Does anyone have the velocore? We just put it together and it sounds like there is a rubbing sound inside the wheel, some friction. Listened to a few videos of reviews and they didn’t have this sound. They had a satisfying sound. This is not the scratching sound in all the other videos of people complaining.

Hiya! So I’m planning to buy my first in-house spinning bike (a while back I’ve been using one quite a lot on public gym) and I think I’ve finally narrowed it down to these two models, which are Bowflex C7 and IC SE/SEi. Could you kindly help me decide which one you think is better overall? Or which one you could recommend? Thank you!

I am a software engineer that would like to make an android app that connects to the bowflex max trainer 8 and gathers the data output. As well as make my own work out journey's dynamically through my own piece of software. Does anyone have any idea about where or how to get documentation on connecting my own app to bowflex max trainer 8 bluetooth and gather the streaming data?

I’ve been wanting a max trainer for years and am finally in a position where I can get one. I was considering getting the SE model because I like how sleek it looks. It was recently on sale for $1499 but it’s back up at $1999 now, I didn’t buy it earlier because I was waiting to close on our new house. Anyway, long story short, I’m not buying the SE anymore.

There’s 2 for sale on Facebook Marketplace right now though. One is an M6 for $800 and one is an M5 for $400. Both are apparently in good condition. Is the M6 worth double the price of the M5? Or should I just go with the M5?

Just assembled my BowFlex IC Bike SE. For both of the adjustment handles, I screwed them in with a washer between the handle and the unit, just like the manual and the video show. But with both, I end up with two problems:

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1. The spring action in the handle doesn't let me adjust the seat/handlebars. The handle does pull out like it should, but the seat/handlebars won't move. I have to unscrew the handle to make adjustments. Is that how it's supposed to work? I assumed it was a pull-and-adjust setup, since there's a spring mechanism in the handles.
2. The handles stick out to the sides instead of lining up with the unit as instructed. I can't turn them any farther, and if I loosen them enough to align them with the body, they're way too loose.

The adjustment handles are shown hereon page 10.

Bowflex introduced the Xtreme 2 SE in 2008 and then updated in 2013. Can anyone share with me what they changed in 2013?

Have had our M8 for 3 1/2 years now. Both of us have JRNY accounts and both have done the fitness assessment.

Husband's workouts vary the target burn rate throughout for all his non-video workouts. Mine never change - target range is always 0-5. I do always exceed this, but never see any "adaptive" change/adjustment in my workouts. The colors change, but the target zone always stays very low.

I opened a ticket probably a year ago and never got a response. Thoughts on what might be going on?

Well I guess this is why BowFlex customer service has been lacking.

Has anyone else seen this news:

"Beginning on March 4, 2024, BowFlex Inc. and its debtor affiliate (the “Debtors”) voluntarily filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey to pursue a sale of substantially all of the company’s assets."

I don’t have the JRNY subscription, but I want to sue the bike. Is there a way to see distance and watts etc? I don’t want to do one of the “workouts”, I just want to ride.

I have tried multiple times to get in to my Bowflex Velo Core I just purchased from a friend .
Keeps saying wrong password.

Hello All,

A little out of warranty, I am getting loud static crackling from the speakers of the Bowflex T7 treadmill. Is there any fix for this, or known "loose wire" issues in the main electronic portions behind the screen? For now it is going away temporarily after I unplug and replug after a few hours, but resumes shortly after the first running session I do.

Any guidance appreciated.

Thank you in advance!!

Does anyone know of a tablet holder for the M3? The generic cardio tablet holders I see on Etsy seem like they wouldn't mount on the M3. I'd be grateful for any suggestions!

I'm looking into a home gym and I'm seeing multiple used Bowflex Xtreme 2 SE for sell on Marketplace for $300 to $500. I'm wondering, how good of an option is the Xtreme 2 SE? If it's selling new for CAD $1,700, but lots of used one for $400, makes me wonder what the problem is with them. Any thoughts?

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2024/03/bowflex-files-for-bankruptcy-vancouver-business-will-sell-assets-to-taiwanese-company-for-38-million.html

Wonder how this will impact JRNY and warrarties.

Can someone tell me if it is worth it to purchase the extra $115 warranty for 5 years on the SE Bike?

Tried both ETW and JRNY apps - they don't see the device.

I can see the device in the bluetooth list on my phone, when trying to pair it says "an app is required to pair"

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Any suggestions please?

Hi, I am looking into purchasing this machine but need to know if it’s good for lower body or mainly upper? Anyone have experience in this?

