5 Things You Need to Know About the Schwinn 231 Exercise Bike

A Schwinn 231 Exercise Bike is the machine many people choose for personal use. Now it's one of Schwinn's more expensive bikes, but then Schwinn bikes are mostly mid-range so it's still not very expensive. This recumbent bike is rugged and it's loaded with features for the price, plus it's from Schwinn. Schwinn is known for value. Here's the story...

It's A Recumbent.

The recumbent bike is a fairly new type of design. Many people choose them over an upright for several reasons. One of the main reasons is comfort. See you're reclining when you ride, so your weight is not bearing down on two small areas on your pelvic bones. That's why it's more comfortable than an upright. Another recumbent feature that attracts many is the ease of getting on and off. It's just a simple step through frame, so mounting is easy for most anyone even if you have an injury or disability. This bike is noted for a comfortable seat. It's wide, stable and includes lumbar back support. But there's more...

It's Rugged.

A bike that's too light will rock and roll as you pedal. What happens as the bike moves around is that it starts to come apart and loosen up. All that rocking and swaying will literally tear the machine apart in short order. That's why a heavy, rugged bike will last much longer. It's not tearing itself up as you ride. It's more pleasant to pedal on a solid bike too, less swaying and more pedaling. Now this bike isn't nearly as heavy as a commercial gym type bike, but it's well built and quite stable. The customer reviews highlight those features. So it's quite stable, but is it fun to ride?

The Electronics Makes It Fun To Use

Like many other bikes, this one uses a magnetic system to produce the resistance. What's that do for you? Well you can adjust the resistance to vary the pedal effort. Now this type of drive is very smooth, but it's also quiet. It's almost silent in fact. So that way you can watch videos or listen to music while you ride. That's one way to fight boredom. The other part of the electronics system is the programmable workouts. You get 16 resistance levels you can dial in. Then you get 10 workout programs that are already built in. That's what you need to fight boredom, lots of variation.

Schwinn Is Known For Value

But all the design features and options are no good if the thing won't work. You know it's nice to have a guarantee, which you get of course. But what you really want is a machine where you don't need the guarantee. You know, you just want something that works. You never know, but these machines don't seem to get returned very often. At least that's what the consumer reviews indicate. Now my personal bike isn't a model 231, but it is a Schwinn. I've been riding the same bike for almost twenty years and it still works fine.

The Schwinn 231 Exercise Bike isn't as heavy as a commercial gym bike. That makes it easier to move, but a little less stable. This is a value packed exercise bike for home use. It has lots of electronics so you can fight the number one problem with exercise bikes... boredom.