CHOICE: I was looking for an indoor exercise machine that I would love to use on a daily basis, while taking in a show or read. Many reviewers of the upright Schwinn bike complained about discomfort, and owning a top-shelf Cycleops fluid trainer I know what that means, so the upright bike was not an option to me. I also passed on an elliptical machine because the bobbing would probably make it strenuous to watch TV and interfere with my motivation. So, having decided on wanting a recumbent bike, I picked this model even though there were no reviews at the time. I believe the #213 bike Schwinn 213 Recumbent Exercise Bike to be the older model of this (even though Schwinn ships both models currently), and it has gotten mostly good reviews.
SHIPPING: a lot of people had major problems when they ordered the #213 bike via Amazon (read the reviews, sort by lowest). I took the plunge anyway, hoping that my Amazon Prime membership would kick in (faster shipping often means less damage). The system gave me odd and changing dates all over the place (will ship in 2 days out, expected arrival one week out, ..) and there was only 1 shipping option (Standard). However, the bike was delivered via UPS within two days like I had hoped. The box was a bit "roughed up", held together with straps and it even had a small hole on one corner. Also, on the inside, some styrofam was broken; obviously the thing was dropped at least once. I wouldn't call it damaged though, and all parts ended up ok. Incidentally, I live in a non-elevator building, and to get the bike to my 5th floor apartment, I took it apart in the lobby, then walked up the stairs about five times with the parts. That worked fine, except for the fact that the bottom- piece was really heavy, but hey, it's about exercise :)
ASSEMBLY: in short, this was painless. There is a small booklet which explains everything step-by-step. Some pages look complicated because of the exploded parts illustration, but they're not - just read the simple instructions instead of focusing on the picture. All the tools and screws were included in a blister pack, and labeled correctly. The only small mistake I made was to forcibly connect the computer cable the wrong way (hint: the plugs are NOT the same on both ends, even though they look alike). I think it took me a leisurely 60-90 minutes to assemble the bike; if you have help or you mean it, you could do it in less.
BUILD: first of all, the bike looks better than I expected. More futuristic than industrial, and not all that ugly in my living room. Some parts feel a little cheap to the touch; for example, the front flywheel is housed in plastic which chips and cracks easily, the bike computer weighs nothing and has these foil buttons, and the "bio-whatever seat with lumbar" is entirely made out of foam, and nothing is adjustable on it either. I guess "lumbar" is not the same as "lumbar control", as in a car seat.
WORKOUT: this bike is *silent*. I couldn't believe it, coming from the Cycleops trainer, but the only sound I hear is my workout pants swishing- absolutely great to watch TV. When I pedal, the bike wobbles a little, which at higher intensities makes it more difficult to read a book that you put in front of the bike computer (there is a bracket to do just that). However, I must admit that the seat really is comfy, and it would be no problem to actually hold a book while working out. The bike computer has a few programs as expected (ride in the park, interval, plateau, etc.) plus manual mode and a somewhat useless BMI calculator. It retains the weight, age, and time you entered last time which is a convenient plus over gym machines. The range of resistance is great, from virtually none to definitely hard to push. The heart rate sensors, as I expected from reading the reviews on the 213 model, don't work very well: it takes about 40 seconds to display a realistic number once you touch the sensors. This is something that my Polar wrist watch does much faster (not to mention wirelessly and pc-downloadable, but of course at a price), so I use the Polar.
NITPICKS AND RECOMMENDATION: It would have been fantastic if the bike computer had a Polar telemetry option like most of the machines in gyms now do. Also, it would be great if the front tube could be folded back when not in use, because then I could hide the machine behind the sofa. But all in all, I am extremely satisfied with my purchase and would recommend this bike to others. I use it every day. Schwinn 230 Recumbent Exercise Bike
This recumbent bike does not have all the bells and whistles, but is a solidly built product at a great price. The computer that came with it had enough functions to make my workouts interesting enough, and this bike really excels at providing a very smooth and almost inaudibly quiet ride. Perfect for watching television or movies.
Assembly was straightforward and well documented with the exception of having to understand an insert that amended how a cable was threaded.
One caveat that prevented me from giving this product five stars is that the minimum distance setting between the seat and the pedals is still too large, and riders who are 5'4" and under will have trouble pedaling this bike.
I love this bike. It's well built, has an amazing range of programming for varied rides and is incredibly quiet. I've had mine for about three weeks and I've never used an exercise product as willingly as I ride this bike. I might actually get into shape. This is definitely not just another dust-collecting sweater rack for the TV room.
If I have any complaints, they are that the display doesn't have a backlight and the bike needs to be assembled when it arrives which took me about two hours. As a note: assemble the entire display stand (the front "handlebars" part) BEFORE you attach it to the base. The instructions say the other way around and it's a pain fishing the wires up through the tube and out the top.
My complaints are minor, my rating for the bike as a whole is five out of five. - Stationary Indoor Bike - Exercise Bike - Schwinn - Recumbent Bike'
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