Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike Review

Sunny Health & Fitness has consistently proven over the years that they can produce indoor workout machines that are geared towards delivering quality cardiovascular, strength, and endurance training, and the Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is one of them.

The manufacturer has also made it easy for spinning enthusiasts to choose from a wide range of models that include the Asuna Sabre, Asuna Lancer.

The Asuna Lancer has a rear-driven system as opposed to the front-driven system that both the Asuna 5100 and Asuna Sabre have. Although the Asuna Sabre and the Asuna 5100 have the same type of belt drive system, the latter’s flywheel weight is 37 pounds while the former’s is 33 pounds.

Moreover, the Asuna Lancer has a distinctive resistance that is up to 16 levels while the other two models have a micro resistance system; in other words, infinite resistance that does not have any specific levels indicated on the tension knob.

So, these differences are designed to appeal to certain personalities and therefore are entirely up to you to decide which one best suits your personality.

Click right here to have a peek at the price of the Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike.

The Frame/Sturdiness

Just as the name suggests, the Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is a commercial-grade machine. In other words, it could withstand any sort of hard use that is thrown at it because of its rugged built.

The frame is made from solid and high-quality steel that is finished with anti-corrosion and rust paint that is designed to further preserve it.  It is indeed a very sturdy spin bike with over 90% steel. The only non-steel parts on it are the belt guard, the magnetic resistance cover, the transport wheels, the water bottle holders, the adjustment knobs, and the levelers. It supports up to 300 pounds/136 kg maximum user weight capacity just like the Keiser M3 Plus Indoor Cycle.

Now that its sturdiness is established, let’s look at the stability level.

The cycling bike features stabilizer bars at the front and the rear bases which ensure that it is stable. The overall weight is about 101 pounds/46 kg; this also adds to its stability as well. Then, there are adjustable rubber levelers underneath the stabilizer bars which grip and help to level up the bike on an uneven floor. Therefore, with these elements in place, wobbling or unwanted movement can hardly occur. However, you may decide to place the bike on a rubber mat to establish cemented stability especially if the unit is to be used on a wooden or tiled floor, but this, of course, is optional.

If you are concerned that the weight may be a problem during the relocation for work out and storage, you don’t have to be because it is integrated with transport wheels that make it a very portable unit that can easily be moved by an adult.

The Asuna 5100 also has a small footprint and therefore won’t take up too much space, hence, great for users living in small rooms or apartments. The overall assembled dimensions are 49 inches long by 21 inches wide by 47 inches tall. Therefore, a workout area of 4 feet 1 inch long by 1 foot 8 inches wide will be needed. Also, consider adding an extra clearance of at least 2 feet on each side of the bike and the rear end for safe and comfortable workouts.

Since the bike supports stand up pedaling the ceiling height of the room you shall be using it should be at least 6 to 7 feet.

The Seat, the handlebar, and the Pedals

The seat that is supplied with the Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is that standard saddle that is commonly found on most indoor cycling bikes. The saddle has a slim design that hardly provides comfort to the butt because it is the same as the one on a bicycle. Being that the seat is one of the critical elements that ensure comfortable workouts you must use a gel seat cover to improve its comfort or completely replace it with another that is better.

The seat can be adjusted 4 ways; i.e. upward/downward and forward/backward. This promotes the level of comfort a user gets in terms of suitability. Multiple users will be able to use the bike conveniently without problems. Users between 5 feet to 6 feet 5 inches can be accommodated comfortably.

The adjustment is also pretty easy and could be done within seconds.

The highest seat adjustment from pedal to the seat is 40 inches while the minimum adjustment from seat to pedal is 28.5 inches.

The seat’s dimensions are 10.25 inches long by 6.5 inches wide by 2.5 inches tall.

On the other hand, the handlebar can also be adjusted but not fully adjustable because unlike the seat, it can only be adjusted in 2 ways. This means it can be adjusted vertically, upward/downward only.

Although, this may have reduced the chances of a user being able to work out in certain postures that could have been great, but does not eliminate possible comfortable workout positions.

It is also very easy to adjust the handlebar to the desired position and this takes only seconds as well.

