Schwinn Recumbent Exercise Bike Find, Compare and Review of Schwinn Recumbent Exercise Bike

1. 

   Ann M. Smythe
   December 12th, 2008 - 18:18

   Rating

   I bought this bike in February in preparation for knee surgery. It was extremely easy to put together – I had it together in one hour and I am a woman. It comes with all of the tools you will need. The display is nice and large and easy to understand without the manual. I used it to recover from knee surgery and now I ride it almost every morning for 30 minutes and I can really tell the difference in my legs and in my weight in general. I mostly wanted to express how easy it was to assemble and operate. I have had no trouble with it at all. I love this bike.
2. 

   CBidwill
   December 29th, 2008 - 00:45

   Rating

   I’ve had this bike for about 5 weeks now and am very pleased with my purchase. I just sit in front of the TV and play PS3 for about 1-2 hours every day and burn plenty of calories. The chair is much more comfortable than our old standard exercise bike, which is paramount when using it as much as we do.

   We also looked at the more expensive, older Schwinn model. Personally, we liked this one better, and it’s 200 bucks cheaper. This one was more comfortable and also much more easily adjusted, which is nice when you have 2 people using it at very different heights. This one hasn’t been on the market as long, so I’m not sure how it’ll last over the years, but so far it’s been strong and sturdy. Still, we got a 3 year warranty (not from Amazon) just in case. Even with the warranty it’s still much cheaper than the $[...] Schwinn model.

   As for negatives, you can get a lot of resistance from this bike, but each step up is a big jump. It would have been nicer to be able to ramp up more gradually. Also, I believe the calorie burner count is too high. I have a hard time believing that I can burn almost 1000 calories in an hour (although I do get the resistance up pretty high and break a good sweat).

   All told though, this is an excellent bike at an excellent price. Highly recommend.
   
3. 

   19126
   January 10th, 2009 - 15:29

   Rating

   I’ve had this bike for about three weeks and I really like it. The bike is sturdy and assembly is easy. There are six preset hill programs to choose from, or you can use one of the six manually levels. Instructions and use of the computer are easy as well. One of the things I like about this bike is the fitness rating option, using the “recovery” button. It monitors your heart rate for 1 minute after you stop exercising, using the pulse sensors in the handles. It monitors the rate your heart slows then gives you a fitness rating from F1 (best) to F6 (worst). I get my heart rate up as high as I can on level 2 just before I stop exercising, and then I hit the recovery button. After exercising for three weeks I’ve have dropped from F5 to F4. My resting pulse rate has dropped from 80/minute to 65. I have bad knees and hips, but this bike does not aggravate them at all. If you want to strengthen and tone your legs, just put it up to level 6 and do about 20 reps. Level 6 can’t be maintained for long, unless your a body builder. You may choose to get a more expensive bike, but I think this model will give you all you need for a good cardio workout.
4. 

   SDD
   January 14th, 2009 - 12:55

   Rating

   I purchased this bike after reading all the reviews on this site and researching reviews from other sites as well. I went to a store to actually try a few of the models out that had high reviews, and decided on this bike over the next higher models (i.e., Schwinn 230). This bike is easy to adjust, the seat is very comfortable, and I liked the fact that the monitor is battery powered so I do not need to position the bike near a plug. I noticed other reviewers complained about the assembly process…believe me, I am absolutely not mechanically gifted and I am terrible at following written directions! That being said, I was able to put the bike together by myself, with the tools included, in around an hour and 15 minutes. No problems at all! I have used the bike every day since my purchase and I am very pleased, it is comfortable and quiet. No bells and whistles to this model, but it gets the job done.
5. 

   J. Carroll
   February 2nd, 2009 - 07:57

   Rating

   It took about an hour and a half for me (33 petite female) to put this bike together. The pictures were accurate, and all the tools were provided. The bike arrived quickly and in excellent condition. Only quirks were getting the footstraps on and locking the seat. Within minutes of it being put together, our entire family tested it which includes my husband (6″1), son (12), daughter (6) and myself (5″0). All four of us were able to use it with ease, we added a pillow for our daughter. We have this placed in front of our tv, and alternate using it in our family room while watching tv. The bike is extremely quiet, and does not interfere with our tv viewing, and the console is compact enough to not get in our way. We have had recumbent bikes in the past; however, this is by far the best one we had. We also love Amazon Prime for our super quick shipping at no cost.
6. 

   Pete
   February 9th, 2009 - 06:38

   Rating

   Yes I am a gamer. I work at a desk all day, then come home and my favorite hobby is to sit at my computer and play games. This lifestyle has been detrimental to my poor body. I’ve been looking for ways to get fit. I’ve tried a gym membership, treadmill, Wii Fit, and various other things but nothing has kept my interest for long.

   Finally I found the recumbent bike. This particular one sparked my interest because it was a high quality name with good reviews but had a low profile, plus it wasn’t too expensive. I’ve had it for about a month now and have used it almost every day for at LEAST one hour. I’ve gone up to two hours at once, and the only thing holding me back from doing more is the seat does get a little uncomfortable after that long (don’t worry, for one-hour sessions it is fine).

   Why is it good for gamers? I have put a folding table between my computer table and the bike, which means I can easily just move keyboard, mouse, and monitor over any time I use the bike. I looked at a lot of solutions, but this one is cheap and effective (there are better ones for significantly more money than one folding table). Thus I can play games, surf the web, or watch movies while I bike. I don’t even notice the time going by. I’ve biked during full movies. Finally I can do my favorite hobby AND get exercise at the same time.

