VeloCore Bike Review: Lean into Better Abs with a Versatile, Innovative Exercise Bike
Bowflex
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Key Features:
- Price: $1,799—$2,199
- Resistance levels: 100 magnetic resistance levels
- Maximum User Weight: 325 pounds
- Dimensions: 59.8 inches L x 24.1 inches W x 55.3 inches H
Peloton brought interactive indoor cycling to the living rooms of millions. However, Peloton alternatives from Echelon, Sole, Schwinn and the Bowflex VeloCore Bike now rival and surpass the bike that many use as an indoor cycling benchmark. In this VeloCore Bike review, we take a deep dive into an exercise bike designed to mimic the road and provide interactive programming through the JRNY app. The programming options let you access streaming services like Netflix, Disney+ and Hulu while following your progress on a trainer-led workout at the same time.
The VeloCore functions as a standard stationary bike, but also has a unique tilting mechanism so that you can lean into your workouts like you would on the road. You have the option of buying a 16 or 22-inch touchscreen console, where you can use the JRNY app or stream your favorite services to stay entertained. If you’ve already got a subscription to another cycling app, like Zwift or Peloton, you can use your own device and set it on the built-in tablet holder. This model also provides versatile adjustability with horizontal and vertical seat adjustment and horizontal handlebar adjustment with multiple handlebar holds. There’s more, so keep reading to see if this cycling powerhouse is the right addition to your home gym.
The Pros and Cons of the Bowflex VeloCore
VeloCore Pros
The VeloCore is a high-end spin bike that offers more than the average model. It’s one of the few bikes to offer a lean mode, for example. In lean mode, you can lean into turns on a tilting frame, activating core muscles along with the lower body. Lean mode isn’t the only pro worth bragging about. This bike also has:
- Seat and handlebar adjustability
- Dual-sided pedals for SPD clips or cage for standard running shoes
- 100 silent magnetic resistance levels
- Comes with a free one-year JRNY membership
- Choice of console/screen size
- Option to watch streaming services while doing a trainer-led workout through JRNY
VeloCore Cons
As with any piece of fitness equipment, the VeloCore comes with some downsides, including:
- A high price tag
- A lackluster warranty with only a two-year frame and coverage for one year on parts and labor
- Weights that are difficult to reach while on the seat
Bowflex Velocore Specs
Bowflex
In addition to the above-mentioned pros and cons, the VeloCore’s fully fleshed-out specs include:
- 59.8 inches L x 24.1 inches W x 55.3 inches H footprint
- Silent magnetic resistance with 100 resistance levels adjusted using a manual resistance knob
- Belt drive
- Rear-placement flywheel
- 325-pound maximum weight capacity
- 175-pound bike weight
- Maximum ceiling height = rider + 16 inches
- WiFi (required to use JRNY) and Bluetooth enabled
- Built-in speakers
- Comes with two three-pound weights
- Built-in dumbbell holders
- Reinforced steel frame
Bowflex VeloCore Price
The Bowflex VeloCore costs between $1,799 (16-inch screen) to $2,199 (22-inch screen). That price includes a one-year membership to the JRNY app, which you need if you want to access programming and streaming services directly on the console. Shipping costs $99 in the contiguous U.S. and $199 to Alaska and Hawaii. However, Bowflex often runs promotions that include free shipping.
You can add in-home assembly for an additional $199 and additional protection above the original warranty. The price of additional coverage is based on the screen size you choose. You can add three years of parts and labor coverage to the 16-inch Velocore for $139 or $159 for the 22-inch VeloCore. It costs $179 to add five years of parts and labor coverage to the 16-inch model and $219 to add the same coverage to the 22-inch model.
Financing is available, with up to 18 months of interest-free payments. However, your monthly payment will depend on your credit history.
Setting up the Bowflex VeloCore
Most users report that the VeloCore’s setup is straightforward and easy. However, this is a complex machine so it can take some time. One Amazon reviewer reports, “Easy to assemble—took 40 minutes to unbox it, 90 or so to set up, another 40 to sign up and set up JRNY app.” Others report that the assembly alone took anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes.
However, most recommend recruiting a helper and taking all of the pieces out of the box before starting. Laying the pieces out makes it easier to find everything and breaks up the heavy original package into more manageable pieces.
Bowflex VeloCore Design
The VeloCore’s design is innovative and unique among exercise bikes. The frame wraps under the drive system to secure the bike to the floor, but allows the drive system and seat to pivot and tilt when in lean mode. In theory, that leaning motion activates core muscles more than when upright, but there’s no conclusive scientific evidence to substantiate that claim. The leaning might take some getting used to, but it adds a new element to a regular spin workout. If you find the lean mode doesn’t work for you, there’s a standard stationary mode too.
Even in stationary mode, this bike goes above and beyond average. It has near-silent magnetic resistance and 100 resistance levels adjusted with a manual resistance knob. A manual knob feels a little wrong for the price, but that’s pretty standard for high-end spin bikes, including the Peloton. Between the 100 resistance levels and leaning frame, this bike provides an impressive riding experience, especially when you add in a 16 or 22-inch touchscreen.
