Schwinn Airdyne Bike Series

The bike was well packaged and the box was in perfect condition upon arrival. Assembly was very straightforward. I did have an issue with one of the cables that connect the display panel falling inside the frame. This was a real pain in the butt and almost ended with the bike being returned but I was able to fish it out of the frame and complete the assembly. Once assembled I was very impressed with the build quality. Very solid, doesn't move around at all, even with me going as hard as I can. I'm a big guy and I can honestly say this thing is a solid as my commercial Lifefitness bike and my Stairmaster freeclimber. Kudos to Schwinn for creating a serious bike that will hold up under intense use.That being said, it is extremely smooth in use. The belt drive is very direct with no driveline lash or noise. The handlebar arms are made of heavy gauge steel and are very solid with no free play or slop at all. The display is very intuitive and easy to use, with all information available at a glance. I really like the speedometer setup as it's easy to read and leaves a hash mark at the highest recorded speed which is very helpful. I only wish the display was backlit. It would make those early morning sessions a little more convenient if I didn't have to turn on all the lights on order to read the display. This seems to be a common thread with all of these type of books. One other thing to note, the heart rate monitor will not work with a coded chest strap. I have a Polar H10 which will not connect to the bike telemetry. I ended up purchasing a Polar T34 which is non coded and works perfectly. Also of note, the seat isn't great but it's not terrible. I may replace it in the future. The rubber coating on the handlebar arms is heavy duty and feels nice in hand. There's plenty of seat adjustment range both vertical and fore and aft. Honestly, just very satisfied with this bike and I find it to be a worthwhile purchase that I will get a lot of use out of. Speaking of use, this thing absolutely provides a killer cardio workout. I've been using the 20/10 interval training routine that is one of the presets and it absolutely kicks butt. I'm able to burn as many calories on this in 15 minutes as I can on my lifecycle in a half hour. It gets my heart rate up in a hurry and keeps it there.Bottom line, if your looking for a quality airdyne style bike for HIIT training, look no further. This thing is the real deal.Update: After a couple months with this machine I really love it. It's gotten me in better shape than I've been in for a very long time. It's very well built, quiet, smooth due to the belt drive system and enjoyable to use. The only negatives iare the stock seat isn't comfortable at all which I promptly replaced with a Velmia memory foam touring seat which I purchased on Amazon (awesome seat byw, made a huge difference) and the heart rate monitor is very inconsistent. It works when it feels like it. It cuts out during workouts or sometimes won't work at all. It also reads about 10 bpm high at all times. I called Schwinn and they promptly sent out a replacement console but to no avail. same issue. tried multiple heart rate straps, all uncoded with the same result. Just to be certain, I tried them on other machines and they all worked perfectly. I just use the polar app on my phone. kind of a pain but it works. not a deal breaker. bottom line, Great machine with a coupe flaws. I'd buy it again in a second.

Had a competing Air Bike which I sold and recently picked up the AD7.Assembly:Took 1-2 hours, I am not very good at assembly. Make sure both the front/rear stabilizers are in place before you attempt to screw them in.Bike Size/Looks/Stability:Some of the Air Bikes are very large and take up too much space. The AD7 is the size it needs to be and nothing more. People love to say the Assault, ECHO bikes are built like tanks, I did not want to ride a tank! The AD7 is very sturdy and does not wobble at all during my hardest sprints. Has adjustable stabilizer feet for uneven floors if needed (I did not). Looks very nice in multiple rooms / environments, even the very posh "Peleton" commercial type homes. Does not look like a bike that matches the decor of a warehouse gym.Work Out:Very easy to get my heart rate up on this bike. I also have a smart trainer which uses just my legs and is magnetic resistance, no comparison the AD7 is much more intense! Great for sprint intervals in that it gets my heart rate way up but is not over taxing or straining my leg or arm muscles.Bike Arms/ Rehab:The multiple arm positions is great, I did not see this available on the other bikes or did I have on my previous bike. Lower, upper and I can grip on the sides. I was in bad accident 6 months ago and broke my shoulder blade, leg and lower(lumbar) spine, the multiple arm positions (lower) greatly improved comfort and improved my rehab. I am able to get a full body work out with no strain on any muscles, tendons or joints. I can ride for an hour at any intensity and it is very smooth and easy on the body (no pain). Have managed to do 30-45 minutes a day no problem in the 4-6 months since my accident.Belt Drive:The belt drive system is great in that it is quiet, smooth, better power transfer and less maintenance than the chain drive bikes I have used.Seat:Very adjustable for height, forward/backward. Seat is comfortable can easily do an hour ride with non-padded shorts with no discomfort.Noise:Belt drive is very smooth and quiet. The wind noise is not too loud, especially when riding at a steady tempo. I wear ear buds for music while riding and I can easily hear the music at normal volume levels and hardly notice/hear the air noise.Air Blowing:My AD7 has a wind shield which looks like it can be removed if one wanted. There is some air that blows on my hands which I like, if I am getting very sweaty it prevents my hands from doing so and my grip on the bike arms is not impacted.Bike Computer/Console:Does not have a back light which I wish it had. I bought a clip on light/book reader that I use. Is easy to get information and track your workouts in process. Does not have any memory or logging once a new work out is started. Heart rate monitor works with a non-coded strap, I found 2 on Amazon, be sure to get the one that allows you to replace the battery.Safety:No moving parts etc. for a cat (I have cats) etc. to get hurt by. Easy to get on and off the bike, there is a step if needed to help get on/off bike.Mobility:Has wheels and I am able to move around my gym without any issuePedals:They really grip, there are no clips etc. but my feet stay very planted/still. Still rehabilitating from my injury so I like that my foot is able to move if needed.