   The only thing to be aware of is this bike does not exercise your upper body. I supplement it by doing pushups and crunches.
   
   I’m 6′3″ and fit comfortably without having the seat all the way back. I also assembled this by myself.
7. 

   Jason W.
   February 9th, 2009 - 19:27

   Rating

   Simply put: The mechanical parts work as well as on any other model. The seat is comfortable. I have no trouble riding for 30 minutes or more (at least no trouble that is the bike’s fault). The computer is limited compared to other models and it is a little smaller. It doesn’t have fancy extra features like a little plastic fan. The cup holder is nice but only big enough for smaller water bottles (and it’s easier to reach over to the table next to me than down in front of me).

   I bought it because it was very cheap compared to other models while still being a respected brand. I use it daily and consider it a very good purchase.

   By the way, assembly took about 45 minutes and was much easier with my own tools than the ones in the box. Be aware that the heads of most of the bolts are the same size but that there are exactly two bolts of a slightly shorter length. It is important that you get them in the right place!
8. 

   Tarun Chachra
   February 23rd, 2009 - 08:25

   Rating

   HI All,

   I ordered this on Friday for 2nd day delivery…of course it showed up a day early. THANKS AMAZON.

   PROS:
   
   The box was in perfect condition…no damage what so ever. Everything included was in the box.

   The instructions were easy to follow. The entire bike was built in 1 hour with ease…nothing crazy. All nuts/bolts/washers and tools are included so you can get right to it.

   The seats are well cushioned and large enough for a big guy like me…6′ at 250lbs. No issues there.

   Easy to adjust the seat.

   Computer is easy to read.

   Resistance is great for beginners…this is not a GYM bike but a great bike to have at home for us beginners and some regular exercise activity.

   Wheels under the front base make it easy to move around.

   Cons:
   
   One of my pedals arrived damaged so the strap could not latch on to it…i will be calling Schwinn in hopes of getting it replaced asap.

   I think this is a great value and the quality honestly surprises me at this price point. 5/5 thus far.

   I will begin to use the bike in the days ahead and will be updating the review to detail usage and resistance as time goes along.
   
9. 

   G. L. Marshall Jr.
   March 4th, 2009 - 13:27

   Rating

   Purchased from Amazon and received it with free shipping. Sweet! Very easy to assemble–my wife helped me and we had it up and running in less than an hour–all necessary parts and tools for assembly were included.
   
   The display panel is not lighted but has large numbers and is easy to read. The only drawback (and a minor one, at that) is that the operating
   
   manual could be a bit clearer in some of instructions but anyone with a reasonable degree of intelligence can figure it out. The bike is great–my wife and I use it everyday and love it. It has built-in front rollers for easy portability, just lift the rear part and push to move it.For two older folks with arthritic knees, it is a perfect way to get our exercise!!!
10. 

    M. Lee
    April 22nd, 2009 - 21:32

    Rating

    After reviewing many Amazon reviews and looking at many models of exercise bikes at local sports stores, I purchased a Schwinn Active 20 recumbent bike. The features I was looking for were silent eddy current resistance, low and sleek profile for stability and comfort, good ergonomics and easy to adjust, no power consumption (no need to plug into outlet), enough resistance to give me a good workout, and durability.

    Since I didn’t care if the bike arrived in 5 days or 11 days, I opted for the free shipping and saved $53 in shipping cost. To my surprise the bike showed up at my front door the day after I placed the order with the box in good condition.

    The assembly was straight forward and took me 35 minutes. The assembly directions were clear and easy to follow, and all the necessary tools were included. The bolts and washers were organized and clearly labeled.

    After assembly, my family helped to break in the bike. It adjusted easily to suit user heights ranging from 4 ½ feet to 6 feet (70 to 185 lbs). The seat was well cushioned and comfortable enough for extended use. The unit was extremely silent and smooth at all resistance levels. There was no smell of any sort even after 60 minutes of continuous use at higher resistance levels. The Active 20 is well built with heavy duty metal parts. It is very stable and did not rock or sway during use.

    This unit is heavy, but the built in tilt up wheels made it easy to move. My only minor complaint is the battery powered display (4 C sized batteries were included in the package) can be hard to read at times, since it does not have internal lighting. The control was easy to understand and use, even without reading the directions. New resistance took a second or so to kick in after any adjustment. The resistance levels should be adequate for most people, but the availability of even higher levels would have been nice. The heart rate monitor was accurate, but the calorie calculator must be way off. There is no way I can burn off 250 calories in 15 minutes on this unit (this was noted by some other reviewers as well). This unit does not require AC power, so placement is not limited by the availability of power outlets.

    So far this exercise bike has met all of my expectations. We’ll see about the durability, although the Active 20 seems well designed and well built. I will recommend this bike to all my friends, family, and my fellow Amazon shoppers.

    Updated 8 months later: This bike still works well after 8 months of use at about twice per week with each session lasting about 30 minutes. I only use the max resistance setting. So I can see why some people may need more resistance. The control still runs well with the original batteries, and the heart rate monitor is still accurate. The only problem that I’ve experienced is that the seat got hard to adjust. Since no one else use the bike any more, so I have not bothered trying to fix the problem with some lubricant. Over all I’m very happy with this purchase, and I would still recommend it for this price range.

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