I have an exercise bike at home. It is a great bike that simulates the outdoor riding experience.
However, its features are lacking when compared to the Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike, and I wish I waited to buy the Schwinn IC2.
The Schwinn IC2 is a sturdy bike designed to offer different resistance levels to meet the needs of those who like to do cycling exercises from the comfort of their home.
Considerations When Shopping for an Indoor Cycling Bike
Indoor cycling bikes offer the experience of riding outdoors (but without the breeze from outdoors).
They have different adjustability options for your comfort and to adjust the level of exercise.
They are ideal for low intensity and high intensity exercises at home, seeing that you can cycle sitting or standing.
Comfort
A good bike should be comfortable to ride, sitting or standing. Most modern bikes feature adjustable handlebars and seats for comfort.
Choose one with multiple adjustment levels to accommodate your height.
Resistance Adjustability
Adjusting resistance upwards allows you to work harder and burn more calories. Check the adjustable levels to see if it matches your exercise needs.
Some bikes come with exercise programs that you can set based on your weight loss goals.
Capacity and Sturdiness
Bikes accommodate different weight capacities; be sure to pick one that accommodates your weight.
Check the strength of the frame to ensure the bike will not fall when you are working out.
Training Tracking Features
A bike that tracks your exercise is better than one that doesn’t as you can see your training progress.
Most bikes will show rotations per minute, speed, calories burned, distance covered, and time taken. Some even track your heart rate.
Ease of Assembly
Some exercise bikes can take up to three hours to assemble. However, a good bike should assemble in less than one hour. Check the assembly manual before you buy a bike.
Introducing the Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike
The Schwinn IC2 is an earlier version of the Schwinn IC3, which debuted in the last half of 2017.
It sports standard exercise bike features such as different resistance levels, adjustable handlebars and seat, and a heavy flywheel among others.
The bike mirrors the outdoor riding experience, but you do not have to ride in the rain or cold.
It is an easy to set up bike – you can set it up in under one hour and you are good to start exercising.
According to Schwinn, the exercise bike is an ideal option for those who need to exercise on a budget.
Pros
- Assembles in less than one hour
- Offers a basic console to track your training
- Features caster wheels to allow fast training
- Quiet operation so you can concentrate on your training
- Adjustable seat and handlebars to accommodate different users
- Accompanied by a 5-year warranty for the frame
Cons
- Console doesn’t record data for previous workouts and unit doesn’t connect with fitness apps
- The seat feels uncomfortable the first few weeks of use
- Handlebars do not adjust horizontally to accommodate short users
Schwinn IC2 Features and Benefits
Frame and Sturdiness
The Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike features a steel frame that can endure heavy usage.
Its seat and handlebars attach to the frame securely to reduce wobbling during training.
It also features adjustable leveling feet for users with uneven floors.
This way, the bike doesn’t rock when you are cycling.
You only need to perform standard maintenance checks to keep the spin bike operating optimally.
The bike features a 31-pound flywheel that delivers a smooth ride at all times.
Although it is relatively lighter than what I may expect, it still delivers when you kick up the intensity.
When transitioning from a seated to standing position, the bike doesn’t wobble, and this allows you to switch the intensity of your workout to what you want without worrying that the bike will not hold.
The bike can accommodate users up to 250 pounds.
Comfort and Adjustability
You can adjust the handlebars of the Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike up and down to accommodate users between 4 feet and 9 inches to 6 feet 5 inches.
Adjusting the handlebars is as simple as turning the knob and sliding the bar to your desired position.
The seat is also adjustable with the same easy steps to accommodate your height and keep you comfortable.
The handlebars feature a thick padding that insulates the steel bars and give you great grip for comfort when cycling.
Its seat sports a slim profile that might not feel comfortable to some users. However, you can always replace the seat with a standard bike seat.
Adjustable Resistance
The Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike offers resistance through the wool felt pad fitted on the top of its flywheel.
Increasing or decreasing resistance is as easy as turning a knob. For starters, you can turn the knob a little until you are used to low resistance and then you can increase it gradually.
The wool felt pad offers consistent resistance so you never get any variations when riding.
However, the pad wears down with time and you will need to replace it.
You can use the same pad to stop the wheel – press the resistance knob and the wheel comes to a halt.
Schwinn offers various adjustment settings that allow you to continue to challenge yourself.
Chain Drive
The Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike sports a chain drive system similar to an outdoor bike.
Granted, the bike requires the same maintenance as any other bike.
It only requires lubrication every month or after 20 hours of riding. You may also need to tighten or loosen the chain if it bends with time.
The bike doesn’t make as much noise as you’d expect from a belt system drive as long as you oil it accordingly.
Schwinn uses a guard around the chain to keep it less noisy and ensure you do not get oil.
Bike Pedals
Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike features pedals with toe cups and adjustable straps.
