Resistance
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great bike! Easy install!
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Box for the bike arrived a little rough but the bike was completely fine. Took about 45 min to install, honestly unboxing is what made it take so long. The bike itself rides great. It is annoying you have to have a membership to use the the display though. Other than that, bike functions great! Clips on the bike work well and its super easy to adjust the resistance.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Quality
Cons mentioned:
Assembly
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
So far so good. Smooth ride, good value.
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
So far so good. Smooth ride, not difficult to assemble. At the clearance price it's a good value for me. Feels as good as the bikes in the spin classes I have taken. I use Apple fitness so I just use the built in scenery programs that come with bike along with my iPhone for my exercise program. Only complaint is the water bottle holder is useless and gets in the way, so we removed it.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Seat comfort, Tablet
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Overall a good purchase
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
* It is very quiet.
* The stock seat is very hard. You may want to get a wider comfort bike seat (OEM or third party).
* If the C7 were not so much cheaper than the C6 when I bought it, I would have gone with the C6. The added touchscreen is slow, the version of Android seems labored, and there isn’t much adjustment on the angle of view. Just using your own tablet or even phone would have been easier especially since you’re locked into their JRNY ecosystem on that screen.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great bike
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
It is a great bike. Easy to set up. It said it came with a free 2 month trial of JRNY but there was nothing in the box,but I got in contact with bowflex and they gave me a free year of the JRNY app. I recommend doing the initial workout if you are using the JRNY app so you can get workouts tailored to you. I have been riding a bike on a trainer for a while but the workouts with this thing almost know kicked my but. If you are looking for a good workout bike at a cheap price this one is great. I would wait tell you see it on sale. I picked it up for 899. Great purchase. The screen is helpful especially for the HIIT workouts.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Bowflex Customer Service
Posted .
Hi! We are thrilled to hear you are enjoying your Bowflex C7 Bike and its features! We appreciate your feedback and business! Best wishes on your fitness journey! - Bowflex Team
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
Exercise bike
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Posted . Owned for 1.5 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great machine I wish I can use it more easy to use. Just a lazy.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Great bike
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Posted . Owned for 1 year when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Great bike. This is a replacement for me. Use it a few times a week. Good quality product.
I would recommend this to a friend
Cons mentioned:
Seat comfort
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Durable
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Posted . Owned for 1.5 years when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Durable bike. Not crazy about the seat and subscription service.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Bowflex Customer Service
Posted .
That's wonderful to hear! Thanks for taking the time to share such positive feedback with us. - Bowflex Team
Pros mentioned:
Quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Bike I love to hate!
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Yeah, so you know the 'Pandemic 20' was a easy gain for me. Missing the gym, I researched various bikes (you know the one), and this was the clear winner.
I'm not a 'diehard cyclist' but enjoy getting out on my bike when I can. For the price this can't be beat. There are other models with 'bells and whistles' but this has all the features I need to track my progress and challenge me. Solid, seems well-built and yes I would recommend to my friends.
I would recommend this to a friend
Brand response from Bowflex Customer Service
Posted .
Hi! We are thrilled to hear you are enjoying your Bowflex C7 Bike and its features! We appreciate you and your feedback! Keep up the great work! Wish you the best on your fitness journey! - Bowflex Team
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use
Cons mentioned:
Seat comfort
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Its a Bowflex, enough said
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Posted . Owned for 1 month when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Got this on sale for $699, at that price, kind of a no brainer when your looking to buy an exercise bike. Good features, no issues putting it together or connecting to the app. You may want to consider a different seat as we did, the one that is supplied is a bit small and hard.
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Ease of use, Noise level
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Bike
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Posted . Owned for 2 months when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Overall great. Bought a couple bikes that were too loud for me. When i stumbled upon this one, i was so happy. It is so quiet. Easy to control. The handles adjust but wish they came a little closer for short people. Love the bike. Comes with 1 year of jrny
I would recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Quality, Resistance
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
Not sure yet
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Delivery was delayed 3 weeks. Even as a female, my legs are long and my torso is short, and I can't get it to a perfect set-up for me, but it's very close. It is very sturdy, and resistance works and feels good. I had difficulties with the software - finding where I was the last time and I couldn't turn it off. It said it was shutting down but then restarted. [Then I had surgery, so I haven't dealt with this. Life...] So, I'm just not sure yet. It may go back.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend
Pros mentioned:
Quality
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
Strong/Sturdy
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Posted . Owned for 3 weeks when reviewed.
This reviewer received promo considerations or sweepstakes entry for writing a review.
Excellent Bike. Strong and sturdy. Doesn't move side to side at all when using like some other lighter models might. I don't think this item is still available but if you ever see it don't wait too long to get it!