Marcy ME-706 Regenerating Recumbent Exercise Bike Review

The Marcy ME-706 Regenerating Recumbent Exercise Bike stands out from the crowd with its self-generating magnetic resistance system. This bike is the recumbent version of Marcy’s upright bike ME-702.

Released at the start of 2018, this bike has several upgrades over Marcy’s other recumbent bikes including more levels of magnetic resistance, preset workout programs along with two unique functions and workout metrics, and has soon earned a good reputation among health enthusiasts with its durable construction, smooth and vibration-free operation and ease of use for users in a wide range of heights, weights and fitness levels.

Published: January 20, 2022.

Marcy ME-706 Regenerating Recumbent Exercise Bike Specifications

- Dimensions when assembled: 57 x 24 x 42 inches (145 x 61 x 107 cm) (L x W x H)

- Weight when assembled: 102 lbs. (46 kg)

- Maximum user weight capacity: 300 lbs. (136 kg)

- Resistance: 24 levels, self-generating, motorized magnetic

- Warranty: 2 years

Features of Marcy ME-706 Regenerating Recumbent Exercise Bike

Assembly

Assembly of the Marcy ME-706 is pretty easy as the majority of parts including the motor, generator, magnetic brake, and belt come pre-assembled.

Users have to connect the front and rear parts of the frame together, then add the front and rear stabilizers, the console mast, console, seat, backrest, handlebars, pedals, and several small shrouds. This may take a couple of hours. The manual has detailed assembly instructions and some of the necessary tools are included.

Frame

The frame of the Marcy ME-706 is made of 2 parts that are joined together in the middle. The front part consists of the console, console mast, and resistance system and the rear part contains the seat assembly.

All the major parts of the bike are made of heavy-duty steel, although parts like seat base covers and drive system covers are made of hard ABS material.

The steel bars of the frame have a coating of rust-resistant paint in black color.

Step-thru Design

The Marcy ME-706 features a very convenient step-thru design due to which it’s very easy to mount and dismount from this bike. This is especially useful for the seniors and disabled, and those who are recovering from illness or injury.

Stability

Since it’s a quite weighty bike weighing more than 100 lbs., the Marcy ME-706 is significantly stable. Plus, it has got adjustable stabilizers on its rear base which help users to level the bike on any kind of floor.

Footprint

The Marcy ME-706 is not a particularly large-sized bike. When fully assembled, it measures around 57″ (145 cm) in length and 24″ (61 cm) in width. However, it needs a usage surface of at least 70″ x 50″ (178 x 127 cm) (L x W).

Portable

As mentioned above, the Marcy ME-706 is quite heavy and may need two people for shipping and assembly. However, once assembled it’s quite easy to move around, thanks to its built-in transportation wheels on the front base.

Console

The console of the Marcy ME-706 features a large, multi-panel, LCD display with an LED backlight for excellent readability. It tracks important workout stats including distance, time, speed, RPM, pulse, pulse recovery, calories, body fat, watts, and the selected resistance level.

Heart Rate Monitoring

The console is telemetric and is compatible with Polar 5 kHz chest straps. However, this accessory is not included.

However, users can measure their heart rate with heart rate sensors integrated into the seat handlebars.

Workout Programs

The console of the Marcy ME-706 integrates 23 workout programs to bring diversity to users’ workout and keep them motivated. The P1 is a manual program that is set by default at resistance level 5. This program enables users to adjust the resistance freely as they pedal. The P2 to P13 are preset programs that cover various kinds of exercises including Steps, Hill, Rolling, Valley, Fat Burn, Ramp, Mountain, Intervals, Random, Plateau, Fartlek, and Precipice.

P14 to P17 are custom user programs that give users the ability to create their own program, save it, and re-use it as and when they like. The P18 to P22 are heart-rate based programs with targets set for 55%, 65%, 75%, 85%, and custom. The last program P23 is for Watt Control. It keeps a constant value. This means that the bike will reduce the resistance if users pedal faster and increase the resistance if they reduce the rhythm.

Apart from the workout programs, there is also a Recovery Function and a Body Fat Function. The Recovery function determines users’ fitness levels based on their pulse rate at the end of the exercise, rating their performance from 1 (Great) to 6 (Poor). The Body Fat function is meant to calculate the users’ body fat ratio and provide a particular loading profile.

Seat Assembly

The seat of the Marcy ME-706 is remarkably comfortable. The seat as well as the backrest is covered with 2″ (5 cm) high-density foam padding and long-lasting vinyl upholstery. The seat is around 16″ (40 cm) wide, thus providing ample contact surface. The backrest too features a strong steel backbone for a firm back support.

