Marcy Recumbent ME-709 Review

Marcy makes a range of home exercise equipment, from dumbbells and weight machines to treadmills and exercise bikes. The ME-709 caught our attention for its reasonable price and thousands of positive consumer reviews. We put this popular recumbent up against a diverse field of reasonably priced exercise bikes to see how it compares to the competition.

Ride Experience & Programming

The Marcy ME-709 offers relatively good exercise quality, providing enough stability and resistance to burn some calories. This recumbent is best suited to users who want light to moderate-intensity workouts and aren't as interested in challenging resistance levels or features like pre-programmed workouts. The affordable model has a simple, no-frills design, reflected in its overall exercise quality, which is below average for the group.

The ME-709 has a comfortable seat that is easy to get in and out of, thanks to the step-through design. It features eight levels of magnetic resistance, adjusted using the knob on the main mast below the console. The resistance levels range from very easy to moderately difficult; this model doesn't offer as wide a range as some competitors. That said, it will likely provide enough range for most users, although people seeking a super high-intensity workout would be better off looking elsewhere. Our primary tester found that this bike worked best for moderate-intensity exercise. During our high-intensity interval test, he could max out the resistance levels for an extended period without too much difficulty. This example is an extreme case, as this tester is a bike racer and a masochist, but it may apply depending on your fitness level and exercise goals. We noted that at lower RPMs, the resistance felt slightly inconsistent at the highest levels, and it became smoother as RPMs increased.

The Marcy ME-709 has a simple console that displays workout information such as time, distance, speed, and calories, but it lacks programmed workouts and other fancy bells and whistles. You can set a time, distance, or calorie goal for your training, but that's about it. You control your workout entirely, and adjusting the resistance level means reaching forward and turning the resistance knob.

Fit & Adjustability

The Marcy Recumbent has a relatively basic design and limited features, but we found it comfortable to use. Despite its simplicity, it has a decent range of length adjustability, a comfortable padded seat, a backrest, and a handlebar, and that's about all you need.

The ME-709's recumbent style allows for a step-through design that makes it easy to get into and out of the seat. Two handles on the main mast at the front of the bike and the sizable padded handlebars are also convenient for support when sitting down or standing up. The large cushioned seat is 2 inches thick and 16 inches wide, and we found it comfortable on test rides up to 1.5 hours in length. The cushioned backrest is large and provides ample back support, and the cushioned handlebar is in a good position to support your arms comfortably while riding. The front and rear portions of the mainframe are adjustable for length and fit for your proper pedal stroke. The seven indexed positions are each two inches apart for a total of 12 inches of fore/aft adjustability. Marcy claims an inseam length range of 27" to 37". Our six-foot-tall tester with a 32-inch inseam had no fit issues with this bike and plenty of adjustment range to spare.

Display & Controls

While the ME-709 display and controls are pretty basic and far from the best we've tested, they are adequate, reasonably intuitive, and perfectly functional. The small, battery-powered computer sits at the front of the machine, is easily viewed while riding, and is within arm's reach if/when you want to change the display information. Like the Schwinn IC4, the resistance level is controlled by twisting a knob situated below the display.

The ME-709 Recumbent does not include the 2 AA batteries required to power the display; they must be installed before it will work. Using the display and controls isn't all that hard to figure out through trial and error, but we recommend referring to the user manual the first time. The computer has an auto-start and stop feature: it turns on when the pedals start turning and shuts off 8 minutes after exercise stops. The 3" wide x 1.5" tall screen has large and easy-to-read numbers, but it is not backlit and can be challenging to read in a dim room. When the computer turns on, it automatically defaults to scanand cycles through the five modes for 4 seconds. The modes shown are elapsed time, current speed, distance, calories burned, and odometer(total accumulated miles). There are three buttons below the LCD screen: set, mode, and reset. The user can select any mode to display on the screen by pressing the Mode button in the center. All modes, distance, time, and calories can be reset to zero by pressing and holding the Reset button. You can also set workout goals by choosing the correct mode, time, distance, or calories and pressing the Set button until you reach your desired goal. The display then counts down from your goal to zero as you progress through your workout.

To change the resistance level, turn the knob at the front of the machine below the computer. Turn the knob clockwise to increase the resistance and counterclockwise to decrease it. The resistance adjustment is simple and easy to use, but you do have to bend forward to reach it while pedaling. Reaching this knob may be difficult for some users and annoying for those who frequently change their resistance settings.

Build Quality & Accessories

The ME-709 is about as no-frills as an exercise bike could be. The design is functional and straightforward, but certainly lacks the bells and whistles of the more expensive competition. That said, those on a budget or who don't ask for much beyond a decent workout may find it has everything they need.

The few features the ME-709 does have are mentioned above in the comfort section, but we'll touch on them briefly again here. The step-through design makes it easy for users to get onto the machine. The large padded handlebars improve seat accessibility and provide a comfortable place to rest your arms during use. Two handles at the front of the machine may also help some users when standing up and sitting down. You can also adjust the length up to 12 inches using the threaded pin at the center of the machine's frame. It also has wheels at the front for easy rolling across firm surfaces, though we found they didn't move all that well.

Size & Setup

The ME-709 is a relatively straightforward machine, but it was average in setup and lost a little ground in this metric because of its large footprint and generally awkward shape.

The ME-709 comes in a relatively small box, considering its large footprint once assembled. The smaller box is a bit easier to move around than some competitors that come in boxes twice as big. The Marcy comes completely disassembled, except for the magnetic resistance unit with the cranks attached, and all of the parts are neatly and efficiently packed in the shipping box. Our test model arrived in excellent condition, with no shipping damage, and all pieces were individually wrapped and well protected. Everything needed to assemble the bike comes in the box, including hardware, tools, and a user manual with detailed assembly instructions. Assembly time was similar to that of most other exercise bikes we tested, and it took a full hour to complete. Putting this bike together wasn't particularly difficult; it just took time and patience with the included wrenches. Using a higher-quality set of wrenches or a socket set could help expedite the process and reduce a bit of frustration.

Once we assembled our Marcy Recumbent, we weighed and measured it before moving it into our testing spa e. It tipped our scales at 54.2 lbs with measured dimensions of 58" long (at max extension) x 24.75" wide x 38.5" high. We also measured it with its length adjustment in the fully compressed position and reduced its overall length to 46 inches. While it does take up more floor space (1436 sq in.) than an upright or folding model, the ME-709 is a fair bit smaller than many other recumbents, especially when fully compressed. Thanks to the moderate weight and integrated transport wheels in the front stabilizer, moving it around on firm surfaces is also relatively easy. However, we noticed that the transport wheels didn't roll well. Due to the awkward shape, carrying this bike any distance works best with two people.

Should You Buy the Marcy Recumbent ME-709?

At its retail price, the ME-709 is one of the more affordable options we tested. This machine is sturdy with a simple, no-frills design that gets the job done, and we consider it a good value. It's light on features, but this machine covers the basics and offers a comfortable, user-friendly exercise experience. Those seeking a high-intensity or gym-like recumbent workout should check out the Schwinn 290 Recumbent Bike.

What Other Exercise Bikes Should You Consider?

If you are looking for a simple and affordable way to expand your home exercise routine, but you are tight on space, the Schwinn 130 Upright Bike provides a nice ride without a huge footprint. If you have outgrown the moderate stage of indoor cycling, you may want to consider a higher-end model such as the Schwinn IC4. It earned top marks for exercise quality and has enough features to take your workout a few notches higher.

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