JLL IC300 Pro Review

Our JLL IC300 Pro review takes a look at this classy offering from UK based JLL Fitness and delivers an honest verdict.

When exercising indoors, you can’t really beat spinning. Sometimes referred to as indoor cycling, it’s simply one of the best cardio exercises that you can do, all in the comfort of your own home.

Picking the right bike, though, is quite a tricky process. There are so many on the market, all offering an intimidating amount of features, all in differing price brackets – how do you know which one is right for you?

Let us help – we love hand-picking the very best to look at to give you options. When we heard good things about JLL Fitnesses bike, the IC300 Pro, we just had to give it a go.

It is one of the premium bikes offered by JLL, and that is reflected by its price point – not being classed as a budget bike but not breaking the bank either. It claims to offer a stylish design, coupled with the type of features that you would find on the bikes you might use in the gym.

So how does it perform? We gave ourselves plenty of time to have a thorough look at the IC300 Pro – let’s see how it did in our review.

A Word About JLL Fitness

JLL Fitness are one of the biggest suppliers of fitness equipment in the UK.

Based in Birmingham, they have launched some of the most revolutionary equipment available today, from treadmills and exercise bikes to weights and all manner of accessories – in fact, we have reviewed so much of their gear that we are becoming quite the fans of this great British company.

They are well renowned for their quality – they use some of the strongest, most robust materials in the manufacturing of their equipment, combined with ground-breaking technology. This helps to produce some of the leading equipment in the industry.

In recent years, JLL have become more and more highly thought of by commercial and private customers – you may even find some of their equipment in your local gym. They put their success down to their commitment to creating healthy lifestyles among the users of their products.

The IC300 Pro follows a number of top quality bikes that JLL have produced, not least its predecessor, the IC300, so we jumped at the chance to give it a try. Let’s see if it lives up to the impressive reputation of this company.

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JLL IC300 Pro Specifications

As mentioned above, we were big fans of the JLL IC300, so it seems reasonable to expect a little bit more from the IC300 Pro. And that’s exactly what you get. It’s not quite up to the specs of the IC400 Pro but isn’t far off and will be more than a challenge for most users.

First of all, let’s quickly talk about how it looks. It’s stunning. A really smart design, with little flashes of colour. Something you would be proud to have in your home, and even show off – no need to hide this away!

In terms of where you do end up putting the bike, you don’t need to worry about how even the floor is – the IC300 Pro has four separate adjustment knobs along the base, which you can alter to make sure you have a smooth and stable ride no matter what the floor beneath it looks like.

Measuring 131cm x 51cm x 112 cm, it is a slightly bigger bike than some of the other spin bikes in this price range – while taking up slightly more ‘real estate’, this does mean that it can accommodate slightly taller users than some of the competitors’ models.

The maximum user weight is 130kg (just over 20 stone), which is quite a bit more than a lot of its competition, as the standard tends to be around 100kg. If you are near the maximum recommended weight, though, you should probably look at a different bike – and for those around the top weight limit then spinning on a bike such as this is ideal as it has so little impact on your joints.

The bike itself weighs 45kg, which coupled with the large frame, means that it is incredibly sturdy. However, it is also, therefore, quite difficult to move around. Fortunately, it comes with some in-built wheels, which are perfect for quickly popping out and pushing it around to its home.

Fitted with a two-way 20kg flywheel, you have plenty of options when it comes to resistance – even the most experienced spin bike users will find enough to challenge them. As the wheel is bi-directional, you can ride it backwards as well as forwards, which means you can vary your exercise routines to work different muscles.

The wheel is rotated with a belt-driven system, which doesn’t require much attention from you at all. No lubrication needed. The magnetic resistance is adjusted manually using a knob.

In order to track your workout, the 7-function Pro Monitor will cover pretty much every requirement you have. This will count time, speed, distance, calories and odometer, pulse & RPM during your workout, so you can keep track of your progress. The handlebars have pulse sensor plates, which will keep track of your heart rate.

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What It’s Like To Use The JLL IC300 Pro

Before I get on to what it’s like to use, I think it would be helpful to briefly cover how easy it is to assemble once you have got it home.

As mentioned above, it is quite a heavy machine, but once you have got it into position, it really is quite easy to put together.

The instructions are very easy to follow (and I am not an expert in this field at all!), and there is even a YouTube video online to help. The whole process should take about 20 minutes, and then you are good to go!

Adjustability is a crucial feature in exercise bikes, particularly if there is more than one person in the house that is going to be using it. There is nothing more frustrating than having to strain, or reach, just to pedal. It can really take the edge off a workout.

Fortunately, the IC300 Pro has a plethora of adjustable settings to cater for almost any shape or sized rider. The seat can be moved into 6 different positions horizontally, and another 10 vertically. On top of that, the handlebars have 6 vertical settings – it won’t take long to find your optimum setting for the most comfortable ride.

The seat is incredibly comfortable as well – nicely padded, which means you can cycle for longer. Comfort is so important with exercise bikes as you may be there for long periods at a time, depending on your chosen workout.

Added to this, in order to ensure you remain fully attached to the bike at all times, there are anti-slip nodules on the pedals, which help you grip into position.

Coupled with the toe-clips, you really feel fully in control of your pedalling – you can really focus on the workout without having to worry about slipping out.

The 20kg flywheel makes for a very comfortable ride. Weighing 2kg more than the wheel on the IC300, you can really feel the difference in terms of how smooth the ride is.

Coupled with the magnetic resistance, you also get a much quieter ride, as well as a smooth one. Great if you live in a house with thin walls!

The knob with which you adjust the resistance is easy to use, even while in operation. However, it doesn’t have any markings on, so it will take a little bit of time to work out exactly how far to turn it to get your required settings. You might find that you’re better off putting your own stickers or markings on, if you are struggling.

You get decent feedback from the monitor, and it is easy to operate while you are cycling. The settings are pretty standard, really, and will track everything you could possibly want from an exercise bike.

There are a couple of extra little features that I really liked with the IC300 Pro – the water bottle holder on the side (and the aluminium bottle that comes with the bike) is a nice little touch that is often overlooked by manufacturers.

The in-built transport wheels are great as well. I don’t have a specified ‘gym’ in my house, so I have to store the bike away when I’m not using it. These wheels make it so easy to wheel around the house.

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Verdict

For the money, this is a really good bike.

For a home workout, this bike will do everything that you want it to do. All the features are as you would expect, and what you would find on most of the bikes that you find in a lot of gyms.

What I really liked about the IC300 Pro, though, is just how comfortable it is to use. There is nothing worse than spending a lot of money on a bike for your home and finding it just isn’t quite comfortable enough to do a long workout.

Straining, even slightly, when you’re going full pelt during a workout is not just uncomfortable, it can also cause injuries, so having so many settings to get yourself completely sorted is incredibly reassuring.

On top of that, it is very sturdy and well made – it won’t let you down at all, and won’t wobble or make much noise when you’re using it.

There are better bikes on the market, but for those, you’ll be taking a huge jump up in price. In this sort of class, I don’t think you will get a better bike than the JLL Fitness IC300 Pro. It is worth serious consideration.

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