The entire seat assembly can move back and forth on its oblique metallic rail. The backrest can’t be moved independently. Users can adjust the position of the seat with a lever on the right side without having to get down from the seat. The seat assembly offers multiple adjustment positions and thus accommodates users from 4’10” (147 cm) to 6’4″ (193 cm) of height. It’s also strong enough to support users up to 300 lbs. (136 kg).

Handlebars

There are two sets of handlebars on the bike, the front handlebars are attached to the console mast whereas the back ones are attached to the seat. The front handlebars offer multiple grips.

Since the console mast is curved towards the user, these handlebars are within users’ reach so that they can avoid any awkward positions during the workout to hold the handlebars. The seat handlebars have built-in pulse sensors in them. Both these handlebars feature comfortable rubberized grips.

Resistance

As mentioned earlier, the Marcy ME-706 is equipped with a self-generating motorized magnetic resistance system that comprises an internal generator, a magnetic brake, and a small servo motor. Thus, users don’t need to connect the bike to a power source because it produces all the required energy for running the resistance system and the console.

Users can control the resistance only through the console. However, the console will also auto-adjust the resistance if the user chooses one of the onboard programs, as required by that workout program. When users choose a certain resistance level, the servo motor will move the magnetic brake nearer or farther from the flywheel, thereby increasing or reducing the pedaling difficulty.

As the brake and the flywheel don’t touch each other, the pedaling motion is very smooth even if the user chooses the highest resistance level.

There are 24 levels of resistance and the default resistance level is 5. The resistance levels 1 to 5 are providing very low resistance, perfect for recovery training. On the other hand, the top 20 to 24 levels provide significant tension, simulating a steep climb. These are ideal for someone who is looking for building cardiovascular strength, muscle strength, calorie burn, and weight loss.

Drive

Since the Marcy ME-706 is a magnetic bike, it has a belt drive system and so, the pedaling motion is vibration-free and quiet. The weight of the flywheel should be around 20 lbs. (9.0 kg). Being perimeter-weighted it generates a bit of momentum.

Pedals

The crankset of the bike is durable; however, it’s not recommended to pedal while standing up, just like in the case of other recumbent bikes. Pedals with their metallic core and nylon shell are quite durable. They have adjustable straps to secure users’ feet and are counterbalanced.

Add-ons

The Marcy ME-706 offers two add-ons. The first one is a tablet holder placed under the display. It can accommodate virtually any tablet or phone.

The other add-on is a sound system that comprises of two small speakers placed at the bottom of the console. An audio jack is also present at the back of the unit so that users can plug in their phone or tablet and amplify their favorite music a bit if they want to listen to it through the built-in speakers.

Maintenance

Regarding maintenance, users are recommended to lubricate the moving parts of the bike (except the internal parts). Also, it’s recommended to check the bike for loose bolts and parts and tighten them if required.

Pros of Marcy ME-706 Regenerating Recumbent Exercise Bike

- Strong, sturdy frame

- 300 lbs. of maximum user weight capacity

- Step-thru design

- Excellent stability

- Easily portable

- Multi-panel, telemetric, backlit console

- 23 preset workout programs

- Recovery Test function

- Body Fat Index function

- Adjustable seat

- Seat and backrest covered with a thick cushion to offer maximum comfort

- EKG pulse sensors integrated in the seat handlebars

- Front handlebars with multiple grips

- Rubberized coverings on handlebars for a firm grip

- Self-generating, magnetic resistance with 24 levels

- Weighted pedals with adjustable straps

- Tablet holder included

- Sound system included

- Almost noiseless

- Easy assembly

- Little maintenance

- Affordably priced

Cons of Marcy ME-706 Regenerating Recumbent Exercise Bike

- An HR chest strap not included

- A tablet placed on the tablet holder will cover the console display

- Sound system is not very powerful

- Other add-ons like bottle holder and workout fat not included

- Very heavy but the weight adds to its stability

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Bottom Line

The Marcy ME-706 Regenerating Recumbent Exercise Bike is an excellent recumbent bike for those who are looking for breaking a sweat while keeping their seat, back, knee joints, and overall body in a comfortable position.

It offers quite a few attractive features including very comfortable and adjustable, cushioned, large seat and backrest, 23 workout programs, 24 resistance levels, unique functions like Recovery Test and Body Fat Index, integrated EKG pulse sensors to track the heart rate, tablet holder and sound system, and an impressive maximum user weight capacity of 300 lbs., all this for an affordable price.

Thus it can help users in a wide range of heights and weights meet their fitness goals, like muscle building and toning, stamina buildup, cardiovascular training, and weight loss, in addition to recovery training for the seniors and disabled and those recovering from illness or injury, without costing an arm and a leg, thus offering an excellent value for the price.

For more reviews and recommendations, feel free to check Marcy ME-706 Regenerating Recumbent Exercise Bike Amazon link (link opens in the new window).