York Active 110 Exercise Bike

York has been around longer than a lot of people reading this review have been around. Most famous for their weight lifting products, they’ve also been producing exercise bikes for a long time. Over the years they’ve managed to produce some outstanding bikes, and some, ahem, less than impressive offerings. A brand that’s capable of hitting highs (and sometimes lows) we took a look at their entry-level Active 110 model to see what’s on offer at the budget end of their catalogue.

Unlike most exercise bikes we’ve come across, the A110 has a base that’s in two parts and needs to be assembled. The base forms the foundation upon which a bike is built so it’s a surprise to see that York has opted to use a base that has a potential weak link in it. There are five bolts that attach the rear of the base to the main body of the bike so York is taking no chances here, and on our test unit, this fixing point stayed put without a hint of movement, allaying the fears we had looking at the manual. The overall feel of the build quality here is not cheap, despite the low price point. Something that’s even more impressive considering we’re not looking at a one-piece frame here. Our test unit behaved very well during testing and happily there was no sign that the fixing method was anything but well thought through and well manufactured.

Being a manual bike there are 8 resistance levels rather than the more common 24 or 32 that you’ll find on electronically controlled models so while the maximum resistance level is comparable to a typical electronic model, each step change is more noticeable. The downside of a manual resistance control bike is that there are no computer-controlled workouts, restricting the variety of training sessions. The upside is that the bike responds more or less instantly to resistance level changes. For comfort and to help you get a good riding position, the saddle adjusts both horizontally and vertically and the handlebars are adjustable too. All this makes it easy to get a nice comfortable riding position that’s ergonomically sound. The saddle is as comfortable as anything you’ll find on similarly or slightly higher-priced models, but for those wishing for something more luxurious the saddle fitting is a standard bicycle configuration so sourcing a replacement saddle won’t present a problem if you want to swap it out. From our testing, we’d say there’s no need to do this as the stock saddle is plenty comfortable enough.

As the A110 employs a manual resistance system rather than a computer-controlled system, the console is more basic than many other bikes in this price bracket. That being said, the greyscale LCD screen features large, easy-to-read, characters making it easy to read your workout information such as speed, distance, calories, time and pulse. Speaking of pulse, there’s no heart rate receiver to be found here leaving it with grip sensors only, so heart rate information is approximate as you’d expect. Nevertheless, the pulse sensors here do an acceptable job of delivering your pulse to the screen. The console features four workouts which are target based such as time and calorie burn and there’s also a fitness recovery test. Being a greyscale LCD and having no requirement to power a motor, the console on the A110 is battery operated, with York also supplying the required batteries with the bike, which is a small, but nice, touch. This setup does provide a lot of flexibility allowing you to place the bike pretty much anywhere you like without having to consider where you’re going to plug it in.

So, how does the York Active 110 feel to use? Well, it’s pretty good and much better than many a budget, entry-level, bike we’ve tested. And, when considering the low price point here, it definitely punches above its weight. The riding position is ergonomically solid and it’s easy enough to get a good position making it suitable for most users, though if you’re much over 6ft you’re likely to find it a little restrictive. The saddle is equivalent to many other models out there at higher prices and certainly holds its own. At lower resistance levels, the 4kg flywheel is little light on paper for our liking, though it certainly ensures a smooth consistent path through the whole cycle and in practice is hard to fault. The resistance levels jump up in noticeable steps and the top level will provide a challenge unless you happen to be particularly fit already.

The Active 110 also neatly features a water bottle holder which is always nice to see and also comes with a 12-month parts and labour warranty from York.

All in all the Active 110 offers a lot for a bike at this price point, but more than that, if it were priced higher it would still hold its own, making it easy bike to recommend if you’re looking for a basic, does what it says on the tin model that won’t put a big hole in your pocket but one that still delivers where it matters.

Best Price

Currently available for £179.00 from Sweatband.com

Review Summary - In Brief

If you're looking for a bike that'll do a job for getting your heart pumping, improve your mobility, raise your fitness levels and help you lose some weight but are on a tight budget then the active 110 is very easy to recommend. It'll cope with regular use and will without a doubt help you to reach your basic fitness goals. As good as it is and as inexpensive as it is, we'd recommend giving this one a miss and opting for the DKN AM-E instead.  The AM-E does cost around £20 more but for this you get a 8kg flywheel which is twice the weight of the Active 110 flywheel delivering a smooth ride, 16 onboard workouts, electronically controllable resistance, user profiles, and a wireless heart rate receiver. You also get double the length of warranty cover (2 years) making the extra little bit of investment go a very long way.

York Active 110 Specifications

    • 4kg (8.8lbs) flywheel
    • 8 levels of manual resistance
    • 5.75″ LCD display
    • Feedback: time, speed, RPM, distance, calories, pulse; scan
    • 5 workouts: including time, distance, calories, manual + fitness test
    • Extra-large, padded seat with vertical and horizontal adjustment
    • Conveniences: water bottle holder, levelling feet, transportation wheel
    • Adjustable handlebars
    • Balanced pedals with adjustable straps
    • Heart Rate Measurement via pulse grip sensors
    • Dimensions (L x W x H) 111cm /43″ x 28cm/11″ x 123cm/48″
    • Product weight: 22.5kg (49.6lbs)
    • Max user weight: 120kg (264.5lbs)
    • Battery Powered
    • Warranty: 1 Year

York Active 110 Exercise Bike - Console / Display Unit

York Active 110 Exercise Bike - User Reviews

The Pros

  • Battery operation means you can place this bike just about anywhere you want
  • Simple to use
  • Fast resistance changes

The Cons

  • Short warranty
  • No wireless heart rate receiver
York Active 110 Exercise Bike Reviewer Ratings

 

Appearance - 8.5
Smoothness - 8.5
Comfort - 8.5
Programmes - 5
Ease Of Use - 10
Warranty - 6
Value for Money - 10
Best Price

Currently available for £179.00 from Sweatband.com

Also see our Exercise Bike Comparison Table

Whilst every effort is made to give you accurate information we cannot guarantee the technical specification. Models change on a regular basis and may differ slightly from the above review. We recommend you contact the retailer if you have a question regarding technical data. Please read our Legal Disclaimer

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