Like others, when the COVID pandemic hit, I stopped going to my local gym and instead started looking for a workout I could do at home. “Get the Peloton!” my friends and colleagues advised me. While I knew I wanted a spin bike, I also knew I didn’t want to pay the higher price Peloton was charging for its bikes and classes at the time. I was sure that with a little searching I could find a well-built and functional exercise bike for a much lower price.
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After watching countless YouTube videos and reading Reddit posts about spin bikes, I decided to go for it Schwinn Fitness IC4 stationary bike, which was about half the price of the original Peloton and a third of the price of Peloton Plus. In almost two years of riding IC4, I have never once regretted my purchase.
I ride my bike five or six days a week, 40 minutes each, with the exception of periodically tightening some nuts and bolts and replacing the dual-sided clip/toe cage pedals with something I feel is more practical platform pedals for mountain bikesI didn’t do anything with the bike except ride it.
The bike is exactly what I wanted – it’s easy to set up to get the right fit, a quick turn adjusts the electromagnetic resistance, and when I called Schwinn tech support with maintenance questions, I was surprised at how helpful the tech support people were.
The bike lacks the large display typical of Peloton bikes, but it doesn’t bother me: I watch videos and listen to podcasts on my phone while pedaling. The Schwinn IC4 comes with a smaller digital display that shows your pedaling cadence and exercise time, as well as estimated speed, distance and calories burned. It can also display my heart rate.
Almost two years later and 15 pounds lighter, I am completely happy with my spin bike.
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