Working out at home has become my new favorite thing.
Before, I used to go to the gym regularly.
But now that many of the gyms have closed in my area, I decided to look into some fitness equipment for my home.
One of the first things I picked up was the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike.
Benefits of Cycling
Are you aware of the benefits of cycling? I wasn’t – until I decided to get an upright bike.
Actually, my search for what fitness equipment I wanted to add to my home led me to the benefits of cycling and eventually, an upright bike.
I was blown away when I found out what those benefits of cycling were.
Here are a few you’ll want to be aware of:
- It’s a low impact way to exercise
- It doesn’t require much physical skill
- The act of pedaling engages all of your major muscle groups
- Your strength and stamina improves
- Improves your cardio fitness
Things to Consider Before Buying an Upright Bike
For me, an upright bike made sense because I really needed to get up and moving.
My job requires me to spend long hours seated, and with such a sedentary lifestyle, I needed to find ways to stay active.
I decided on a home upright bike because it gave me the flexibility to get a great cardio workout in on my own time and terms.
There are days where I feel like starting off the day with a sweat, so having the exercise bike at home has been really convenient.
There are other times when work has me tied up until the late evening, and on top of putting the kids to sleep.
By that time, I’m too lazy to motivate myself to head to the gym.
So having an upright bike, I’m able to just hop on and start working out, after the kids are off to bed, even if it’s later in the evening.
All in all, I love having an upright bike at home.
Of course, like any other significant purchase, you’ll want to put some time and effort into shopping around for an upright bike.
Here are a few things you may want to consider.
Your Fitness Goals
Do you want to burn fat and lose weight?
Do you want toned muscles and to get lean?
Then I think an upright bike would be perfect for you.
However, if you’re looking to get ripped or compete as a bodybuilder, you might want to reconsider an investment in an upright bike.
Your Living Space
Do you live in an apartment or do you own a home?
Will you put your upright bike in a garage gym or in the living room?
It’s great to be able to invest in an upright bike because of your desire to improve or maintain your fitness, but make sure you have the space for this piece of fitness equipment and have an idea of where it will go before you pull the trigger on one.
Your Budget
While an upright bike may be an upfront investment, you’ll want to consider how much you spend on alternative options to maintain your fitness.
Gym fees can add up over the long run, and may not be the best investment if you frequently find yourself not going to the gym.
For me, a lot of the gyms closed in my area, so I had to look for ways to stay fit from home.
Introducing the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike
I would say I’m a pretty modest guy.
I don’t go extravagant on lots of things, but one thing I don’t short change myself on is my health.
When it comes to staying in shape and healthy, my personal feelings are that you do whatever it takes to stay in the best health you can.
After weeks of research and shopping around, I finally decided on the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike for a few reasons.
One of those reasons was that the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike is comfortable to use.
It was very important for me to find a bike that I could use for a good session, at least an hour, without feeling any type of pain during or after use.
The Schwinn 170 Upright Bike features easy to adjust contoured seats with forearms rests and includes ergonomic handlebars.
Not only that, the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike comes built with a high resolution, backlit DualTrack LCD screen with 29 exercises programs for you to choose from during your workout.
If that’s not enough to challenge you, you have the option to increase the intensity of your workout with 25 levels of computer-aided resistance.
You’ll also be happy to know that the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike has a built-in 3-speed fan to keep you cool as you increase that workout intensity.
Overall, I am beyond satisfied with the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike and will go into a bit more detail below about some of the features and benefits you should know about this home upright bike that really help it to stand out over the competition.
Pros
- Feels sturdy, solid, and safe to use
- Quiet
- Easy to read LCD display
Cons
- Crank arms very difficult to turn during assembly
- Poor tech support
- No numeric heart rate indication
Features & Benefits of the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike
The Schwinn 170 Upright Bike is one of the top upright bikes on the market and manufactured by an established brand, which gave me a lot of confidence in choosing to go with this upright bike for my home.
There were also a few other features and benefits that really drew me to this bike that I’d like to highlight,
Bluetooth Connectivity
Being able to keep track of your fitness statistics is critical to improving.