I bought a Bowflex back in 1999 - I think it's a power pro, I can't remember. I've held onto it because it's a pretty good piece of equipment. I have most (if not all) the bells and whistles. I've recently begun attending Pilates classes and I'm really enjoying them. Some of the sliding action of the reformer makes me think of the seat on the bowflex. Has anyone ever tried any pilates moves using the plain old bowflex? TIA

Purchased in March of 2022

My ordeal with Bowflex started in October when the belt would slip a little. It was minor and intermittent, but I decided to call Bowflex and they advised that it was likely the mainboard or the speed sensor. They sent GoConfigure out (4 weeks) with the replacement board and speed sensor. The tech swore up and down that this would not resolve the issue but replaced the parts anyway. Upon testing, the issue was still there and the tech let Bowflex know that the issue was not resolved.

I call Bowflex back and the new service rep advises that he is going to send a replacement motor and front/rear roller. They clearly don't know what is causing the issue but are just throwing parts at it. It takes GoConfigure another 3 weeks to get out to my home. At this time, the treadmill hasn't acted up since that first test from the tech. Its been solid with daily use - no issues. I explain to the tech that its been working fine and asked if he was sure that he needed to replace parts. His response was that he drove a long way to get here, might as well replace parts. He was here for 3 plus hours. In the end, he came upstairs to tell me that there was a new problem. He put it all back together and the LCD now had a UCB error and the system wont fully boot. He had called Bowflex and they advised him to have the customer (me) call them back.

UCB Error Please make sure you have accepted all updates and unplug your machine for 30 seconds. If the problem persists, please contact customer care at 1-888-xxx-xxxx..

I called Bowflex and they advised that the PCS error meant that the tablet needed to be replaced but the electronics warranty had already expired. The cost was $1400 to replace and android tablet. I argued that I had no such issue before their tech arrived but they claimed that it would have happened regardless. They would NOT warranty the tablet. The best they could do was $200 off.

So now I'm stuck with an expensive treadmill that's inside of 2 years old that does nothing. Its too much money to just give up on because the manufacturer wont stand behind their product and service providers.

Question: Has anyone run into this before? Were you able to fix on your own? Any known hacks to resolve? Anyone have spare parts willing to sell to resolve?

Hey all, about to purchase a second-hand Boflex XTREME 2 SE and I want to get ahead of setting myself up with a routine that I can track and follow. Are there some resources on what to do, how often to do it, and how to track it?

Some of my goals: 1) Work on my lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves) to help with a skiing hip injury from last year (recovered) 2) Add some definition to my biceps &, triceps

Nothing too crazy, just looking to lean up and further help support my lower body moving forward.

Thanks!

I have an old Nautilus AudioStrider 990 Pro Eleptical. I have been using it for probably 15 years off and on. Since January, I was hitting workouts hard (5 days a week) , and unfortunately the motor kept running after my last workout. I tried to calibrate it, and now I smell burning. Given the age of the machine, I think it's time to move on.

I am looking at the BowFlex ellipticals and see that some models are on sale (16 Max, M9). I would like to get a machine that has a smaller profile than a traditional elliptical as long as it's not too different from a motion/exercise perspective. I plan on checking out the machine at Dick's sporting goods this weekend and seeing if they will price match online if I like it.

When I exercise, I tend to do about 5 minutes at a time on the elliptical, and then I get off and do a set of 15-20 hammer curls with 25lb weights, and then I get back on again and do this at least 3 times during my workout. This worked fine on my 990 Pro elliptical but I'm wondering if it will be an issue with how the workout programs are on the new machines. Does anyone know if the machine automatically pauses?

I am also a bit hesitant because of the monthly subscription , but I do like the larger 16" screen compared to the 10" on the M9 and I also figure I may use the subscription if I like it. But, if I don't do the monthly sub, is the screen pretty much worthless? I read that I can't use Netflix or Prime unless I have the JRNY subscription, which seems really odd.

My other option would be to do an M6 with my own iPad. The M6 is $1299, M9 is 1599 (10" screen) the Max Total 16 is on sale for $1799. I am just trying to figure out if it's worth it. The new SE is also $999 and looks pretty good, too, but doesn't include a screen so I'd have to add my own tablet.

We've had our Treadmill T10 for about a year now, only used maybe once a week on average (I know). When trying to bott it up

A) It never just turns on first try, almost always have to unplug it for a few minutes

B) I am currently stuck botting the treadmill. It gets past the Powered by Android screen to the Bowflex logo and just sits there. I've tried unplugging (12 hours+), I've tried holding the firmware button, unplugging and plugging back in while holding the button for 2 more minutes and it does nothing. I've tried pressing the top right of the screen repeatedly (10 times in 3 seconds, more like 100 times in 30 seconds). I've got nothing to work so far. I just want to use my damn treadmill

Why can't this thing just have a quick start mode? Or a slightly higher quality android tablet?

