Easy to setup and use. Very sturdy piece of equipment. Gives one a good workout. Comfortable and useful like some of the thousand dollar bikes. Slightly better than Schwinn 240 with additional programs and bigger console to rest your reading materials or Kindle/ipad etc. I was originally looking to buy Schwinn 240 but since 240 was getting discontinued decided to buy Schwinn 250 to make full use of warranty and service. I could not find a better price for this in local stores, Amazon had it delivered in three days with free shipping and no tax.UPDATE Jan 20th, 2012 I have been using this for a while now and it is awsome machine. I also use kindle fire while using it and this seems to be an excellent combo if you want to loose weight. I read books, magzines, watch movies, listen to music, check email and surf web and time flies by. I only intend to use this bike for 30 minutes but while using kindle fire I seldom finish in less than an hour. I am able to see difference in my weight in just weeks.
Executive Summary: The Schwinn 250 is a decent set-up for the price. Check out the manual before you buy, especially the section describing the Heart Rate Control.
Summary: The Schwinn 250 is a pretty good recumbent exercise bike. I''m a little dissapointed in how the features list translates into actual features. The "3 polar heart rate programs" doesn''t mean three seperate heart rate controlled programs. The manual, which you can find online, has only ONE program with THREE levels: 60%-70%, 70%-80%, and 80%-90%. I do not agree with the definition that a LEVEL is a PROGRAM! Cheaters! On the console, I also only find one HRC program. In my testing the heart rate control does work as advertised, the resistance adjusts to have my heart rate remain in the zone.
Long Version: I upgraded from a Vision 2100 recumbent exercise bike to the Schwinn 250 recumbent excersise bike. I choose the Schwinn 250 based on the reviews and the features list. Below I will talk about my previous recumbent exercise bike experience, how I use the recumbent, why I picked the Schwinn 250 and my first impressions with the Schwinn 250. After those I will discuss things I''ve learned while using the recumbent for a few months.
Me: I wore out the previous recumbent. I bought the Vision new in 1997. Some years I used it a lot and other years not so much. In 2008 I came up with a plan to start bicycling again that included achieving a fitness level before buying a bicycle. In 2009 I implemented the plan and completed 183 exercise sessions, at a minimum of 30 minutes per session. Near the end of 2009 the recumbent developed a click, which was the right side flywheel bearing moving around. In 2010 I bought a bicycle and used the recumbent less, however I would still train with the recumbent during the winter. The click would occur at the start of the session then go away after 5-7 minutes. The Vision also only came with a manual setting control panel as I was too, uh, frugal, to spend the extra to have the fancy, electronically controlled, control panel.
Workouts: My workouts on the old recumbent consisted of 30-60 minutes of a constant pace at a level that will put me in the 65%-75% of maximum heart rate. I''m sweating and I can still carry on a conversation. As I pedal I have my hands free to play video games on a flat screen that I''ve attached to the wall on a swing out stand. I only play video games when I''m exercising, so that motivates me to exercise and also makes the time go by pretty quickly.
Selection: I looked around on Costco.com, Sears.com and Amazon.com to see what models of recumbent were available. The Schwinn 250 appealed to me as the lower models didn''t have heart rate controled profiles. The 240 does have heart rate control, and that requires the user to hold onto the handles. The 250 has "hands free" heart rate control and monitoring through the use of the Polar Chest Strap Transmitter. I''ve used HRC recumbents in a gym that required me to hold onto the handles and that was annoying.
My original recumbent cost around $800 as it was one of the first magnetic resistance models. I like the magnetic resistance as it is so quiet.
First Impressions: There were four things that I noticed right away.
1) Lack of a top bar
2) Oversized saddle means oversized saddle.
3) Solid construction
4) Only ONE heart rate program
1) My old recumbent had a top bar that connected the seat to the top of the flywheel assembly. The Schwinn does not have that bar. The lack of the bar makes it easier to get on the machine, allowing the user to walk through the space between the seat and the flywheel. As I was assembling the bike I was thinking that the lack of a bar might be okay. I was concerned that when I pushed on the left peddle that the seat would lean to the right and the flywheel would go to the left, and then when I pushed on the right pedal the flywheel would go to the right and the seat would go to the left.
And that does happen a tiny little bit. Might not be a problem and then again, over the years of use I expect to get out of the machine, maybe the metal will fatigue and the whole thing will fall apart. The frame is covered for 5 years, so no worries! Note: The machine is only rated for 300lbs or less. Website says 275, manual says 300. *shrug*
2) The oversized saddle is really oversized. When I pedal, the upper back part of my thigh touches the seat, then lifts off the seat, then touches the seat, then lifts off the seat... it''s annoying. If I wear my bike shorts, then I don''t notice it. So be aware of that.
