Name: Schwinn 230
Brand: Schwinn

Quick Summary

The Schwinn 230 is a home-use recumbent bike priced at $449. It earns remarkably positive customer reviews for comfort, performance and stability; most exercise bikes under $500 don’t fare as well. Basics include an adjustable seat with lumbar support; magnetic resistance from a 13.2-pound drive; 22 workout programs and fitness tests; and two user profiles. Additionally the console makes it convenient to integrate your digital media. Get details below from our detailed Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike review for 2019.

Specifications

Model	Schwinn 230
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the bike's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	81%
List Price Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$449
Best Price Since prices change daily, this link goes to our preferred retailer for the current best price. Note: MSRP stands for Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.	$449
Resistance The flywheel in an exercise bike is what creates resistance. You can choose the level of resistance to increase your workout intensity.	20 Levels
Resistance Type The type of resistance shows what kind of flywheel is being used (if any), and its weight if the manufacturer provides it.	Eddy Current Brake
Type Type refers to the style of the ride: Recumbent bikes allow you to lay back, while Upright bikes are more like road bikes (lean forward).	Recumbent
Drive System The bike's drive system is how your pedaling interacts with the rest of the bike (flywheel) to give you a good workout.	13.2 lb Flywheel
Frame It's important to choose an exercise bike that will last, and the material of the frame determines how durable the bike is.	Sturdy walk-through frame
Seat The most important part for comfortability during your workout, the seat should be adjustable and have ample cushioning.	Ventilated & contoured seat
Pedals Pedals are the driving force for an exercise bike, and should be comfortable, adjustable, and easy to control without slipping.	Straps
Programs Bike Programs allow you to complete a workout with changing speeds and inclines, without changing anything manually.	10
Heart Rate Heart Rate programs allow you to track how many times your heart is beating per minute (bpm), and some control the workout for you.	Integrated contact heart rate sensors
Display Display refers to the screen you'll look at to monitor workouts. LED and LCD displays are similar to TV screens.	DualTrack 2 LCD screen system
Max. Weight Max. User Weight is the amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that the bike can safely support, which can represent durability.	300 lbs
Dimensions Dimensions are included to help you figure out if this treadmill will fit properly (Length x Width x Height and Height x Depth).	64" x 27.7" x 49.9" Weight: 81.6 lbs
Accessory Tray Some bikes include an accessory tray for holding items such as water bottles, wallets, keys, or MP3 players like iPods.
Speakers
Cooling Fans
Portable? Some exercise bikes can fold up and/or have wheels that make it easy to roll them around for convenience and to save space.
Warranty The warranty is a very important part of your investment. The longer the warranty, the longer you can get free/discounted repairs by the manufacturer.	Frame: 10 years Mechanical: 2 years Electronics: 1 year Labor: 90 days

Our Rating

Rating: 81/100. At $449 the Schwinn 230 is the lowest-priced recumbent bike on Schwinn’s home fitness website for 2019. For its price the 230 is feature-rich and a reasonably good performer. Basics include comfortable seating, a lightweight yet smooth flywheel resistance system, and a built-in selection of 20 workout programs and two fitness tests. The seat can adjust forward or backward to accommodate riders up to six feet tall.

This bike can save two user profiles for workouts shown on a large LCD screen. Multiple fields show at once, making it easy to check stats and your progress toward a goal (time, distance or calories). Heart rate can display if you maintain contact with sensors on the handlebars. This reading can be used to control the bike’s resistance level with eight “heart rate control” workouts.

To help you add a tablet computer or MP3 player to workout sessions, the bike has a media shelf and USB charging port. It also has small built-in speakers to amplify your music.

Some customers have posted complaints about this product breaking down before they get their money’s worth. However, in our review the 230 Recumbent has an impressive success rate compared with other fitness machines under $500. This model also carries the same frame and same warranty package as the Schwinn 270, which sells for $100 more.

Pros:

Smooth pedaling
Digitally controlled resistance
20 resistance levels
Ventilated seat back
Adjustable seat
Compact machine size
Easy-to-use workout computer
Two user profiles
20 preset workout programs
Two fitness tests
Mobile device ledge and USB charging port
Sound system and MP3 player port
Three-speed cooling fan
Water bottle holder

Cons:

Not meant for riders over six feet tall
Control panel doesn’t have adjustable height, so you can’t face a TV straight-on; you’ll want to add a tablet computer instead
Short warranty on labor (90 days)
Wobbly seat; needs to be tightened often
Seat isn’t cushioned (but you can easily add a pillow or gel pad)
Calorie burn estimate is inaccurate according to many riders

Introduction

The Schwinn 230 Recumbent Bike provides an affordable and reasonably reliable way to get low-impact bike exercise at home. It lets you lean back as you ride, so little pressure is put on your back and lower body compared with traditional stationary cycling. A diverse selection of workout programs is included, and the 230 bike supports entertainment/multitasking with its media ledge, sound system and USB charging port. Below are details about programming, parts and Schwinn’s basic warranty (included).

Schwinn 230 Programs

The Schwinn 230 exercise bike has an LCD screen with 22-item workout menu. Choices include:

Quick-start (manual mode)
Two user-defined programs
Two fitness tests (beginner and advanced)
Nine profile programs
Eight heart rate control programs (four beginner, four advanced)

The console computer supports two user profiles.

For comparison the other Schwinn recumbent for this year, the 270, has 29 presets and supports up to four user profiles.

Schwinn 230 Features

Like most recumbent exercise bikes, the Schwinn 230 is easy to access. Getting onto the bike is much like sitting down in a desk chair. There’s no bar to step over, which helps make recumbent bikes comfortable choices for people seeking low-impact exercise for rehab.

The bike seat has a high back to give lumbar support, and the seat back is ventilated to help you keep cool. This chair-like seat is contoured but isn’t padded like those on higher-end recumbent bikes.

To fit users up to 6 feet tall, the seat can be moved backward or forward along its metal rail.

A 13.2-lb flywheel system provides resistance. With digital controls you can alternate among 20 settings, or let the resistance be controlled entirely by a preset program.

Heart rate can be measured with contact sensors on the handlebars.

A ledge is provided for a magazine or mobile device. Small dual speakers and an MP3 player jack are built into the console, and a USB port is provided to keep your device powered.

Also included are a three-speed cooling fan, a water bottle holder and an accessory tray. You can attach the bottle holder and accessory tray to either side of the bike.

Warranty & Guarantee

Schwinn’s factory-direct warranty for the 230 Recumbent Bike provides the following coverage:

– Frame: 10 years

– Mechanical: 2 years

– Electronics: 1 year

– Labor: 90 days

Conclusion

The Schwinn 230 bike can serve as an affordable low-impact fitness machine for your home workout area. This low-priced model has features that perform like those of mid-priced recumbent bikes, but it probably won’t last as long. Overall the Schwinn 230 isn’t durable enough for you to expect many years of use, but most owners find that it delivers good value for the price.

This model is virtually identical to the Schwinn 270 ($499) in terms of its hardware and warranty. The 270 might be worth considering because of its slightly heavier drive and its compatibility with RideSocial. RideSocial lets you exercise with interactive HD video to simulate outdoor tours, plus it has social functions as the name suggests.