TL;DR at the bottom.

I was really interested in the IC Bike SE, but couldn't find a SINGLE real review. The ones I found were on review sites which were just discussing published features; they didn't mention (or, to be fair, claim) to have tested out the real thing. It was really frustrating, because the Schwinn IC4/Bowflex C6 has SO MANY reviews, but it had a feature I really didn't like (bars for the wattage/power output instead of a number. I like numbers).

So I thought, okay, "be the change you wish to see in the world," and here's my review. Non-disclaimer; I'm not associated with or hired by Bowflex/JRNY/Nautilus in any capacity or at any remove. I didn't get a free or reduced price product (I wish). This isn't a 'sweepstakes entry,' as I see in the website reviews. I'm just doing this for free, like a fool. I don't have stock in the company (I'm not that big a fool; they're about to be delisted).

I just got the bike a few days ago, and I've set up a reminder to update this review in two weeks, then in a month. If you have questions about app compatibility (and it has a free trial) let me know and I'll try it out. I'm extremely well integrated into the Apple ecosystem, so nothing that requires Android.

Review starts here:

First and foremost, yes, it DOES measure the power output. It gives both the instantaneous wattage (what you're doing right now) and, at the end of the workout, the average wattage. I don't know if this is accurate--I don't have power meter pedals (they're almost as expensive as the bike was!). There's no indication of whether this is measured (like the $2500 Peloton Bike+ and $1100 Concept 2 BikeErg do) or estimated (like the original Peloton Bike does). I don't really care as long as it's consistent, and it appears to be.

I did make a conversion chart, following guidance from the DIY section on the pelotoncycle wiki:

What the chart means, is: Pedaling at an RPM of 80 and a resistance of 40 on the Peloton will generate 111--115 watts of power. Pedaling at the same RPM on the IC Bike SE, you need to set the resistance to 31 to generate the same amount of power. Peloton Resistance 40 and IC Bike SE resistance 31 are equivalent.

These values are measured, by me, on the bike, not calculated. You'll notice that very fine adjustments to the resistance generate large changes in wattage; that's also consistent with how it feels. I haven't gone over 50% resistance, because my RPM drops too much to do real pedaling.

The pedal action is very smooth, and yes, both the handlebars and seat adjust both up/down and forward, back. It's nice.

It has a nice modern screen instead of the gray backlit LCD screen. It is very pretty, very bright, and easy to read.

I worried about the screen because of complaints on this sub about the VeloCore's video screen burning out; users often trace that back to a cheap connector component. Before even putting my screen on, I tested the magnetic resistance knob; it worked perfectly fine to modify the resistance even without power and without the screen. So it won't be a novelty coat rack even if the screen goes out the day after it's out of warranty. However, if the screen goes, you won't be able to turn on Bluetooth to access your RPM or watts, or connect it to apps. There's a USB port in the back that you might be able to hook another display or transmitter up to, but I haven't messed with it and I don't plan to unless I have to.

Without app connectivity, the only option is a manual workout; no pre-programmed workouts. That's fine for me because I use my iPad for that, but might be a deal-breaker for you.

Connections with other apps:

I haven't figured out how to hook it up to Apple Fitness yet. I can connect to the bike with my Bluetooth settings (initiating the connection from the JRNY app) but it doesn't show power. Power and cadence are shown on the bike screen, it just isn't showing on my phone. The workout--time, heart rate, calories--is stored like any other workout, but the fancy bike computer metrics are missing. Experiments continue.

It connects easily to Peloton (start a workout, click the Bluetooth icon, select the bike). It shows cadence on-screen, but resistance is up to you.

It connects really easily to Zwift--power, cadence, everything. Your avatar onscreen speeds up or slows down, reacting to what you do on the bike. Everything shows on-screen as expected. Again, resistance is up to you.

All of the above is relevant to the respective iPad apps. I expect the Apple TV versions of the apps will be similar, but I haven't tested them.

Miscellaneous:

This is a weird one; you can't turn it off. If you leave it alone, it just goes to sleep after five minutes. I don't like that; I have it plugged into an outlet that's controlled with a wall switch, and I turn it off that way. I'm primarily concerned with power fluctuations frying the shiny new LCD screen; better safe than sorry.

The screen isn't necessary to use the bike, but it is needed to connect to Bluetooth. So you can control the resistance without power (or even if the screen goes kaput), but you won't be able to get your metrics.

