Introduction
As you may already know, Schwinn are responsible for developing one of the most popular gym-standard indoor cycling bikes on the market – the Schwinn AC Performance Plus.
However if you are not prepared to pay for a top-of-the-range model such as this one, you may be interested to know that they have now developed the Schwinn IC3 Bike, which is a good quality indoor cycling bike that is a lot more affordable.
This new model for 2018 has a strong and compact frame, and includes a multi-media device holder so that you can keep yourself entertained while you exercise, and unlike the AC Performance Plus, it even comes with an LCD display as standard, which is an added bonus.
Features And Benefits
- heavy-duty 40-pound flywheel
- infinitely variable magnetic resistance
- smooth and silent belt drive
- racing-style seat
- large padded handlebars
- four-way adjustments on both seat and handlebars
- Bluetooth-enabled LCD display console
- track time, distance, calories, RPM and pulse
- oversized water bottle holder
- integrated smartphone and tablet holder
- levelers and transport wheels
- dual SPD pedals for toe cages or SPD clips
- easy to assemble
- accommodates users up to 300 pounds
Product Dimensions / Weight
This Schwinn IC3 Bike has exact dimensions (in inches) of 45 (L) x 23 (W) x 49 (H) when it is fully assembled, and has a total weight of 45.4 kg (100 pounds).
Positives
As with any indoor cycling bike, you will find that you can do a variety of different workouts on this Schwinn IC3 machine.
You can treat it as if it was a standard upright bike and do a 20 or 30-minute workout in a seated position, for example, or you can get a more intense workout by incorporating intervals into your training and doing sprints, hill climbs, etc in either a standing or seated position to mimic road cycling.
When you train on this machine, you will see that it has a wide range of magnetic resistance. Therefore you will always be able to push yourself as hard as you like and get a really challenging workout.
There are no fixed levels of resistance. You simply twist the resistance knob clockwise to increase the intensity, and turn it anti-clockwise to reduce the resistance. So it is really easy to adjust during your workouts without having to keep stopping and starting.
This IC3 bike has a heavy-duty 40-pound flywheel and a belt drive that is smooth and consistent to give you a really good workout experience. It is also extremely quiet in operation, which is always an important factor when it is being used at home.
With regards to comfort, it has a ventilated racing-style seat and large padded handlebars that are angled to provide you with multiple hand-grip options. These can both be adjusted forwards, backwards, upwards and downwards really easily to help you find the most comfortable riding position.
This machine also has dual SPD pedals that can be used with standard toe cages or with SPD clips. Most casual users will probably find that the toe cages are more than adequate, but cyclists will probably prefer to use the SPD clips instead.
If you want to track your performance, this IC3 bike comes with a small but user-friendly console that indicates time, distance, calories and RPM, and if you purchase a wireless heart rate monitor, it will also tell you your pulse as well because it is compatible with Bluetooth.
There is a large water bottle holder located just above this console that will help you to stay hydrated, as well as a built-in multi-media device holder for your smartphone or tablet that you can use to keep yourself entertained during your workouts.
Indeed you could easily use this device holder to follow along to some of your favorite indoor cycling workouts on YouTube, for example, by playing these videos on your phone or tablet.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that this machine is really easy to assemble, and is strong enough to support anyone up to 300 pounds once it is fully assembled. If anything goes wrong, it is backed by a 5-year frame warranty, a 2-year mechanical and electrical warranty and a 1-year parts warranty.
Negatives
The only real drawback of this Schwinn IC3 indoor cycling bike is that despite having a Bluetooth-enabled console, you need to purchase a wireless chest strap separately if you want to monitor your heart rate during your workout routines.
Apart from this, you may find that you need to purchase a gel seat cover to make the seat more comfortable because some people don’t particularly like using racing-style saddles, but this particular seat is arguably one of the more comfortable ones to use because it is contoured and ventilated.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it would appear that Schwinn have produced a strong and durable exercise bike that delivers a smooth workout, and has all of the features that people generally look for when buying an indoor cycling bike for their home.
For example, it has virtually infinite levels of resistance for people of all fitness levels, as well as a four-way adjustable seat and handlebars to help you find a comfortable riding position, and dual SPD pedals that can be used with toe cages or SPD clips.
Plus it has a decent Bluetooth-enabled console to help you track your performance, and includes a holder for your phone or tablet so that you can follow along to your favorite workouts, which is increasingly becoming an essential feature that people will often look for.
The only thing it doesn’t have is a heart rate monitor, but you can easily buy one if required, and it certainly shouldn’t be enough to put you off buying this particular machine.
→ Click here to buy the Schwinn IC3 Bike