Schwinn AD6 Airdyne Exercise Bike (Black)

We have used the Schwinn Aerdyne AD4 in our home for about three years. I''ll start with a review specific to the AD6, and then provide some observations about how it differs form the AD4.

SHIPPING

The AD6 came in a "Shipping-proof" box. Very well-packaged and secure. It is very heavy, of course, so be prepared to have help brining it in the house. The AD6 arrived completely unscathed. Not a single scratch or dinge on any elements of the bike. All parts were there and easy to unpack. Great job on the packing and shipping.

ASSEMBLY

A very straightforward once-person job (but note that the instructions recommend that two people set it up). It took me about an hour from opening the box to using the bike. All parts are clearly labeled "left: or "right", there are just a few screws, bolts, and washers that re sealed in a labeled hardware card, and all required tools are provided. Holes for bolts lined up perfectly. Schwinn clearly made ease of assembly a priority.

FORM FACTOR AND APPEARANCE

The AD6 will fit in a 28" by 52" space. Very compact and fits fine in our relatively small family room. It looks great, with a professional black finish.

FUNCTION AND OPERATION

The AD6 is a pleasure to use. The fan is quiet (but will blow up any dust in the area), and has very good resistance when using your legs and arms. Of course, as you increase speed, the wind really blows all around and the AD6 becomes fairly blustery and loud. But the fact that the wind does not hit you in the face is a big plus over the AD4. For upper-body-only exercise, you can place you feet on two stationary stems near the fly wheel, or on a space behind the wheel. Resistance when doing arms-only is a bit tough, but it gives you a good workout. I find that there is not much, if any, wind in my face when using the AD6. The seat is large and comfortable, and the pedals include adjustable foot straps. There is an easy-reach bottle holder at the front, and you can buy a reading rack accessory from Schwinn. Without that reading rack accessory, there is nowhere on the bike to put a magazine, ipad, ipod, etc.

The console displays RPM, speed, distance, watts, and calories. It will also display your pulse if you buy that accessory from Schwinn. Initial setup requires that you enter your altitude. While the console itself provides decent information, it is dark and hard to read, even in normal room lighting due to the low contrast and high level of glare. The AD6 is moderately portable on a hard surface (it is heavy, but has wheels on the from; but to use the wheels you have to lift up the rear of the unit... a good 60 lb lift). The wheels on the AD6 are small, so moving on carpet is more difficult.

BUILD

The AD6 is a very solid exercise bike. The fan area is solid, the bolts secure well, and there is no rattling when we use the bike. It feels like it is built to last. As I mentioned earlier, the blade is very secure and feels to be built into the frame.

OVERALL

The AD6 is a great piece of exercise equipment. It is compact good-looking, and effective.

IN COMPARISON TO THE AD4

The AD4 has served us well over the years. The AD6, however, is clearly a step above the AD4. First, when using the AD6, the wind from the blade does not blow straight up in your face like it does for the AD4. The blade assembly on the AD6 is also more secure. On the AD4, we frequently need to re-set the blade cage so that it does not rattle against the blade. On the AD6, the blade assembly seems to be more securely attached to the actual frame of the bike. The blade and cage are also much smaller (22" vs. 27") but in our tests, gave the same level of resistance. The AD6 blade is also a more solid blade, while the AD4''s blade has small metal spokes and a few tin-looking blades. The belts that drive the blade are enclosed in the AD6''s frame and are not visible. The AD4''s drive chain is visible. The AD$ does not really have an enclosed "body" like the AD4 does. Again, this is not to take away from the AD4. It is a very good bike as well.

The seats appear to be the same on the AD4 and AD6. The pedals on the AD6 are large and have straps, while the pedals on the AD4 are smaller, essentially the size of a typical bicycle pedal. The computer consoles are different, but it''s really a wash on which is better. The AD6''s console is larger and shows all values at the same time; the AD4 console is smaller and you must hit a button to scroll through values. However, the AD4 console is higher up, so it is easier to read and access. But the AD6 does have a water bottle holder, which the AD4 does not have.

As for portability, they both have wheels on the front. The AD4 has larger wheels which are located on the blade cage, and the AD6 has smaller wheels on the front footing. The AD4, because of the larger wheels, is a bit easier to move about.

The foot props (where you place your feet near the axis of the fly wheel when you are doing upper body only) on the AD4 are stationary, while the props on the AD6 actually move with the upper body handlebar arms. A small distraction.