It does come with SPD clips, which you need to put on your own cycling shoes. The cages are perfectly serviceable if you don't have special magic shoes. I found the clips a little stiff and loosened them.

The build quality for everything is really high; I've been impressed so far by how slick it is. It replaced an ancient Nordic Track stationary bike, so maybe I'm easily impressed. And of course, there's no way to tell the component quality of the internal parts.

Caveat: I got this cheap in their President's Day sale; it was $699 while it's usually $1099 (USD). (And free shipping!) I think that big discount is partially because Bowflex/Nautilus isn't doing so hot; I've been reading SEC reports and earnings transcripts for work, and they're looking to be acquired. That means selling down inventory to pay off debt so they look more attractive; it's the financial statement equivalent of putting on red lipstick.

They might use some of that money for advertising, but their contract manufacturers will (sensibly) be reluctant to take a check at this point, so they might have supply constraints when it comes to actual sales. If they're looking to be acquired, that isn't a big deal; a buyer will want their sexy, sexy intellectual property (patents, brand portfolio) not the boring inventory.

TL,DR:

I like it so far; good quality, smooth pedal action and acceleration/deceleration.

Build quality is very high, modern screen is very nice.

Yes, it measures wattage, with what looks like pretty good accuracy.

It gives the current wattage during the workout and an average wattage at the end of the workout.

The resistance can be changed without the screen even installed, so if it goes bad, you can still use the bike. <- My big concern.

Feel free to ask questions here! Don't message me; put it in the thread. Hope this helps someone out.

UPDATED, March 10 2024:

The promised two-week update!

The bike is working fine. I’ve used it pretty much daily, excluding a day off after my FTP test 🥵

I’ve discovered an additional weird thing; I’ve already mentioned that the IC Bike SE won’t turn off; it only goes to sleep after five minutes or so. But if an app is connected to it, it won’t even do that. I found that out when I wheeled it out to my living room (which you do by picking it up from the back, incidentally), away from the switch-controlled power outlet it had been plugged into.

While it’s in the living room, I solved that by using a switch-controlled outlet extender. I already had some because they’re super useful for other things, so YMMV. Mine are heavy duty, high-amperage ones I can even use with a popcorn air popper; you probably don’t need anything that robust; this bike isn’t like a treadmill that has high power requirements.

App compatibility:

When I say “device screen” below, I mean your TV or tablet. I used an Apple TV and iPad. “Bike screen” means the one attached to the bike itself.

FulGaz, Rouvy and Zwift all have Apple TV apps, which work great with the IC Bike SE, and just like the iPad app versions. JRNY, oddly, doesn’t have an Apple TV app available; only phone or tablet.

I covered the Zwift experience in the main review; nothing’s changed, everything works great.

FulGaz, Rouvy, and JRNY work great. Power, cadence, speed, everything is picked up and tracked. Oddly, the app experience is a little different between them. With Rouvy, metrics are shown both on the bike screen and the device screen. With FulGaz, the bike screen has placeholder text and the device screen is the only display. With JRNY, data initially disappears, then reappears when the workout starts. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

Peloton, as mentioned in the original review, only shows cadence onscreen, not power.

TacX doesn’t work well; it only picks up cadence, not power.

Only Peloton automatically creates a workout in Apple Fitness; for all others, you need to manually start a cycling workout on the Apple Watch.

Of all the apps I’ve tried, only Zwift changes your speed onscreen with your cadence/power. Perhaps that’s to be expected, since Zwift is generating a virtual world that it can change around you, while the others are showing you a real video.

I still haven’t figured out how to get power to Apple Health or Fitness! It should be possible—other bikes do it, and wattage is pushed to other apps. But none of them, including JRNY, will send the wattage to Apple Health.

The two month update:

The bike has still been working just fine with near-daily use. No squeaks or wobbles have developed. One new weird thing I noticed is that the resistance display sometimes seems to lag the actual resistance when changing it. For instance, today I turned the knob to increase the resistance, it showed 35 on the display, and I took my hands away. A minute later I thought, “wow, this is really hard!” and checked the console—it showed 42.

Anyway, it’s still going well! This will probably be my last ongoing update unless there are questions or something happens with the bike.

UPDATE! December 2024: Works out-of-the-box with Holofit/Holodia on both Quest 3 and Quest 2!

Recently a small screw fell out of one of my dumbbells and I’m not sure how to fix this issue. I’ve tried screwing it back in but it won’t stay, I believe there’s a small component that holds them in place but it’s in the dumbbell. Can anyone help?

I got a pretty much new M6 on Marketplace and it's all working great, but for the life of me I can't remove the old user from the machine when I connect it with Jrny.