[SportsandRec] Spirit Fitness XBR recumbent bike and Spirit Fit app review

[Patrick Johnson]

Group,

Below is my review of the Spirit Fitness XBR recumbent exercise bike
and the Spirit Fit app for IOS.  I chose the XBR 55 because I need a
bike capable of handling my 290lbs and 38 inch inseam.  Before
purchasing I reviewed and considered bikes from Diamondback Fitness,
Nordic Trak, Schwinn, and Sol Fitness and rejected each for various
reasons including accessibility, price, and size limitations.  To
learn more about the XBR 55 and other Spirit Fitness bike options go
to https://www.spiritfitness.com/residential/fitness-bikes .  The bike
has a large touch panel  with enough space on each button for a
braille label or blister dot.  The panel also has a bright LCD screen
displaying a large amount of data visually.  Once setup and the start
button is labeled the bike can be ridden by a blind cyclist.  The bike
can be programmed with two user profiles.  Profile setup requires
sighted assistance and asks for rider’s name, gender, age, and weight.
Once setup  the profile will adjust resistance to reflect rider
details when using the various programs.

The aspect of the bike I was most leery about was the app in the Apple
app store.  Reading the reviews
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/spirit-fit/id1221827382 I was expecting
a completely inaccessible interface.  I am happy to report I was
wrong.  The initial setup is clunky and requires persistence, but I
completed it without sighted assistance.  Once setup the app works
pretty well.  The app pairs with the bike through Blu tooth.  I have
to remind myself to turn Blu tooth on/ before/after each ride, which
for the most part I remember to do.  The app allows for at least one
(and likely more) profiles to be created and it asks for the same data
as asked for in the panel profile creation.

>From the app I can select any of the workout programs a sighted person
could from the bike’s touch panel.  Only some of the app’s dashboard
data can be read by Voiceover, but it is a start.  What I have been
doing is to start my workout, ask Siri to set a 30 minute timer, open
Sirius XM or a podcast to listen to and then return to the Spirit Fit
app and listen to the timer countdown.

The app can connect to my calendar and Garmand, but I have yet to
figure out exactly how.  The app also connects to Zwift, which as
noted in an earlier thread is  still inaccessible.  While the app
needs work it is at least closer to becoming accessible.  I am hoping
through encouragement from the blind and sighted cycling community and
the offer of technical assistance from the programmers among us the
app can be made fully accessible.

Happy cycling,

Patrick