Merach S28 Smart Exercise Bike Review

The Merach S28 smart exercise bike is a mid range stationary bike with incline capabilities.

I’ve never ridden a stationary bike with incline so this is something that has me intrigued and sounds challenging.

One thing I really like about it, is that it doesn’t come with a monthly subscription and they even offer a free app that tracks everything and has classes.

Let’s check it out!

Unboxing

Everything came surrounded in styrofoam and wrapped in plastic so the packaging was excellent.

Once I got everything unpacked, this is what all the parts look like before I started putting it together.

It took me about 30 minutes to assemble.

Specs

• Resistance mechanism: 16 levels of magnetic resistance

• Weight capacity: 350 lbs

• Recommended height: 4’8″ to 6’4″

• Frame: H-frame design adds stability, also has adjustable rubber feet for uneven floors

• Flywheel: 22 lbs (10 kg)

• Incline/Decline: 6 degrees

• Apps: Merach’s free app tracks everything, comes with scenic routes, games, and workouts

What Is The Merach S28 Smart Exercise Bike?

The Merach Fitness S28 smart bike is a stationary bike with incline settings that connects to interactive apps for fun and challenging workouts.

It does not come with an attached touchscreen which helps to keep the price down, but it can be connected to a tablet or phone with free apps.

Merach’s free app makes it easy to connect to the S28 bike via bluetooth to track distance, calories, speed, time, and more.

It has 16 levels of magnetic resistance to challenge all fitness levels.

Top Benefits Of The Merach S28 Smart Bike

Stable

The S28 feels stable even when I use it at high speeds and with a lot of resistance.

A combination of the 22 lbs flywheel at the front to weigh it down and an H-shaped frame, gives the bike great stability.

The legs also come with adjustable rubber feet in case you have uneven floors.

My floors are even but if yours aren’t, you can turn the rubber feet to adjust the height on each corner.

Even going at full speed, I feel comfortable that the bike won’t tip over.

Quiet

This has to be one of most quiet bikes I’ve ever used.

I was expecting quiet since it’s magnetic resistance but this is very, very quiet.

Comfortable

The saddle is thick and has comfortable padding.

I sit on it for 15 – 30 minutes at a time and don’t feel any discomfort.

The middle section of the saddle is indented and has an opening for ventilation and to make sure my tailbone and jewels aren’t crushed.

On the handlebar side, it’s completely rubber dipped so my grip feels secure and I can grab it from any angle.

The pedals have a hard plastic toe piece attached to them and it’s not something you want to use barefoot.

It’s connected to an adjustable strap which I don’t think it’s needed.

Here’s my foot inside the pedal cage.

Feels secure and the hard plastic touching the top of my foot doesn’t bother me at all.

No Subscription

Unlike many smart bikes out there, the Merach S28 doesn’t require a subscription which I like.

With Merach’s free app I have plenty of options to entertain myself while I’m riding.

There’s virtual routes that give you a first hand POV like if you were riding there.

Here’s what one of them looks like.

On the left hand size you can see all the metrics being tracked in real time.

I can also gamify my rides by connecting to the FantomFite app.

The app also comes with on-demand workouts.

Best Features Of The Merach S28 Smart Exercise Bike

Magnetic Resistance

Since this is a smart bike that relays info to my phone via bluetooth, it has to be plugged in to an electrical outlet.

Once I plug it in, I can control the resistance by turning the dial clockwise/counter-clockwise up to 16 levels.

I’m used to mechanical knob to adjust magnetic resistance so I have to remind myself to set the bike close to an electrical outlet but no big deal.

I can also use the Merach app but it’s easier to use the dial since most of the time I’m watching something on my phone while riding.

Adjustable Handlebar & Saddle

Both the seat and handlebar are adjustable to fit people ranging from 4’8″ to 6’4″ tall.

I slide the seat horizontally with a tension knob and I adjust the height vertically with a spring loaded twisting pull handle.

The seat has 9 levels of height adjustments.

The handlebar works in a similar way…

I use pull handles to adjust it horizontally and vertically.

Data Tracking

With Merach’s free app I can track all my workout metrics on a daily basis.

I can even set custom targets for any goals I want to reach.

Incline Simulation

One cool feature I’ve never seen on the bikes I’ve tested, is being able to incline the bike (up to 6 degrees) to simulate going uphill.

I put it an arrow on the flywheel to show you that line being completely horizontal when the bike is in normal mode.

This coil looking thing on the back of the bike is what controls the incline and decline.

I can increase the incline and decrease the incline angles on the bike using a ( + ) and ( – ) button on each handle or I can use the app.

This is the bike at full 6 degree incline.

You can see the line on the flywheel is slightly tilted upward.

The LCD screen on the dial tells me the percentage of incline and decline.

And here it is at full decline with the line tilted downward.

The incline feels harder when I’m standing on the pedals off the saddle.

I’m not sure what the purpose of the decline setting is but it keeps the ride interesting.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Smooth: Feels smooth without any jerky movements even at the highest resistance level

• Adjustable: Both handlebar and seat are adjustable vertically and horizontally to fit people of all sizes (recommended for people 4’8″ to 6’4″ tall).

• Stable: Feels heavy and does not wobble, legs are adjustable in case you have uneven floors

• Incline: 6 degree of incline adds more intensity especially when I stand up

• Quiet: Extremely quiet even when pedaling real fast

• No subscription: Merach app is free, no subscriptions, and tracks data in real time, plus offers scenic virtual routes and games so you don’t get bored

Cons

• Electrical: I don’t need electricity to pedal but it does have to be plugged in to have data synced & tracked and to use the incline/decline option

Merach S28 Price

The Merach S28 smart bike retails for $699.99 which is right along with the competition for mid-range bikes of this kind.

With mid-range bikes you get a quality bike that does what it needs to do without the monthly subscription.

Merach Discount Code

I got in contact with Merach and I was able to twist their arm to give my readers a discount.

And they’ve agreed to a massive $100 discount!

Just click the red button below to reveal the discount code.

Merach S28 Exercise Bike Alternatives

Echelon EX-3 Connect

The Echelon EX-3 Connect has a great looking design where the flywheel is in the back.

With 32 levels of magnetic resistance this gives you a challenge regardless of fitness level.

Sunny Health & Fitness SF-B1805SMART

Sunny Health & Fitness also offers their own free app so there’s no subscription required for this bike.

It has a heavy 44 lbs flywheel and a digital motor that helps you keep track of all metrics.

My Experience Using The Merach S28 Smart Exercise Bike

I like that the S28 is sturdy even when I pedal fast or with high resistance.

It’s so quiet that I can hear anything going on around me without any issues only air bikes that are really loud.

The incline option is cool to have to make sprints more challenging and the free app keeps me entertained when I don’t have anything to watch on YouTube.

Conclusion: Is The Merach S28 Smart Bike Worth It?

The S28 has a nice look to it and feels really good on my joints.

I’m able to get a low impact workout and track everything so I can see my progress.

With a comfortable seat, grippy handlebars, and almost no noise, it’s a really good mid-range stationary bike worth checking out.