It is coated with a rubber foam material that is designed to provide a firm and comfortable grip that eliminates slippage as a result of excessive sweat in the palms due to prolonged workout. This also prevents blisters in the palms.

The handlebar is ergonomically designed with multiple grips that allow you to work out in certain postures which are complemented by the vertical adjustments as well. This, in other words, makes it possible for you to enjoy multiple comfortable workout postures that could ultimately lead to a prolonged workout session.

The maximum adjustable height from floor to the handlebar is 43 inches while the minimum adjustable height from the floor to the handlebar is 39 inches.

Again, both the seat and the handlebar are extremely easy to adjust and very possible to be used by multiple members of the family without having difficulty remembering your settings when altered by someone else.

This spin bike features a set of pedals that are compatible with standard gym shoes and spin shoes as well. They are dual compatible pedals that provide a multiple or alternative choice of shoes you can use for your workout.

On one side of the pedals are toe cages with safety straps while on the other side are SDP clips. These pedals have textured nonslip design so that secure feet will be guaranteed even during a rigorous high-intensity workout.

This also means that you will remain focused on the task ahead without having to be distracted by possible slippage of the foot.

The pedals are bidirectional. You can work out or pedal in reverse to increase the chances of working on more muscle groups. But this also means you cannot coast as you could on a bicycle because both the pedals and the flywheel turn at the same time. Therefore, make sure you use the emergency brake feature to stop the spinning of the flywheel and the pedals before you alight or try to change the course of pedaling so that accidents may not occur and cause harm.

The Q Factor (i.e. the distance from the inner edge of the left pedal to the inner edge of the right pedal) of the Sunny Health & Fitness Asuna 5100 is 130mm/5 inches which is one of the finest and narrowest and similar to that of the regular bicycle. This means less stress in the joints such as the ankles and the knees during and after workouts.

This is the opposite of what is obtainable from entry-level spin bikes such as the Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1423 Belt Drive Indoor Cycling Bike.

The Drive System

The Sunny Health & Fitness Asuna 5100 Belt Drive Cycling Bike features a belt drive system just as the name suggested.

The belt drive on this bike consists of a heavy-duty belt, pulleys, a 37.5 pounds/17 kg perimeter-weighted flywheel, a sturdy crankset, solid crank arms, and the pedals.

These elements work together to generate a consistent, smooth, and quiet motion that is usually associated with the belt drive system.

The drive does not require any sort of maintenance as opposed to the chain drive system that needs periodic lubrication of the chain and perhaps an adjustment to keep it in good working order.

However, the belt will need to be replaced after some time, months, or maybe years depending on how frequent you are using the bike and it does not provide the feel of riding a real bicycle just as the chain drive does.

Based on the complaints of some users, if possible uncover the belt guard upon receiving the delivery of it to make sure that the belt is in good alignment to avoid unnecessary friction that could result in the untimely shredding of the belt.

The Resistance

Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike features a magnetic resistance system.

The advantage of this over the friction resistance system is that it will not require replacement of the magnet pads in a very long time.

The bike has a manual magnetic resistance system that generates resistance when the magnet that sits on each side of the flywheel gets closer to the flywheel.

The resistance level is controlled by the tension knob that is on top of the frame close to the flywheel. The resistance can be increased or decreased by simply turning or twisting the tension knob clockwise or anticlockwise.  And the tension knob is also used to stop the flywheel and the pedals from turning by pushing it down.

You can easily and quickly increase or reduce the resistance incrementally from difficult to easy effect. There is also the tendency for the resistance to increase when you ride faster and the flywheel turns around the magnetic field.

Just as aforementioned, the magnetic pads are shrouded so that they are protected from sweat and dirt that could damage it and shorten the life span.

However, there are no distinct resistance levels indicated on the tension knob which means resistance is infinite and the downside of this is that you will not be able to compare the highest resistance level you previously used to the current thus cannot track workout progress in terms of strength endurance improvements.

If you are concerned about this you may look up our review on Asuna Lancer or the Keiser M3; they both have resistance levels of 16 and 24 respectively.

