Sole Fitness SB700 Review

Buying home workout equipment can be a daunting prospect. Once you’ve decided on your budget, you then need to choose between purchasing a treadmill, elliptical, rower, stepper, or exercise bike. Or maybe you should buy a home gym?

If you narrow things down to buying a bike for your home gym, you then need to decide between a traditional spin bike, a recumbent, or a spinning bike. What about fan bikes? They’re pretty good too!

For a lot of home exercisers, spinning bikes are arguably the best choice. They’re designed to stand up to lots of abuse, are easy to maintain, are quiet in use, and are usually sensibly priced.

Of course, now you’ve decided on a spin bike, you’ve got to choose between all the different models available and, boy, there are a lot of them!

Some spinning bikes have friction brakes which are low-tech but very reliable. Others have electromagnetic brakes, which are more precise but can be troublesome if they go wrong.

You also need to consider things like the pedal design, the frame angles, the size and weight of the flywheel, and the handlebars and saddle. After all, you want to be 100% happy with your purchase and confident that it will provide you with years of faithful service.

In this article, we review the Sole Fitness SB700 spin bike, so you can see if it’s the right bike for you.

Once you have purchased your spin bike, check out these beginner spin bike workouts here and what to expect in a spin class here!

Sole Fitness SB700 Review

Key Features

Unlike electronic exercise bikes, spin bikes don’t tend to be packed with lots of features. This makes a lot of sense when you remember that spin bikes are mainly designed to be used in a group environment where the class is led by an instructor. You don’t NEED lots of flashing screens and built-in workouts when you have an instructor in front of you telling you what to do.

That said, the Sole Fitness SB700 does have some noteworthy features:

• 48lbs flywheel for smooth pedaling action
• 0mm oval steel tubing frame
• Kevlar-lined brake pads for longevity
• Covered drive belt for less maintenance
• Tension control knob for easy adjustment of resistance
• 3” x 4” backlit LCD console
• Tablet/book/magazine holder
• Water bottle cage
• Built-in heart rate receiver (chest strap not included)
• Adjustable saddle – up/down/forward/backward
• Adjustable triathlon-style handlebars – up/down/forward/backward
• Pedals with adjustable foot straps
• Built-in transport wheels – just tilt and roll

Dimensions and Specifications

The Sole Fitness SB700 is a compact spin bike, making it ideal for home workouts. It should fit most home gyms and will fit through standard-sized doorways if you need to move it. Its assembled dimensions are:

• Width: 21.1’’
• Length: 40.3’’
• Height: 41.9’’
• Weight: 140lbs

Spin Bike Design

The Sole Fitness SB700 is a fairly conventionally designed spin bike. It’s fully adjustable, so users should have no problem customizing the saddle and handlebar position to achieve a comfortable riding position.

In use, this spin bike is very quiet and has a smooth pedaling action. The resistance is adjusted easily via the conveniently positioned knob, which also has an emergency stop feature.

The LCD console is wireless and powered by batteries. As well as displaying elapsed time, speed, distance, etc., it is Bluetooth heart rate monitor compatible and will show your working heart rate if you wear a compatible chest strap (not supplied).

The Sole Fitness SB700 is a robust and sturdy spin bike with a 300lbs user weight capacity. It’s suitable for serious home and light commercial use. It’s not the most feature-packed spinning bike, but it will definitely deliver an effective, low-tech workout.

Computer Features

Some spin bikes have no console or computer, so you have to time your workouts using a stopwatch. The Sole SB700 is a little more advanced than that and has a small (3” x 4”) LCD screen so you can track your workout performance.

The LCD console displays:

• Time/duration
• Revolutions per minute (RPM)
• Speed
• Distance
• Heart rate – if you are wearing a compatible HR monitor strap

There are no built-in workouts to follow, and the console is not compatible with any fitness streaming services, such as iFIT. However, you can place a tablet on the handlebar rack and follow online workouts.

Ease of Use

The Sole Fitness SB700 spin bike is very easy to use. The seat and handlebars are straightforward to adjust, and all the adjustments are numbered for easy reference. That’s a handy feature if you won’t be the only person using this bike.

Once you’ve set the bike up to fit you, it’s just a matter of getting on, strapping your feet in, and pedaling. The LCD screen will automatically come out of hibernation and start monitoring your workout, displaying your workout duration, speed, distance, and heart rate if you’re wearing a compatible chest strap.

To adjust the workload, simply turn the well-appointed knob – there are no fiddly buttons to press.

As your workout draws to an end, just push the resistance knob to apply the brakes and stop. Because the drive belt is covered, all you need to do is give it a quick wipe with a paper towel so that your bike is ready for your next workout.

While the lack of technology on this bike may seem like a disadvantage, it’s also partly what makes the SB700 so easy to use. Also, with less to go wrong, this is a very reliable bike.

Drawbacks

The Sole Fitness SB700 is an excellent bike that provides a smooth, comfortable indoor workout. However, there are a couple of disadvantages to consider before buying this bike:

• No pre-programmed workouts – if you want interactive workouts or programs/routes to follow, this may not be the bike for you. That said, you can always follow an online workout on your smart TV or tablet.
• No cooling fans, device dock, interactive console – this is a low-tech bike, lacking some of the features found on other exercise bikes.
• Heavy – at 140lbs, this bike is no lightweight. However, it has built-in transport wheels, which make moving it small distances relatively easy.
• No heart rate monitor chest strap – some bikes come with a complimentary heart rate chest strap. The SB700 doesn’t, which seems like a small oversight given that the LCD display is HR monitor compatible.
• Price – this is not a cheap spinning bike, but quality costs. It’s very much a case of you get what you pay for. In this case, you aren’t paying for lots of technical features but a well-made, reliable spinning bike that should last for many years.

Assembly

The Sole SB700 requires some self-assembly, but most major components are pre-assembled, so it’s mostly a matter of fitting the console, pedals, handlebars, and seat. Most users report that this takes 20-30 minutes and is a very straightforward process. All the necessary assembly tools are included.

Warranty

The Sole SB700 has an outstanding warranty, so you can buy with confidence. The warranty covers home and light commercial use and includes:

• Frame: Lifetime
• Parts: 3 Years
• Electronics: 3 Years
• Labor: 1 Year (In-Home)

There is also a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can return the bike and get your money back if you decide that the Sole SB700 is not for you.

Bottom Line

The Sole SB700 is a strong, sturdy, well-made light commercial spinning bike that’s ideal for regular home use. At 140lbs, it’s a little on the heavy side but, unless you anticipate regularly moving your bike, this isn’t really a problem.

Fitted with a 48lbs flywheel, Kevlar brakes, and adjustable saddle and handlebars, the SB700 will deliver a smooth, very quiet workout for all levels of exerciser. It’s very comfortable and should fit most users. Its maximum user weight capacity of 300lbs means it’s the ideal exercise bike for weight loss.

If this spinning bike has a downside, it is that it’s pretty low-tech and only fitted with a basic LCD console. However, that means there is less to go wrong. If you are happy with a low-tech workout and are more interested in the performance of your spinning bike than flashing displays and built-in fans, the SB700 could be the exercise bike for you!