The Cybex Remanufactured Cyclone 530c Upright Bike – Versatile, Durable

The Cybex Remanufactured Cyclone 530c upright bike has been discontinued by Cybex, but it lives on in some gyms and many private homes as a refurbished or remanufactured marvel of durability.

The Bike

Because of Cybex's reputation for designing and manufacturing incredibly versatile, durable exercise bikes and fitness equipment for gyms, hotels and clubs, the company's older machines continue to be in demand for in-home use despite the evolution of their upright bikes into ever sleeker, more user-friendly machines.

The specs for the Cybex Remanufactured Cyclone 530c upright bike include:

• Eddy current brakes
• 21 resistance levels 15 - 900 watts
• 3 power modes, including bike, constant power and isokinetic
• Heart rate monitor on handlebars
• Vertical seat adjustment
• Multi-position, adjustable handlebars
• Dimensions: 49" x 23" x 56"
• Weight: 120 pounds
• Maximum user weight: 400 pounds
• Warranty: Between 90 days and 1 year on frame, parts and labor, depending on remanufacturer

The Buzz

UPDATE: The 530c is no longer being sold.  Check out the latest Cybex upright bikes on their website.

Trainers and physical therapists find the Cybex Remanufactured Cyclone 530c upright bike enticing for one reason they share and a few more that they don't. Both trainers and therapists appreciate the value of a remanufactured 530c bike - it sells for about half the price of a new model but can still give users years of reliable performance. After this, opinions on why this machine is a great deal diverge.

Trainers and athletes like the three power modes because they allow individuals to tailor their training sessions depending on whether they want a cardio workout, endurance or strength training.

Physical therapists look at the 21 levels of resistance and know that grandma can rehab her knees or hip at 15 or 20 watts without overdoing it, gradually building up until she's good as new.

Yet an hour later they can push the limits of endurance for a professional athlete by putting them through a grueling workout in isokinetic mode at 900 watts and top resistance. There aren't many exercise bikes out there that have the range of power that this one does.

Some Cybex Remanufactured Cyclone 530c upright bike reviews mention that the seat, while it is amply padded and ergonomically designed, isn't fully adjustable.

You can raise or lower the seat, but the angle isn't adjustable, so you're stuck with it. Since every bike rider has his or her own seated posture, it would be nice to be able to adjust the angle of the seat to avoid having to hunch over too far.

It's a minor complaint, but a valid one if you're on the short side or have longer arms and need to tilt back a bit to compensate.

Our Take

Priced as low as $1,490, the Cyclone 530c is a great machine for exercising year round. Even though this is a substantially older model, you can still get several good years out of the remanufactured models.

It isn't as stylish as newer Cybex models and it doesn't have the entertainment features some long for (such as iPod docking or movie capability). Cybex simply wasn't offering those features yet when the 530c came out.

The verdict? If you, your friends and family will all be using it, the Cybex Remanufactured Cyclone 530c upright bike may be the right exercise bike for you because it's versatile and virtually indestructible.

If you want bells and whistles, you can find more recent models with the features you're looking for.

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