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  • What is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?

  • How much is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?

  • What’s it like to set up the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?

  • What I like about the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike

  • What I don’t like about the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike

  • Is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike worth it?

  • What is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?
  • How much is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?
  • What’s it like to set up the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?
  • What I like about the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike
  • What I don’t like about the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike
  • Is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike worth it?

Pros

  • Bluetooth connectivity to ride with different apps

  • Quiet flywheel and pedals

  • Comes with weights and heart-rate monitor

Cons

  • Narrow and hard seat

  • Occasional streaming issues

What is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?

Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cyling Bike accessories
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

Schwinn's IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike comes with a Bluetooth-enabled heart rate tracker, a pair of three-pound weights, built-in media rack, and USB charging port.

The Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike, our favorite "basic" exercise bike, is a Bluetooth-enabled stationary bike that works with a variety of fitness apps including cycling apps like Peloton and Zwift.

Unlike Peloton and some Echelon Connect bikes, the Schwinn IC4 doesn’t have its own video screen—just a small LCD display that shows your ride time, distance, RPMs, and heart rate, plus a USB charging port. To stream your workouts, a tablet or smart TV is the way to go. You can also use your smartphone, but I think a bigger screen makes for a more enjoyable experience.

The Schwinn has a knob between the seat and the handlebars that controls the 100 levels of magnetic resistance. There's also a built-in device holder that securely holds a smartphone or tablet in place while you follow along with your on-screen workout. Additionally, the bike also comes with a pair of three-pound dumbbells and a wearable Bluetooth-enabled heart rate monitor.

The handlebars and seat are adjustable for riders of heights 4 feet 6 inches to 6 feet 6 inches, and it has a weight limit of 330 pounds. The pedals come with cages, or you can clip-in with SPD-cleat cycle shoes like Tiems. (This is different from the Peloton, which uses LOOK Delta cleats.) The Schwinn has two small water bottle holders, too.

It also has a better warranty than most bikes we tested—10 years on the frame, three years on the parts, and one year on labor. (Peloton’s warranty, by comparison, only covers five years for the frame and one year for the parts.) With the IC4, you can add an additional five years to the parts and labor warranty with the Schwinn Protection Plan for an extra $109.

One other thing to keep in mind: If you’re also considering the Bowflex C6, nearly everything in this review applies to that bike, too. Schwinn and Bowflex are owned by the same parent company, Nautilus, so their spin bikes offer pretty much the same thing.

How much is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?

iOS Peloton app
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

Using a lighting-to-HDMI adapter cable, I connect my iPhone XS to my Roku smart TV and start my workout in the Peloton app.

The Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike retails for $999 or $799 on Amazon. Something that adds value to the bike, at least for me, is that its price also includes the three-pound dumbbells and heart rate monitor—two things you have to pay extra for when you buy a Peloton. Plus, shipping is free.

There are some additional costs to keep in mind, like spin shoes, a tablet if you don’t already own one, and the price of the fitness app you choose to use with the IC4. For example, I pay a monthly subscription fee of $13 to use the Peloton app for workouts on my Schwinn IC4 bike. It’s a fairly low price to pay, considering that Peloton bike users fork over $44 a month for access to the same content. The one notable difference is that app users don’t have access to or show up on the Peloton leaderboard, which shows riders how they rank against others in the class. This isn’t a make or break for me, but it may be for some riders.

All told, your first-year total cost if you pay for the bike in full and plan on using it with the Peloton app, is $954.88 ($799 for the bike plus $155.80 for the Peloton app—you can subtract a month or two of app payments if you’ve never used Peloton before, as it always offers a free trial to new users). If you don’t already have a tablet and cycling shoes, you may have to factor those costs in as well.

What’s it like to set up the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike?

Schwinn IC4 Indoro Cycling Bike
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

Assembling the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike is simple enough, but having an extra person to help can make the process go faster.

Assembling the Schwinn IC4 is relatively straightforward, but the process is not without its challenges. The bike comes mostly prefabricated, with the heavy flywheel and frame already built in the box. Users will have to secure a base at each end—make sure the one with the wheels on it is at the front of your bike; it makes it easier to move later on—and the bike seat, handlebars, tablet stand, dumbbell holders and computer all lock or screw in without much fuss.

