Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I researched pretty thoroughly before buying and for the $ this was exactly what I was looking for - a combo of simplicity and quality. I knew I wouldn't be compelled to use it if it felt shoddy, but it is quiet and sturdy. Some of the issues brought up by other reviewers were concerning- difficult for one person to put together, poor resistance, hard seat, etc. and here's what I've found: Assembly: The tension cable was a bit tricky to set up until I found that if you turn the resistance dial on the front post towards 8- it will give you more length to work with. It was so much easier to assemble after that. Don't fret if it seems like it may be too loose- dial back to shorten to easily place into the housing. Overall, even with adjusting it, it took me about 30-40 minutes to put together. Resistance: When I first started riding I was almost at the max resistance, and I'm no athlete, so I knew something had to be adjustable or it was bad goods. The lower tension cable is topped off by a threaded bracket and secured by a nut. It is through moving these up or down that the resistance is affected. This was the only time I had to use a tool not provided- a pair of pliers to loosen the nut. After that it was a breeze. The lower the bracket is towards the bottom, the higher the resistance will be for riding. Seat: I usually have a very difficult time with bicycle seat comfort, and so far this one is better than the gym bike I had been riding at a friend's. I'm prepared to buy a cover if needed but my rides so far (about ½ hr. at a time) have been very comfortable. Stability: At first mine wobbled a bit, but the rear stabilizer's end caps are adjustable to even this out. Handlebar reach: I'm 5'6" and find them to be at a reasonable distance. It seems quite a few of the poor reviews were based on sub-par shipping and damaged goods, but thankfully I did not have that experience. It is rare to find something neither over-packaged nor under-packaged, and this was done very well and thoughtfully. The parts appear well-made and the instructions are straightforward, if lacking a bit in the finer points. I cannot speak to the console display as it's not an important feature to me. (Update: Have been using it, and it works well.) Because of some of the reported pedal and pedal crank issues I suspect this bike is not suitable for standing use. Wouldn't hesitate to recommend. We'll see how it holds up and will update if I run into any issues. Update 12/2013: After 2+ years going strong, it is still a great value for the money with one caveat. You should be comfortable opening it up to adjust every now and then. It doesn't seem to want to hold the resistance tension and once I had to adjust the belt when it was making some noises. If you enjoy being handy, this bike is totally worth it.