I would say I am a pretty intense person.
In everything, including my workouts, I like to go as hard as I can push myself.
That’s why when I discovered the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne, I knew it was the right piece of fitness equipment for me.
Things to Consider Before Buying an Air Bike
If you’re unfamiliar with what an air bike is, an air bike is a type of exercise bike that uses wind resistance via a large fan.
The idea is that the harder you exert yourself, the more resistance you feel.
This is different than other exercise bikes because other exercise bikes use the weight of a flywheel combined with a resistance brake to add resistance to your workout.
Another differentiating feature with an air bike is that the air bike handles move with your pedaling action – so you are able to exercise your upper body as well as your lower body during your workout on the bike and get a full body workout in.
The air bike is a staple across many box gyms or Crossfit gyms across the country, and is a perfect tool for high intensity interval training (HIIT).
High Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, is a type of workout where you combine short periods of intense workout and mix in some rests periods or lower intensity exercises in between.
During this short period of time, typically 5-10 minutes, you’re pushing yourself as hard as you can to get your heart rate way up.
It’s an efficient way of working out for people who don’t have lots of time in their day for a long workout session, and the air bike helps to facilitate this type of workout quite easily.
The air bike is great for people looking to get a good cardio workout from the comforts of their own home.
If you’re looking for strength training or muscle building opportunities, you may want to consider other fitness equipment as an air bike is primarily used for cardio-focused workouts.
Now, before you go out and invest in an air bike, you’ll want to think over a few things. Here are a few things I considered before investing in an air bike.
Available Space
One of the first things you’ll want to consider before investing in an air bike is the space you have available in your home or garage gym to put it in.
Make sure you have enough space available to accommodate an air bike without making the rest of your home or garage gym feeling constricted.
Fitness Goals
Another thing you’ll want to factor in is your fitness goals.
How do you envision the air bike helping you reach your fitness goals?
While an air bike is a great investment, you’ll want to factor how it fits into your overall workout routine and exercise plans.
Budget
Of course, investing in any piece of fitness equipment will also require you to look at your budget.
Fitness equipment is great only to the extent you use it.
Your ability to extract the most value from your bike will be dependent on how frequently and often you use it.
If you use it enough, you’ll be able to save hundreds on gym fees.
Introducing the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne
With all that said, it’s time to take a look at one of my favorite bikes currently on the market – the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne!
If you’re looking for an intense, full-body cardio workout that you can do from the comfort of your own home, then this is an air bike you’ll definitely want to consider.
Using wind resistance technology, you’re able to customize your workout’s intensity.
This wind resistance technology works based on how hard you push yourself on the bike – the more intensity you exert, the more opposing resistance pushes back.
This is exciting because it makes your workouts always challenging!
What’s also great is that in a way, your air bike evolves with you as your fitness levels increase.
In addition, the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne comes with lots of extra features to make your workout both productive and fun, and is a great air bike made for beginners and nonathletes alike.
Its single stage belt drive keeps the bike running smoothly and quietly, and the RevMeter RPM Gauge allows you to keep track of your time, distance, and calories for interval training.
Pros
- Sturdy
- Easy to put together
- Comfortable
Cons
- Screen is a bit lacking
- No place to store your music
- Instances of a fraying belt
Features & Benefits of the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne
If you’re looking for a high quality air bike, you won’t be disappointed with the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne.
The Schwinn AD6 Airdyne has a lot to offer, and is a perfect entry-level air bike for those getting started on their fitness journey.
Here are a few features and benefits of this solid air bike.
Frictionless Fan
A typical concern for those who buy gym equipment for their homes is how noisy the equipment is.
Afterall, you will be keeping it in your home where you most likely share the space with other people in the home or in an apartment where people live above or below you.
But with the frictionless fan and the single stage belt drive, you’ll get a workout that’s super quiet and runs smooth.
Safer Workout
The last thing you want is to get injured while working out.
The Schwinn AD6 Airdyne features shrouding on the bio sync linkage system of the bike so you won’t have to worry about your clothes or fabric getting caught as you use the machine.
