The B94 is Sole’s most affordable upright bike, but don’t let the low price fool ya – this bike can hang with the best of ’em.
With a surprisingly heavy flywheel and a durable frame, the B94 is heavier-duty than most comps in its price range.
And with a lifetime frame warranty, it’s covered by a much longer guarantee than most similarly-priced uprights.
And even though the console is a bit dated, it does come with several built-in workouts and bluetooth compatibility with Sole’s free streaming app.
All things considered, I think the B94 is a great upright for the price, but there are several other nice options in the $1k price range.
So, given the stiff competition, is Sole’s B94 a smart buy?
Well, that’s what I’m here to help you figure out.
In this review, we’ll go over everything this exercise bike has to offer, including where it falls a bit short; we’ll also take a look at how it compares to the other top uprights in this price range.
After reading, you’ll know whether or not it makes sense to invest in the B94.
Sole’s B94 comes with heavier-duty components than most uprights in the $1k price range, making it a great choice for riders looking for top performance and durability. But folks looking for a more advanced console with streaming options may want to consider NordicTrack’s similarly-priced Commercial VU 29.
Sole’s B94 Upright Bike
I have to confess that Sole is one of my favorite home fitness brands.
I’d say they’re an underrated brand, but I don’t think that’s true. You find Sole products at the top of everyone’s “best of” lists year after year.
People that spend a lot of time researching fitness equipment are well aware of the brand and most of them are fans as I am.
I don’t think Sole has the name recognition that Schwinn or NordicTrack has yet, but I imagine that’s gradually going to change.
As more and more folks hear about them and fall in love with their products, I imagine their popularity will continue to rise.
Anyway, I like Sole products because they focus more on function and performance than anything else.
Their fitness machines are build sturdy and they usually come with heavier components and longer warranties than the competition.
Anyway, the B94 is one of 2 upright bikes currently being offered by Sole. The other is the higher-end LCB, which comes with several key upgrades, but more on that later.
Pros
- 20 lb flywheel
- 20 levels of magnetic resistance
- Fully adjustable, gel seat
- Multi-grip handlebars
- Heavy-duty frame
- 300 lb weight capacity
- 9″ LCD screen
- Bluetooth speakers
- Data tracking
- Built-in tablet holder
- USB charging port
- Heart rate monitor compatible
- Straightforward assembly
- Awesome warranty
Cons
- Limited workout programs
- Dated console
Resistance
You don’t hear as much talk about flywheels when discussing upright bikes, but you really should. Well, if you’re looking for an upright bike that can provide a decent workout anyway.
Most exercise bikes and ellipticals use perimeter weighted flywheels to provide the resistance (the flywheel is the part that spins as you pedal).
The general consensus is that when it comes to flywheels, heavier is better because it provides a smoother workout (especially when it comes to indoor cycles).
The heavier the flywheel is, the more momentum it builds as it spins.
This momentum actually helps the flywheel continue spinning, eliminating any lag during the brief pauses between pedal strokes.
The result is a smoother, more fluid feel.
Having a heavier flywheel is also advantageous because it should be able to provide more overall resistance to workout against.
Think about it- the heavier that flywheel is, the harder it’s going to be to get it moving.
With all of this in mind, Sole’s B94 comes with a 20 lb flywheel, which is pretty impressive for an upright in this price range.
For comparison’s sake, Schwinn’s popular 190 comes with an 8 lb flywheel, which is pretty standard for home models.
The heavier flywheel on the B94 is going to make for a smoother, more substantial workout.
And with 20 levels of magnetic resistance to play with, it should have more than enough muscle to provide a tough workout for even the more advanced cyclists.
Overall, the B94’s heavy flywheel is one of its most impressive features.
Seat
One of the benefits (really the only benefit if you ask me) of choosing a traditional upright bike over an indoor cycle is the larger, more comfortable seat.
Indoor cycles use the same seats road bikes use and they’re small, hard, and generally speaking, pretty miserable to sit on.
Upright bikes, though, usually come with larger, softer seats, making them more tolerable to sit on for extended periods.
Comfort aside, the important thing to consider when looking at the seat is whether or not it’s “fully adjustable”. This means you can control both the height and horizontal position (fore/aft) of the seat.
This is important because it gives you more control over customizing your fit, ensuring you can find the right position to ride comfortably.
