Schwinn 231 Recumbent Exercise Bike Review
The Schwinn 231 recumbent exercise bike is the upgrade to the popular Schwinn 230. Both models have an excellent reputation for being one of the best values for a budget exercise bikes. In fact, they have won several "Best Buy" ratings, including one from a prestigious consumer magazine.
There are better bikes on the market, but plan to pay considerably more to get better quality and durability.
Features on the Schwinn 231 Recumbent Exercise Bike
20 lbs. Flywheel - The weight of the flywheel plays a significant role in the smoothness and the natural feel of the pedaling motion. At 20 lbs. this is a fairly heavy flywheel that will simulate riding a regular bike. This exercise bike is also known to be very quiet.
Walk Through Design - Many people buy recumbent exercise bikes because they are older or have injuries. It is easier on the back. The walk thru design makes it also easier to get on or off the bike. You do not need to lift your leg over a center post. It is like sitting in a chair.
Stable Weight - The Schwinn weighs over 100 lbs. This gives it a fairly stable feel, although it may wobble slightly during a hard ride. They put the user weight limit at 300 lbs., I might suggest the limit be around 240 lbs.
Comfort Seating - Seating is one of the most important parts of a recumbent bike. The Schwinn 231 comes with an extra-wide seat with dual-position lumbar support and slide bolsters. It doesn't wear on you for those long rides.
Warranty - As with the Schwinn 230, the warranty on the Schwinn 231 is rather light. You get 1 year - Mechanical and Electric; 6 months - Wear items and 90 days - Labor. To protect your investment you should consider an extended warranty - 1-2 year more.
The Schwinn 231 Upgrades Over the Schwinn 230
Seating - Adjustable lumbar support. It is also nice to have your lumbar supported.
Display - You get a blue backlit LCD display that which provides a robust readout, making it easier to read. The console also has a 3 position angle adjustment.
23 Workout Programs - The Schwinn 230 only has 12. The Schwinn 231 programs include 1 Manual, 2 Custom, 3 Heart Rate, 10 Profile, Time Trial w/pacer, Fitness Test, Calorie Goal, BMI Measurement, Recovery Test, Results Mode and Quick Start. The 3 heart rate programs allows you to target specific heart rate levels.
Built-in Fan - Having the fan built into the console provides direct relief.
4" Longer Frame - Better able to handle taller users.
Our Review - Schwinn 231 Recumbent Exercise Bike
The bottomline is that the both the Schwinn 231 and 230 are excellent values for budget exercise bikes. For the price you are getting a durable and stable bike. The numerous customer reviews and the "Best Buy" ratings reinforce this fact. The question is, is the Schwinn 231 worth the extra $100?
I believe it is, but you may not have a need for the extra features mentioned above.
Customer Reviews
There were over 90 reviews on Amazon.com
, averaging 4.5 stars out of 5. Considering this is a budget exercise bike, that is an impressive rating. A few people had issued with the delivery and fulfillment, however the majority were satisfied with the quality, customer service and fulfillment. Comments included...
I am very happy with my Schwinn 231 Recumbent bike. It is very quiet. The programs are very easy to figure out. Our 14 year old put it together with no trouble. Would highly recommend this bike to young and old.
The walk-through design of this bike is great for individuals who have had recent joint replacement. On many bikes, there is a high center which necessitates lifting the leg up and over, causing a potential tripping hazard.
Exceptional stability...doesn't wobble as you get on/off the bike.
Loads of fun programs that are easy to use.
Great for short/tall individuals...i'm 5'1" and it still had adjustment remaining for shorter individuals.
Great experience with Amazon. Bike arrived promptly in excellent condition.
Actually a lot of assembly. The good news is that the instructions are very clear, tools are provided, and the hardware is laid out with each item carefully identified.
Once you get it together and start using it you will find that the operation is very smooth and quiet. It is comfortable, easy to adjust, and very stable. It does creak a bit if you peddle at a cadence over 85 or so but you can notch up the resistance and that will slow you down.
The controls are very easy to use. It asks for a lot of information when you start to use one of the built in programs but if you use the same program over again it remembers your input so you just have to press enter unless you need to change the value.
The built in fan is a nice addition. After you get heated up from exercising you might want it to blow harder than it does.
Overall it is a very good machine and I am glad I purchased it.