
Concept2 BikeERG Review 2024





This bike isn’t just half studio bike, half air bike. It’s all innovation to bring you a simple and effective workout. Keep reading this review of the Concept2 BikeERG to learn about its unique flywheel and more.

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This bike isn’t just half studio bike, half air bike. It’s all innovation to bring you a simple and effective workout. Keep reading this review of the Concept2 BikeERG to learn about its unique flywheel and more.
Updated: February 22, 2024
The Concept2 BikeERG combines the air resistance of an air bike and the posture of a studio bike into one unique, well-built exercise bike. The flywheel is the same found on all of Concept2’s products and is a big reason why this brand has become so popular. Its unique damper allows you to control how much resistance (or drag) you feel. This Concept2 BikeERG review highlights why Concept2 and the BikeERG have succeeded in building such an enthusiastic indoor cycling community.
The Concept2 BikeERG has a welded aluminum frame, powder-coated black. It sits atop steel feet for a secure base. The silver adjustable handlebar and seat posts are anodized. The aluminum frame makes this a lightweight exercise bike, weighing only 68 lbs. It can be easily moved on its two front-mounted caster wheels. The frame is sturdy, hardly moving during easy riding. If you dial the intensity up a notch or are a heavier user, you might wobble minimally, but the BikeERG is not going anywhere. That is, until you mean to move it.Then, it is relatively easy to lift the back end and push it on its wheels.
The saddle is adjustable. You can clip the bike saddle in and out of discrete height levels in the vertical direction. Horizontal adjustment requires a wrench to loosen the bolt affixing the saddle in place. This gives it more adjustability than simply a forward or backward shift. It can be pitched forward or backward for a better seat angle. It is interchangeable with most bike saddles.
The Concept2 BikeERG provides a variety of grips thanks to the inclusion of both bull horns and drop bars. The thickness of the handles varies. For instance, in what would be considered 2nd position for spinning, the handles are quite thin. The drop bars and bull horns (3rd position) are thicker. I prefer the feel of the thicker portions of the handlebars. The handlebars can be replaced with most bike handles for a more customized grip.
The BikeERG has flat pedals, allowing them to be used with any athletic shoe. They can be replaced with most bike pedals if you prefer to clip in with SPD clips or toe cages. The flat pedals on the ERG are grippy enough that my feet did not often slip off while using them. I maintained good contact, though I missed the upstroke benefit of using toe cages or clipless pedals. If you want a fuller leg workout, I recommend switching the pedals out for one of these options.
The damper on the flywheel isn’t exactly for controlling the resistance. Concept2 is quick to remind athletes that their effort is what sets the resistance–harder efforts mean more resistance. Yet, the damper certainly makes pedaling feel harder at the same rpm. Whether you want to call this resistance or not is up to you. I like that the damper allows the Concept2 BikeERG to deliver two different types of workouts: strength and cardio. The higher levels are better for strength-like shorter efforts.
Drag is a preferred metric for many athletes familiar with Concept2’s damper and flywheel setup. The damper “level” can be affected by the age or cleanliness of the BikeERG, making the regularly calculated drag a more effective training metric.
The BikeERG is not a feature-laden stationary bike, but it prioritizes your workout by reducing distractions. It's a good machine for rolling outdoors into the driveway or onto the patio. The BikeERG would also do well in a garage gym as it doesn’t need WiFi. The simplistic console and features don’t prevent fans of the BikeERG from taking a deep dive into its metrics. The BikeERG makes your workout less about some ethereal, all-vibes experience and more about watts, meters, and calories burned. It might feel a little old school in these high-tech days, but it’s also a nice return to what really counts during exercise.
The PM5 is a trustworthy little console. Its pride is displaying reliable metrics across all Concept2 machines–the BikeERG, the SkiERG, and the RowERG. It has 8 rubbery buttons. Five offer simple menu selections. Three sit at the bottom of the console and are labeled ‘units,’ ‘display,’ and ‘menu.’ This console has many more options than it might appear at first glance.
The menu lets you choose how you want to ride. You can freestyle with the ‘just ride’ option or select a target workout. ‘Connect’ takes you to the Bluetooth and ANT+M connection screen. ‘Memory’ recalls past performances. It is a pretty easy-to-navigate, straightforward console.
