Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike Review (2024): Funny Name, Serious Exercise Bike

I’m sure you’ve heard some version of, “That many people can’t be wrong,” and to that I say 5 million people bought a pet rock back in the 1970s, so yeah, that many people can sometimes be wrong. There are times, though, when people get it right—for example, Paddington 2 has a 99 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes (it should be 100, but I digress). 

Our Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike review will let you know whether the more than 5,000 five-star reviews for this budget-friendly exercise bike are right on the money, or if this is a case where you shouldn’t follow the crowd. 

We’ll Never Re-Cycle Our Exercise Bike Reviews 

Throughout my time at Garage Gym Reviews, I’ve tested and reviewed more exercise bikes than I ever knew existed, and I’m not alone. Our team of certified personal trainers, CrossFit Level 1 Trainers, and competitive weightlifting and endurance athletes have had their hands and feet on exercise bikes with moving arms, exercise bikes for seniors, and much more. 

So it’s safe to say we wheelie know stationary bikes, recumbent bikes, upright bikes, and just about any other type of fitness equipment that comes with handlebars and a flywheel. And despite reviewing so many of them, we make sure that each review is unique to the product in question. 

Pooboo D525DM Exercise Bike

GGR Score: 3.6

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Product Highlights

• At-home stationary exercise bike
• 1 year of free replacement of all parts
• Heavy-duty steel bike frame
• 35-lb flywheel
• 300-lb weight capacity

Pros & Cons

Pros

• LCD monitor tracks time, speed, and more
• Adjustable handles and seat
• Emergency resistance bar to stop the flywheel
• Hand pulse handle for heart rate tracking
• Integrated tablet holder

Cons

• Some reports of it arriving damaged
• Not for users under 4’ 9” or taller than 6’ 4”
• Some reviews state it broke within a year

Bottom Line

The Pooboo D525DM is an indoor stationary bike with a 35-pound flywheel for a smooth and stable ride. It comes with an adjustable non-slip handle, as well as a four-way adjustable padded seat and adjustable pedals.

A Quick Look at the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike

Besides having one of the funniest names of any piece of cardio workout equipment (I may be an adult but “Pooboo” will always make me giggle), the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike is one of the most highly-reviewed bikes on Amazon. As of this writing, it has more than 7,000 reviews with more than 5,000 of them being 5-star ratings. 

On paper, I can see why: it costs around $300, uses durable and silent magnetic resistance (which is rare for a bike at this price point), has a heavy 35-pound flywheel, and has a 300-pound user weight capacity. 

It also comes with great adjustability and works for users from 4 feet, 9 inches tall all the way up to 6 feet, 4 inches tall and is stable in use. 

Before You Buy

• You can purchase an “upgraded monitor” version, though the company doesn’t clarify what’s better about it 
• Make sure you order the black and yellow model, as the blue one is not as stable due to being lighter in weight 

Is the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike Worth It?

Amazon has quite a number of exercise bikes under $500 on its website, and the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike falls somewhere around the top. The silent magnetic resistance should help it last a little longer, allowing you to stretch your dollar a little further, and the heavy 35-pound flywheel should provide a challenge to even the most experienced indoor cyclist. 

Here’s who will get their money’s worth from this bike and who should look elsewhere.

Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike Specs

Workout Experience With the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike

The Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike was tested by Garage Gym Reviews founder and cardio equipment maven Cooper Mitchell, who, like me, got a lot of joy out of the bike’s name. “The Pooboo has one of the greatest fitness product names I’ve ever reviewed,” he says, and he’s reviewed a lot. 

Another thing that separates the Pooboo from the competition is the use of high-quality magnetic resistance, which is quite rare in bikes at this price range. For those who don’t know, exercise bikes have two types of adjustable resistance: friction and magnetic. 

Friction resistance works by having a pad make contact with the flywheel to create tension, and magnetic resistance works with magnets. There are pros and cons to each but the big advantage of magnetic resistance on an exercise bike like this is that it’s much quieter than friction resistance and doesn’t require as much maintenance. 

RELATED: Recumbent Bike Workout

With friction resistance, the pad will wear down over time (this will take several thousand miles) and creates a whooshing noise (nothing too loud, but it’s noticeable). For that reason, friction resistance is much cheaper than magnetic resistance and that’s why you often see it on bike’s in the under-$500 price range.

“Due to the magnetic resistance being employed, this is one of the quietest indoor cycling bikes in an already pretty quiet category,” Coop says.  

But as he points out, the magnetic resistance may not be the best pick for people looking for an ultra-challenging bike. “It’s very quiet and smooth, but it can’t get as difficult as a bike that uses friction,” Coop says of the Pooboo bike. 

The resistance is controlled by a resistance knob, which can also be pushed down to stop the flywheel if needed at any time. 

Flywheel and Belt Drive 

The Pooboo exercise bike comes with a 35-pound flywheel, which is about the industry standard and only 3 pounds lighter than the holy grail of indoor exercise bikes, the Peloton. 

There would be a time when the fact that the belt-drive system, the mechanism that helps propel the flywheel, would be impressive for a bike at this price but honestly most bikes these days are equipped with that feature. 

The other option is a chain-drive system, similar to what you see on a road bike, and similar to friction resistance is cheaper but creates more noise and needs routine maintenance. 

It’s still great to see a belt drive on this bike as it increases this bike’s value and should keep it in good condition for many years to come. 

