Vision Fitness R2050 Review

Personally, I’m a much bigger fan of upright exercise bikes than I am of recumbent bikes.  It could be because I’ve been riding bikes as a mode of transportation for more than three decades and I just like that fact that I can mimic that feel while I’m working out indoors. 

That being said I know that there are a ton of folks out there that consider recumbent bikes much more comfortable than uprights, and for those folks that makes a recumbent a much better option in terms of home gym equipment.  After all, you certainly aren’t going to regularly use a piece of equipment that you don’t really enjoy being on.

Generally speaking, a good recumbent will cost you more than an upright in most cases – but that doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t find a great recumbent to fit your budget.  In fact, the Vision Fitness R2050 is an incredible piece of equipment that can be had for under $1000.

I’ve been on both the R2050 and R1500 semi-recumbent bikes from Vision and though I thought both were top notch I did find the R2050 a bit more comfortable for longer rides.  This bike is rock solid, even when cruising at warp speeds, and as far as indoor cardio equipment goes it is incredibly quiet.  The resistance on this bike from Vision Fitness is super smooth and the console is user friendly enough for even those that aren’t overly friendly with the latest technology.

Vision gives you the option of “building” your own bike by choosing one of three consoles.  Only the model with the most basic console comes in at under a grand, but the “simple” console as they call it should have more than enough features to satisfy most people.  You get more than a dozen different programmed workout options plus plenty of feedback including heart rate, distance travelled, calories burned and more from the least expensive version of the R2050.

If you think a thousand dollars is a bit too much to spend on a single piece of equipment, but this beautiful recumbent is backed by a lifetime frame and magnetic brake warranty.  Knowing that you’ll probably never have to buy another bike, even if you are going to use it every day, makes justifying a price tag of a thousand dollars a whole lot easier.  In all seriousness, this is a great bike and despite the fact that it is one of the most expensive pieces of equipment we’ve reviewed thus far, it is definitely a good value and would make an excellent addition to your home gym.