In addition, if you have any concerns about overexerting yourself or heat exhaustion, the bike fan keeps you cool during your workout.
Transport Wheel
Another great feature on this air bike is the transport wheels that make it convenient and easy to move and store around your home.
Fitness equipment can stick out in your home, especially when you have guests over often.
The transport wheel makes it easy to move the fitness equipment to an unused room or outside whenever you have guests so you don’t have to worry about people using it as a coat hanger ever again.
Self-Balancing Pedals
The Schwinn AD6 Airdyne also features self-balancing medals and foot straps for better motion control during your pedaling.
As you increase the intensity of your workouts, you’ll find peace of mind knowing your feet are secured to the pedals and won’t slip off as you pedals harder and faster.
Large Console
Central to the air bike is the large LCD console you’ll use to manage your workouts.
The large console features various performance metrics like time, distance, calories, RPM, and pulse.
The Revmeter RPM gauge is perfect if you love to do interval training, and is accessible through the large LCD console as well and the telemetric heart rate indicator helps you to keep track of your heart rate so you know if you’re pushing yourself hard enough during your workouts.
Extras
There are a few other extras you’ll find with this bike as well, such as the water bottle holder to help you stay hydrated during your workout, the reading rack so you can stay productive during your workout session, and the wind-screen if you want to encourage more sweating and calorie burning.
Keep in mind though that the wind screen and the reading rack aren’t included in the original packaging and will have to be purchased separately.
What Others Think of the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne
While my experience was positive with the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne, I wanted to compare my experience to what other people thought about the bike.
Overall, people who love the bike mentioned how effective it was in delivering a high intensity cardio workout.
They also mentioned how easy it was to use and put together.
Those who did not like the bike so much mentioned that the panel was a bit lacking, and wished there was a way the bike could accommodate their devices.
Alternatives to the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne
While the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne is one of the top rated air bikes on the market, it may not be for everyone.
Luckily, there are other high quality options available that you’ll want to consider. Here are a few of the top air bikes I found.
Fitness Reality X-Class 9000
If you’re looking for an exercise bike with all the bells and whistles, and have the budget for it, you’ll want to take a look at the Fitness Reality X-Class 9000.
While not a typical air bike, it does use the same air resistance technology.
Because it is not your typical air bike, you will be losing out on the upper body workout with static handles.
However, like I mentioned, the bike does come with lots of extras – like the heart rate chest belt.
In addition, you’ll get built-in workout programs to follow and the ability to sync your workouts to the MyCloudFitness app.
If you’re in the market for an exercise bike, but you’re not particularly ties to the idea of an air bike, this air bike may be worth considering.
Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Tornado Fan Air Bike
If you’re looking for a more serious air bike, then the Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Tornado Fan Air Bike may be right up your alley.
This air bike is commercial grade and can support up to 330lbs of weight.
In addition, unlike the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne, the Sunny Health & Fitness Exercise Tornado Fan Air Bike allows you a place to keep your device while working out.
Not only that, but this air bike also features quick access interval keys that allow you to start an interval training program with the press of a button once you hop on the bike.
Assault AirBike Classic
The Assault AirBike Classic is in a class of its own, and you’ll most likely see this bike in most CrossFit gyms or box gyms across the country.
This air bike can support up to 350lbs of user weight and features 7 on-board workout programs like Tabata to push you to your limits.
In addition, there are 20 sealed ball bearings throughout the frame and pivot points to provide a smooth and durable feel.
This air bike is definitely for those who are serious about working out on an air bike, or are part of a Crossfit Gym and see their home or garage gym as just an extension of their regular CrossFit gym.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re a CrossFit junkie or are looking to take your cardio workouts to the next level, the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne is a high quality air bike that can get the job done.
It’s great for having the convenience to do cardio workouts at home or in your garage gym, and if you’re looking to incorporate some high intensity interval training (HIIT) into your exercise routine for some serious weight loss and calorie burn.
