Schwinn

Schwinn IC Elite Cycling Bike Review

2008-03-05T14:15:00.000-08:00

Schwinn IC Elite Cycling Bike Review
Schwinn IC Elite Cycling Bike Rating: 5 stars out of 5 for being smooth and stable
Price: $1099
Buy The Schwinn IC Elite Indoor Cycling Bike

Hello Readers!

Today I don’t feel like going anywhere. I don’t feel like going outside, I don’t feel like going to eat. I just want to stay home, workout, take a nice hot bath, and finish up with some thought provoking reading. Its day like this I need a Schwinn IC Elite Indoor Cycling Bike.

If my intro to the Schwinn IC Elite Cycling Bike didn’t key you in, I really like it. If you’re a serious mountain biker, or distance biker, you’re going to love it. Schwinn, as you probably already know, made a name by producing some of the best mountain bikes in the world. So it’s only natural for one of the largest bike manufacturers in the world to produce one of the world’s best indoor cycling bikes.

First, the design of the Schwinn IC Elite Bike is superb. The motion is smooth and the frame doesn’t seem to suffer from the stability problems associated with other indoor bikes. The Schwinn IC Elite really is designed to help professional and amateur mountain bike riders prepare for competitions and contests.

I can’t really say too much more about the Schwinn Elite Cycling Bike without saying things I already have like it’s a very sturdy exercise bike, it can handle a lot of abuse and the frame is extremely stable. So I won’t. I’ll just leave this review short and sweet with and a strong “Buy” recommendation. That’s it, I’m out.

Schwinn Airdyne Upright Bike

2008-03-04T10:05:00.001-08:00

Schwinn Airdyne Upright Bike Review
Schwinn Airdyne Upright Bike Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 for being the best fan exercise bike available
Schwinn Airdyne User Reviews
Buy The Schwinn Airdyne Upright Bike

Urrghhh,

One more day, just one more day ‘till the chiropractor! Anyway, it has been a very long morning. I got in late and woke up early, and my sister left her stupid dog Rocket for me to trip on. Don’t worry, the dog is fine, but my big toe isn’t. I never knew you could get a case of “the Mondays” on a Tuesday. I really would like to get to my review of the Schwinn Airdyne Upright Bike.

I agree, the Schwinn Airdyne Upright Bike does look like something out of Willy Wonka. The Airdyne is definitely not your run of the mill exercise bike and has some very unique features. The big difference between the Schwinn Airdyne and other exercise bikes is the resistance system. Your typical exercise bike uses a magnetic resistance system with a set number of resistance levels. The Schwinn Airdyne utilizes a giant fan that generates greater resistance the harder a user pedals.

The Schwinn Airdyne’s unique resistance system provides some unique advantages. First, the Airdyne has virtually unlimited resistance levels, it’s an excellent exercise bike for toning and building leg muscles and cardiovascular endurance, and the fan design makes the Scwhinn Airdyne Upright Bike extremely lightweight. The arms are Dual-Action, meaning move as the user pedals, similar to the swinging motion of an elliptical trainer. Users can work out legs, arms, and cardiovascular system all in one exercise.

As far as comfort goes, the seat is extremely comfortable and should easily accommodate tall users and people weighing up to 300 lbs. If you’re starting a new fitness routine, injured in an accident, or just out of shape you’ll appreciate the low step up height. A low step up height makes mounting and dismounting quick and easy.

The Schwinn Airdyne comes equipped with many of the features typically associated traditional exercise bikes. There’s a water bottle holder to keep restoring drinks at your fingertips, transport wheels to move the Schwinn Airdyne out of the way and in to storage, and adjustable seat height for the most comfortable workout possible.

I suppose you’re asking yourself “should I buy it?” Well, that depends on your tastes. Is the noise generated by the fans going to be an issue? Or would you rather go with a significantly quieter elliptical trainer or exercise bike? If you plan on going with a fan exercise bike, the Schwinn Airdyne Upright Bike is definitely the bike to buy and I strongly recommend it. However, fan exercise bikes aren’t for everyone and Schwinn offers well designed upright and recumbent exercise bikes and elliptical trainers. Just check out my reviews and you’ll find something that will get you to your fitness goals.

231 Recumbent Bike Review

2008-03-03T12:24:00.001-08:00

Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike Review
Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike Rating: 5 Stars out of 5 for offering high end features for less than $600
Price: $549.00
Buy Schwinn 231 Recumbent Exercise Bike
Read User Reviews

Hello Readers!

I just finished up a very relaxing weekend in anticipation of the very busy Smash Bros. Brawl Release wiikend I have planned. People will come over, there will be plenty of beer, and it will end with many hours of Smash Bros. Brawling! I better stop day dreaming and get down to my review of the Schwinn 231 Elliptical Trainer.