Overall, the AD6 is the clear winner. It seems to have a better build, is more compact, and is better-looking overall. Schwinn has obviously taken the time to improve upon an already great product. Especially at Amazon''s price, don''t hesitate to invest in the AD6 (or even the AD4).

This exercise bike is amazing! I had meniscus knee surgery 1 year ago and it is still not right. So it has been difficult to workout at the gym. On this bike you use your arms as well as your legs which takes pressure off of my knee. My arms and chest are sore my first week but that will go away. My mom had the original Airdyne when I was a kid and so I was happy to find that they still make it. This model apparently is their newest for 2012/2013. When I called customer service they had no idea it even existed. I guess corporate does not communicate with customer service or it is that new? But the lady was very helpful and found all the information I needed. I paid $721 including tax. My 2 local sporting good stores only had the ''Evo'' for $750, $58 for tax and $200 for shipping and assembly. If you have ''PRIME'' with Amazon you get free shipping, that alone would pay for Prime plus some. It is manufactured in China but the Schwinn Quality (now owned by Nautilus or Bowflex or Universal, not sure) is still there. It took me almost 2 hours to assemble. But I could have done it in an hour, I was just being extra careful. The instructions were written in perfect English but obviously by an engineer. It came by FedEx in 1 box about 130 pounds. Most of it is pre-assembled you just have to add the arms, pedals and small parts. I suggest you remove the nuts and bolts in the order needed and leave the rest on the labeled cardboard until you need them. Remember all nuts, bolts and washers go on the outside of the part you are putting on. Also the computer monitor is AWESOME, you can see all 7 functions at the same time like calories etc. I do wish it had a light button. You can also push a button or just get off the bike to pause it for 5 minutes if you need a break. Also remember to buy a NON-coded heart monitor chest strap! The computer monitor feels cheap but once installed it is well protected between steel tubes. As you install it remember to tuck the extra wires into the back of the monitor so it sits on the bike properly. I have used the bike everyday since I received it Saturday. It is super sturdy and seems well built to me. It is far more compact then the original ones. The fan is smaller and does not blow wind all over you. I got the black color and it looks great! I am super happy with the bike!

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I think overall this is a very solid piece of workout equipment. I am just getting back into exercising after having my daughter (two years ago oops). After five minutes I am definitely feeling the burn in my arms and legs. It is nice to have the option to rest your feet and just work the arms. It is also nice to be able to pedal backwards or move your arms in reverse motion and have the fan blow the air directly onto you; it is a very nice cooling effect. The product is not overly loud. It is simple to use not a lot of controls but gives you basic information. The reason for four stars versus five is that the seat makes me feel like I am falling forward. It is adjustable but I haven''t been able to find the right setting -this may be a user issue versus a bike flaw and I will update my rating if I am able to find the right position. I would definitely recommend this exercise bike.

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I have always admired the Airdyne, with its simplistic design, sound mechanics, and classic styling so I jumped at the opportunity of owning the AD6. I have not been disappointed.

The box weighed a good bit over 100 pounds, but was in good shape considering weight and travel. Installation took about 20 minutes with me and my wife. Installation involved putting on seat and seat post, pedals, pedal straps, front and rear stabilizer bars, arm, foot rests and the control panel. All tools and hardware was included on punch card. Nothing more than a turn of a few screws.

The bike is very sturdy, which is in part due to its weight. I have been on other home exercise bikes that tend to sway from side to side even with less than vigorous pedaling, but the AD6 has no lateral movement. The stabilizer bars also have independent left and right risers to keep the bike level. There are wheels on the front stabilizer, allowing you to tip the bike and roll to where needed.

Pedaling the bike is a dream, and the progressive wind resistance gives a much more natural road feel. The faster you pedal the more force it takes. It is also nice to be able to get an arm workout with the lower body work, and you can make that as hard or as easy you want with the amount of effort you transfer from the pedals or the handle bars. If you were to only use the handle bars, it takes a good amount of effort to start the fan turning.

My only complaint would be that there is no stationary handle bar. If you didn''t want to use your arms, they basically just need to hang from your sides, as there is no place to put them other than the moving handles. I can imagine this would be an issue for some people, as it does take some balance to ride even a stationary bike without hands. I isn''t a big enough deal for myself to discount it a star, but it may be a consideration for others.

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Generally agreed to be very good low impact workout. Good choice for old guy like me with lumbar stenosis and recent 3 vessel CABG. Used an AD4 in cardiac rehabilitation and bought the AD6. Use it every day in conjunction with treadmill. Only caveat is that I strongly advise getting the more comfortable seat when you get bike. You won''t be sorry. Trust me I''m a physician.

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