Display 

Any budget-friendly bike is going to be lacking in one or two categories, and in the case of the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike it’s the monitor. It comes with a poorly-lit LCD display that tracks metrics like your time, speed, distance, calories, heart rate, and pulse. 

There is an iPad/tablet holder on the adjustable handlebars and customer reviews state it’s quite sturdy. 

Handlebars and Seat

The Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike comes with two-way adjustable non-slip handlebars and a four-way adjustable seat. The company states it can fit users from 4 feet, 9 inches to 6 feet, 4 inches. 

Pedals 

The Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike has adjustable toe cages, which allows riders to use everyday cross-training shoes. No cycling cleats needed. 

Stability 

When it comes to stability, Coop says the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike’s riding experience is OK when compared to other bikes in its price range and had little to no wobble. 

“The Pooboo was pretty sturdy, but not as sturdy as the Pyhigh,” he says. “The wide feet help to keep it stable, as does the weight of the machine, but it’s not as sturdy as some of the more expensive options. For most, I think it would be just fine.”

Conveniences 

The Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike’s handlebars act as a tablet holder and water bottle holder. 

Durability and Construction 

Usually exercise bikes around this price don’t last very long because they’re made with low-cost materials, but the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike seems to buck that trend. The frame is made with heavy-duty steel, though we don’t know exactly what kind, and the use of magnetic resistance and belt drive means there’s going to be little to no maintenance required. 

To be clear, we’re not saying this bike will last a lifetime and there are some customer reviews about parts falling apart after a few months (we’ll keep you updated on whether we experience any problems with ours). 

Footprint and Portability

The Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike is a fairly-averaged size bike, measuring 53.1 inches in length, 23.6 inches in width, and 49.2 inches in height (with the handlebars at the highest setting). It should feel in just about any home gym or apartments, and it comes with smooth transport wheels for easy portability. 

If you’re looking for a folding exercise bike that you can stow behind a couch or under the bed, this isn’t one of those. 

Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike vs. Sunny Health and Fitness Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike

Always Sunny

Sunny Health and Fitness SF-B1002 Belt Drive Indoor Cycling Trainer

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Product Highlights

• 49-lb flywheel
• 275-lb user weight capacity
• Stable
• Feels like road bicycle
• Under $300

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Priced under $400
• 49-pound flywheel provides a smooth ride
• Hundreds of micro levels of resistance adjusted manually
• Four-way adjustable seat and two-way adjustable multi-grip handlebars
• Conveniences like water bottle holder and transportation wheels

Cons

• Leather pad resistance will eventually require maintenance
• No monitor or display at all
• No tech compatibility
• No preset workouts

Bottom Line

A budget-friendly exercise bike that provides a good amount of bang for not too much buck.

The Sunny Health and Fitness Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike has long been one of our go-to recommendations for a budget-friendly exercise bike on Amazon, but will the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike take away that title? 

The Pooboo has the advantage of having magnetic resistance, whereas the Sunny uses friction, and it at least has an LCD display whereas the Sunny has no monitor at all. Both cost around $300 and are roughly the same footprint and weight, though Pooboo has a slightly higher user weight limit (300 pounds, compared to Sunny’s 275). 

Sunny Health & Fitness wins in the warranty category, covering the frame for three years and parts and labor for 180 days. Pooboo only has an 18-month warranty for the entire bike. 

Which would we recommend? Honestly, either one is a good option, but we lean toward the Pooboo for its magnetic resistance and the fact that, in our opinion, the black-and-yellow design is a bit more appealing than the mostly black Sunny bike. 

Returns, Financing, Warranty  

The Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike is eligible for a 90-day return or replacement from date of receipt through Amazon Prime.

Financing options are also available at checkout through Amazon Prime. 

The standard warranty for the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike is 18 months (this is for the entire bike) but you can upgrade to an additional two-year protection plan for $25.  

Ordering and Assembling the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike

Ordering the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike is as simple as hitting “Add to Cart.” There are three options available — the one we reviewed is the black and yellow one. 

As one customer review put it, the hardest part of the assembly is getting the box into your home. While there are expert assembly options available for $90, most people agree it’s unnecessary and that the instructions are clearly written and easy to follow (it should take under 30 minutes to complete). 

Customer Reviews

As of this writing, the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike has more than 7,000 reviews and 70 percent of them are 5-star ratings. 

But it’s not all love for this exercise bike, as there were some complaints of shoddy craftsmanship or missing parts. 

Final Verdict of Our Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike Review

Although it’s far from being the best exercise bike, the Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike is stacked with features usually reserved for equipment much more expensive than $300. Here are some of the key takeaways from our Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike review.

• The magnetic resistance, belt-drive system, and heavy flywheel make this an attractive option for those shopping on a budget.
• It’s highly adjustable and can fit riders of multiple sizes 
• It’s stable but not quite as much as other exercise bikes at a similar price 
• There’s no tech features and you only get a basic LCD display

Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike Rating

Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike

Our Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike review takes a look at this highly-reviewed exercise bike and whether it’s worth the hype.

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 299

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.6

Pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike FAQs

Anthony O'Reilly, CPT, CNC

Anthony O'Reilly is a NASM-certified nutrition coach and personal trainer whose work has been featured in Muscle & Fitness and BarBend, and previously was an award-winning reporter and photographer for newspapers on Long Island and Queens, NY. After spending most of his life overweight, he dropped 80 pounds and took control of his health and fitness. Outside of work, he still enjoys Little Debbie cakes but offsets them with rigorous hikes and workouts. He's an avid Manchester United supporter, through thick and thin.

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