3) Solid construction. Yes, there is a 5 year warranty on the frame, and the quality of the bolts and such means that there probably won''t be very many claims for that.
4) There is only ONE heart rate controlled program. The features list clearly calls out "3 Polar(r) heart rate programs" I could only find ONE program with three levels. In this reguard I feel cheated. Cause with 16 levels of resistance and 8 profile courses, the manual doesn''t say "128 fitness programs." The ONE program does have three levels: 60%-70%, 70%-80%, 80%-90%, so that must be what is being described in the features list. *mumble*cheaters*grumble*
Not So First Impressions: Okay, I''ve been using the recumbent for a couple of months now and I''m over the heart rate control deal. Turns out I mostly do what I was doing before, setting a level, riding the bike, adjusting the level manually.
1) Heart Rate Monitor is nice.
2) The inside of the control panel is mostly air
3) Fan blows
4) Speakers suck
5) HRC cool down sucks
6) Very very smooth
7) Load transitions suck
8) Basket is okay
9) 16 resistance levels are nice
10) Seat set-up is lame.
11) Time
12) Intervals
1) Heart Rate Monitor is nice. I like the hands free Heart Rate Monitor feature. I like to look down and see where I''m at.
2) The inside of the control panel is mostly air. There are buttons on the left and the right, however the actual display area is very small. The display is a little annoying when certain sections do double duty, flashing between one metric and another. RPM flashes with speed and all I really care about is RPM. Occasionally I look down, wanting to see RPM and I''ll have to wait from 0-6 seconds to see the RPM.
3) Fan blows. As with other reviewers, I agree that the fan doesn''t put out much air, even on the highest setting. And I kinda thought it would not perform well, given that the power is coming from a 9 volt input. I didn''t base my buying decision on the fan.
4) Speakers suck. And I kinda thought they would, given that the power is coming from a 9 volt input. I didn''t base my buying decsion on the speakers.
5) HRC cool down sucks. Okay, so now that I''ve figured out that there is only ONE heart rate control program, it turns out that it sucks due to a forced cool down section at the end of the work out. I put in a work out of 90 minutes, the first 9 mintues are warm up. The last 18 minutes are cool down. And since I''m playing my video game, I''m not paying attention to the cool down period. Then BLAM, the resistance goes away and I''m pedaling out of control. I don''t even want a cool down. All the other programs have a cool down that starts AFTER the workout. GAH! I know what you''re thinking, just skip the cool down. And I do. There is something about not finishing a workout that bugs me. Even if I plan to work out for 72 minutes and set the machine for 90 minutes, stopping at 72 minutes while there is still time left on the clock feels like I''m ending early.
6) Very smooth. The fear of the lack of a top bar is no longer an issue. The machine is very smooth. I''ve noticed that in the manual the pedal wheel is not the flywheel. A belt connects the pedal wheel to the flywheel. I''m hoping that the setup will last much longer than my previous setup.
7) Load transitions suck. Every time the load resistance is changed, the load backs off, removing the resistance, allowing me to overspin, which feels kind of like falling, and then the resistance comes back on at the new level. I''m prepared for the changes when I make the manual adjustment to the levels, however not for the changes during the HRC mode. (I''m hoping by this time you understand that I no longer use the HRC mode! :-)
8) Basket is okay. The basket is really nice for storing the manual and the tools that came with the bike.
9) 16 resistance levels are nice. I like having the 16 level resolution. I often work out in level 8 or 9. When I want to do wind sprints or Tabata, I move up a resistance level, wait for the level to take effect(see 7 above), then crank up the RPMs and then recover in the same level. For wind sprints, the delay in the changing of resistance makes different-resistance-level-wind-sprints impractical.
10) Seat set-up is lame. The "oversize" saddle is mounted onto a rectangular sleeve that fits over the smaller rectangular seat support bar. The seat sleeve "floats" on the seat support. Even with the adjustment knob turned all the way in, the seat rocks on the seat support. At first I thought I hadn''t tightened the hand rails securely, but I did. The hand rails make great levers for rocking the seat in the gaps between the seat sleeve and the seat tube. So don''t freak out if it happens to you, like when you drop a towel and lean over to pick it up and the seat "shifts" a little bit.
11) Time. The maximum workout time is 99 minutes. If you want to work out for two hours, it''s better to set the timer for 60 minutes, write down your results, take a break, then another 60 minutes, then write down your results, then add those results to the previous workout results to get the total workout results. Cause that is WAY more convienient than being able to work out for 120 minutes! *ahem* Time also only counts down. There isn''t a mode where you just start working out and the timer just counts up until you stop (like on my last bike).
