The 325 CSX is one of ProForm’s older recumbent bikes, but with an affordable asking price and some legit features, it could still be a good fit for folks looking for a budget exercise bike.
Highlights of this recumbent include a 14 lb flywheel, 22 magnetic resistance levels, and 24 built-in workouts to choose from.
It also comes with a few unexpected features for a bike in this price range, like a pretty heavy-duty frame and a very respectable warranty.
All things considered, if you’re looking for a budget friendly recumbent bike, I think the 325 CSX is a pretty good buy, but it really depends on what price you find it for.
Prices for this model can vary greatly and I don’t think it makes sense to invest more than it’s worth.
But more on that later.
In this review, I’ll go over everything this bike has to offer. I’ll also add in my 2 cents regarding how much I’d be willing to pay for it.
After reading, you’ll know everything you need to in order to decide for yourself whether or not the 325 CSX is worth investing in.
Off we go.
The ProForm 325 CSX Recumbent Bike
I saw a commercial for ProForm on tv the other day and it made me realize that we don’t see that much on this brand anymore.
I mean this was the first commercial I’d see on a ProForm product in a long time.
Maybe they’re marketing in other ways, but I don’t see much from them online either.
Regardless, they’re still up and running and as far as I can tell they’re still a popular home fitness brand.
I always think of ProForm as a budget-friendlier version of NordicTrack. They have similar styles of machines and both brands are compatible with the streaming fitness app, iFit.
Which of course makes sense when you realize all 3 brands are owned by the same parent company (ICON).
ProForm’s current lineup is pretty small these days, but you can still find a lot of their older models for sale through other retailers – like the 325 CSX we’re here to discuss now.
You can’t purchase this bike directly through ProForm anymore, but you can still find it through all kinds of other stores.
Pros
- 14 lb flywheel
- 22 magnetic resistance levels
- 24 workout programs
- Heavy frame
- 300 lb weight capacity
- Bluetooth compatible with iFit
- Strap heart rate monitor compatible
- Built-in speakers
- Cooling fan
- Great warranty
Cons
- Quality control can be inconsistent
- Very simple console
- Price can vary greatly
Resistance
A bike’s resistance system not only provides the force for you to work against, but it’s also responsible for creating a bike’s “feel”.
By this, I mean the general smoothness (or clunkiness) of the pedal motion.
I don’t think I’ve ever come across a recumbent bike that didn’t use a magnetic resistance system, so you shouldn’t really have to worry about considering friction brakes vs magnetic systems or anything like that.
And don’t worry, magnetic systems are better anyway.
But it’s still important to consider flywheel weight.
Heavier flywheels generally create smoother pedal motions because the extra weight helps build more momentum, which in turn helps keep the pedals moving smoothly.
And yup, this is important for recumbent bikes too.
Anyway, the 325 CSX comes with a 14 lb flywheel, which is indeed light compared to the 20 – 30 lb flywheels found on higher-end recumbents, but’s it’s pretty respectable when compared to bikes in its price range.
A lot of budget recumbent bikes come with flywheels in the 10 – 14 lb range, so the 325 CSX is really at the top of the expected range here.
That 14 lb flywheel is paired with 22 digital resistance levels, meaning you can adjust through the console, instead of having to turn a manual knob like so many budget bikes use.
With this many resistance levels to work with, you’ll be able to make pretty small incremental adjustments to the resistance between levels.
Just keep in mind that having more levels doesn’t mean more overall resistance – it just gives you more control to fine tune that resistance.
Overall, the 325 CSX scores pretty highly in this department – most users agree that this bike operates smoothly and quietly.
Frame
I always like to get an idea as to how robust or heavy-duty a bike I’m considering is before purchasing and it can be a little difficult to do.
No brand ever admits that their bikes are lightweight – according to marketers and product descriptions, every exercise bike in the world is “heavy-duty”.
Ha, well, unfortunately this is far from true.
The best way to get a real idea as to how stable the frame is, without being able to try it out beforehand, is to look at the assembled weight.
This simple spec tells you exactly how heavy-duty the bike is.
And as you might guess, heavier bikes usually feel more stable during workouts because the extra weight makes for a more secure base.
