Schwinn Airdyne Pro Exercise Bike Review
Looking for an exercise bike in the modern day can be a difficult task, especially for those who are unfamiliar with the field. One of the most reliable names that they can typically turn to is Schwinn. We’ve compared their Airdyne bikes before, but now we’re looking at these bikes individually to see just how well they can stack up against each other. Today’s option is the Schwinn Airdyne Pro exercise bike. This bike is in an interesting spot, as it does not follow the naming convention of the AD2 Airdyne, AD6 Airdyne, and AD7 Airdyne and is one of the most expensive of the lot. But is this cost-justified based on what the Pro actually delivers? That’s what we’re here to find. So let’s hop into our Schwinn Airdyne Pro air bike review!
As we mentioned, the Airdyne Pro is the most expensive air bike in the Airdyne lineup. It costs right around $1,000 for a retail price, which is a comfortable $200 more than AD7. This price can stretch up to $1,300, but at that point the value becomes very questionable. For an air bike, this is decently pricey, especially when you look at the value delivered by other bikes – even those in the Airdyne line. You might expect the warranties to get better with such a price (and the “Pro” name), But you would be wrong. Instead the Airdyne Pro has the exact same warranties the AD7 has. There is a 10 year warranty on the frame, 2 years on the mechanical parts, 2 years on the electrical parts and 6 months on the labour. While these warranties (besides the labour) aren’t necessarily bad, you would hope for some sort of improvement for this bike. Schwinn’s official shipping process says that it should be off within 4 weeks, although it will not ship to U.S. territories, Canada or international countries. The timing isn’t that big an issue, but the policy of no shipping outside of the mainland U.S is not good. Of course, this is only if you order it from Schwinn directly, rather than some other seller. The assembly process (assuming you don’t purchase additional help with it) shouldn’t be overly complicated thanks to the straightforward manual and instructions. However, if you aren’t very handy with such things, then it might be a longer process.
Monitors have played an increasingly important part in making sure that these air bikes catch up to the modern times, and the monitor of the Airdyne Pro should not be any less crucial to your experience. The monitor on the Pro does outperform two of the other Schwinn Airdyne bikes, although it is about equal to the AD7. Unlike the monitors of the AD2 and AD6, the Pro has a series of 9 preset programs available that you can choose from for some workout variety. There are interval programs (20/10, 30/90 and custom intervals), various time targets, distance targets and calorie targets. These are nice additions, as they allow for more goal setting and more easily keeping track of those goals. Statistics are also available to be tracked, although not as many as you might think with a “Pro” air bike. You can cycle through the time, speed, distance, calories per minute, RPM and watts with a scan mode available. There is also the rather convenient option to switch between imperial and metric measurements for those statistics. With the Airdyne Pro, you can keep track of your heart rate, although only if you have a chest strap. All of this is pretty nice, although you would think that for an air bike that looks to be the best that Schwinn can offer that there would be somewhat more features on offer. The fact that the monitor has almost the same amount of features of the AD7 (which is $200 cheaper) certainly makes it look less appealing.
What the bikes can offer in terms of challenge might be the true test of value. After all, if you wanted advanced electronics only, you would go get a computer. Fortunately, the resistance of all of these Airdyne bikes are pretty solid in terms of what they offer. The Airdyne Pro has a 26 inch steel fan that provides unlimited dynamic air resistance. Now, what does this mean? Quite simply, it means that the harder you pedal onboard the Pro, the more resistance you will face. This makes it a lot easier to customize your workouts to whatever you want on the day. This is especially helpful in regards to high intensity interval training (HIIT), as you can dynamically change how you want to perform at any given place during the workout. Toss that in with the interval programs offered by the monitor and you have a good little mix of interval training. The crank of the Pro is 3-piece, which is the best kind. The belt drivetrain also works to quiet the normally loud air bike. Now unfortunately we don’t have any information on the Q-Factor of the Airdyne Pro. For those who don’t know what that means, the Q-Factor is the distance between the pedals of the bike. If it is too large, you can become quite uncomfortable. If it is too narrow, the same can happen alongside the chance for injuries. However, it hasn’t really been a common complaint for the Pro, which is a good sign.