Attaching the pedals was more challenging, however—and not just because they're reverse-threaded on one side. While it's important to note that only the left pedal will screw in toward your left side as you face the machine (in other words, it's not righty-tighty), the threads on the bike I purchased were not drilled straight, leaving the pedal crooked when attached correctly. Overall, I had a pleasant experience with Schwinn’s customer service department and they ultimately fixed the problem by sending a replacement bike.

What I like about the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike

Schwinn IC4 bike
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

Working out on the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike is one of my favorite quarantine activities—and I don't see myself giving it up for the actual gym any time soon.

It’s a great Peloton hack

Working out on the Schwinn IC4 bike is one of my favorite things to do early in the morning or after my kids go to bed at night. Using a lighting-to-HDMI adapter and HDMI cable, I connect my iPhone XS, which streams the Peloton app, to the 32-inch smart TV I have hanging on the wall near my bike. (It’s easy to pair the Schwinn IC4 with the Peloton app.)

Unless I’m taking a live class, I prefer to preload my Peloton workouts before riding and recommend you do the same. I experience occasional buffering issues with the Peloton iOS app—and trust me, you don’t want to run into that during the middle of a heavy climb—but preloading classes fixed this issue for me.

It plays nicely with my Apple Watch

Although a heart rate armband is included with the Schwinn IC4, I opt to use my Apple Watch to track my heart rate and calories during workouts on the bike, as well as log my workout in Apple’s Activity app. The Bluetooth-enabled bike also pairs with the Peloton app, so you can track your cadence on-screen as you ride.

It’s sturdy and adjustable for all riders

Overall, the bike provides a smooth ride and, even when I’m rocking from side to side, remains sturdily in place. The U-shaped handlebars offer a variety of ways for me to place my hands when riding and I found it easy to adjust the bike to my 5-foot-3-inch frame.

What I don’t like about the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike

Schwinn IC4 Cycling Bike Seat
Credit: Reviewed / Rachel Murphy

The hard and narrow bike seat is my least favorite part of the Schwinn IC4, but I am trying to power through it.

The seat is uncomfortable

Like the Peloton and most other connected bikes, the IC4 is a spin-style bike, which means it isn't designed for comfort—but its bike seat feels particularly firm to me. At first, I chalked my perception of the seat’s lack of plushness up to the fact that I was still adjusting to my new bike. More than six months later, the seat hasn’t gotten any softer but I’ve gotten used to it. Some people may want to ride with a seat cushion may help. I find it most uncomfortable when riding for 45 minutes or longer, or during classes when I’m not out of the saddle.

Tracking your stats is clunky at best

Additionally, the bike itself won’t log your stats like Peloton bikes, which is why I like to track my workouts using Apple’s Activity app. I can also view stats about my Peloton workouts in the Peloton app, but there’s no compatible Schwinn app that keeps tabs on your workouts. So if you want to track your overall data, you'll have to take a photo with your phone or write it down from the display at the end of your workout.

The resistance levels aren’t equal

Although both the Peloton and Schwinn bikes use 100 units of resistance, the intensity and increments of the resistance levels aren’t equivalent—the resistance is heavier on the IC4 than the Peloton, so you have to modify what the instructor calls out. You can buy a conversion decal on Etsy to stick on your bike (or just write numbers down on a sticky note). With my current setup, I'm only able to view my heart rate and cadence on-screen during rides, not my output like Peloton bike users are able to see. Some Schwinn IC4 riders use the Kinetic app to track their output levels during rides, though I have not tested that myself.

Is the Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike worth it?

As far as Peloton hacks go, absolutely!

The Schwinn IC4 Indoor Cycling Bike is a versatile option for any at-home fitness enthusiast who wants access to a variety of workout apps without being locked into a single exercise platform—and it’s a great buy for anyone looking for a more affordable alternative to the Peloton Bike.

While Peloton bike owners are locked into a monthly $44 subscription fee, Peloton app users like myself can enjoy quite the savings at just $13 a month. It’s not the same immersive experience, but with the right setup—including a tablet or small smart TV for streaming—you’ll still come out spending less than you would for a Peloton and get the same sweaty, calorie-burning workouts.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.

Meet the tester

Rachel Murphy

Rachel Murphy

Editor, Home

@rachel_murphy

Rachel Murphy is Reviewed's home editor. She holds a journalism degree from the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a freelance writer for publications like Insider and Mashable, and as an associate editorial producer for Good Morning America. Aside from smart home tech, her interests include food, travel, parenting, and home renovation. You can usually find her sipping on coffee at any time of the day.

See all of Rachel Murphy's reviews

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