CAROL Bike Review 2024
Reviewed by TreadmillReviews.com
Find your limit with AI-powered resistance. Learn how you can get a science-backed workout in less than 10 minutes in this review of the CAROL Bike.
The best treadmill reviews you can trust
The best treadmill reviews you can trust
Find your limit with AI-powered resistance. Learn how you can get a science-backed workout in less than 10 minutes in this review of the CAROL Bike.
Updated: March 27, 2024
CAROL feels like a brand after my own heart. They are grounded in science, have a stellar yet optional subscription service, and provide a solution to the time barrier to exercise. By implementing the shortest and most effective workout possible, the REHIT workout, the CAROL Bike fits into your schedule. However, CAROL presents another barrier to exercise that some users will not be able to overcome: cost. This review of the Carol Bike, a high-end exercise bike, will help you decide if its cost is worth it.
The CAROL Bike is a premium exercise bike for the home. You can assemble it yourself or pay an extra $199 for assembly.
While there are gyms and studios with the CAROL Bike, the warranty does not cover it for this use. While the CAROL Bike feels very well-built overall, we aren’t as impressed with the warranty. The frame is covered for only 5 years, and we expect 10+ years from a bike at this price. You can pay $150 for an additional year warranty on the components, but I would prefer that the bike has a better warranty included on the parts. 1 year for labor is pretty typical, so CAROL meets our expectations there.
The frame is steel with a black powder coating. When we received our bike, I noticed that there was black powder on the bike. I had to give it a quick wipe-down with a cloth. The CAROL Bike’s build feels very high-end but the fact that it was a little dirty upon arrival was surprising. Yet, I like the sturdy thick steel of the frame and the glossy finish.
The bike has a front and rear stabilizer with an arched bar connecting them. This arch lifts the bike higher off the ground, and it was trickier for me to get into the saddle as a result. The bike feels so sturdy that it wasn’t a problem for me to use the handlebars or pedals for support. The bike can support a maximum user weight of 330 lbs, which exceeds the industry standard of 300 lbs.
The CAROL Bike weighs 120 lbs. The transport wheels are on the rear stabilizer unlike most of the exercise bikes we test which makes the bike more awkward to move. However, the bike is still fairly portable, and I don’t have a problem transporting it.
The saddle is not as sporty or narrow as other exercise bikes. It’s also very well-cushioned. New cyclists will be less likely to experience saddle soreness compared to many other exercise bikes. I really like this design. The seat isn’t so wide that it interferes with your legs’ range of motion.
The saddle is adjustable horizontally and vertically. CAROL states that the bike can accommodate a user height of 4’7” to 6’7”. We have reviewers at a wide range of heights and are pleased that their experiences aligned with this range.
The CAROL Bike handlebars have multiple grip options with a nice texture and thickness. The handlebars are comfortable. You can adjust them vertically but not horizontally. The handlebar post is just as adjustable as the saddle to make it suitable for users of all heights. Additionally, the handlebar and saddle posts are angled away from each other to further increase the reach as they are lifted.
The pedals are hybrid with flat pedals and toe cages on one side and SPD clips on the other. The Q-factor is 170 mm and felt comfortable for me–not too wide or too narrow.
One important thing to note is that the bike should not be pedaled when it is turned off. The CAROL Bike has a magnetic braking system that could be damaged if you pedal it. I initially made the mistake of pedaling it while it was off. Fortunately, there was no indication of damage, but it felt awkward. Be cautious and avoid my mistake!
The CAROL Bike has a 22-lb flywheel positioned at the rear of the bike. It has a steel core and an aluminum outer ring. It uses a belt drive. Together these components help the bike move smoothly and quietly when it has resistance. When there isn’t a lot of resistance on the flywheel, it doesn’t feel as smooth if you pedal quickly. But, the bike is not designed for this use. If you stop pedaling, the flywheel can continue to turn because of the freewheel safety clutch.