The 325 CSX comes in with an assembled weight of 117 lb, which is surprisingly heavy for a bike in this price range.
I say that because many other similarly priced recumbents weigh somewhere in the 70 – 90 lb range.
For the sake of comparison, Schwinn’s 270 only weighs in at around 87 lb.
Honestly, I do find it a little hard to believe that the 325 CSX weighs this much more than the 270, but if we’re going by the specs this is what we have.
So, based on these numbers this bike is very heavy-duty for such an affordable model.
Something else worth noting is that the 325 CSX comes with a 300 lb weight limit, allowing it to safely hold folks of most sizes.
And with a footprint of roughly 57″ x 25″ (L x W), this bike is pretty average sized for a recumbent bike.
Overall, the 325 CSX is about as heavy a duty bike as you’re going to find in this price range.
Warranty
ProForm backs their 325 CSX Recumbent Bike with the following residential warranty:
- 10 year frame
- 1 year parts
- 1 year labor
I think this is a really good warranty for this bike.
You don’t see many budget bikes with a 10 year frame warranty; most max out at 5 years and a lot don’t even offer that much.
One year on parts is also pretty good for such an affordable bike, where 3-6 months isn’t uncommon.
A year on labor is pretty standard, although most bikes in this price range don’t come with any labor warranty.
I’ve noticed that the warranty info for this bike can vary a little from one retail site to another. I got the above info directly from the owner’s manual.
Features
The ProForm 325 CSX comes with the following features:
LED console- this recumbent comes with a simple round display that scans through each metric. It’s a very basic console, nothing too fancy going on here.
24 workout programs- the 325 CSX comes with a lot of workout programs to choose from and they’re organized into “temp” or “interval” programs. Some users have complained that it sucks you can’t see the profile of the workout before choosing; you simply choose the number of the program and off you go.
Bluetooth- this bike is bluetooth compatible with iFit, ProForm’s streaming fitness app (subscription required). iFit gives you access to instructor led workouts and all that, but it’s completely optional. If you hold the bluetooth button down for 30 sec, you can bypass the iFit signup part that comes up when you first start the bike.
Heart rate monitoring- the 325 CSX comes with built-in grip monitors, which we all know are very inaccurate. This bike is also compatible with bluetooth strap monitors too though for more accurate readings.
Speakers- you can plug your mp3 player up via the audio port and listen to music through the speakers in the console.
Fan- there’s also a cooling fan built-into the console to help keep ya comfortable during those more strenuous workouts.
Water bottle holder- this handy features gives you a place to put your beverage.
Price
Before we wrap this review up, we have to talk a little about price.
Since this recumbent bike isn’t offered through ProForm directly anymore, its price can vary greatly depending on which retailer you purchase through.
I don’t like quoting specific prices in reviews because knowing my luck, the price will change as soon as I publish the article, but in this case I feel a little safer because the prices for the 325 CSX vary greatly already.
As I write this, I’m seeing it on sale for as low as ~$400 and as high as ~$800…which is a crazy range for the same bike.
Also, when comparing prices, make sure you take into account shipping costs – some places offer free shipping, while others make you pay significantly for it (which can add to the total cost).
Based on the other bikes in this price range, I think the 325 CSX is a great buy at $400, but not so much at $800.
Final Thoughts
Well, that’s about all I got when it comes to the ProForm 325 CSX.
This is a pretty simple recumbent bike in terms of features, but it’s got some respectable performance specs.
Especially for a bike in the $400 – $500 price range (which is where it should be priced).
For that price range, this bikes comes with a heavy flywheel, a heavy-duty frame, and a great warranty.
And for the folks that are interested, it’s also bluetooth compatible with iFit, which is nice for such an affordable model.
The biggest downside is probably the inconsistent quality control that users have complained about – more specifically, bikes arriving with broken or missing, or malfunctioning parts.
Unfortunately, this tends be an issue with all budget models.
So, is this bike worth investing in?
Well, that depends entirely on the price you find this bike at.
Like I mentioned above, I think this is a great buy at $400, but I wouldn’t spend anymore than $500 on it.
Any higher price and I think it makes more sense to go with a higher-end bike (like the aforementioned Schwinn 270 or the Nautilus R616).
