Pedals create another significant difference between these two brands as the Schwinn brand features dual-sided pedals that work with both regular gym shoes and special cycling shoes. Echelon’s approach is simpler with one-sided pedals featuring toe-cages to secure your footing. He commutes to work on his bike, grocery shops on his bike, and on weekends he goes on rides up to 20 miles long. Having canceled our gym memberships during lockdown, both of us had been relying on the outdoors for regular cardio, but once it started to get cold, that couldn’t last. We were about to buy the Schwinn IC4 when we discovered the IC3, Schwinn’s older, but still quite capable, indoor bike for only $600.
The 40 pound flywheel has magnetic resistance, which is part of the reason it is both quiet and stable. Magnetic resistance offers a more durable option than bikes that use brake pads to create resistance. Brake pads wear out over time and must be replaced in order to work properly. Magnetic resistance requires little to no maintenance or replacement.
The pedals are dual-sided—you can slide into cages on one side or clip-in with SPD-cleat cycle shoes. The Schwinn IC 4 is among the most expensive exercise bikes we’ve ever tested, but we still feel it is an excellent value. If you’ve been wanting to join in on the at-home studio cycling craze but the price of the competition seems too high, we feel this is a more huffy mountain bike affordable option to consider. With a 10-year frame, 3-year mechanical and electrical parts, and a 1-year labor warranty, it’s also clear that this product is intended to stand the test of time. The LCD display is centered in the handlebar and has a screen that measures 3″ L x 2″ W. The IC4 must be plugged in to power the display and Bluetooth connection.
The frame supports a belt-driven 40 lb weighted flywheel which has 100 levels of magnetic resistance. With so many levels of resistance, you can micro-adjust it to exactly the level you want during your workout, and there is ample range for riders of all fitness levels. During testing, we rarely turned schwinn bicycles the resistance above 70, which was plenty challenging for quad busting intervals. The IC4’s Bluetooth connectivity means you can use it with a variety of fitness apps, including the Peloton app. This allows you to stream the world’s best spin classes on a bike with an affordable sticker price.
Overall, we feel the Schwinn IC4 is a value buy at $899 for a studio-quality exercise bike. Provided riders are prepared to navigate more than one app for a customized experience, the Schwinn IC4 can be enjoyed by casual and performance-oriented riders alike. We thoroughly enjoyed classes on the Les Mills app, especially the RPM, Spring, and Trip classes. However, the app doesn’t connect to the Schwinn IC4 the way the Peloton and Zwift apps do.
If you’re looking for a realistic and interactive workout, this bike is for you and as mentioned finding the correct resistance level is very straightforward. The saddle is of world-class quality and probably one of the best offered on any indoor bike on the market today. As I mentioned in the cons list, unfortunately, the Schwinn IC4 does not come with any preset workout buttons, which does let it down. Still, most people, if not everyone, are taking advantage of cycling apps like Zwift to enhance their workouts, so it’s not really a negative against the bike. Because it’s specifically designed to work with many popular workout apps, it’s a good option if you want to take spin classes at home without breaking the bank. Compared with the Echelon EX-3, the IC4 is slightly larger, though it offers a higher weight capacity.
The automatic adjustment makes this bike more technologically connected and immerses you in your chosen ride. The bike has a lot going for it in terms of durability and performance. It’s a great value at under $1,000 and offers quiet, magnetic resistance. It isn’t the most high-tech bike you’ll find on the market, but its Bluetooth connectivity makes it an accessible option for those who don’t want to pay thousands of dollars. If you want a stationary bike that has access to fitness apps, you should opt for the Schwinn IC4 – which offers access to apps like Peloton and Zwift at much cheaper rates. It’s easy starting out to assume your conversion is “too hard,” but the fact is that indoor cycling is hard work!