It’s no secret that Schwinn Fitness is one if my favorite brands of fitness equipment. (Spirit and Horizon Fitness are a couple others.) When you Schwinns’ history, it’s no wonder why. Schwinn has been in the cycling business since 1895 and remains one of the top fitness equipment companies in the world. With their large pool of resources and decades of experience designing and manufacturing fitness equipment, Schwinn has produced some of the best recumbent bikes in the world.

The 230 Recumbent Bike lives up to Schwinn’s long track record of quality and value. The drive system is extremely smooth, and by smooth I mean baby bottom smooth. I’ve had problems with poorly built recumbent bikes in the past that scrape and scream out a piercing “chhhhrrrrr” noise every revolution the pedals make at medium to high speeds or higher resistance levels. Scraping, screeching recumbent bikes make for a very unpleasant exercise experience and difficult to listen to my ipod or watch TV. The Smooth design of the Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike adds longevity to your machine. The scraping will wear the finish off of internal parts and likely lead to rusting.

The Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike comes with built in heart rate control. Heart Rate Control enables users to target and stay within a specific heart rate by forcing the user to pedal harder or easier. It’s great for people who have a specific goal such as weight loss because the human body can better burn fat within a certain heart rate range. I’m also extremely pleased to finally see heart rate control on an exercise bike. I can’t figure out why manufacturers aren’t offering heart rate control on at least a few of their models as standard practice. This is one of the most unique features of the Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike and one of the reasons why I’m rating it so high.

There’s a couple more things I want to mention. The Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike includes a cooling fan. I really like this add in because this feature is generally peculiar to treadmills and ellipticals. The built in cooling fans are definitely a people pleaser and has definitely pleased this recumbent bike reviewer. There’s 10 fitness programs that help users target cardiovascular endurance and weight loss; great for people who don’t know where to start or how to train. Just get your diet together and you should reach your fitness goals in no time flat.

Price wise, $549 is more than justified. Most recumbent exercise bikes in this price range offer similar or inferior performance and features while lacking heart rate control. Heart rate control definitely puts the Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike far ahead of the exercise bike pack. This is one of the best recumbent bikes on the market and we highly and enthusiastically recommend the Schwinn 231 Recumbent Bike.

230 Recumbent Bike Review

2008-02-29T14:42:00.001-08:00

Schwinn has had a lot of success with it’s’ fitness equipment. If I buy a Schwinn elliptical trainer I know it’s going to work as well as Schwinn says it will. In the off chance something does go wrong, I know Schwinn has a friendly customer service team willing to get parts or a service tech out to me as soon as humanly possible. Does Schwinn’s recumbent and upright bike lineup match Scwhinn’s near spotless track record? Read my review of the Schwinn 230 Recumbent Exercise Bike and find out.

Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike Review
Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike Rating: 5 stars out of 5 for an extremely smooth feel and low price
Price: $399
Buy The Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike

After more than 80 customer reviews, the Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike has earned its’ place as one of the top rated pieces of fitness equipment on Amazon. A quick look at the specifications shows us why. There are 16 resistance levels that enable users to adjust their workout to suit their fitness goals and needs. Exercise bikes with fewer users force users to make larger jumps in difficulty; small increments provide for finer tuning leading to faster results. There are also 16 fitness programs so users can target fat, endurance, or any number of other specific fitness goals. Most recumbent bikes in the $400 price range include 6-8 resistance levels and fewer than 5 programs!

The Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike is one of the most comfortable home exercise bikes on the market. If you have back or joint problems and normal exercising is a little difficult, a recumbent bike is an excellent option. However, the Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike is probably your best option if you’re looking to spend $500 or less. The pedals are large and wide and utilize a Bio-Fit design to make deliver the most comfortable recumbent bike workout possible. Pedaling is also very smooth compared to most recumbent bikes in the $400 price range.

Of course Schwinn has included many features that have come to be standard such as a built in reading rack and water bottle holder, a walk through design which means the Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike can be mounted from either side, and a built in LCD screen to track statistics such as time, distance, and heart rate.

I highly and enthusiastically recommend the Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike. It’s one of the cheapest on the market, delivers an impressive array of features, and is one of the most comfortable exercise bikes out there. If you don’t believe me, you can click here to read user reviews!

418 Elliptical Trainer Review

2008-01-17T14:35:00.000-08:00

Schwinn Review: 418 Elliptical Trainer
Schwinn Elliptical Rating: 4 stars out of 5 for being nearly identical to the Schwinn 430 without the creaking
Price: $649.99
Buy The Schwinn 418 Elliptical Trainer

Konichiwa!

