Reebok One GB40s Exercise Bike Review

Reebok, one of the best-known brands in home fitness, has developed a reputation for building quality home fitness machines. Their current range is extensive, featuring a wide variety of models. We’ve previously covered some of their different ranges and we thought it’s about time to take a look at their GB40s exercise bike to see how one of their budget models stacks up.

Assembly is pretty much as you’d expect from a Reebok machine and took less than 40 minutes to complete the build. All parts were present and correct on our test model, with clear instructions and all components fitting together as intended.

Design is a subjective thing and one man’s heaven is another man’s hell, but in your reviewer’s opinion, the GB40s is definitely not one that’s going to win design awards. The aesthetics of the bike look very 1990’s, so if you like retro things then the GB40s may well appeal but if you like a modern design then you may feel the same as your reviewer on this element.

Having set up the bike the next thing to do is get a comfortable riding position. The saddle adjusts horizontally and vertically via a quick release mechanism and is quick and simple to operate. While it was possible for some members of the team to get a great riding position easily, others found that due to the non-adjustable handlebars being in a fixed position and the overal shape of the frame, there was some compromise required. 

The console appears to be a more basic version of previous models we’ve tested with the upside being that with just 6 buttons in total to contend with making it very easy to operate. The 5” LCD display is very much the same layout and format that we’ve seen on previous Reebok bikes and is bright, logically laid out and easy to read. Selecting a preset program is simple enough, as is getting started on a manual program, which really couldn’t be simpler. It’s also easy to track your progress with the console feedback providing the essentials such as speed, time, distance, calories, pulse, watts, rpm and so on.

There are 12 preset workouts including target workouts for time, distance and calories and there’s also a user-defined program function that allows you to create your own workouts and store them for later use.

The most important part of any exercise bike, bar none, is how it feels to use. The 9kg flywheel on the GB40s does make for a smooth experience and as you get past the point of no return in the cycle the smoothness continues, which is a good sign. The not so good sign is the overall stability which isn’t as great as it could be. There are 32 levels of resistance, with the transition from one level to another being fairly quick and responsive.  These elements combine to make for a smooth and pleasant enough experience, though the lack of adjustment in the handlebar on the GB40s  may (and did for some members of the team) require a bit of compromise and the overal construction is reflected in the price. Not perfect, but good enough to get a fairly comfy workout as long as you’re not already an experience rider.

Overall the GB40s is okay. The build quality isn’t the best but it functions well enough. It is, though, let down by a few things.. There’s no built-in wireless heart rate receiver so heart rate measurements via the hand-pulse sensors are an approximation at best and, as we’ve already touched upon there’s a lack of adjustment in the handlebars which, for some users, will mean that it’s not possible to get a great riding position so it will work fine for some and not so great for others making a mixed bag, albeit a relatively inexpensive one.