  The Console

The Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is not integrated with any console but it is recommended to purchase the bike together with the Wahoo Cadence that could ultimately help you to track your workout progress via your smartphone.

The Wahoo Cadence is compatible with the bike. It is a recommendation by the manufacturer, therefore, a modification will not be required because all you need to do is download the Wahoo Cadence app on your smartphone and you are good to go. It works pretty well for basic metrics.

By the way, it is not usual for such a bike as this not to include a console on the original package.

Accessory

The only accessory on the Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is the 2 water bottle holder that is strategically positioned on each side of the fork for easy access.

Other than those, there is no MP3 player or even a tablet holder. However, you may use your phone to entertain yourself while you purchase a tablet holder for the smartphone or tablet.

Storage

The storage of the Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is easy as a walkover because it is a compact machine with dimensions of 49 inches long by 21 inches wide by 47 inches tall. It does not occupy space in the workout area neither does it in storage space.

It weighs about 101 pounds/46 kg which may be a little bit heavy for some folks but that is taking care of and made easy to be relocated without the hassle through the integrated transport wheels.

Approval Rating

Based on the Amazon customer reviews, the Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is pretty popular. Most of the customers are pleased with the bike but few had issues that stem from defective part(s)

Pros/Features Overview

• Commercial grade structure which means it is a stable and durable bike
• Features a manual magnetic frictionless resistance system
• It has a belt drive system that provides smooth and quiet operations
• Fully adjustable seat that could be adjusted vertically and horizontally
• Ergonomically designed handlebar with multi-grip for different workout postures
• Handlebar coated with a rubber foam material that provides a firm and comfortable grip
• It is a compact and portable bike with transport wheels
• Almost maintenance-free
• Easy to assemble
• Pedals are compatible with standard gym shoes and spin shoes
• It has a value-oriented price
• It has a very good and narrow Q Factor

Cons

• The console is not included in the original package, you have to purchase the Wahoo Cadence device to monitor your workout progress
• The Handlebar is not fully adjustable because it can only be adjusted vertically (upward/downward)
• The resistance levels are not indicated on the tension knob making it difficult for a user to know the highest resistance level used in the previous workout session to compare with the current resistance level that is being used.

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Product Dimensions and Specifications

• 49’’ Length
• 21’’ Width
• 47’’ Height
• Weighs 101 pounds/46 kg
• Supports up to 300 pounds/136 kg maximum user weight capacity
• Drive: Belt
• Resistance: Manual magnetic
• 38 Pounds/17 kg Perimeter weighted flywheel
• Pedals: SDP clip and toe cages
• Water bottle holders included

Warranty

• 5 Years on Frame
• 180 Days on Parts

Shipping, Assembly, and Maintenance

Shipping

The Sunny Health & Fitness Asuna 5100 Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is shipped and delivered in a box with dimensions of 44 x 11 x 37 inches and weighs about 110 pounds/50 kg.

The shipping cost depends on the retailer you are purchasing from; however, some vendors such as Amazon provide free shipping and delivers within days.

Assembly

The assembly of the Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is pretty easy basically. This is so because the major components are preassembled and you only need to attach the stabilizer bars, handlebar post, and the handlebar to the frame.

This won’t take more than 30 minutes to completely put together.

An instruction manual is also included to walk you through the process of assembly and the tools needed are also included.

Maintenance

This cycling bike is almost maintenance-free because it features a belt drive system that does not require any sort of maintenance; it features magnetic resistance that does not require any sort of maintenance. The belt will take time before a replacement will be required and the magnetic pads may never be replaced since there is no actual friction taking place when generating resistance.

All you need to do is to always examine the unit for any loose, worn, or broken part that might need to be re-tightened, repaired or replaced. Other than that, make sure to keep the bike clean from sweat and dirt at all times.

Conclusion

The Asuna 5100 Magnetic Belt Drive Commercial Indoor Cycling Bike is a quality bike that could excite anyone.

The overall built is sturdy and stable with great elements that ensure that you enjoy comfortable workouts while you remain focused on achieving your fitness goal.

If the outlined downsides are not a problem for you then chances are you are going to enjoy every bit of your workout using this bike.