Working out with the Bowflex VeloCore
A workout with the VeloCore is designed to start and end with a fitness app. The VeloCore uses the JRNY app, which comes free for one year with the purchase of the bike. After that, the app only costs $20 per month, which is fairly inexpensive when compared to the iFit and Peloton apps, which we’ll go into when looking more closely at the app subscription.
You can use the bike with or without JRNY, though you’ll get the best bang for your buck using JRNY. It allows you to take full advantage of the large touchscreen, immersing yourself in the workout. There’s also the option to connect to other fitness apps using a separate device and connecting through Bluetooth. Bluetooth can also connect the device directly to the built-in speakers. There is a media holder at the bottom of the screen for your device, though it may partially block the bottom portion of the screen.
Before you start, you need to decide whether you want to use lean or stationary mode. Lean mode allows you to tilt as you would on the road. This mode requires some balance, so it might not be the best option for those with stability issues. The bike also functions as a standard exercise bike where you can use the 100 resistance levels to change up the workout. We like that you can clip into pedals or use the toe cages with traditional gym shoes. That gives everyone in the family a chance to use the bike.
The Bowflex Velocore Screen
Bowflex
You can choose a 16- or 22-inch HD touchscreen at purchase. Either option is designed to provide a crisp, sharp viewing experience. However, the screen can be a bit of a weak spot. As one reviewer on Bowflex’s website said, “Great product, but the touchscreen has issues.” Those issues can be connectivity or simply navigating through the JRNY app, which isn’t quite intuitive.
For example, “The 22" screen won't turn off and it seems to be on at all hours of the day. The screen is too far forward which means you need to get off the bike if you want to do anything other than press one button; there's no "Back" button in their on-screen display and so if you're in a ride or on a page that you don't want to be on, you need to start hitting buttons until it prompts you to stop or asks you a question.”
However, other users don’t have any issues with the screen. It may have to do with the strength of your WiFi connection and how well you learn to navigate the app. The screen can tilt to get a better angle based on your height. The screen displays your metrics when using the JRNY app, where you can see your cadence, speed, distance, heart rate (if you’re wearing the included heart rate monitor armband) and intervals.
Bowflex Velocore Subscription
The JRNY app has some unique features that set it apart from similar studio-ride apps. The VeloCore comes with one-year JRNY membership. Thereafter, you’re charged $20 per month, which is relatively affordable for a studio app. After activating the JRNY membership, you can access several third-party streaming apps, like Netflix, Prime Video and Hulu.
But here’s where this app is a little different. With other studio apps, if you can access streaming services, you can only watch them while using the manual mode. JRNY lets you pick a workout and do it while watching another program through your streaming service subscription. Workouts aren’t generally more than 30 minutes long so you might have to stop mid show to start another workout. However, your workout program progress shows at the bottom of the screen so you know when to increase or decrease resistance, and you can dive into your workout while watching something else entirely.
The app also works with Explore the World, so you can ride through locations all over the world. The rides are recorded live so you pass people and traffic, adding to the real-world feel of the riding experience. You also get access to Bowflex radio, which is just one more option to keep you distracted while getting a solid cardio workout.
As far as spin classes, JRNY provides daily adaptive workouts, which include real-time coaching that keeps you challenged as your cardio and muscular strength increase. It could include HIIT, cadence rides or full-body rides for an all-around workout.
You also get a virtual coach with every workout to tell you when to increase resistance and ways to improve your performance, guiding you through workouts like a live instructor. By the way, you can take live classes through JRNY, too. Of course, you also get on-demand classes. JRNY isn’t limited to cycling either. It includes workouts for several types of cardio machines as well as floor workouts. However, you need a strong WiFi connection to use the JRNY app, so make sure to place the bike somewhere with good internet access.
Bowflex VeloCore Features
This Bowflex exercise bike comes with a few extra features, including Bluetooth speakers to provide a more immersive experience. There aren’t a lot of complaints about the speakers, but there aren’t users out there singing their praises. So overall, we’d say they’re functional, providing more volume than with a device alone.
Two water bottle holders on the sides of the handlebars’ post keep you hydrated. Another feature that we like is the included Bluetooth HR armband for heart rate training and tracking. Many exercise bikes are HR monitor compatible, but the VeloCore actually comes with a monitor making it easier to connect and get accurate readings.
The last feature we want to mention are the two three-pound dumbbells that fit into the built-in dumbbell holders on the console post. Full-body workouts may involve using weights while riding the bike. However, the holders for the dumbbells are pretty far forward, which can make them hard to reach from the seat, especially if you’re on the short side.
How the Bowflex VeloCore compares to other exercise bikes
Bowflex VeloCore vs Sole SB900
The Sole SB900 is Sole’s top-of-the-line bike. It has a smaller footprint than the VeloCore, measuring 42 inches H x 40 inches L x 21 inches W, with a maximum weight capacity of 300 pounds to the VeloCore’s 325 pounds. The VeloCore’s touchscreen blows the SB900’s three-inch by four-inch LCD display out of the water. Rather than a built-in screen, you use a device of your own, which fits on a tablet shelf.
