Life Fitness IC7 Review: What You Should Know
Life Fitness IC7 Overview
Life Fitness is a brand that you will see worldwide, mainly in gyms and high-end training facilities. They make incredible products that are built to last and survive heavy usage. Their range of indoor bikes is called IC. They have seven different cycles in this range, currently starting at IC2 through to IC8. The higher the number, the more advanced the bike. This range is a collaboration between ICG Bikes and Life Fitness. Today we will be talking about the IC7, and at around $2000 is it worth the money?
The IC7 is a beautiful-looking bike. The flywheel sits in the rear, and it has a sleek, stealthy look to it. It has an extreme amount of technology, and one of my favorite features is the light on the front, and depending on the intensity of your riding, it will change colour! These bikes are not just for home fitness but also for spinning centres and facilities for performance athletes, so you can trust that they will be highly durable over time and come with low maintenance. They are designed to have the capability to be used more than once a day. They are of the highest quality, and can handle any endurance you throw at it.
Well, the first thing to think about is assembly. It’s quite a simple job, they have an instructional video, and the task is well explained for the user. They recommend two people as it’s pretty heavy, and you will need your essential tools, such as a 15mm Spanner, Allen keys, and Torque Wrench.
Once you all have it up and running, the first thing you will notice is it has no power cord. It’s completely user-powered. It has a lithium-polymer battery that will store power every time you ride. The TFT screen has fantastic quality and one of the best I have seen on a bike. It’s backlit and will change colour depending on the intensity you’re working. It tracks everything, RPM, Power, Speed, Calories, Distance, and even heart rate (although a monitor is required). It can link up to external devices through Ant+ and Bluetooth, opening it up to a whole range of add-on technology. If you are looking for something a bit more entertaining, you have the option of using the MyRide VX- Tablet. This is a 10” screen that clips onto the front, and not only will it go through scenic videos, but it also has a database full of classes from the ICG Team for you to enjoy. It’s not a cheap add-on, but it does take it to a new level of fitness fun.
The power meter on the bike is not an estimate. It’s correct within 1%. This bike will give near exact power. To get the most out of the cycle, link to the ICG App. This App is incredible and has had a lot of development over the time it has been available. You can create a profile and start tracking your fitness journey. It is capable of making custom workouts and also has activities that are designed for you. The primary activities and fitness tests are free, but for a monthly subscription, you can upgrade and have much more to play with. Once your workout is finished, it will log your ride automatically in the App, and you can go back and look at it later or share it on your social media channels.
It can be used for Peloton and Zwift. Providing you have a tablet or phone, you can link the cycle directly to this and start riding online with others. With the power meter it uses, the data sent across will be 99%+ accurate which explains why it is a machine chosen by many Zwift racers.
As you can imagine, this indoor bike setup has had no expense spared when it comes to build quality, and for the price, I would expect that. It has a 2-Stage Hybrid Poly V Belt drive with a Tooth system. This is advanced and used for reasons such as durability, stability, smoothness, noise reduction, and power accuracy. The resistance of this bike is magnetic, and it’s an intelligent system. It works on a 300° dial and offers 100 different levels of resistance. It means you can pinpoint the perfect resistance for your training. With this system on the bike, it will give you complete confidence in every sprint, the ideal flow as you stand out the saddle to climb, whilst remaining so quiet your neighbours won’t hear.
As with most bikes like this, the pedals are one side standard toe strap, the other side SPD Clip in which the majority of people use on Spin bike shoes. It is also capable of taking on other pedal options such as SPD-SL and Look Pedals. It has a Q Factor of 155mm. It is the size of the bracket between your feet where the crank arms attach. It would generally be 150mm, on a high road bike and a mountain bike, 170mm. I have seen the best spin bikes between 140mm and 170mm, so it’s perfect being right in between both. The flywheel’s weight is undisclosed from Life Fitness, but unlike many other spin bikes, this is weighted evenly to support resistance distribution and power accuracy.
The bike is 52” long, 20.5” wide, and 40.2” in height. In my opinion, this is about the size of a standard spinning bike. It weighs 54kg and can support a rider up to 150kg. It has wheels and will move around the house with ease. The sizing for user height isn’t listed, but knowing these bikes are in spinning studios and gyms, you would expect a minimum of 5ft to 6.5ft in my experience. It has an exciting handlebar design, unlike any I have seen before. It has all the positions you need and space for water bottles and your phone if required. I feel you might struggle to get a tablet on the indoor bike comfortably. If you wanted some entertainment while riding, it would probably have to be standing on something in front or you can buy an IC7 tablet holder.
The adjustability on this is exceptional and works differently to other bikes I have seen of this calibre. Instead of using a pin system to select the saddle height or handlebar height, it uses a gas-assisted system to make it accessible and easy to adjust the bike. The cycle then clamps precisely to where you release the adjustment handle, providing that perfect seat height that is easy to manoeuvre. The handlebars move horizontally and vertically, as does the saddle. With these features, it’s effortless to find the perfect position on the bike.
Life Fitness IC7 Indoor Bike Features:
- Q-Factor: 155mm
- Pedals: Dual-sided SPD Toe Cage
- Flywheel: Unlisted
- Resistance: Magnetic
- Transmission: Poly V Tooth Belt
- Weight capacity: 330 Pounds
- Height capacity: Unlisted
- Bike weight: 54kg
- Bike dimension: 20.5″W x 40.2″H x 52″L
- Monitor: TFT Backlit
- Connectivity: Bluetooth and ANT+
- Applications: ICG and Zwift Peloton Compatible with Tablet
- RPM tracking: Yes
- Speed tracking: Yes
- Watt tracking: Direct to 99%
- Resistance level tracking: Yes
- MyRide package: Not included
- Drop handlebars: No
Life Fitness IC7 Indoor Cycle Pros
- TFT Monitor Quality and Connectivity
- Top-notch quality and good warranty
- Uniq durability and easy to reach bottle holders
- Perfect design and looks
- The Gas adjustment system
- Unique handlebar set up
- ICG App connectivity
- Child-safe covered flywheel
- Advanced Transmission System
Life Fitness IC7 Indoor Cycle Cons
- Expensive Price, especially if you add the “MyRide Tablet”
- TFT Monitor is small and cannot run entertainment
- Tablet mounting should be purchased separately
The Final Verdict
This indoor bike is unique and unlike other magnetic spin bikes I have seen on the market. No expense has been spared anywhere and this is evident throughout. The quality is just excellent, and it is obvious the designers have put a lot of thought into exactly how they want the bike to function. It is a precise training machine and would suit someone serious about getting fit. It’s not like a Peloton. It doesn’t keep you entertained while training, but that’s not what this bike is designed for. It’s for group spin classes and would suit someone who enjoys getting lost in their training, someone who loves data and is always chasing personal bests. I’d highly recommend this bike, although it isn’t the cheapest, it is one of the best I have seen and enjoyable to ride.
Robbie Ferri from “Riding with Robbie” has been cycling for almost ten years. In that time, he has broken World Records, Bikepacked all over the World, and also raced ultra distance at a top-level. Robbie picked up a bike and started cycling when he was about 25 years old and said it was the best thing he ever did. The experiences and the fun he’s had have given him a huge passion for helping inspire others to ride further, farther, and get fitter.
