Schwinn Airdyne Exercise Bike - Rapid Fitness

In spite of all the more modern designs the Schwinn Airdyne exercise bike still is popular and many see it as a favorite exercise and fitness machine. In fact, stationary bikes in general have not been replaced by all the other fitness machines there are to pick from in a crowded marketplace. Fad machines come and go, but exercise bicycles continue to sell simply because they work. The Airdyne is still somewhat unique because of the design and construction. It does have somewhat of a fan club and is a searched for item both new and used.

I am a long-term Airdyne owner and user. My bike was purchased used and now I have owned and used this bike for over 10 years. Here are a few observations after years of using the same AirDyne.

The Air-Dyne design, being quite simple but durable, is likely to stay together for a long time and side-step costly repair bills. There are few expensive repair bills that should arise just because of the simple design. What you get is mostly a heavy duty mechanical stationary bike that has changed little since it's introduction in the 1970's. Many of these machines are found in gyms and commercial workout facilities simple due to their heavy construction and durable nature.

Part of the advantage of the bikes is the heavy and durable construction of the machines. At about 100 pounds and of stable construction, the bikes make for a stable platform that will take the hardest use without rocking and swaying. What's more, as a stable workout platform,the machine will not likely come apart over time as many lesser bikes do. It's clear that lighter duty bikes often come apart simply from the excess movement and rocking and swaying. All the movement leads to breaking and cracking and early failure.

In addition, the lack of electronic drives and computers means the complicated repair of such devices is absent and not something to be dealt with as a problem once the warranty expires. The simple design with fan resistance is central to the appeal of these machines. Just turning the big fan faster increases the load and it's as simple as that. Turning the pedals faster and pumping the arm bars faster just makes the fan go faster and the load increases with faster fan speed. The simple fan design substitutes for the older friction bands that are prone to wear out and the newer magnetic drives that are expensive to replace or repair. The fan resistance is simple but effective and almost impossible to damage or harm in any way.

Another plus to the Airdyne bikes is the dual action motion of the workout. At the same time you pedal and pump working upper and lower body muscles together. The two motions are synchronized by connected levers so the motion is comfortable and not odd feeling at all. That means a more balanced routine working multiple muscle groups without over-working any muscles. The workouts are simple to do and require no special skills or moves. That's why the bikes are often used as a rehab tool. Most anybody can get on and pedal.

A newer version of the Airdyne is the Evolution Comp model. The Evo bike design is altered to address some complaints about the standard older model Air-Dyne. One glaring weakness is all the noise generated by the fan... The Airdyne Evolution Comp is built to be smoother and quieter as a result of a different fan set-up and different drive for the fan. It doesn't generate much noise at all.

Lack of electronics is a clear feature of the Airdyne which could be seen as a disadvantage. Many electronic features of comparably priced exercise bikes are lacking on the Schwinn. But then lack of electronics means less to go wrong and that's a potential plus after all. For a simple, solid, durable design that's built to last and interesting to ride, the Schwinn Airdyne exercise bike is worth close consideration.

See our article about the Airdyne bike, a proven design that is worth consideration.


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