Sole uses the STUDIO app to provide programming. STUDIO provides good programming with spin, strength, boxing, running workouts and more, though you can’t use STUDIO and watch third-party streaming services as you can on the VeloCore. Nor does STUDIO offer live classes. However, this machine’s strength isn’t in the programming, but in the quality of the build and length of the warranty. It’s a solid machine that includes a lifetime frame warranty, three years on electronics and parts and one year on labor.
Bowflex VeloCore vs Nordictrack S22i Studio Bike
The VeloCore can go head to head with Nordictrack’s S22i Studio Bike. The S22i isn’t the most expensive bike in Nordictrack’s lineup, but it’s the price equivalent to the VeloCore. Both the VeloCore and the S22i are innovative, though the nature of that innovation is different. The VeloCore leans, while the S22i has a DC incline/decline motor, taking the bike anywhere from a -10 percent decline to a 20 percent incline.
This bike fully integrates with the iFit app, with instructors making automatic resistance, decline and incline changes throughout workouts to mimic real-world rides. For those who don’t want to use iFit, the bike works in manual mode, but it limits what you can do with the bike. The S22i has a similar 22-inch touchscreen to the VeloCore’s, but the S22i’s screen can swivel a full 360 degrees to make it easier to do non-cycling workouts while watching instructors on the screen. Like the VeloCore, the pedals are designed for use with or without cycling shoes, opening the door for everyone in the family to use the bike.
This bike also has a 10-year frame warranty, but only two years on parts and one year on labor. It doesn’t outperform the VeloCore on resistance levels, as the S22i only has 24 magnetic resistance levels versus the VeloCore’s 100. However, if you want a bike strictly for integrated programming and automatic resistance and incline/decline adjustments, the S22i is a better option.
Bowflex VeloCore vs Peloton Bike
Peloton tends to be the stationary bike that other brands like to compare themselves to. In many ways, the VeloCore and the Peloton are evenly matched. They both have 100 levels of magnetic resistance, a 22-inch screen (21.5 inch for the VeloCore) and an accompanying app. If you buy the basic Peloton bike, you have to make all of your own manual resistance adjustments according to the workout you’re doing, just like you do on the VeloCore. You can buy the Peloton+ Bike for an additional $1,000 if you want automatic resistance adjustment. However, you can find cheaper bikes, like the Nordictrack S22i, that integrate with iFit and offer automatic adjustment.
The Peloton can’t lean like the VeloCore, but Peloton’s programming is one of the best on the market. Many users stay with Peloton purely for the instructors and workouts. As one user on Peloton’s website states, “I like many of the instructors and often choose my ride based on what personality is needed in a given day to balance me. I love power zone classes, and the entire platform. I do strength training, stretching, yoga, running, barre just off the top of my head. This bike may look like a vehicle to enable you to spin but it is so much more.”
However, the Peloton’s warranty is even worse than the VeloCore’s at only 12 months. And the subscription to the Peloton app is more expensive at $39 to $49 per month. The Peloton cannot connect to any other app or third-party streaming services. While the workouts and instructors might be great, the VeloCore and many other similarly priced exercise bikes are more versatile.
FAQS
Can you use the Bowflex VeloCore without the subscription?
You can use the Bowflex VeloCore without the JRNY subscription. However, you won’t be able to access any third-party streaming apps or workouts on the built-in screen. Without JRNY, you can access apps and streaming services through your own device, which can rest on the VeloCore’s tablet shelf. If you connect your device to the built-in Bluetooth speakers, the experience is good even if you’re not using the built-in touchscreen for anything more than metrics.
Does the Bowflex VeloCore have live classes?
Yes, through the JRNY app, the Bowflex VeloCore can access live classes.
Does JRNY have scenic rides?
Yes, JRNY does provide scenic rides through Explore the World. These rides have been filmed live so you get an immersive experience.
Can you use the Peloton app on the VeloCore?
You can access the Peloton app on the VeloCore as long as you have a subscription to the Peloton app. However, you’ll have to use a separate device to view the app as the touchscreen doesn’t directly connect to the Peloton app.
Final thoughts
The Bowflex VeloCore offers a unique take on stationary bike riding with a lean feature that challenges the rider in ways a standard stationary bike can’t. The VeloCore can connect with the JRNY app to activate live and on-demand programming you can watch on the large touchscreen. This app also allows you to pick a workout and see your progress while watching a third-party streaming app, like Netflix or Hulu. The pedals are versatile, too, working with clips or standard gym shoes so the whole family can create profiles and use the bike.
This might be the bike for you if you want versatile programming and riding options. JRNY provides workouts that go beyond the bike, so you can get a full gym-like experience from your home. Ultimately, you’ll have to decide if the features match up with your workout style and fitness goals. As potential cons to keep in mind, the VeloCore’s warranty isn’t the best, and the screen can have connectivity issues. Other than that, it might take time to adjust to the lean mode, but you can get incredible daily workouts that adjust to your fitness level with a machine of this caliber.
Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.