Every time I hit publish on blogger to post another review I stick my neck out. My reviews are always my genuine, honest opinions. I’ll admit, I hate trashing a product, especially when I know that company has gone to great lengths to deliver quality equipment. But ultimately, my loyalty lies with the consumer. That said, here’s another of my candid, honest Schwinn Elliptical Reviews. I hope you find it helpful in determining the best elliptical trainer for you.

This is going to be so much a review as it is a comparison. The Schwinn 418 Elliptical is so similar to the 430 that the only way to properly review the two is compare them. I want to start off by addressing two key differences, first the 418 is not associated with the creaks and wobbling that made the 430 model infamous, and the 418 is just 50 bucks more. If I were in the market for an elliptical trainer, that alone would be enough to sell me on the Schwinn 418 Elliptical Trainer. I’m not saying the 430 will have problems if you bring it home, but I am saying the 418 is less prone to mechanical failure.

Next, what else are you getting for 50 bucks more? There’s a huge difference in frame size and weight. The 418 is 2 inches slimmer, which means it will fit through your doorway better if you have a pesky wife that demands the house be flipped upside down every 3rd Wednesday. Despite a smaller frame size, the Schwinn 418 is about 20 lbs. heavier, adding greater stability to the machine.

Unfortunately, the 430 Elliptical Trainer has the 418 beat in programs and resistance levels. This is a serious drawback, especially when Schwinn is asking $50 bucks more. It’s still a decent price and a deal, but if you’re patient you can probably catch on sale for $50 bucks off. Check back here and I’ll post an update on Schwinn Elliptical Trainer Prices if I ever see the 430 go on sale.

431 Elliptical Trainer Review

2008-01-17T14:09:00.001-08:00

Elliptical Trainer Review: Schwinn 431 Elliptical Trainer
Rating: 5 stars out of 5 for being tons of features and an extremely low price
Price: $799
Buy The Schwinn 431 Elliptical Trainer

Konichiwa!

It’s a beautiful day in California! It’s warm in the sun and cool in the shade. Perfect weather for surfing, football, basketball, or anything else you would want to do outside. I’m going to write this review as quickly as I can while maintaining my high review standards so I can get outside and enjoy that sun! On with the review!

Schwinn has updated their 431 Elliptical Trainer model for 2008. It’s a better looking machine, looks much less of an eyesore in the living room. But looks are always subjective, I suppose the marketplace will decide if the new 2008 Schwinn Elliptical is as sleek as I think it looks.

Among the features worth noting are the built in MP3/IPOD holder, water bottle holder, bidirectional pedal movement, and bright blue backlit display. The information age is here and Schwinn knows it. Not only is this an excellent feature, but demonstrates Schwinn’s willingness to innovate and respond to the demands of consumers. (Of course, if you can only afford the Shuffle like me, you don’t need an MP3 player holder. :(

Just like the rest of Schwinn’s elliptical trainer lineup, the Scwinn 431 Elliptical Trainer is designed to enable bidirectional movement; this means users can exercise with a forward and backward motion. It’s not too big of a deal to boring me, but some people like to spice their workout up with a few backwards laps.

Speaking of the information age, staying in tune with your body is essential. That’s why the Schwinn 431 includes built in heart rate monitoring for tracking pulse and includes a large blue backlit screen for displaying vital information such as heart rate, calories burned, speed, and distance. If you’re farsighted you’re definitely going to appreciate the size of console.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to discuss the motion of the Schwinn 431 Elliptical Trainer. This is an extremely well built elliptical trainer. It shows no signs of the problems with creaking and wobbling the 431’s little brother the 430 displayed. People who bought or test out the Schwinn 431 Elliptical Trainer are surprised at the fluid motion for an $800 price tag.

438 Elliptical Trainer Review

2008-01-17T11:53:00.000-08:00

Schwinn Elliptical Trainer Review: 438
Schwinn Elliptical Trainer Rating: 5 stars out of 5 for outstanding value and a well made design
Price: $999
Buy The Schwinn 438 Elliptical Trainer

Konichiwa!

As Winnie the Pooh would say, today is a blustery, blustery day. The wind is knocking sticks and branches against my house. It’s a little difficult to concentrate, but I’ll press on for the sake of my readers. Today I bring you a Schwinn 438 Elliptical Trainer Review! Schwinn has a lot of really huge hits and a couple minor misses in it’s elliptical trainer lineup. Read on to find out if the Schwinn 438 is worth buying or should be left blowin’ in the wind.

The Schwinn 438 is the cream of Schwinn’s elliptical trainer crop and has gone to great lengths to justify the just under a thousand dollar price tag for this elliptical. Among the best features of the Schwinn 438 is a built in cooling fan. If you plan on long, intense workouts you’re going to appreciate the built in cooling fan, if you stay cooler and combine that with excellent hydration you’re going to be able to last longer during workouts. Longer workouts will burn more calories, giving you more results.

