The flywheel is smooth and heavy, and you can crank the resistance up very high—it has 100 incremental levels that adjust via a knob. For fans of running shoes, the C6 has toe cages; alternately, you can flip the pedals over and clip in with Shimano SPD cleats. Sneak in your workout any time of the day or night, because this thing is silent. It comes with a heart rate monitor you wear on your forearm and a pair of three-pound dumbbells so you can squeeze in a light upper-body workout, too. While we love the versatility that this connected bike provides, it doesn’t seamlessly integrate with either Peloton or Zwift. Yes, it does connect to either app easily , and it works; it’s just far from perfect.
The Schwinn IC4 indoor cycling bike enables you to configure the handlebars four ways , making it easy to find the grip position that’s right for you. People preferred Schwinn bicycles over those from hundreds of competitors, partly because they were safer to ride. After Henry Ford introduced the Model A car in 1903, most bike companies went out of business – but Schwinn endured! Five generations later the Schwinn name remains one of the most-recognized in outdoor biking. And since 1965, Schwinn has also built indoor bikes for cardio health and muscle training.
The seat moves up and down, as well as fore and aft, and the feet screw in and out of the base to different levels so you can stabilize the bike on uneven flooring. It’s relatively easy to move—just tip it up on its front edge and two small wheels allow you to roll and stash it in a closet or spare room. The frame is powder-coated for rust and corrosion resistance, when you really work up a sweat. There are some additional costs to keep in mind, like spin shoes, a tablet if you don’t already own one, and the price of the fitness app you choose to use with the IC4. For example, I pay a monthly subscription fee of $12.99 to use the Peloton app for workouts on my Schwinn IC4 bike.
Stationary exercise bikes like Peloton are a popular pandemic purchase. In fact, we’re big fans of the brand, and named the Bike+ our top pick in our test of exercise bikes. But it’s also an expensive purchase—$2,495 for the new Bike+ and $1,895 for the original Bike. If you’re not into forking up that much cash, there are more affordable at-home alternatives that offer a similar experience, like the $899 Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike. I’ve been riding my IC4 for over six months now—and I wouldn’t trade it for anything else.
Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews and more. Design features can make a difference when it comes to comfort and performance, and they subsequently affect the price tag, too. Once the IC4 is assembled, moving it around on hard surfaces is relatively easy thanks to the transport wheels integrated into the front stabilizer. However, this bike does weigh 106 lbs, so moving it up or downstairs is a task best suited for two people. With dimensions of 48.75″ L x 21.25″ W x 52″ H, the IC4 takes up roughly the same amount of space as most of the other upright models we tested.
“Can you self-motivate enough to have just a standalone bike, or do you need a full-service bike, such as the Peloton? ” Full-service bikes, like Peloton, offer interactive live classes, though you can also use apps like CycleCast to supplement your ride on any stationary bike. Priced under $1,000, the Schwinn IC3 indoor cycling bike is an affordable alternative, though you may wonder if it’s worth the cost. huffy beach cruiser See how it stacks up against other home exercise bikes in our expert review. It’s easy to see the level of resistance too, as there is a well sized backlit LCD metric console which will give you information on time, distance, speed, calories, heart rate, resistance level and your RPM. Like many of the bikes on this list, the 24-pound flywheel’s resistance is adjustable via a knob between the rider’s knees.
Whether you love riding outside or enjoy the motivation of a spin class, Schwinn exercise bikes offer a convenient alternative for days when you want to work out from home. The onboard computer is described as “generous” in the Schwinn marketing bumph but it feels very cheap compared to the rest of the package. The little plastic box displays time, distance, calories, cadence and a heart rate when an external huffy beach cruiser monitor is attached, but it’s difficult to interact with and the buttons don’t really have much of a purpose. You have high-quality pedals on Schwinn IC3 that you might not find on exercise bikes under $500. One main highlight of this bike is the drive that it is 40 pounds heftier than the normal indoor bikes. The bike is equipped with a good basic design and features that can satisfy a serious fitness rider.