The Sole E95 I have found to be a solid machine. I was concerned with the reviews that indicated an assembly time of 11 plus hours. However, in my experience it only took approximately 3 1/2 hours to assemble. The over all stability of the machine is good, especially in light of the fact that I weigh 245 lbs. I have no complaints regarding the construction or performance of this machine and I have been using it for about 2 1/2 months. The one draw back is it does require at a room with at least an eight foot ceiling if you are 6'3" or taller as I am 6'5". Therefore it may not work well in a basement depending on your ceiling height.
The machine shipped via ABF out of Oklahoma City. The driver unloaded it and put it in the garage. The driver will not put it in the house, so if you are expecting it to be placed inside or moved to a specific room you had better try to arrange this before delivery.
The box weighs about 260 pounds so you will need a couple of very strong backs to move it by hand. My wife and I managed to get all of the parts, save the flywheel, out of the box and then wrestled the box holding the main flywheel up our stairs. This was NOT easy. So plan ahead if you need to locate this on a second floor.
The biggest disadvantage from buying one of these through Amazon is the limitation on delivery. There is no information about what to expect beyond that the freight company will call you (which they did). Standard delivery includes liftgate service and placement of the unit at your door or in your garage. If you need more than this then you may want to buy one directly from Sole, which for a couple of hundred bucks will have it placed where you want it. If I had to do it again, I'd still order from Amazon. I saved a few bucks and managed to get it where I needed it without injury.
The unit itself went together easily, taking me a couple of hours. An extra pair of hands is useful at a couple of points. Basically, you put together three main pieces, then attach the console, the arms, and the plastic cover pieces.
As for the machine itself, what more could you want? Sturdy, quiet, and reasonably adjustable. Some have complained about the stiff resistance at the lowest level, but this is not an issue at all with mine. The lowest incline and resistance moves very easily. The console is not too fancy but adequate. Overall, this product meets all of my expectations, hence my 5 star rating.
This is a great product.I bought it for my granddaughter for her birtday,and she loves it,and really nice for price.others are very expensive,and this one suits her fine,she's only nine and wanted to get in shape so figured this would be a great way to begin,and believe me it was.Very glad I purchased this.Would reccomend to anyone.Mary
The reviews here combined with the price are what convinced me to purchase this... and after receiving it, I can say the reviewers are right on! The instructions are weird and spotty, mostly because the number labels don't match the parts. The parts have been labeled with L and R and all the bolts/nuts are preassembled which makes it super easy if you pay more attention to that than the written instructions and diagrams, which are only slightly helpful. Struggled a little with the "friction"... definitely needed Vaseline or WD40 and also to loosen some other elements so I could reduce the tension when attaching the pedal arms. (do pay attention to that part of the instructions)
As far as the working feel of it... the pedal position is strange to me when sitting on the bike, it forces you to point your toes more than you normally would when biking. I think this can be resolved not by blocking up the frame of the bike (as other reviewers have done), but by perhaps by putting a wedge under the toes when biking. The elliptical position and movement seems really good, very natural. I do find it a bit hard to get the pedals moving even with the belt loose and on the easiest setting... this is not a machine for someone who is in weak physical condition. Once it's going, it's great.
The bike is heavy and solid... doesn't feel tippy or cheaply made. Seems to me that it's also got potential for DIY repairs if it should eventually break... the large plastic pedals could be replaced with wood, and the belt is simply nylon webbing. This really is an amazing value... it was also shipped immediately, I received it so quickly, much faster than the typical Amazon free shipping!
It meets my needs for a relatively inexpensive and smaller machine. Smooth enough, but would like smoother which would mean a more expensive and nicer machine. Instructions were easy to follow and parts were labeled clearly. Have one squeak that's not a big issue. My only gripe was the unit came only in its product box, not a shipping box. The end of the box was a little crushed which matched up with the cracked plastic flywheel housing. Since it doesn't affect performance or overly visually obvious, did not choose to complain to Amazon becausse it would be too much effort to make perfect. How do you send back something that you already spent an evening assembling? I don't have any regrets and expect to get good use from this machine.
