York Fitness Active 120 2-in-1 Cycle Cross Trainer Review

Product Description

The York Active 120 2-in-1 cycle cum cross trainer is an upgrade to the exercise bike of the same model, with a cross training unit built in.

It’s a specifically focused on users who are no taller than 5’6’’, and that’s the key point to remember. Otherwise, it’s a solid cross trainer that retains the adjustable seat of the standard unit, allowing you to revert back to exercise bike mode whenever you want.

The moderate price, lack of any serious drawbacks, and diverse programs make either one of them worthwhile additions to your home.

Our Review

Good Display Console

The York Active 120 cross trainer’s console has a few buttons on the bottom, close to your hands, 12 diagrams in the middle showing each preset program, and the LCD screen on the top. Hand sensors record your pulse, and the normal readouts such as speed, distance, and calories are given.

We also enjoy the recovery setting – this measures how quickly your heartbeat slows to normal after a workout and grades your fitness on this basis. Definitely a good feature, and one we would not normally expect to see on a home-fitness machine. Use this feature to track your progress.

Your workout

If you don’t choose a preset workout, you can focus on a heart rate program that gives you a target rate to aim at. There are 16 levels of smooth, quiet magnetic resistance, and you can choose a setting that allows the system to choose one that fits your desired heart rate. You can also run a manual program with your own goal for distance, calories, and so on. Altogether, 18 programs are possible, including the 12 that are preset.

We should note that the screen is not backlit, but the display is clear enough to read easily indoors under normal light conditions.

Features

The stride length is designed to be no more than 12 inches, and that’s why there’s a height restriction. Taller people may still be able to use it, though. Much of the cross trainer is preassembled, and it won’t be difficult to put the rest together. Once it’s done, you’ll have a quietly running machine with nonslip pedals that can be adjusted and ergonomic arms/handlebars. 110 kg is the max user weight, and the cross trainer weighs in at 37 kg and measures 121 x 54 x 148 cm.

Overall Review

We find it somewhat odd that these cross trainers are limited to shorter users, but there are plenty of larger machines available. It actually seems that this model is aimed at families, because up to 4 users can be programmed into the computer. So if you want your children to be fit, the YA 120 is perfectly acceptable for them too.

All types of beginner and intermediate athletes will find these cross trainers useful. They can be used to give you a challenging full-body workout or just a bit of light cardio. They give you clear information about your heart rate and the fitness-monitoring recovery feature is an unusual extra touch that should help to keep you motivated. It’s also handy for interval training – one of the best ways to build muscle and burn fat. And, since there are so many resistance settings, there’s plenty of options to keep your workout challenging as your fitness improves.

When you stop a program partway through, the console will turn off after a few minutes, but it restarts from where you’ve left off with all the readouts saved, so that’s great.

The biggest complaint we can find with this model is that the water bottle holder is poorly positioned.

Overall

With mid-range prices and attractive features, we think that the York Active exercise bike and 2 in 1 models are two very solid units that anyone (other than maybe a basketball player) can enjoy. Although it’s officially intended for beginner to intermediate fitness levels, we found the higher resistance levels challenging enough.