With the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike, you are able to track your time, distance, and calorie goals and transfer them via Bluetooth to various fitness apps currently available on the market like Schwinn’s very own Explore the World App, GoogleFit, Apple Health, and MyFitnessPal.
Comfortable to Ride
If you use your upright bike frequently, or even for long sessions, you’ll appreciate that the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike comes with adjustable angle, padded handlebars.
In addition, this bike also comes fitted with padded contoured seats for that added level of comfort.
But if you find that the seat that the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike comes equipped with doesn’t work for you, this upright bike makes it easy to switch out the seats with other clamp & rail bicycle seats that work best for you.
Easy to Use LCD Display
The Schwinn 170 Upright Bike features a streamlined console packed with features like a Dualtrack two blue backlit LCD screen that shows you your workout metrics easily during your workout.
In addition, you’ll find a charging USB port to keep your devices charged so you don’t have to worry about running out of batteries during a workout and a media shelf to place those devices to keep your hands free.
You’ll also be delighted to find an MP3 input that allows you to listen to your favorite playlist through the in-console speakers.
Did I also mention there was a three-speed fan on this console to keep you cool?
Custom Workouts
Another great feature of the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike is the ability to create a custom workout just for you.
This upright bike comes with 25 levels of computer controlled resistance levels you can choose from for workout intensity.
In addition, the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike comes pre-programmed with various set workout programs if you’re not the type to want to figure things out.
You can choose from: 1 quick start, 1 recovery test, 4 custom, 2 fitness tests, and 12 profile settings.
What’s great is that if you will be sharing this machine with others, you can create up to 4 user profiles that save all your setting on the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike.
What Others Think of the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike
Overall, the general consensus for the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike is positive.
I fell into the camp that enjoyed using this bike, and much like those who left positive reviews, there was a lot to say about the ease of use, the comfort in using this upright bike, and the overall quality of this bike for home use.
For those who didn’t quite share a positive experience with this bike, they pointed to the poor customer service, difficult assembly, and the poor instructions included with the bike.
Alternatives to the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike
It’s tough to go wrong with such a high quality bike in the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike. However, it’s perfectly normal that it won’t appeal to everyone.
Here are a few other top upright exercise bike options I found during my search that you may want to take a closer look into.
FitDesk Folding Stationary Exercise Bike
If you’re like me and have to sit for a majority of the time at work, you’ll appreciate the FitDesk Folding Stationary Exercise Bike.
This bike actually allows you to workout while working because it comes built with a non-slip rubber desk surface.
Not only that, this upright bike comes equipped with a built-in tablet holder, storage tray, and massage rollers to make it comfortable to exercise while working.
I personally was excited to see an upright bike like this that’s built for people like me who work long hours seated.
I would say the FitDesk Folding Stationary Exercise Bike is great for those who are looking strictly for low impact exercises to stay active.
Monark Exercise AB 827E Electronic Fitness Cycle
Another high quality upright bike is the Monark Exercise AB 827E Electronic Fitness Cycle, which is designed for both training and rehabilitation. This is an upright bike for those who take their workouts seriously.
The company, Monark, has been building exercise bikes in Sweden for over 100 years, so in terms of reliability, this is an upright bike that you can feel assured is made with the highest quality.
The Monark Exercise AB 827E Electronic Fitness Cycle comes with adjustable handles and a comfortable gel seat that can support a person up to 6’6” and 550lbs.
Gymax Indoor Stationary Exercise Bike
For those who will be sharing an exercise bike in their home, you may want to consider the Gymax Indoor Stationary Exercise Bike.
The reason this bike is great for those with multiple users is because this bike has the ability to adjust the seat and the handlebar four ways.
Be aware however, that the Gymax Indoor Stationary Exercise Bike can only support a max user weight up to 220 lbs and does not come pre-programmed with any workout programs for you to follow.
This is an upright bike for those not necessarily concerned with the extras.
Final Thoughts
Not having access to the gym can be a real bummer.
By the same token, having access to the gym and not using it can be a real waste of money.
Do yourself a favor and invest in an upright bike, particularly the Schwinn 170 Upright Bike.
It’s a great cardio workout you can do at any time of the day from the convenience of your own home and it’ll help you to maintain and active lifestyle without the hassle.
