If you’re looking for the feel of a commercial grade recumbent bike without the cost of one, Sole’s LCR might just be the answer.
Originally designed to be used for light commercial use (hence the “LCR” name), this recumbent comes with a rock solid frame, a heavy flywheel, and a great warranty.
And now that the LCR comes with a touchscreen console loaded with entertainment apps and free streaming workouts, we don’t have to choose between performance or features.
Because we can have both.
Personally, I think the LCR is about as good as it gets in this price range, but it certainly has some stiff compeition.
So you definitely need to do your homework before making a decision, but that’s where I can help.
In this review, I’ll go over everything this recumbent bike does and doesn’t have going for it, but I’ll also provide a side-by-side comparison to some of the other top recumbents in this price range.
After reading, you’ll know everything you need to in order to decide for yourself whether or not this is the right bike for your home gym.
Sole’s LCR is well-priced, loaded with great performance specs and features, and backed by a generous warranty, making it easily one of the best home recumbent bikes on the market. That said, if you aren’t looking for a touchscreen, you may want to check out Spirit’s XBR95, which is quite similar but comes with an LCD console and longer warranty.
Sole’s LCR Recumbent Bike
If you’re familiar with my work, you might already know that Sole is one of my favorite home fitness brands.
I like them so much because their machines are straightforward and built to perform.
And as a self-proclaimed stickler for warranties, I appreciate the generous warranties they include with all of their products.
Anyway, the LCR is one of two recumbent bikes Sole currently offers, with the other being the more affordable R92.
The LCR is their highest-end model and is designed to handle light commercial use, although it’s priced nicely for home use as well.
By the way, light commercial use is defined as being able to handle 5 hours or less of use a day – these settings can include Physical Therapy clinics, apartment gyms, or fire stations.
Pros
- Heavy-duty frame
- 350 lb weight capacity
- 31 lb flywheel
- Large, comfortable seat
- 40 levels of resistance
- 10″ touchscreen console
- Built-in entertainment apps
- Access to free streaming workouts (Sole+)
- Screen mirroring
- Bluetooth speakers
- Wireless charging
- Tablet holder
- Cooling fan
- Heart rate monitor compatible
- Great warranty
Cons
- Backrest not adjustable
Frame
Sole starts things off right by giving the LCR a heavy-duty steel frame with an aluminum finish.
Yes, looks can be deceiving, but at first glance, this bike does look like something you might see in a local gym.
The step-thru frame makes accessing the seat easy from either direction- a great feature if you or any family members have mobility issues.
More objectively, the LCR has a max weight capacity of 350 lb, which is impressive for any home bike.
I mentioned above that 300 lb is my cutoff for high quality.
Well, this bike easily surpasses that.
It’s easy to see why this bike has such a high weight capacity when we look at the assembled weight.
With an assembled weight of 152 lb, the LCR is about as heavy-duty as a home recumbent bike comes (and probably why this bike is rated to handle commercial use as well).
For the sake of comparison, Schwinn’s 290, which is a great bike in its own right, only weighs in at around 107 lb.
To be fair, the 290 costs half of what the LCR does, but my point is that this recumbent is bulky for a home model.
And this is a good thing.
The LCR doesn’t disappoint when it comes to performance either.
With a 31 lb flywheel and 40 levels of magnetic resistance, the LCR is as high-performing as any recumbent bike in this price range.
We hear a lot about flywheel weights with regards to ellipticals and indoor cycles, but no as much when it comes to recumbents.
My theory is that this is because most folks looking for a recumbent aren’t as concerned with high-intensity training, which is what we usually relate to heavier flywheels.
But I think this is a mistake, because having a heavier flywheel is beneficial for any type of bike.
And that’s because a heavier flywheel helps create a smoother pedal motion, which is important regardless of how intense your workouts are.
Either way, most home recumbent bikes are packing 13-20 lb flywheels, so the LCR’s 31 lb flywheel is pretty massive by comparison.
Combined with Sole’s 40 levels of magnetic resistance, this heavy flywheel will provide smooth and nearly silent operation.
And even though more resistance levels doesn’t necessarily mean more overall resistance, it does mean you’ll have more control to fine tune your intensity.
Overall, the LCR scores very highly with it’s heavy-duty frame, high weight capacity, and heavy flywheel.
Seat
The seat on this bike is large and well padded.
Look at the thickness of the seat and backrest. – again, it does look like a commercial bike.
The backrest on the LCR isn’t adjustable, but I like that it has lumbar support built-in (fyi, most home recumbent bikes don’t come with an adjustable backrest, but I gotta find something to complain about here).
I also like how tall the backrest is, as it’ll provide more support during workouts.
You might also notice that the backrest is placed in a few degrees of recline. This positioning allows you to sit a little more comfortably while you pedal.
Finally, the two stationary handles by the seat are where the grip heart rate monitors have been placed.
This is smart idea because it keeps you in a more comfortable position during your heart rate monitoring (more natural than having to reach in front to the handlebar in front of the console).
Overall, the LCR has a large seat that most find comfortable to sit on during workouts.
Features
Sole’s LCR comes with the following features:
10″ touchscreen console- Sole recently updated the LCR, giving it a 10″, Android-based touchscreen that makes it easy to choose all workouts and view all metrics during use.
Entertainment apps- one of the coolest features is that it comes with pre-loaded entertainment apps (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc) that you can watch during workouts.
Sole+ – this is Sole’s free streaming app and through it, you can access thousands of free instructor-led workouts directly through the console (did I mention that it’s 100% free??)