The B94 does come with a fully adjustable seat, so you shouldn’t have any issues finding a comfortable riding positin.
The seat also comes with a gel overlay for added comfort.
Overall, this bike scores highly with a comfortable, fully adjustable gel seat.
Handlebars
When checking out the handlebars on an upright bike, I’m really looking at whether they offer multiple grips or not.
The B94 does, which is nice because it gives you options on where you place your mitts during your workouts.
I especially like how long the handles are and that they angle up- in cycling, I believe this is referred to as the 3rd hand position and it comes in handy when standing.
Most upright bikes don’t have adjustable handlebars like indoor cycles do, so I wouldn’t count that against this model.
There are built-in grip heart rate monitors on the handles, making it convenient to track your heart rate during your workouts.
It’s also easy to access the resistance buttons on the console from the horizontal grip position.
Overall, nothing too fancy going on here, but the multi-grip handlebars are a plus.
Frame
Frame integrity is an important thing to consider when comparing upright bikes, especially affordable ones.
And stronger frames is something that separates high-quality from lower-quality bikes.
After all, nobody wants a bike with a wimpy frame that’s gonna wobble and shake during your workouts.
It can be hard to discern a quality frame from a sub-par one without getting on and going for a test spin (luckily a lot of sporting goods stores sell Sole products, I know Dicks’s does and they always have models assembled for you to try out).
But the best way to compare frames is to look at the weight capacities and the overall bike weights – and heavier is better for both.
The B94 comes with a 300 lb weight capacity and a total bike weight of 101 lb.
The weight limit here is pretty average for a quality bike, but the assembled weight is pretty high for a $1k upright bike.
For the sake of comparison, 3G Cardio’s Elite UB, which actually costs a bit more than the B94, weighs in at around 91 lb.
And Schwinn’s 190, which to be fair, weighs a few hundred less, only weighs around 80 lb.
So, the B94 is definitely heavy for a budget-friendly upright bike.
And having this extra bulk is going to make for a more stable cardio machine.
Features
Sole’s B94 comes with the following features:
10 workout programs- this bike doesn’t come with a ton of workouts, but it does give you a nice little selection to choose from. These 10 workouts include 7 standard programs (hill, fat burn, etc), 2 custom workouts, and a manual mode.
9″ LCD screen- the screen on the B94 is bright and large enough to see easily during your workouts. You’ll be able to see all of your workout stats at the same time without having to wait for them to scan across as you do on smaller screens.
Bluetooth speakers- you can listen to music from your phone or tablet through the console wirelessly with the built-in bluetooth speakers.
Sole+ – the B94 is bluetooth compatible with Sole+, Sole’s free streaming app that gives you access to free instructor-led workouts and metric tracking. You’ll need your phone or tablet to watch the workouts though (did I mention that it’s 100% free?!?)
USB charging port- the built-in USB port allows you to charge your devices while you workout. No need to worry about draining your battery.
Heart rate monitoring- the B94 is compatible with bluetooth heart rate monitors, allowing you to get a more accurate reading during workouts.
Integrated tablet holder- the built-in tablet holder is conveniently located above the console, so you won’t have to block your view of the screen if you choose to watch your tablet or read a book during your workout.
Cooling fan- the fan will help cool ya off during those more intense workouts.
Water bottle holder- the water bottle holder comes in handy for, uh, holding water bottles (hey, hydration is no laughing matter!)
Assembly
Sole’s Achilles’ heel tends to be their assembly manuals. Simply put, their manuals could use some work.
The images are usually too small and jammed with too many things going on at the same time and the written instructions are usually found on a different page all together.
That said, the instructions for the B94 are actually pretty good. It doesn’t hurt that putting this bike is easy to begin with, but even so, they did a better job with this manual.
I like that Sole provides a to-scale image of all the hardware being used. They also label everything, making it easy to reference during assembly.
There’s only a few steps to assemble this bike.
The majority of the frame comes pre-assembled, you just have to attach the stabilizers, the handlebars, the seat, the monitor, and all the plastic coverings.
All of the necessary tools are included.
All things considered, the assembly process is pretty straightforward. I think most folks will be able to get this job done on their own without paying for professional assembly.
I would guess most people will get the job done in 30-60 minutes, depending on your skill level of course.
