The best treadmill reviews you can trust
The AssaultBike Elite has a durable steel frame with a rugged chain drive. Check out this review of the AssaultBike Elite Air Bike to learn more about its performance and quality construction.
Updated: May 6, 2024
The AssaultBike Elite is a burly air bike that embraces the loud, grittiness of using an air bike. It has a chain drive and bold red fan blades. There is no limit to the resistance this bike can create. The harder you pedal, the more difficult your ride becomes. The AssaultBike Elite is ideal for a garage gym, rolling out into your driveway, or anywhere else you won’t disturb the users in your household, because it is not stealthy. The Elite comes with a wind guard to ensure you don’t freeze as you tackle this challenging full-body workout. Our review of the AssaultBike Elite Air Bike reveals all the reasons to love this exercise bike and where AssaultFitness could improve.
The AssaultBike Elite has a steel frame with a gray powder coat. White and red AssaultBike Elite branding is printed around the sides of the bike. The stabilizers are large and heavy, keeping the bike stable wherever you place it. The rear stabilizer works well as a handle for lifting the bike onto its two transport wheels. Despite its 139-lb weight, the bike is not too heavy to move around. Some users may want a dedicated space depending on their strength. The frame and build of this air bike are very nice, and I was impressed by how sturdy it feels.
The saddle left me wanting a bit more–or should I say less? It is much too large to the point it may interfere with the range of motion of smaller users’ legs. The covering of the seat is also slippery, and I found myself frequently moving forward. The seat could also be a little more padded, though it is not the most uncomfortable aspect of the bike seat. Larger users may be more comfortable with this design.
The handlebars are pretty standard for an air bike. The handles are rubberized. They were a little big for my hands to the point I found myself adopting an open grip rather than maintaining a closed grip throughout my exercise. I still found them comfortable, and they should be a good size for the majority of users.
The Elite uses flat pedals, so they will work with all athletic shoes. I had no problem maintaining contact with the pedals. The Q-factor is a bit wide, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable. I never felt like a duck with my feet turned out.
The AssaultBike Elite has unlimited resistance with a powerful fan. The red fan blades are not just stylish; they also generate more and more resistance the harder you work. An air bike is great for users who don’t find other types of exercise bikes challenging enough.
The AssaultBike Elite is not a high-tech bike with a touchscreen. Instead, it has a streamlined set of features, because you don’t have to stay on this bike for long to get an effective workout. The Elite is all about warming up for a different workout, tackling intervals, or working at short, maximal efforts. Conversely, the Elite can also be used as a recovery tool. Either way, the features keep you concentrated on your work effort.
AssaultFitness has found an effective console design, and they are sticking to it! The AssaultBike has an intuitive console that users who have used AssaultFitness’s other machines will be familiar with. The LCD screen is hi-contrast, but it could be backlit for improved visibility in low light. The screen displays all the metrics you could want. There are buttons right next to it for intuitively programming workouts, toggling settings, and adjusting the display. There are also two lights, one for ‘rest’ and one for ‘work.’ During an interval workout, these lights will indicate which portion of the workout you are currently executing.
There is a small phone rack built into the console. The entirety of the console serves as the backing for this rack, so you will lose visibility of all the metrics. It is a convenient spot for storing your phone if you are following along with a video workout, but it is not so useful if you need to see the screen.
The AssaultBike Elite comes with a windscreen to keep you from freezing while biking. Air bikes are frequently used in garages where there may not be heat. Thus, the windscreen can shield you from a powerful arctic blast with each pedal stroke. Yet, the windscreen is removable to cool you off during the summer months.
The AssaultBike Elite Air Bike performs as you would expect an air bike to perform, but has a quality construction that improves the experience. The bike feels very stable and durable. Pedaling and moving the arms of the bike aren’t the most fluid due to the chain drive. It is rougher than the performance of the AssaultBike Pro X Air Bike which uses a belt drive. However, for users who prefer a chain drive, this bike is an excellent choice.
The Elite Air Bike is more challenging than some of the other air bikes I have tested, including the Pro X. The fan provides more resistance, making this bike good for experienced users. While the vertical and horizontal adjustment of the saddle is good for both short and tall users, the overall construction of the bike lends itself better to larger users. The range of motion of the moving arms, the seat size, and the handle thickness made the Elite a little less suited to a petite user. The Elite is a very loud exercise bike due to both the air resistance and the chain drive. Noise-canceling headphones made a big difference for me. If you are not worried about noise, the Elite has few other flaws.
The AssaultBike Elite has a few built-in programs on the console. There are target programs, including heart rate, distance, and time. The interval programs allow users to perform a Tabata workout, reverse Tabata, or customize their own interval program. The rest and work light indicators are very useful for staying on track during these interval programs. The screen will also count you down through the interval and indicate what number you are on. Though AssaultFitness could certainly offer more with the console, the simplicity of it is great. A cardio machine like this bike does not really need more.
AssaultFitness does have a free training app for users who are looking for a little more guidance on how to use their air bike. AssaultFit has challenges you can complete and a leaderboard to compare your results to other users. There are Workouts of the Day for the Bike or AssaultFitness’s treadmill and rower. Users can also choose from a selection of Signature programs. The instructions for these workouts are easy to follow. The app structure is basic, but it is a great free way to enrich your experience on the Elite Air Bike and add more direction to your training.
The AssaultBike Elite Air Bike is a burly exercise bike that delivers a killer full-body workout. The saddle adjustments allow the bike to accommodate a wide range of users while the powerful fan blades ensure this bike is challenging even for experienced riders. The AssaultBike Elite has an easy-to-use console with plenty of built-in training features. The Elite can be used as an intense workout on its own, used as a warm-up, or incorporated into a more complex workout program. As an air bike with a chain drive, the Elite is loud and best suited to dedicated spaces where using the bike will not disturb others. It would be a great addition to a garage gym. The bike may be heavy and solid, but it is more portable than you might think. AssaultFitness has created a quality, built-to-last air bike with versatile features.