The resistance is AI and magnetic. There’s no resistance knob on the bike frame. Instead, the AI controls the resistance or you can adjust it from the screen. The number of resistance levels available varies by the app or workout you are using, so it is hard to say how many levels there are. The top resistance feels very challenging and suitable for very experienced cyclists.
CAROL recommends increasing the resistance before rising out of the saddle. It may need to be higher than you set it on other exercise bikes for the smoothest resistance.
The CAROL Bike has great onscreen and high-tech features. It’s minimalistic and lacks a dumbbell rack, device rack, and offscreen resistance controls. Yet, I hardly noticed these missing features while using the bike.
The only buttons on the bike are the tablet buttons for turning it on and off and adjusting the volume. You can see one little cord connecting the tablet to the bike for charging, but the console looks very clean otherwise.
I have mixed feelings about the CAROL Bike’s tablet setup. Most bikes at this price point (and below) have larger built-in displays. The tablet included with the CAROL bike is 11 inches and connects to the bike via Bluetooth. The tablet holder keeps it in place, and the tablet is not designed to be removed from the holder. You can tilt the tablet to reduce glare.
The size of the tablet is just fine for use with the CAROL workouts. The experience of training with other apps isn’t quite as immersive or cinematic. The buttons on the screen are rather small. While I didn’t mind adjusting my resistance on the screen, not all users will be okay with this setup. It’s not as smooth as a resistance knob or handlebar buttons.
The benefits of the CAROL Bike’s tablet revolve around upgrading and replacing the screen. CAROL doesn’t have to redesign the bike entirely to upgrade the screen. If the screen needs to be replaced, it should be much easier to do than on bikes like the NordicTrack S22i or the Peloton Bike+.
There are two bottle holders on the CAROL Bike. They are at the front of the bike under the handlebars. I used one bottle holder to hold my water and the other to hold my phone. There is no other storage outside of the devoted tablet rack. The bottle holder wouldn’t make a great spot to view your device, but it works for storing it.
The speakers are built into the tablet. The audio quality isn’t bad considering the CAROL Bike’s setup. Music isn’t central to the CAROL Bike workouts, and the audio the bike does have sounds clear enough. The volume level is also good. If you want a better listening experience while training in Peloton or watching entertainment, pair a set of headphones or earbuds with Bluetooth.
You’ll need WiFi for the CAROL Bike. WiFi allows the bike to store your workouts, so you can view them on your phone in the CAROL app. You can also download third-party apps and stream content. If you want to connect via ethernet, you’ll need a USB-C adaptor, which is not included with the bike. Of course, it has Bluetooth, too.
The CAROL Bike comes with a Bluetooth heart rate monitor chest strap. CAROL suggests connecting to this monitor rather than using a different monitor. I used my Garmin watch. CAROL shows a warning message on the Bluetooth screen that connecting a heart rate monitor could interfere with the bike’s performance. Despite this warning, I had no issues with my watch. The CAROL Bike connects to Apple watches via Heartcast.
The tablet has a USB-C charging port if you need to power a device.
CAROL’s workouts are backed by science. During my review of the bike, I read the research cited on CAROL’s website. I was pleased with what I found. I hope more research is done on the bike’s workouts. I would be curious to know how REHIT fits into a larger workout routine as well as the effects of the training when REHIT is the only workout someone does.
As an exercise scientist, I am always looking for modalities that overcome barriers to exercise. Barriers to exercise are common obstacles that the average person faces when trying to stick to an exercise routine. These include time, cost, accessibility, social pressures, and enjoyment. CAROL tackles the time barrier by minimizing the time needed for a workout while still reaping fantastic results. Unfortunately, the cost of the CAROL Bike introduces another barrier to exercise. Considering the overlap between would-be exercisers who don’t have the time and those who don’t have the money, I don’t think this bike is the solution for every individual. However, I can’t knock CAROL too much for the cost of the bike because it is an excellent product.