The screen is LCD. It provides most of your metrics. It is easy to see, because it is backlit with good contrast. You can also view the metrics from your phone or smart device if you download the ERGData or another compatible app.
The Concept2 BikeERG has Bluetooth connectivity to connect to your smartphone. This allows the bike to display metrics in the ERGData app or other apps, like Zwift. The bike also has ANT+, so you can connect to a wider range of wearable fitness devices. I paired my Garmin Forerunner 245 with the BikeERG. This connection populated my watch screen with accurate distance and speed metrics.
The BikeERG does not come with a bottle holder. You can buy the add-on for an extra $4.50, but I am not sure if I like this. You could argue that it saves you money upfront if you don’t need the bottle holder. For a machine that’s already a bit pricey, I wish the bottle holder was just thrown in or included in the cost. It seems like a strange choice to leave it off.
The device holder is removable. If you want it out of your way, you can take it off the handles. It is large enough to store a phone or a tablet. The clip is not as adjustable as you might wish. For instance, it was difficult to position my phone in landscape. However, the clip is sturdy for holding a phone in an upright position. There was no wobbling, and I could see and reach my screen fine.
The Concept2 BikeERG is the blocky, geometric cousin of the studio bike. It's the kind of bike I would pair with heavy lifting rather than my pilates or yoga days. This is partially due to the BikeERG’s near-unlimited resistance. The harder you push, the harder the bike pushes back, thanks to its air resistance. You can train for power or cardio. The BikeERG makes both accessible.
One area of improvement is the damper. It is hard to reach. The last thing I want to do is repeatedly adjust the settings while biking. It’s a chore, but that’s not the only way to get intervals in on the BikeERG. Instead of changing the damper level, vary your cadence. This works just as well to change resistance. You can get both an easy and a hard interval done with the middle range of the damper. It works best as a set it and forget it at the start of each training session.
The simple console made it easy to go from warming up to a workout. Most users should have no problem navigating its simple interface. The buttons and menu options are straightforward. Concept2 has a great online forum and educational content if you need help. I found way more information on the brand and customers’ experiences than I typically find in my research. I love that they have such an avid community to support newcomers. It can take a minute to get used to the lingo of “drag,” “watts,” and “damper” if you are new to the space.
The BikeERG is a versatile exercise bike. It has traits of an air bike and a studio bike. The air resistance does not create too much wind, so I couldn’t use the BikeERG when it is cold. If you get cold easily, this could be more of a problem. The air resistance generates a lot of noise, making this bike unsuitable for use in quiet spaces.
To rise out of the saddle as you would on a studio bike, increase your cadence to maintain a strong enough resistance. If you drop your cadence too low, you will feel unsupported while out of the saddle. Ultimately, the BikeERG offers a little bit of both, shrugging off some high-tech finishes many modern studio bikes sport.
Concept2 has its own app known as ERGData. This app has plenty of features to track your workout and help you progress. The logbook stores your past activities, recording your metrics in charts and graphs. The workout page lets you perform and create workouts. There’s even a workout of the day tab to train along with the community. Check out the “honorboard” afterward to see how you rank.
For more training options, the “Real Time Loop” allows you to train alongside other Concept2 users on a virtual course. The challenges tab is under construction, but you can view the challenges calendar to participate in community exercise goals. Finally, the settings page manages your profile settings and app connections.
The BikeERG is great for training with Zwift. The Zwift app is a social cycling platform for training virtually. Zwift can be used for running and cycling. It tends to be more popular in cycling spaces and offers a unique social experience.
Concept2 also has a podcast called “As The Flywheel Spins,” which can be found on most podcast platforms. The podcast offers sporadic content for all three of Concept2’s machines. Many of the workouts appear doable on any of the machines with some alterations.
The BikeERG is great for users who don’t want to be bogged down with subscriptions. Zwift is a paid platform, but it is not required at all to use the BikeERG. I like that Concept2 has offered so much for free. This has built up their community by giving customers an accessible way to interact and train.
The Concept2 BikeERG is great for outdoor cyclists moving indoors, athletes who want a versatile way to cycle, and indoor cyclists dodging premium content subscriptions. The BikeERG combines the posture of a studio bike with the air resistance of an air bike for a unique indoor cycling ride. The bike is well-built yet lightweight. The Concept2 BikeERG is an exercise bike impressive enough to make you curious about the rest of Concept2’s ERGs.