ProForm TDF PRO 4.0 Indoor Cycle Review

Quick Summary

The ProForm TDF Pro 4.0 is the official indoor training bike for the Tour de France.

Priced at $2,999 and loaded with features for serious cyclists, it makes a good first impression… but then it disappoints.

Get the details from our full review of the ProForm TDF Pro 4.0 below.

Our Rating

Rating: 78.0/100. ProForm developed the TDF Pro 4.0 with input from Le Tour de France organizers. This indoor cycle trainer looks great in ads: It has everything from a heavy flywheel to built-in video workouts that feature the race route. In home gyms though, this bike has been trouble. The TDF Pro 4.0 is associated with so many problems that ProForm’s warranty provider will barely back it up. Thus for $2999 you can get this bike will all the impressive features on our “pros” list below — but the product carries a mere one-year parts warranty! That’s the sort of backup usually reserved for a low budget beginner’s exercise bike.

Pros:

48.5-pound flywheel
Quiet operation
30 customizable gears
Pedals with toe cages and clips
Adjustable seat and handlebars
Power incline/decline (-20% to 20%)
Full color 7″ touch screen
HD video workouts featuring segments of the 2013 Le Tour de France route
24 preset Google Maps™ tours
iFit®-enabled
Watts meter
Smartphone-compatible
Wireless heart rate receiver
Two water bottle holders
Assembly is easy

Cons:

High price for an indoor cycle trainer ($2,999)
Poor warranty on parts for the price (One year)
Adjusting the seat is time consuming (Requires wrench)
iFit isn’t well-integrated with this bike (Often crashes)
The incline/decline feature doesn’t always work
The workout data are sometimes very inaccurate
Parts are sometimes damaged during shipment
Customers report that replacement parts aren’t readily available
ProForm’s customer service draws negative reviews

Introduction

The ProForm TDF Pro 4.0 is part of a three-bike series. The three TDF bikes are very similar to one another, with the main difference being their monitors. The TDF Pro 4.0 is distinguished by its 7″ full color touchscreen, which is enabled for iFit.

Several factors help this stationary bike feel like a street bike. The TDF Pro 4.0 is equipped with a 48.5-pound flywheel and lets you customize its 30 gear ratios. Shifters are located on the handlebars and you can simulate uphill and downhill rides with help from a automated incline/decline. The pedals have toe cages and clips. Read on for details about its workout programs and other features.

Workout Programs

The TDF Pro 4.0 doesn’t feel so “stationary.” It arrives with 24 Google Maps™ workouts that take the bike along famous tour paths. It also has high definition video workouts featuring segments of the 2013 Le Tour de France route.

This ProForm is iFit-enabled too. With an iFit membership you can get unlimited Google Maps™ workouts, which include Google Street Views and automatically adjust this indoor bike’s incline to replicate the topography. Some other benefits of iFit are unlimited personalized workout downloads, advanced data tracking and virtual racing.

Unfortunately a frequent complaint about ProForm TDF bikes is that the iFit electronics are faulty.

Indoor Cycle Features

The Pro TDF 4.0 is designed to feel like an outdoor bike. You can customize its gears to be like those on your own street bike, and the shifters are on the handlebars. The pedals have toe cages and clips.

TDF bikes have the widest incline/decline range of any ProForm exercise bikes. The TDF Pro 4.0 can tilt from -20 percent to +20 percent with electronic controls.

The console features a full color 7″ touch screen. This screen is the control center for workouts. The workout feedback includes the typical fields (speed, distance, etc.) plus there’s a power meter to help you maintain your desired output. Heart rate data can be shown if you wear a wireless chest strap (sold separately).

This bike also has an iPod-compatible port and 2″ speaker set.

Warranty & Guarantee

The ProForm TDF Pro 4.0 indoor cycle trainer warranty includes:

– Frame: 10 years

– Parts: 1 Years

– Labor: 1 year

ProForm offers a 30-day money back guarantee.

Conclusion

The ProForm TDF Pro 4.0 sounds excellent but often fails to perform as advertised. Since it costs $2,999 and is only under warranty for a year, it doesn’t earn a positive FitRated review. If you’re determined to buy a ProForm TDF bike anyway, then we recommend choosing the lower-priced TDF 2.0.