40 resistance levels- having this many levels of resistance gives you a lot of control over your workout intensity. The magnetic resistance and 31 lb flywheel make for a wicked combo. This bike has enough muscle to challenge even the most advanced cyclists.
Workout programs- this bike comes with several workout profiles to choose from, including a few fitness tests to help you gauge your progress over time.
Bluetooth speakers- use the bluetooth technology to listen to your favorite music wirelessly through the built-in speakers.
Heart rate monitoring- this bike is compatible with wireless heart rate monitors, however one isn’t included.
Wireless charging- this bike comes with a built-in wireless charging plate, allowing you to charge your devices while you exercise.
Built-in tablet holder- the tablet holder is conveniently located above the 10″ screen, so you don’t have to block your workout data while watching your tablet.
Cooling fan- nothing too fancy here, but it’ll help keep you comfortable during your more strenuous workouts.
Assembly
Sole did a great job with their owner’s manual.
I like that they not only specify which hardware is used for each step, but also include a to scale image of each bolt and screw.
The most tedious part of assembling this equipment is usually trying to discern which screw or bolt should be used for each step.
Sole’s instructions do a great job of eliminating this confusion by organizing the hardware for each step together.
Assembly on the LCR is very straightforward. There are only 4 steps, but the last step involves several parts. All of the necessary tools are included.
Overall, most users shouldn’t have any problem putting the LCR together by themselves.
I would estimate most folks who are remotely handy could have this bike up and running within an hour.
Warranty
Sole backs their LCR with the following residential guarantee:
- Lifetime frame
- 3 year parts (including electronics)
- 1 year labor
This is a really good warranty for a bike in this price range.
Lifetime is as good as it gets on the frame and 3 years is longer than the 2 years a lot of brands offer on parts.
A year on labor is pretty standard stuff.
Overall, a great warranty on this bike by Sole.
Sole’s LCR vs The Competition
| Sole LCR | Spirit XBR95 | NordicTrack Commercial R35 | |
| Flywheel | 31 lb | 30 lb | 25 lb |
| Resistance levels | 40 | 40 | 26 |
| Weight limit | 350 lb | 350 lb | 350 lb |
| Console | 10″ touchscreen | 7.5″ LCD | 14″ HD touchscreen |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame 3 year parts 1 year labor | Lifetime frame 10 year parts 1 year labor | 10 year frame 2 year parts 1 year labor |
| Price | ~$1700 | ~$1900 | ~$1500 |
Ok, that about does it in terms of all the specs and features, so lets take a look at how it stacks up against some of the other top recumbents in the $2k price range.
The first one that comes to mind is Spirit’s XBR95, which is a beast of a recumbent bike in its own right.
The XBR95 is usually priced just under $2k and it comes with very similar specs to the LCR.
Highlights include a 30 lb flywheel, 40 resistance levels, a similarly-robust frame, a 350 lb weight limit, a self-generating power source, and a backrest with an adjustable incline.
It’s also backed by a 10 year parts warranty, which is ridiculous.
That said, it comes with a pretty basic LCD console, so it doesn’t offer the cool streaming features found on the LCR.
NordicTrack’s Commercial R35 is another top competitor.
The R35 is often priced around $1500 and it comes with a 25 lb flywheel, 26 resistance levels, a heavy-duty frame, a 350 lb weight limit, and a decent warranty.
The star of the show though is the 14″ HD touchscreen console that gives you access to iFit.
iFit is pretty awesome when it comes to their instructor-led workouts and metric tracking, but unlike Sole+, it’s not free.
Sole’s LCR vs Sole’s R92
| Sole LCR | Sole R92 | |
| Flywheel | 31 lb | 20 lb |
| Resistance levels | 40 | 20 |
| Weight limit | 350 lb | 300 lb |
| Console | 10″ touchscreen | 9″ LCD |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame 3 year parts 1 year labor | Lifetime frame 2 year parts 1 year labor |
| Price | ~$1700 | ~$1200 |
Before I wrap this review up, I wanna offer a quick comparison to Sole’s other recumbent bike, the R92.
The R92 usually costs about $500 less than the LCR and with that price cut comes some significant downgrades.
For starters, the R92 comes with a lighter flywheel (20 lb) and half as many resistance levels (20).
It also isn’t quite as heavy-duty, its weight limit tops out at 300 lb, and it’s parts warranty is a year shorter.
You’ll also notice that the R92 comes with a more dated, LCD console as opposed to the updated touchscreen found on the LCR.
The R92 is bluetooth compatible though and it does come with bluetooth speakers.
Overall, the R92 is a lighter-duty, simpler recumbent bike, but it’s still a great buy in its own right.
Final Thoughts
Alright, that’ll do it.
The LCR scores highly from top to bottom, starting with the rock-solid frame and 350 lb weight capacity to the heavy flywheel and loads of resistance levels.
It’s also backed by one of the best warranties around, which certainly never hurts.
And with the updated console, the LCR can now hold its own in the tech department as well.
There isn’t much to complain about here, but I guess it would be nice if the backrest was adjustable.
But that’s really me just looking for something negative to say.
And as I think the table above shows, the LCR can hold its own and then some with any recumbent in its class.
Overall, I think the LCR is easily one of the best home recumbents on the market.
If you’re looking for a high-performing bike with cool console features, there’s no better choice. Highly recommended.
Sole needs to improve on their customer service after the sale, especially for technical support. I waited a week for an answer to a simple emailed question and never received a reply.
Ah, yeah that sucks. Thanks for sharing.