XTERRA Mountain Blazer 8.5 Review
Highly recommended! With its smooth 48-pound drive, the XTERRA Mountain Blazer 8.5 replicates the feel of a road bike. This comfortable ride can help…
XTERRA Mountain Blazer 8.5 Specs
| Rating | 9.5 |
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Why You Should Trust Our Reviews
The durable XTERRA Mountain Blazer 8.5 Indoor Cycle makes it owners happy. Whether your goal is weight loss or winning a bike race, this trainer can be an excellent tool. The key feature is its 48-pound flywheel, which delivers the ultra-smooth ride that serious road bikers expect. It has SPD compatible pedals too. Customers rave about the comfortable saddle, easy adjustability and quiet operation.
Originally this upright cycle trainer sold for $999, but now it’s priced $799 online. That includes delivery, a warranty and a money-back guarantee.
Here’s our point-by-point review of the XTERRA Mountain Blazer 8.5’s indoor cycle features.
The Great
- Heavy Flywheel: The heart of the Mountain Blazer 8.5 indoor cycle is its robust 48.4-pound flywheel. This mimics the steady and fluid resistance that traditional outdoor bikes provide. XTERRA flywheels are chrome-plated, precision balanced and connected to an advanced cranking system.
- Steel Frame: Some brands are fond of plastic. Not XTERRA. The Blazer has a heavy-duty steel frame with lifetime guarantee. Altogether the machine weighs 141 pounds and has a 300-pound user weight capacity.
- Quiet Operation: This bike is truly “whisper quiet.” You can watch your TV or listen to music at a normal level — no need to disturb those around you.
- Easy Assembly: While other fitness machines can take an hour or two to assemble, this one is up and running very quickly. There is no need to pay extra for assembly.
- Pedals: XTERRA uses extra-wide pedals. These are dual-sided and SPD compatible; use them with or without pro biking shoes.
- Wireless Heart Rate Monitoring: The XTERRA Mountain Blazer 8.5 includes a complete wireless telemetry system for monitoring your heart rate. The system works well; it starts up quickly and delivers accurate readouts. The information can help you maximize the effectiveness of your indoor cycling sessions.
- High Capacity: The maximum user weight capacity is 300 pounds.
- Console: XTERRA bike consoles are relatively basic. They don’t include preset workout routines, but they provide useful feedback including your speed, distance, time, RPM, calories burned and heart rate. Owners can choose which data are shown.
- Comfortable Saddle: Customers generally report that they can ride the Blazer for hours without feeling uncomfortable. If you disagree though, you can switch out the seat for any regular bike saddle; the stem is standard size.
- Adjustable Handlebars: Make the bike fit your body. It’s easy to adjust the Mountain Blazer’s ergonomic handlebars and find your perfect grip.
- Compact Size: Lots of steel is packed into a small space. The machine’s footprint is just 42″ x 21″. It’s 40.5″ high.
The Not-So-Great
- Handlebars Need Cushioning: Some customers have observed that the handlebars are rough. Wearing riding gloves or covering the bars is recommended.
- No Onboard Entertainment: Exercise bike companies generally pour resources into heavy flywheels or electronics (touch-screens, Internet, audio) — not both. The Mountain Blazer 8.5 gets a high-end flywheel and is meant for avid bikers. It’s not meant for people who might rather be tweeting or watching a movie… although you could always park it in front of your TV.
- No Preset Workouts: Some riders prefer bikes with preset workouts. With this unit, the rider more actively sets the speed, distance, time and resistance.
- Warranty: The Mountain Blazer 8.5 discount price of $799 includes a warranty with lifetime protection for the frame but only one year on the deck, parts and labor. Two or three years on parts seems more appropriate. However, we haven’t heard complaints about these machines breaking down. XTERRA doesn’t seem to cut corners.
- Weight: It’s great that this machine is heavy. Just keep that in mind when choosing between delivery options. Unless you pay extra before the item ships, your bike probably won’t be carried upstairs.
Who Should Ride the XTERRA Mountain Blazer 8.5 Indoor Cycle?
The Bottom Line
We’d love to see a longer parts warranty, but we’re pretty confident that this bike will deliver many years of hassle-free use. The XTERRA Mountain Blazer 8.5 can please long-distance pleasure bikers, competitive racers and people working on weight loss.
Trying this bike is low-risk: Delivery is free, assembly is quick, and there’s a 60-day money-back guarantee.