The cups and the straps accommodate most exercise shoe sizes. However, the pedals are not ideal for spinning shoes.
Users who need clip-on pedals might have to change the existing bike pedals with standard bike pedals.
Existing pedals and the crankshaft are strong enough to accommodate standing up and pushing harder.
The q-factor on the bike is an inspiration from the standard bike which makes the bike feel natural when you are riding with any resistance level.
Easy to Store
The Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike takes up a space of 45 inches by 23 inches when fully assembled.
It doesn’t take as much space as larger bikes, so,you can stash it in one corner until the next use.
On the front side, the bike has two transport wheels so you can move it without lifting.
Most of the weight is towards the handlebar, which makes the bike easy to move using the wheels.
At only 83 pounds, moving the exercise bike with its wheels feels light.
Ease of Assembly
Schwinn offers clear instructions to assemble the Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike with ease.
You can assemble the bike in between 30 and 60 minutes.
The entire bike has eleven pieces that you need to put together. Better still, Schwinn offers the tools needed to assemble the bike.
Given the heavy weight of the bike, you might need someone to help you assemble.
Console
The Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike features a computer to track your training with an LCD display. T
he display attaches to the handlebars. This display draws power from 2 AA batteries. It tracks rotations per minute, time, calories, speed, and distance.
The bike shows each of these measurements in cycles of five minutes. If you need to track a specific stat, you have to wait until the 5 seconds of all the other stats lapse.
Again, the computer doesn’t keep records of your training. Unfortunately, this Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike doesn’t offer a heart rate monitor – you might need a more expensive bike for that.
Accessories
The bike offers a water bottle holder beyond the handlebars.
You can also use the holder for your smartphone as it is large enough to accommodate that. To get the water bottle, you will need to lean over the console and reach for the water bottle.
What Buyers Are Saying
Although Schwinn already released an upgrade of this bike, the Schwinn IC3, the Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike still finds favor with so many users as seen in reviews.
When researching for this article, I came across so many reviews with so many users stating that they love the cost of this bike and its simplicity.
The simplicity matches the price, but users find the balance great, especially those on budget.
Other users praise the bike for its sturdiness, ease of assembly, and the functionality of the simple computer.
Although the bike has a few drawbacks such as the lack of backlights in the console, users still find the bike great.
Indoor Bike Alternatives
Sunny Health and Fitness Evolution Pro
The Sunny Health and Fitness Evolution Pro features almost the same features as Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike, but it is relatively bigger and sturdier.
Sunny Health and Fitness Evolution Pro vs. Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike
- Evolution Pro has a heavier duty flywheel at 44 pounds compared to the Schwinn IC2 which has a 31-pound flywheel.
- While the Schwinn IC2 offers wool felt pad resistance, the Evolution Pro offers magnetic resistance where magnets move closer to the bike’s flywheel to create tension.
- This bike is heavier at 135.58 pounds compared to the Schwinn IC2 which is 83 pounds. It accommodates users up to 330 pounds in weight
- Evolution Pro lacks a console so it does not track your training like the Schwinn IC2. It also lacks accessories such as a water bottle holder and music player holder.
- Like the Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike, the handlebars and the seat for the Evolution Pro are adjustable.
SUPAKA Spin Bike
The Supaka Spin Bike features a thickened steel frame to accommodate users up to 330 pounds.
It further has a 35-pound flywheel that offers more momentum when you need high intensity exercise.
SUPAKA Spin Bike vs. Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike
- It offers a magnetic resistance system which is different from the IC2’swool felt pad.
- It has cage pedals with adjustable straps that look almost like the IC2 pedals to meet the riding needs of the different users.
- It has a large LCD display, larger than on the Schwinn IC2, which displays calories, time, speed, RPM, and distance. The unit further displays heart rate, which is not on the Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike.
pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike
The Pooboo indoor cycling bike features a heavy duty steel frame and a heavy duty flywheel to accommodate heavy users and offer stability when cycling.
Its belt drive system offers a smooth riding experience. Like the IC2, it features adjustable handlebars and seat for comfort.
pooboo Indoor Cycling Bike vs. Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike
- The computer on this bike tracks heart rate among other stats. This makes it more advanced.
- The flywheel of the Pooboo is a little heavier duty than the Schwinn IC2, making it better at high intensity exercises.
- It lacks music player and water bottle holders while the Schwinn IC2 has a water bottle holder.
Final Thoughts
Indoor cycling bikes are a great choice when you need to burn a lot of calories, but can’t make it to the gym.
Indoor exercise bikes offer the experience of outdoor cycling, but without the weather.
If you are looking to build both on your cardio fitness and improve your lower body strength – all from the comforts of home – then you have a great fitness partner in the Schwinn IC2 Indoor Cycling Bike.
