Nautilus R614 Recumbent Exercise Bike Review: Is This the Right Bike for You?

If you’ve been looking for a high-intensity, low-impact home fitness machine, you’ve likely come across the R614 Recumbent Exercise Bike by Nautilus. With a body position more natural than regular stationary bicycles, the R614 allows you superior comfort in a relaxed position, while still giving you a challenging workout.

If you’ve been considering a recumbent bike for your home fitness needs, our review of this Nautilus R614 exercise bike will give you all the information you need to know to decide if this is the right bike for you.

With the proper fitness equipment, you can meet many of your exercise needs right in the comfort of your own home.

But first, if you are pressed for time…

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What Are the Features of the Nautilus R614 Recumbent Exercise Bike?

Nautilus makes two different models of recumbent bikes, and R614 comes with many impressive features that make it quite competitive with its upgrade the R616.

Strenuous Workouts

The R614 uses a perimeter weighted flywheel with eddy resistance to generate intense workouts. As you pedal the flywheel, you will be able to adjust up to 20 different levels of electromagnetic resistance for smooth and fluid motions in your workout.

This provides for a more proper rotation in your pedaling motion than a traditional upright bike.

The eddy resistance also provides for superior friction as opposed to the friction based resistance of other models. These brake systems wear unevenly over time and are inconsistent in their levels of friction. With electromagnetic friction, you will get precise levels that will never change over time. These strong fields are highly engineered so that you can customize your exact specifications throughout your workout each and every time.

Body and Frame

The frame is composed of steel to give you maximum stability and support. It comes equipped with two disc levelers which can be used to make sure that the unit sits level even if the floor is not. This ensures that you have a proper center of gravity for your workout which might otherwise throw off your proper routine.

The seat is designed with contours to match the natural shape of your body. This gives you a much more comfortable sitting position than would be possible with a traditional bike seat. The seat and back also come with specially designed holes, or vents, which will allow for more airflow during the course of your workout. This will reduce heat buildup and help keep you cool.

The seat is situated on an adjustable railing system. The seat can move up and down the rail so that you can customize it according to your particular height needs. The angular design will keep your body and legs at the proper positions no matter how far or close you are to the pedals. This allows more than one user to use the machine even if they are of different heights.

Other Features

At the base of the seat are handlebars which you can use to stabilize yourself as you get on and off the bike. You can also use these to keep yourself steady throughout the course of your workout. On these handlebars, you will also find electronic heart rate pads that will connect to the console and allow you to track your heart rate throughout your workout.

The seating area also has a large cup holder so you can keep your water bottle handy to stay hydrated. The convenience of the position of this holder will keep you from having to place the bottle on the floor which might cause you to lose your balance when reaching for it during your workout.

What Features Come on the R614 Console?

Nautilus equips the R614 with a console that has some attractive features to track and monitor your workouts.

Upper Display

The upper display provides a grid that gives you a visual representation of your workout so that you can see which segment of workout you are in and displays it according to various resistance levels. These levels will also be displayed along the left side of the console so that you can see your current level of intensity at just a glance.

This display will also allow you to track your current heart rate zone so that you can see whether you are meeting your heart rate goals whether they be fat burning, aerobic, or anaerobic. Keeping track of your heart rate goals is an important factor in working out safely and the Nautilus console makes it easy to track.

The upper display can also be set to display your customized goals whether they are calories, time, or distance. This will help you work toward your individual achievements. You can also program the console with four unique user profiles so that multiple people can use and track their progress toward fitness goals.

Lower Display

The lower display will give you real-time readings of your current workout instead of your ultimate goals. The readings will display speed, time, distance, and current level of resistance. This is also where you will find the readout of your current heart rate if you place your hands on the electronic heart rate pads. This allows you to compare your heart rate to your heart rate zone.

Other Console Features

The console also comes with a three-speed fan which is designed to help keep you cool while you work out. It is not extremely powerful, but it can help to reduce some of the heat and give some minor relief.

It also has a USB port so you can connect your mobile device to NautilusConnect™, which will allow you to plan, track, and adjust long-term goals of your fitness program. This keeps all of your metrics in one place and allows you to analyze the data in convenient displays.

The upper display also contains a media shelf where you can set your tablet device for viewing television programs or movies while you work out. Or, if you prefer, the console also comes with speakers so you can pipe through your favorite music, audiobooks, or podcasts. This can help alleviate any boredom you might experience while exercising, which can be seriously detrimental to keeping up with your fitness progress.

What Workouts Come with the Nautilus R614 Console?

If you aren’t sure how best to use a recumbent bike for your fitness goals, the R614 comes with 22 different workout programs.

