York Perform 215 Upright Exercise Bike Review

York Fitness have a strong presence in the home exercise bike market, and with a fair few offerings available around this price point, they generally offer the quality and features to remain competitive among the stiff competition of other big brands such as DKN and Kettler. Having seen the words ‘ergometer’ and ‘inbuilt heart rate receiver’ amidst the product description, The Perform 215 certainly grabbed our attention… But as always, these tests are about whether it can KEEP the attention of the user for the long term! Here’s what we discovered…

Thanks to a clear and easy to follow instruction manual and the fact that the main body containing the flywheel is supplied in the box as one piece, the assembly process is straightforward and not too time consuming.

Once assembled, the Perform 215 looks stylish and contemporary with a glossy white finish mixed with black components that should blend in unobtrusively into the interior of any homes whatever the colour scheme.

The frame design is not just for cosmetic appeal. Unlike the other 2 upright bikes in the Perform range, the 215 model has a low, cut away frame design to allow for users with restricted mobility to be able to comfortably step over the frame.

Once aboard, this bike proves that a product spec sheet doesn’t always tell the whole story! York has advertised the flywheel as being only 7 kg in weight, yet we were pleasantly surprised by the smoothness of the pedal action (We can only assume that they have used high quality, heavy duty components in order to create a higher rotating mass than the level indicated by the flywheel weight).

In addition to feeling smooth, the Perform 215 offers an impressive 32 levels of magnetic resistance (electronically controlled by a shuttle control dial on the console). So many levels means that, as well as there being loads of scope to make safe and gradual increases in intensity over time, it also offers users plenty of challenges for the long term as the higher resistance levels should certainly prove ‘challenging’ to most beginners/intermediate cyclists!

Whatever your level of experience, the console is easy to read as well as navigate. Having a shuttle dial control means that with a swirl of your finger you can quickly skip through settings and rapidly alter the resistance – Nice 🙂

The display is clearly laid out on a large, back-lit multi-colour LCD display with a number of dedicated segments at the bottom providing a continuous display of training information such as the usual feedback of exercise time, distance, pulse rate, watts and calorie consumption. On the surface, Watts and calorie feedback is fairly standard fare, but as we soon discovered, compared to other machines at a similar price point, the 215’s capabilities are rather outstanding once you delve a little deeper into the program options.

For starters, this machine has user profiles that allow the console to save the personal data for up to 4 users. The machine’s computer can take these individual factors into account to give more accurate calorie consumption, body fat and BMI calculations. Being as fat burning and weight loss are often a chief motivator for people wishing to embark on an exercise program, it’s great to see that York have invested some thought into this area.  To assist with these goals the rather neat Body Fat program utilizes the pulse grip sensors on the handlebars to give a calculation of the users body fat percentage as well as their Body Mass Index (a measure for human body shape based on an individual’s weight and height).

The pulse sensors can also be used to measure your fitness levels in ‘Recovery’ mode which will monitor how quickly your pulse drops down during a sixty second period immediately after your workout, giving you a score between one (outstanding!) and six (poor!).

There are also 4 Heart Rate Controlled programs on offer too whereby the users pulse readings are monitored to automatically adjust the resistance levels of the bike and keep them within a pre-determined heart rate range (There are pre-sets at 55%, 75% and 90% and a Target program for the user to enter their own pre-set value) What’s even better (and a huge bonus especially at this price point) is the Perform 215’s compatibility with an optional chest belt receiver (a very worthwhile investment  if you don’t possess one already!) Unlike when using the pulse grip sensors on the handlebars (which are notoriously inaccurate), a compatible chest strap ensures highly accurate heart rate readings, plus being wireless, it allows the user the freedom to hold whatever part of the multi-grip handlebars they prefer without being restricted to the small area housing the inbuilt hand sensors.

As well as having the fantastic feature of an inbuilt pulse receiver, the Perform 215 also boasts the title of being an ‘ergometer’ which is a machine with a resistance levels that has been calibrated to accurately reflect a given rate of energy consumption. When in ‘Watts controlled’ program the computer adjusts the resistance level automatically to ensure a target level is maintained (pre-set by the user from 0-350 watts).

For any readers who may be growing a bit weary of the scientific jargon surrounding some of these features, let us reassure you that the Perform 215 is really easy to work with and there are plenty of more familiar pre-set programs to enjoy too! There are 12 pre-set ones, which are clearly displayed in a handy course menu across the top of the screen, so choosing from the selection is quick and simple. Each of the programs can be used for a user-defined length of time, as well as difficulty level, so there’s no danger of the sessions getting stagnant. Plus if you fancy a complete change, there is also the provision to create your very own custom program too.

Last but certainly not least, we must mention the all-important aspect of rider position. The Perform 215 has plenty of adjustment in the seat stem to suit users of different heights, plus the saddle can be slid back or forth before locking in place. These adjustments in conjunction with tilting handlebars, means that the user can tweak the cycle to ensure they can maintain a comfortable riding position and the correct posture at all times.

Both the saddle and the handlebars are contoured with enough padding to keep users comfy too! In addition, there are the basic but welcome features of adjustable straps on the pedals and a drinks bottle holder on the frame.

Overall, the biggest selling points of the Perform 215 have to be the user friendly console as well as the capabilities contained within it! This is an ergometer at under  a few hundred pounds that boasts features like wireless chest strap compatibility, watts control as well as 4 HRC programs.

Reassuringly, The Perform 215 upright bike benefits from a 2 years parts & labour warranty from York should anything go wrong.