AssaultBike Pro X Air Bike Review 2023

In-depth Review of the AssaultBike Pro X Air Bike

Pre-Programmed Workouts

The console on the Pro X Air Bike is the same console on the AssaultBike Elite. As far as guided training and programming, this console has a good amount of options.

You can follow the included workouts or just hop on and go, too.

As far as workout settings, there are 20/10 and 10/20 intervals, and custom interval settings to create your own. Where rest and work are on the top right corner of the console, there are small lights that light up next to these depending on if you’re in the working or resting portion of the interval.

There are also target training programs that allow you to set time, distance, and calorie goals. There is also a heart rate training targeted program to work to stay within a certain heart rate zone. You can sync a compatible heart rate tracker to the console to track your heart rate.

You can also utilize the Assault Fitness App on the AssaultBike Pro X. This app features challenges, programs, and a workout of the day. The app will also track and save your workout history and stats. The console connects through Bluetooth to the app, but it doesn’t track all of your workout metrics.

It would be nice to see some more connectivity to 3rd party apps in a future upgrade.

Console

The overall usability of the Pro X’s console is really intuitive to use. There are a nice amount of buttons for the workout program options as well as connecting through Bluetooth and inputting different workout-setting goals. Even though the console is simple and battery-powered, it is easy to navigate. I’ve had to read manuals before being able to figure out other LCD consoles, so I like that this one is straightforward.

It tracks your time, calories, distance, speed, watts, RPMs, and heart rate.

This console isn’t backlit, so it might be harder to see in lower light, but we don’t have a problem seeing everything clearly with regular overhead lighting.

There is a small shelf on the front of the console to put your phone, which is nice to have. There’s also more storage available than on the AssaultBike Elite. A plastic piece with a cupholder and a small little pocket to put your phone or another small item attaches to the top of the console.

Construction Quality & Durability

The AssaultBike Pro X has replaced the previous AssaultBike Pro. It has the same design, frame, and fan as the previous Pro model. The Pro X is a bit heavier and beefier than the AssaultBike Classic, but not quite as beefy as the AssaultBike Elite. The Classic weighs 95 lbs, while the Elite weighs 139 lbs, and the Pro X weighs 125 lbs.

The AssaultBike Pro X Air Bike has a good weight limit of 330 lbs to work for most people. 350 lbs is usually the largest weight capacity that we see on exercise bikes in general, so the Pro X should work for most people.

Frame

The Pro X has a commercial-grade steel frame.

Even when we crank on the Pro X, it remains stable without rocking. It feels very similar in quality to the Elite to use. The fact that the Pro X is a bit heavier and bulkier than the Classic makes it feel a bit more sturdy since the Classic can sometimes rock from side to side when being used.

The Pro X isn’t as large or overbuilt as the Rogue Echo Bike, but like the AssaultBike Elite, it doesn’t need to be. It is perfectly stable and has an easy-to-use design.

Fan

The 27” steel fan is mounted on the front of the bike with 6 steel fan blades.

The fan is designed to provide air resistance. So as you pedal, the fan blades move and the air gets sucked into the fan for the blades to push again, thus creating resistance. With how the Pro X works, as well as other air bikes, is that when you pedal harder and faster more air gets sucked into the fan to create more resistance to work against. This means that the resistance is unlimited.

The resistance also isn’t measured or displayed on the console by specific levels, like magnetic resistance found on most spin bikes. So, your effort and power control the amount of resistance that the pedals and moving handles push against. This means that air bikes, the Pro X included, work very effectively at providing high-intensity workouts.

One aspect of the fan that we would like to see included in the future is a wind guard.

With air resistance, the fan blows air from the fan. Wind guards are a panel that fits on top of the edge of the fan that is closest to the seat so the wind doesn’t blow on you while you use the bike. The premium Elite model from Assault Fitness comes with a removable wind guard, so I think the Pro X should come with one, too. If you plan on using the Pro X in a garage in colder months, you will probably want to get a wind guard. There’s nothing worse than being cold when you’re trying to warm up for a workout.

Drive System

The Pro X Air Bike is unique for Assault’s lineup of AssaultBikes because it has a belt drive system. The drive system is what connects the pedals to the fan. All other air bikes from Assault Fitness, before the Pro X, have used chain drive systems. The downside to chain drives is that they require maintenance with use. The chain often has to be lubricated and tightened. Belt drives, on the other hand, require very little, if any, maintenance.

The belt is inside the fan, as shown here.

Chains also make extra noise on top of the fan which creates noise, too. Chains often make a grinding sound when using air bikes with these drive systems. Chains also make each pedal and handle stroke feel a little gritty, rather than smooth. The grittiness isn’t a bad thing – I think it comes down to personal preference. Some folks like the smooth stroke that belt drives give, while others like a grittier feeling. I personally like belts better, so I’m glad Assault included a belt-drive air bike in their lineup.

The pedals on the Pro X are flat with an all-metal design.

They work with athletic shoes and have small cleats so your feet don’t slip. You can also pedal backward to work your legs a bit differently.