You would also probably want to know what sort of space the Airdyne Pro takes up. Funnily enough, the Pro is actually the smallest of all the Airdyne bikes, which is good for those with smaller homes. It measures out to be 42 inches (106 cm) long, 20 inches (50 cm) wide and 52 inches (132 cm). The Airdyne Pro weighs 113 lbs (51.3 kg) and can hold a maximum weight of 350 lbs (159 kg). The light weight and wheels on the front of the bike means that the Pro is also extremely easy to move around the home. This is quite a benefit, as it means that you can put it in a smaller area and bring it out when you want to workout.
Continuing with the theme of the physical elements that the Airdyne Pro comes with, we’ll start with examining the handlebars. Like the handlebars of all the other Airdyne bikes, these handlebars are dual action. This means that they move with the pedals. In combination with the foot rests on each side of the fan, you can actually get pretty decent arm workouts even without needing to use the pedals. This is a positive, as it simply increases the amount of uses you can have for the Airdyne Pro. The handlebars have multiple grips and are padded, which is good for comfort. One of the most common complaints with these Airdyne bikes is that their saddles are not particularly comfortable. The saddle of the Airdyne Pro is probably the exception here, as it is rather heavily cushioned. The seat is also adjustable both horizontally and vertically, allowing for a wider range of people to get comfortable onboard the air bike. Then there are the pedals of the Airdyne Pro. Once again, there isn’t a whole lot of innovation here. They are non-slip, which is a positive. But otherwise you won’t find any sort of toe cages or straps to keep your feet in place. Finally, you do get a couple of little bonuses that come with the Airdyne Pro, but nothing exclusive to it. On the rather large console, you will find both a spot for a water bottle and a media tray. You get to both rehydrate during the workout and bring some entertainment along for the ride, but that’s about it in terms of the bonus additions. Again, this seems strange for the most expensive of the Airdyne bikes to have so little to offer compared to the rest, even if they just would be smaller features.
Schwinn Airdyne Pro Pros:
- Great workout variety with the dynamic air resistance
- Solid monitor programs that will give you targets to work towards
- Light and small build makes it great for smaller homes
- Supports non-coded wireless heart rate monitoring
- Low maintenance single-stage transmission system
- Most comfortable of the Airdyne saddles
- Dual-action handlebars and foot rests offer upper body workouts
- Has a 3-piece crank, which is the best kind.
- Belt drivetrain quiets down a normally loud machine
Schwinn Airdyne Pro Cons:
- High price compared to other Airdyne bikes
- Not a lot of extra features to justify that price
- Poor labour warranty
- The monitor is not that much better than cheaper bike options
- No cycling application compatibility for workout tracking
Conclusion
The Schwinn Airdyne Pro exercise bike is just such a weird case. It is the most expensive Airdyne bike, but just doesn’t offer much more than you could find elsewhere. This includes both the Airdyne series and other air bikes. Yes, it offers good resistance and a decent monitor. Yes, it has the most comfortable saddle of the Airdyne series. And yes, it fits a wide variety of people thanks to the adjustable seat and multi-grip handlebars. But you are just left wanting more from the title and price that you would be paying. So while the Airdyne Pro might be a good air bike in a vacuum, compared to the various options on the market, it just doesn’t offer very good value compared to the cost. It’s all unfortunate, as the Airdyne Pro is a good air bike. It just isn’t worth the asking price.
Hi there, I'm Sayed Hamed Hosseiny, the founder and one of the authors at yourexercisebike.com (YEB). I am a former indoor cycling instructor and personal trainer with nearly 20 years of experience. With a passion for indoor cycling, I have spent years designing cycling parts, repairing, and importing exercise bikes. All the articles, tips, guides, reviews, and comparisons on YourExerciseBike.com (YEB) reflect my personal opinion and expertise in the field. I'm excited to share my knowledge with fellow exercise bike enthusiasts and help people find reliable indoor cycling information and the best exercise bike for their needs. If you have any questions or suggestion, you can contact me at sayed@yourexercisebike.com.
