Schwinn Active 20 Series Recumbent Exercise Bike Review

When you need a good cardio workout an exercise bike would be an ideal choice. It lets you exercise regardless of the weather outside. If you have back problem and can't use an upright model then you could try a recumbent exercise bike which allows you to exercise while comfortably resting your back.

One good recumbent bike is the Schwinn Active 20 Series recumbent exercise bike. The followings are some of its good and bad points.

Pros

Out of the box this bike requires some assembly. However, since the instructions are easy to follow and all the tools you need are already included in the box the assembly is a snap. Each part is clearly labeled to avoid confusion so you will be able to put everything together in about an hour.

After assembly you can see that this bike is well built and feels sturdy. Pedaling feels smooth and the bike doesn't wobble when you pedal fast. The seat feels comfortable and you can move the seat easily from one position to another.

There are 11 preset workout programs available for this bike which includes 1 manual program, 6 preset profile programs, 3 heart rate control programs and 1 target heart rate program. For most people those 6 preset profile programs would be enough for them to get good variety of workouts. If those programs are not enough for you the manual programming allows you to create your own profile so you can get an exercise that totally fit your own needs.

Another good thing about this exercise bike is the computer console. After a quick read of the manual and a little tinkering you can get used to it easily.

And finally it's the noise. This exercise bike is virtually noise free. If you enjoy watching TV while exercising you can be sure that you can still clearly hear the sound coming from your TV set.

Cons

The calorie calculator simply cannot be true. The numbers it shows is just way too high. It is really a pity that Schwinn can't make this calculator as accurate as the hear rate monitor.

Another complaint for this bike is the display. Even though it is easy to read when you're exercising in a well-lit room but in dim room it can be quite hard since the display has no backlight.

Tall people would not want to buy this bike too. The seat won't slide back far enough for them to exercise comfortably on it.

Conclusion

If you are on a budget but seriously need a good exercise bike you should get this one. It's a recumbent exercise bike that's easy on your back and let you exercise regularly with ease. It can get uncomfortable to use if you're a really tall person but if your height is average just get this one. You won't regret it.