Nine of these workouts are pre-programmed with various kinds of alternating resistance levels for challenging and fun workouts. You can try the different settings to give yourself unique workouts each time or to work up to different levels of fitness goals.

The R614 also comes with eight different heart rate control programs, which allow you to set your workout goals around target heart rates. This can be one of the most effective and safest ways to burn calories and increase cardiovascular capacities. However, be sure to check with a physician regarding your proper heart rate goals before starting any new exercise program.

The console also comes with two different fitness tests which allow you to set benchmarks and track your progress. Take a fitness test at the beginning of your workout program and then retake it every few months to see what kind of progress you are making. This helps keep you motivated by showing you some actual results.

Of course, there is also a Quick Start setting that allows you to simply begin your workout and then adjust the resistance level as you go. You can work out as long as you like and adjust the intensity on the fly. This can be a great way to get in a quick fitness session without worrying about any program settings.

What Are the Dimensions of the R614 Bike?

You will not need too much room to comfortably accommodate this recumbent bike. It is small enough that it should fit easily in a spare bedroom, basement, or fitness room. The floor space it will take up is 2.4 feet wide and 5.4 feet long. However, you will also want about 1 to 2 feet extra space all the way around for some buffer space. At only 4.1 feet high, this is a great option for those with low ceilings.

The bike weighs 84.2 pounds and comes with transport wheels on one end of the frame so that you can tilt it up and move it should the need arise. Nautilus has a maximum weight allowance of 300 pounds for this machine, so it is a really good option for those looking to lose weight.

Are there Any Downsides to the Nautilus R614 Recumbent Exercise Bike?

There are really no inherent design flaws associated with the R614 bike. It is an excellent fitness machine designed by a company with a great track record and delivers the promised performance.

However, there are a couple ways that Nautilus could improve this machine. First, it is becoming more and more standard for modern equipment to come with Bluetooth connectivity. While it is nice to be able to connect to the device and transfer data via the USB port, many people are starting to get used to wireless options.

Second, monitoring your heart rate can be an important part of a good workout, but keeping your hands on the electronic pads can be a bit cumbersome. A lot of fitness equipment these days come with chest straps that automatically track your heart rate and sync with the console via Bluetooth.

While these are not deal-breakers for the R614, they would be nice perks. Overall, this is a quality machine with no associated design problems.

Is the Nautilus R614 Difficult to Assemble?

Assembly for the R614 is not any more difficult than any other home fitness machine. It will require some time (no more than 1-2 hours) to put together and it is very important that you follow the assembly instructions exactly.

Failure to put the bike together properly could result in the voiding of your warranty if it should result in some damage.

Nautilus includes pictured instructions and the all the tools you will need. If you are familiar with assembling furniture, this should pose no special challenges. It is a good idea to have a couple people working together to make the job easier, but one person could do it alone.

What Is the Price of the Nautilus R614 Recumbent Exercise Bike and Where Can I Buy It?

You have several options when it comes to purchasing this exercise bike. Nautilus does not sell their products directly, but it is available in many retail locations. Purchasing a fitness machine at a traditional store comes with some drawbacks, like getting a very heavy, large box home from the store. For that reason, many people choose online retailers who will ship it directly to your door.

Nautilus lists the MSRP for the R614 as $699.99, but prices at places like Amazon are often much less and change regularly so it is a good idea to check for the most recent prices. Amazon also likes to offer free shipping sometimes on products like this, so you should check for their latest deals.

What Is the Warranty on the R614 Bike?

Nautilus offers a decent warranty on the R614, but it varies depending on the component. For the frame of the bike, it is covered for 10 years, but you are unlikely to have troubles with the steel frame at all. The working, mechanical parts are covered against manufacturer errors and parts defects for two years, while the electrical parts are warrantied for one year.

A nice benefit that Nautilus offers with their warranty is 90 days’ worth of the labor should a technician have to work on your recumbent bike. This way you will not have to immediately ship or transport your new exercise machine should something go wrong with your bike early on.

Our Verdict: Is this the Exercise Machine for You?

The R614 Recumbent Exercise Bike by Nautilus is a great personal fitness machine for anyone looking for a low-impact trainer that can still deliver high-intensity workouts.

Nautilus has been making quality exercise equipment for more than forty years and is now associated with other quality brands like Schwinn® and Bowflex®. This excellent family of fitness equipment produces models you can trust.

With no major downsides, the R614 will provide you with years of quality of workouts and will not put any undue strain on your joints or back. Unless you want some of the premium features of the R616, most people will be quite satisfied with R614.

Take a look at Amazon’s competitive pricing on this Nautilus R614 now…