11) Intervals. Every workout is divided into 10 intervals, cause that is how many intervals are on the display? Other machines I''ve used have allowed more intervals, with the intervals scrolling across the display. For example, let''s say that a workout had 20 intervals. The display of 10 intervals would display the first 10 intervals. As intervals were completed, the display would change and show intervals 2-11, 3-12, 4-13, etc, then the last interval would go across the screen until it was gone, end of work out. So the screen having 10 intervals is no excuse to limit all the workouts to 10 intervals. And it''s not really that bad. The only time it''s confusing is when I''m trying to see how much time I have left in the workout and I look down and the interval time is showing. Then I have to wait from 0-6 seconds for the time to show.
So, in summary, knowing everything I know now I would still have purchased this recumbent.
Good Luck!
Buy Schwinn 250 Recumbent Exercise Bike Now
I have a really "bad" back, and have had to give-up walking and going to the gym. By trial and error I eliminated every type of exercise that increased the pain. While I am not exactly "in love" with exercise, it has always kept my weight under control. And,I discovered without a regular form of exercise I didn''t feel as well as I had, and I started to gain weight. In desperation, I tried my friends Schwinn 240. Using a recumbent bike, didn''t hurt my back. It had many good qualities, but the seat wasn''t quite as comfortable as I would have liked. I came to Amazon to order the 240, and was excited when I read there was a new bike, the Schwinn Recumbent model 250. I immediately ordered it. I was pleased when Amazon notified me that I could expect the bike between November 25, and December 13, 2011. The bike was delivered at 9:30 a.m. November 25, 2011. The box was in good condition & the bike parts appeared perfect.My husband immediately began assembly. It took about 3 1/2 hours, he followed the clear instructions, & having the parts individually labeled was an amazing help. I could not wait to try it out. I got on the bike moments after he had completed assembly, I found the seat to be exceptionally comfortable, it was enough wider that my husand could use it also. The higher seat back supported my back better than I could have dreamed. The seat also has a better comfort factor than the Schwinn 240. It operated so quietly that I could listen to t.v. or have a conversation and not miss a word. When I got up the next morning I felt I had discovered a miracle, my back hadn''t gone into spasm during the night. I used it again today and I love, love it even more. Thank you Amazon.com for carrying quality products. It was an added bonus not to pay for shipping the bike Thanks again Amazon.com..Read Best Reviews of Schwinn 250 Recumbent Exercise Bike Here
This bike is built to last. All the parts are beefy. The MP3 port is really not what it is ad. as. All it is a 2 speaker port. No amp or vol adj. I have to have my MP3 turned all the way up to hear it. But the bike is extremely quiet. The only thing that you hear is when it changes the resistance levels and that is a very quiet motor sound. The display large and easy to read. If you have the display tilted all the way forward it gets in the way of the handle bars that are up front. You will not be able to put this in front of you tv and be able to see it since the display is right there. The fan is kind of a joke. It moves very little air even on high. But i guess that something is better than nothing.The assembly went smoothly took a little over an hour but I did it by myself. The bike is heavy so you may need a helper when unboxing\assy. The seat adjustment knob have to be lossened all the way before the seat will slide. I would have changed this with something that is a little quicker (coarser threads).
None of these little drawbacks takes away from the quality of the bike. I would still recommend this to anybody that wants a recumbent bike.
Want Schwinn 250 Recumbent Exercise Bike Discount?
I''ve been doing research on recumbent bikes for the last few weeks. I was between the Schwinn 240, Schwinn 250 and the Nautilus R514 but after reading customer reviews I decided to go for the Schwinn 250. I got it delivered as scheduled yesterday, the box was a little damaged but it had all the pieces. I assembled it with my wife in a little more than an hour. Instructions are easy to follow and they even include all tools needed to put it together. All pieces fit nice and are very sturdy, it really feels like a bike at a normal gym. The computer lets you store user profiles and has different kinds of programs. I think it has up to 16 resistance, but above 12 it gets really hard, which is good. Here my pros/cons:Pros:
-Delivered on time
-All pieces in package, very sturdy pieces, good quality materials
-Easy to assemble
-Reliable polar heart rate monitor
-Intuitive computer, programmable users
-Hard-enough levels of resistance
-Support to place ipad/ipod
Cons:
-The computer cable connector was damaged, probably because of carelessness during delivery, but it worked thankfully
-The "mp3 ready" feature is kind of misleading, like other users said, its just a speaker with an input jack, no pre-amp or anything, nothing to do specifically with "mp3"
Overall I''m happy with the product, I''m glad it turned out as many other users describe it
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