JLL IC200 Pro featured image

The old IC200 was an immensely popular upright cycle when it first came out. However, never a company to be satisfied without first giving their best, JLL have recently brought out the IC200’s baby brother – the JLL IC200 Pro – and we are giving it the full review treatment after a good solid testing period of a 3 weeks.

It has a fantastic new set of togs, with smart chrome and black bodywork giving it a chic, elegant feel even as the heavyweight nobs, bars and runners make it look as sturdy as it performs (which is very).

However, looks aren’t everything. An upright static bike like this needs substance to back up its style, which the JLL IC200 pro achieves very nicely. Though it is relatively cheap considering its impressive profile, at usually a shade over three hundred pounds, it still performs well. The solid, 7kg flywheel combined with a good number of resistance levels and some clever tech make for a well-rounded, challenging workout, whilst the build quality for which JLL are known is evident throughout.

It is something of a budget option in relative terms, but it manages to punch above its weight to a fair degree.

JLL IC200 Pro First Impressions

JLL IC200 PRO Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike, Direct Belt Driven, Advanced Flywheel, Magnetic Resistance, 3-Piece Crank, 6-Function Monitor, Heart Rate Sensors, Adjustable Seat, 12 Months Home Warranty

My first impressions from the JLL IC200 were very favourable. All you can really tell from a first glimpse is how a machine looks and how well you can manoeuvre it into place.

Wheels and a well-balanced frame make the latter a doddle – you can move it anywhere you want in your home, which is vital for any piece of home-gym equipment – and even more important with an upright cycle.

It looks good, too. It looks far more high-tech than its older brother, with its sleek grey/chrome steel frame and dynamic appearance. The solid, silver casing is somehow reassuring whilst being really quite attractive.

Despite this, it doesn’t look over-engineered. The console is basic, as I’ll get into below, and completely unfussy. The IC200 Pro is a straightforward machine designed for a simple task – to bring your heart rate up, work your legs hard and burn plenty of calories.

But how well does it achieve this? How does the IC200 Pro perform?

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IC200 Pro Specs

JLL’s IC200 Pro makes use of magnetic resistance with multiple levels of difficulty to choose between. It manages this resistance pretty smoothly, too, with its two way, 7kg flywheel.

JLL IC200 PRO Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike, Direct Belt Driven, Advanced Flywheel, Magnetic Resistance, 3-Piece Crank, 6-Function Monitor, Heart Rate Sensors, Adjustable Seat, 12 Months Home Warranty

The frame is also well-designed for most athletes. It is compact yet quite robust, at 32 kgs and with a 122.5 x 55.5 x 122.5 cm footprint. Adjustable components mean that pretty much all users will be able to get themselves comfortable in an optimal position – seat and handlebar height and foot-strap positioning can all be fully altered. With a maximum user weight of 100 kgs, even some heavier athletes will be able to use the IC200 safely (though, it should be mentioned, this is not too impressive – there will be many athletes, especially in the strength arena, who will need to go for sturdier models, and many people with fat loss goals who may need to search elsewhere – perhaps consider the IC400 Pro if you need more user weight).

The IC200 Pro uses a belt drive system, its frame is stainless steel for the most part, and the monitor is battery powered.

The IC200 Pro’s monitor enables you to track a range of biometric and performance data, including time spent training, distance cycled, speed, heart rate (via monitors in the handlebars that should give you relatively accurate readings in ten seconds or so) and calories burned. This will all be useful information to have in hitting your fitness goals, making this kind of real time feedback invaluable.

The monitor is pretty basic. However, it should be, at the kind of price you’ll be looking at paying for the IC200 Pro. There is no app compatibility, the screen is black and white and there are no touch-screen options. However, as above, it gives you everything you will need to know in real time. JLL’s pricier models will give you fancier gadgets, if you want them – I personally wouldn’t recommend them, as they add little to your actual workout.

There are some clever features to the IC200 Pro’s build that should ensure a better than average user experience. For instance, the rear stabilising bar features a curve that gives it a wider footprint, giving far more stability, no matter how hard you push yourself. The pedals are also well-textured for better grip. This really is a machine that is built to be put through its paces.

The eight resistance levels can be manually adjustable with a dial beneath the main console, which makes for easy, quick use.

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Using the JLL IC200 pro

This isn’t the best bike in the world – it’s far from the best in JLL’s range, in fact. However, this isn’t really the point. The point is that it is hard to achieve the kind of price to quality ratio as you get with the JLL IC200 Pro.

Don’t expect the kind of machine you might find in a pricey gym. They will likely have spent a couple of thousand pounds on each of their upright and spin bikes. The IC200 Pro cannot compete with them, as it was never intended to. It was designed to give you a good, solid workout at home without breaking the bank.

JLL IC200 PRO Indoor Cycling Exercise Bike, Direct Belt Driven, Advanced Flywheel, Magnetic Resistance, 3-Piece Crank, 6-Function Monitor, Heart Rate Sensors, Adjustable Seat, 12 Months Home Warranty

It achieves this admirably. For the money, the IC200 Pro is really quite something.

For starters, I like the basic monitor. As above, all you need are a few fundamental metrics to keep track of as you train. The simpler, the better – even the most tech-averse athletes out there will get on well with the IC200 Pro, and everyone will have all the information they will ever need to make for a successful workout. The old adage that less is more is well applied here.

Then there is the flywheel. The resistance it provides is fantastic. It is reasonably subtle as it rises through resistance levels – there is no clunkiness, such as you might find with budget competitor models. You can find everything in its range, from an easy paced warm up to a hefty hill sprint. It is also quiet, which is vital in a piece of equipment most often destined for home-use. The hardest workout in the world is fine, but if it’s so noisy that you can’t perform it with any housemates or neighbours around, it’s pretty useless.

It really does feel stable, too. The wide, well-designed base and solid structure make themselves known as you push yourself through the harder levels. Transport wheels in the IC200 Pro’s base make it incredibly portable, as well, so that it is easy to live with and store.

Maximum weight is an issue. I fluctuate my weight, depending on my lifting goals at any one time. I have been 98 kg at my heaviest and at my strongest. I’m also hardly huge – I stand at five foot eight! The equivalent athlete topping six foot would have 20 kg on me. Having a 100 kg top weight is probably fine for most people, but it hardly makes for a universally inclusive machine.

Upright cycling is also a fantastic, healthy way for those looking to lose body fat to get their heart rates up without putting any undue stress into their joints. Here, too, it is easy to top 100 kg. JLL are really writing off a significant amount of the market by capping their max weight so low.

However, they have still built a great machine, made all the more impressive by its relatively modest price tag. It is easy to navigate and use, gives a wide range of smooth resistance levels, and will, when all is said and done, deliver a stellar workout. Just beware of your own weight when ordering it.

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Verdict

If you can, set aside my qualms over max user weight. This will only be an issue for a significant few – if it doesn’t apply to you, then you should seriously consider investing in the IC200 Pro. It is a very high-quality machine for its price tag, able to offer an incredibly powerful cardiovascular and endurance workout through eight levels of smoothly adjusting magnetic resistance.

If you want a home spinner or upright cycle, you don’t want to spend four figures on one, but don’t want to sacrifice too much in terms of quality or usability, this is the machine for you.

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