Handlebars & Saddle

So, most air bikes provide a total body workout. You get tension in the pedals and in the handles (if the air bike has moving arms). The Pro X provides a full-body workout with movable arms and handles that move in conjunction with the pedals. So, once you start pedaling, the handles move, too. The handles are pretty straightforward and similar to the Classic and Elite handles, although they are slimmer than the Elite’s. I can more easily wrap my hands around them than the Elite’s handles which are thicker.

The Pro X handles have a rubberized texture coating so your hands won’t slip off them, too.

It would be nice to see them upgraded in the future with more grip options to target different upper body muscles, like the Schwinn AD7 Pro, but these handles feel stable and get the job done.

When you just want to focus on burning out your upper body, there are two foot pegs on either side of the fan to rest your feet on. These come included on most air bikes.

The Pro X’s are metal and knurled, like a barbell or dumbbell, to give your feet some grip.

Moving on to the seat, I love it! It has a nice amount of cushion to feel comfortable, and it has a mesh coating over the top to not feel slippery or sticky. The Elite’s seat is one of my least favorites because it is firm and smooth so I tend to slide forward when wearing leggings. None of our team slides around on the Pro X saddle and we all find it to be comfortable. It’s similar to the Blitz Air Bike 2.0’s saddle from Bells Of Steel, which I like.

Great job with this seat Assault!

Something about air bike saddles as compared to other exercise bikes like spin bikes, is that they are usually wider. You sit in a more upright position on an air bike than on an indoor cycling bike, so the air bike offers a wider base of support. This is a good design for air bikes, and the Pro X seat is plenty wide. Wide seats on indoor cycling bikes, on the other hand, can cause saddle sores over time due to the nature of your forward positioning.

Performance & Functionality

Overall, we’re really pleased with the AssaultBike Pro X. I think it was a good upgrade for the AssaultBike Pro and I really like the belt drive. The Pro X feels incredibly smooth and stable, while still providing the same killer workouts that other AssaultBikes offer. It is also much quieter than the other AssaultBikes and other air bikes with chain drives. It sounds very similar to the Blitz Air Bike from Bells Of Steel that has a belt drive, too.

Keep in mind that an air bike isn’t for every home. They’re a little more commonly found in garage gyms because of the noise they make with the fan. If you’re in the market for an air bike, especially a low-maintenance one that’s quieter than most, the Pro X Air Bike is one to consider. AssaultBikes have been used in competitions and are found in homes, garages, and commercial gyms so you can trust that their bikes are proven to be durable. We anticipate seeing the Pro X flood training facilities, and commercial gyms soon enough. It has a high-quality build so it’s durable to handle a lot of use.

The only aspect that I found to be a little frustrating and needs improvement is the seat adjustments. The seat adjusts up and down and forward and back, like other air bikes. The seat post however doesn’t allow the seat to be lowered quite as much as the AssaultBike Elite. I’m only about 5’1” (with shoes on) and I am on the lowest seat setting on the Pro X. I wish the seat went a notch or two lower. I would use it on a lower setting if one was available. So, I think the Pro X is only best for people around 5’0” and taller.

I do have short legs and a longer torso, so if you are shorter than me with longer legs, you might be a little more comfortable.

Our tallest reviewer, Matt, is 6’5” and he uses the Pro X on the highest seat setting like he does on the Elite.

The Elite seems to work better for shorter people, so we’d like to see that same adjustability on the AssaultBike Pro X. I do anticipate shorter folks, like myself, having better luck fitting on the Pro X than the Rogue Echo though. That bike is known for not being very accommodating to those who are short and smaller.

I did some measuring that we do on indoor cycling bikes to help you get an idea of how you’ll fit on the AssaultBike Pro X. The leg span, which is measured from the top of the saddle to the top of the lowest pedal when the seat is all the way down and all the way up is around 31” to 39” on the Pro X. The Elite’s is 28” to 38”, in comparison. The leg span is your inseam length. The seat actually adjusts higher than the Elite, but I wish it adjusted as low as the Elite, too.

With that said, the Pro X’s seat does move very close to the fan and handles. Personally, I’m more comfortable with the seat all the way back, but it really depends on your riding preference as well as your body portions. I measured the reach with the seat all the way forward and back to the console’s arm and it is 10” to 14”. So you have a 4” range to work with as far as moving the seat horizontally. The Elite has a 12” to 17” reach. I think it would be helpful if the seat could adjust a few inches back on the Pro X, too.

Also, the adjustment knobs are a little annoying because you have to completely unscrew them in order to pull them out to move the saddle forward/back and up/down.

So, the process of adjusting the seat isn’t as seamless as on other bikes because of how much you have to screw and unscrew them.

Moving the Pro X is pretty straightforward. It isn’t difficult to move. There are two front transportation wheels on the front stabilizer, and you just have to lift the rear stabilizer to move it. It moves around a little easier than the Bells Of Steel. There is a good amount of clearance between the wheels and the bottom of the fan when moving so it doesn’t get in the way.

Warranty

The Pro X comes with a fair 7-year frame and a 3-year non-wear parts warranty from Assault Fitness with purchase. It is pretty easy to put together. 1 person could set it up if they’re familiar with setting up other exercise equipment, although 2 people might be a good idea for a smoother process.