Lower end elliptical trainers tend to use friction based systems to provide resistance for their elliptical trainers. The Schwinn 438 Elliptical is designed with an ECB or eddy current brake system that delivers the smoothest possible motion. Smooth resistance motion makes working out on elliptical trainers significantly less stressful on your body and is going to increase the longevity of your elliptical machine.

I and about a hundred other people who have used the Schwinn have reported being extremely satisfied with the strong, stable frame of the Schwinn 438 Elliptical Trainer. Poorly constructed frames wobble, disturb a user’s workout, and break down extremely quickly. The Schwinn 438 owes it’s extremely stable frame to top quality construction materials and years of design and innovation experience. If you buy the Schwinn 438 Elliptical it’s going to last for years.

There aren’t any major drawbacks to the Schwinn 438 Elliptical Trainer. The only thing I feel obligated to warn my readers about is putting this thing together. If you’re not mechanically inclined it can get a little difficult and take a few hours to put together. If you take it out of the box and the task looks daunting you might want to consider hiring a professional to put it together. Most home visits cost anywhere from $75 to $150 bucks. Schwinn is always happy to direct people towards authorized service techs that won’t void your warranty. The excellent design and low price have earned the Schwinn 438 Elliptical 5 stars out of 5!

430 Elliptical Trainer Review

2008-01-17T10:34:00.000-08:00

Schwinn Elliptical Trainer Review: 430
Schwinn Elliptical Trainer Rating: 4 stars out of 5
Price: $599
Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer

Konichiwa!

The Schwinn 430 Elliptical is one of the highest rated elliptical trainers on Amazon. It has more than 120 user reviews averaging an incredible 4.5 stars out of 5. In my review of the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer I’ll break down exactly why people are giving the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer such high marks and we’ll try to figure out if the Schwinn 430 Elliptical is a good choice for you.

Pros of the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer

Smooth and Quiet Motion
People who bought the Schwinn 430 Elliptical, particularly those in apartments find their elliptical extremely quiet. Quiet elliptical trainers owe their silence to well designed elliptical motion that reduces rubbing against other parts in the machine. The smooth motion of the Schwinn 430 promotes fluid movement that minimizes stress on your body to a bare minimum. As a result, users are enabled to work harder for longer periods of time making it easier to stick to a workout routine. (In other words, you’re more likely to reach your fitness goals.)

Forward / Reverse Motion
This isn’t too much of a big deal for some people, but some users like to be able to move backward as well and forwards during their workouts. If backwards motion is your thing the Schwinn 430 Elliptical delivers.

Electronic Resistance Control
I don’t understand why some companies still force users to manually adjust resistance. Resistance knobs and levers tend to get broken and the gears are less reliable. Electronic or push button resistance control is always the way to go! Schwinn scores big points for including electronic resistance control on the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer.

275 lb. Weight Capacity
This one really impresses me. Most elliptical trainers under $800 are rated at 250 lb. weight capacity. Schwinn obviously has a great degree of confidence in their design and manufacturing to rate the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer at 275 lbs.

Folding Exercise Arms
This one is great for people with little space. The exercise arms fold for convenient storage. It's a feature that's almost unique to Schwinn. The 430 Elliptical scores huge points for the folding exercise arms.

Price
Schwinn has priced the 430 Elliptical at just under $600, an extremely low price tag for an elliptical trainer of this caliber.

Cons of the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer

Squeaks
There’s just one Achilles’ heel in the Schwinn 430, many users have reported some squeaks and creeks a few days after they purchased their elliptical trainer. There aren’t enough complaints to make this such a huge deal, but it does prevent me from awarding this elliptical a perfect 5 stars out of 5.

Final Analysis
There’s a lot of to like about the Schwinn 430 Elliptical Trainer, the price is good, electronic resistance control, and an extremely high weight capacity considering price. It’s great for entry level and novice elliptical trainer users, but definitely not for marathon runners. (Check out StarTrac, Tunturi, or Landice if you plan on working out on an elliptical trainer for more than an hour a day.) If there weren’t so many complaints about squeaking I wouldn’t hesitate to give the Schwinn 430 my highest rating. All in all, it’s still a great machine and earns 4 stars out of 5. (If it ever goes on sale, I’ll post something, check back for updates.)

Elliptical Trainer Reviews

2008-01-17T09:23:00.000-08:00

Konichiwa!

So you’re looking for a Schwinn Elliptical Trainer? Don’t know which one to buy? Don’t know the difference between heart rate monitoring and heart rate control? That’s okay, I didn’t either before I started researching Schwinn Elliptical Trainers. Stick around, read my reviews, and become an expert in Schwinn Elliptical Trainers.