[The Schwinn also includes three-pound weights.] And while it doesn’t have the fancy, 22-inch touchscreen that Peloton provides, you can use pretty much any phone or tablet to connect and stream classes. The bike itself needs to be assembled, and though my husband and I are not the handiest of folks, we managed to put it together with minimal effort. That said, if you’re on the hunt for your own at-home bike, be sure to prioritize what your basic needs are — many of them might be met by relatively affordable options. Maybe you want to easily adjust the bike’s resistance, move its handlebars or just need something quiet for nighttime sweats.
The seat is adjustable in 4-way and offers 7 different adjustment positions. You may find it discomforting for a few workout sessions if you are new to spinning. This bike is considerably much heavier than any road or mountain bike. When fully assembled, it weighs around 46 kg and this weight improves the stability of the bike. You get even more stability with additional adjustable levers on both sides of the frame’s base bar. You can save 20% off this state-of-the-art Schwinn IC4 exercise bike.
The bike itself is high quality and very adjustable, but what makes it stand out is the Bluetooth connectivity. With the C6, you can connect with apps like Peloton, Zwift, and Schwinn Trainer to join community rides and track mongoose bicycles progress. The monitor displays time ridden, speed, mileage, heart rate, and resistance level. It doesn’t display wattage or precise RPMs ; however, you can see all that data when connected to third-party training apps.
It’s possible spend hours in the well-padded gel saddle and tackling classes or sessions in excess of an hour is easily done. Granted, it won’t feel exactly like your road bike, so those looking to get big distance training in might be better off attaching their actual bike to a turbo trainer instead. It lacks the finesse of something like a Wattbike Trainer, Wattbike Atom and Wahoo Kickr Bike due to its spin class-style handlebars. Rather than the typical drop bars found on a race bike, you are instead presented with two enormous bull horns that curve upwards. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to practice your Tour de France tucked aero pose, but it does make it easier to get out of the saddle and find a nice relaxed position for the hands and wrists.
The ACTIVE Reviews Team is made up of fitness experts that include athletes, coaches, and certified trainers who bring years of knowledge and experience to each review. More importantly, each member of our team is a fitness enthusiast. Therefore, we strive to bring you products that we trust and would personally use. Schwinn’s IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike comes with a Bluetooth-enabled heart rate tracker, a pair of three-pound weights, built-in media rack, and USB charging port.
The resistance dial is fairly accurate and offers increments from in single digit clicks. These can be difficult to achieve in exact amounts, but a slight twist usually only sees the figure jump by three or four at a time, which should be accurate enough to keep up with a Peloton class. I’ve not been able to try the Peloton Bike and this Schwinn IC8 back-to-back, but the resistance units used suggest it replicates those barked out by fitness instructors on the Peloton app. The handlebars also have two bottle cages on them and, if you wanted to, cradles for 1.5kg dumbbells. I like a nice close bike fit so it’s easily overcome by just adjusting the handlebars slightly further away from you.
The Schwinn IC4 also features a backlit LCD screen, allowing you to track all the important elements of your ride, such as your time, distance and the amount of calories you’ve burned. You can also adjust the bike’s handlebars and its saddle both vertically and horizontally, so that you can tailor the bike to huffy beach cruiser meet your needs. Like the Peloton bike, there’s an adjustable knob between the seat and the handlebars that controls the resistance, which ranges from levels 1 to 100. There’s also a built in device holder that securely holds a smartphone or tablet in place while you follow along with your on-screen workout.
First, we noticed that the speed and distance readings on the bike’s own display seemed too high; in fact, they were way off. We like to think we are fast, but we also know that we average mph on an actual road ride, not even close to the 27 mph the IC4 recorded. If you base your indoor training rides on speed, distance, or calories burned, this bike will not be giving you accurate readings. Likewise, with Zwift, it has an exceptionally high power output reading that makes you seem superhuman.
If you don’t already have a tablet and cycling shoes, you may have to factor those costs in as well. Considering that it has nearly 4,000 reviews on the Schwinn website (averaging 4.5 out of 5 stars) and the approval of two smitten Greatist editors, let’s just say people LOVE this bike. This is the one you want if you’ve got Peloton taste and a thrift store budget. With your own tablet and a subscription to one of the many apps this bike is compatible with , you’re ready to roll. Now, let’s dive into (Schwinn-to?) the best exercise bikes Schwinn Fitness has to offer. In case you haven’t noticed, indoor cycling is basically taking over the world.