Just keep in mind how heavy this bike is, I would settle on a final location before starting.
Warranty
The Sole B94 comes with the following warranty:
- Lifetime frame
- 2 year parts
- 1 year labor
This is a generous warranty for a bike in this price range.
You can’t beat lifetime on the frame (ps, this is a tell-tale sign of a quality bike) and 2 years on parts is pretty solid too.
A year on labor is pretty standard across the board, so nothing too special going on there.
Overall, a great warranty.
Sole’s B94 vs The Competition
| Sole B94 | NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 | 3G Cardio Elite UB | Schwinn 190 | |
| Flywheel | 20 lb | 19 lb | ? | 8 lb |
| Resistance levels | 20 | 24 | 16 | 25 |
| Weight limit | 300 lb | 325 lb | 350 lb | 330 lb |
| Console | 9″ LCD | 14″ HD touchscreen | Small LCD | 7″ LCD |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame 2 year parts 1 year labor | 10 year frame 2 year parts 1 year labor | Lifetime frame 7 year parts 1 year labor | 10 year frame 2 year parts 90 day labor |
| Price | ~$1000 | ~$1000 | ~$1300 | ~$700 |
Ok, that does it for everything the B94 has to offer, so let’s switch over and discuss how this bike compares to some of the other top uprights in its price range.
Speaking of which, the B94 usually sells for about $1k, so this is the price point I’ll be using to choose comps.
The first one that comes to mind is NordicTrack’s Commercial VU 29, which is priced right at $1k at the time of writing this.
The VU 29 is another nice bike for the price and it comes with a 19 lb flywheel, 24 resistance levels, and a 325 lb weight limit.
The VU 29 is similar to the B94 in terms of performance specs, but this bike comes with a 14″ HD touchscreen console for streaming iFit workouts.
This is a big upgrade over the B94’s simple LCD console, but to take advantage of iFit, you’ll have to pay the monthly membership fee.
And Sole+ is free.
Another upright worth mentioning is 3G Cardio’s Elite UB, which usually goes for around $1300.
The Elite UB is a pretty straightforward bike, but it comes with a compact footprint, a 350 lb weight limit, and 16 resistance levels.
It too comes with a pretty basic console, but its warranty is amazing – 7 years on parts is unheard of in this price range.
The last comp I want to mention is Schwinn’s 190, which usually sells for around $700.
The 190 is much lighter-weight and only comes with an 8 lb flywheel, but it does come with 25 resistance levels, a brightly-lit display, bluetooth, and USB charging.
Schwinn’s warranty isn’t bad either.
Sole’s B94 vs Sole’s LCB
| Sole B94 | Sole LCB | |
| Flywheel | 20 lb | 27 lb |
| Resistance levels | 20 | 40 |
| Weight limit | 300 lb | 350 lb |
| Console | 9″ LCD | 10″ touchscreen |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame 2 year parts 1 year labor | Lifetime frame 3 year parts 1 year labor |
| Price | ~$1000 | ~$1500 |
Before I wrap things up here, I want to provide a quick comparison to Sole’s other upright bike, the LCB.
The LCB usually costs about $500 more and it comes with some significant upgrades.
These include a heavier flywheel (27 lb), more resistance levels (40), a higher-weight limit (350 lb), and an updated touchscreen console.
The performance specs alone might warrant the additional cost, but the touchscreen definitely does.
The updated console on the LCB comes loaded with entertainment apps like Netflix, Hulu, etc. as well as several more workout profiles.
And with it, you can access the instructor-led workouts directly through Sole+.
With the updated console, Sole’s LCB is a top contender for being one of the best home upright bikes, period.
Final Thoughts
Well, there ya have it.
The B94 comes with great performance specs, most notably the heavy flywheel and heavier-duty frame.
It’s also backed by one of the better warranties in this price range.
The biggest downside is that the console is pretty basic, but even that isn’t bad for the price range.
Speaking of which, I think the above table shows that the B94 can hold its own with any upright bike in the ~$1k price range.
That said, if you’re looking for the full streaming workout experience, NordicTrack’s Commercial VU 29 is likely the better option.
Overall though, I think Sole’s B94 is easily one of the best uprights in its class and would make a great option for riders looking for a durable, easy-to-use bike.
In other words, yes, it’s a very smart buy.