I’ve tried time-saving workouts in the past, and one common feature is the need to push yourself as hard as possible. These workouts require maximal efforts or to-failure efforts. Developing the neuromuscular ability and mental fortitude to tackle this high effort can make these workouts challenging. CAROL’s AI makes it a lot easier by taking the resistance control away from you. For this reason, I don’t think the workouts are as easy to replicate on a different bike, but I would be curious to see a comparison between REHIT workouts performed on the CAROL Bike and on a bike with manual resistance.
When you first get your CAROL Bike, you are invited to schedule a video consultation with a CAROL expert. This call serves as an orientation to the bike and a guide on how to use it to reach your goals. One of the most impressive parts of my consultation was the expert’s advice on how to implement the bike into my marathon training. With any workout program, you are advised to use the REHIT workouts 2 to 3 times per week. The expert’s advice to me was to spend a lot of time in Zone 2 using the built-in third-party training apps or the entertainment apps, too.
REHIT is CAROL’s signature workout. It’s 8 minutes and 40 seconds long. You’ll warm up, sprint for 20 seconds, rest, sprint for 20 seconds, and cool down. The resistance will automatically adjust to your effort and refine over time as you make progress. CAROL intuitively understands when the sprints are too difficult or too easy for you and makes adjustments. The REHIT workout is very intense; 20 seconds has never felt longer.
The CAROL Bike requires a subscription to unlock all of the workouts and features. There are 20 CAROL workouts included in the membership from REHIT and variations that are slightly easier and mpart a smaller portion of the benefits of the full REHIT workout. The fat-burn workouts are HIIT workouts with 30 to 60 sprints and very short recoveries. The free rides can be performed while training with the third-party apps. These include heart rate and power zone training, manual training, and target training. The custom workouts are tougher than REHIT workouts. Finally, fitness tests include the functional threshold power tests and a VO2 max test.
CAROL provides onscreen messages that lead you through the workouts and advise you on how to scale them back if necessary. The CAROL Bike also guides you through breathwork to recover fully in the easy sections.
The third-party training apps include Peloton, Kinomap, Zwift, Rouvy, BKOOL, and FulGaz. I tried Zwift, and Rouvy with success. The bike integrates very smoothly with these apps. The resistance controls appeared on the screen, and I had no problem training this way. When using the CAROL Bike with Peloton, you can access 100 resistance levels just like the Peloton bike. In apps like Zwift and Rouvy, you get gears instead of resistance levels. Thus, you feel like you are going uphill or downhill as the course changes.
I was unable to try BKOOL because I don’t have a subscription. As for FulGaz and Kinomap, I was not successful in getting the bike to pair with these apps. I could see the workouts on the screen, but the speed, power, and distance didn’t sync. I also could not get the resistance control to work. Hopefully, this will be resolved with a future update.
There are also entertainment apps from Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, and more. I enjoyed watching content on the Carol Bike and being able to control my bike’s resistance from the screen as I watched.
The CAROL bike allows you to add up to 8 profiles. There’s also a commercial option with additional profiles and benefits.
If you choose not to subscribe, there are still plenty of features available on the CAROL Bike. You can still access all of the third-party apps. You get 6 onboard workouts including two REHIT workouts, two fat-burn workouts, manual training, and an endurance ride. You don’t get the AI-optimized resistance. Instead, the resistance is fixed during the REHIT sprints. While you can see your workout summary after each workout, you don’t get to see a workout history or trendline.
The CAROL Bike is one of the best bikes with a subscription. It doesn’t force you into the subscription, it is reasonably priced, and it embraces third-party apps. This is one of the few products I recommend regardless of whether you go for the subscription.
I was so incredibly impressed with the CAROL Bike that some of the things I didn’t like started to feel pretty nitpicky. I admit that the CAROL Bike is not a good option for users who want a large display, great audio, or a low-tech user experience. The CAROL Bike is an excellent choice for exercisers who want optimized workouts while on a strict schedule, high-tech training, and extensive content options. It’s a great bike whether you have a subscription or not, but you will need a WiFi connection. The resistance is powerful and challenging. The bike construction feels premium and well-designed to fit many users. Whether you are looking for entertainment or training apps to guide your workout, the CAROL Bike is one of the best.
