Michael J Edelman Say: schwinn 220 bike black friday sale
Good value in a budget-priced exercise machine., 2010-09-11
This review is for: schwinn 220 bike black friday sale
I've been searching for some time for a decent, affordable recumbent exercise bike to replace a rowing machine I'd quite using because of knee problems. It seemed the really solid ones were well over the thousand dollar mark, and the less expensive ones were... well, junk. I tried a Schwinn 240 at a local sporting goods discounter, but (1) I couldn't adjust it to fit me and (2) it wobbled and creaked as I tried to pedal it. I had about given up hope of finding an affordable unit when I tried a 220 at another discount store. It was poorly assembled, but it did fit, and pedaling it was comfortable. They could order me one and have it "just a few weeks", they assured me. I said I'd think about it.Back home I read the Amazon reviews for the 220. Even better than the 240, said some, and it has the same 300lb rating, which means it should be just as strong. Hmm. I thought about it overnight, and decided to bite the bullet. Two days later I came home from my morning bike ride to the coffee shop to find a large cardboard box sitting on the back porch. I got out my pocket knife, opened the box, and - this is important- removed the assembly manual before doing anything else.I studied the manual for a while- it's one of those modern multi-country ones with no text, just a lot of diagrams. Think Ikea. It was clear enough. I removed the pieces from the box and carted them upstairs one by one. Assembly was clear and straightforward, making allowances for those little production tolerances you inevitably come across in anything made in a semi-automated factory. I didn't have any of the problems some reviewers mentiopned, probably because I read the assembly manual fully and made sure I'd identified all the parts before starting. A few tips:1. The bolts come in two types: Flat head, for attaching the feet (parts A), and round head for everything else. The round headed bolts are labeled in order of increasing length- B, D, E, F. Simple. Don't unwrap them all at once- just peel back the plastic to expose the bolts you need for the task you're working on.2. The curved washers are for attaching screws to curved surfaces, That includes joining the front and rear assemblies together- here, the bolts are already inserted in the assemblies when you unpack- and attaching the column that holds the computer.3. There are a number of interconnecting cables running through some of the assemblies. Most are simple mini-headphone type connectors (1/8" mini plug), but there are also a couple of flat, multi-wire connectors at the top and bottom of the column holding the computer. If you take care to align these when assembling, they'll slip together easily with little or no force.4. Some of the cables are held in place with twist ties and rubber bands. Don't remove these ties and bands until you've connected the cables, or you're likely to lose a cable inside the machine.5. Follow the instructions religiously. Coming up with shortcuts and "improved" methods will get you into a lot of trouble.6. Don't tighten any bolts until you get all the bolts in for a given assembly. This is especially important when installing the seat assembly. There, tighten the bolts at the front support before tightening the bolts at the rear support.7. The funny shaped metal piece sealed in with the bolts and washers is a screwdriver and pedal wrench. And remember: The left hand pedal has a reverse thread.8. You'll notice that there are *two* sets of mounting holes for the seat back. Being 6'2" and having a long torso to boot, I used the lower holes in order to mount the seat back higher. You may have to experiment with this to find the best setting for you, but I'll suggest that if you're over 5'10" you start with the higher seat back position. (If more than one person will be using the machine, you may have to compromise on one position or the other.)Once I'd studied the assembly manual and had all the pieces laid out, actual assembly took perhaps 30 minutes. I plugged in the power supply (a 9-volt wall wart), punched "Quick Start", and started pedaling. Easy. Pushing the "+" and +-+ buttons increased and decreased resistance smoothly- I found that I liked spinning at 4. I haven't tried all the programs and other settings because, frankly, I don't care about programs and automation and such. All I wanted was a knob that says harder <-> easier. But I do like some of the features, like the built in pulse monitor and the timer. Very useful. Some reviewers have complained that the front "handlebars" are too far away to reach. Those aren't handlebars; those are handles to make it easier to get up, for those users who might have some difficulties in doing so.Short summary: This is a well made (for the money), easy to use, comfortable machine that will probably get a lot of use once the weather cools down and I can't bike every day. Until then, it'll be for rainy days. I'll update this in a few months after I get more miles in.UPDATE:I've been using this bike daily for a month and a half, and I'm still very pleased with it. My favorite feature? It's silent, which means I can watch TV while spinning without turning up the volume. I'll pop in a DVD from the library- usually a documentary series- and before I know it, I've done 30 minutes of solid exercise.UPDATE II:I've now been using the 220 daily for just over 4 months, and I'm still very pleased with it. Everything still works, none of the parts have deformed or loosened, and the foam in the seat is still stiff and supportive. My knees have strengthened to the point that my arthritis is far less of a problem than it was. I'm pleased.UPODATE II: It's been 8 months now, and I still use it every day I can't go bicycling. One tip learned: If yours goes "clunk" on every revolution as you pedal it, the chances are extremely good that you have a loose pedal. The pedals may not appear loose, but if you snug both up with a wrench, the noise will probably go away.

weight watcher "EBF" Say: schwinn 220 bike black friday sale
more good than bad, 2010-02-03
This review is for: schwinn 220 bike black friday sale
HI, I also researched about which recumbent bike to use. I never saw the issue I am having and I want to warn others. The seat to me is very un-comfortable! There is a ridge on the seat, probably there for a good reason. However, the main reason I got this bike was so that I can sit and exercise and I cannot. Today, after much playing around with towels, pillows and anything that can fill up the ridge area, some comfort with a pad I found in my closet. Even then, I cannot sit on the bike for too long, hurts.The bike is solid, however, once we got past level 6 there is a grnding noise, I cannot seem to get through the support line. Also, like someone said, the bike keeps counting even when you have stopped excercising. I have other machines in the house, when you stop so does the timer. We cannot figure out yet how to program this bike, the directions are not very good at all. Once again, I am trying to reach the support line provided and I cannot.So, yes, the bike has real quality and hopefully except for the seat, we will figure out the rest and keep the bike. However, like I said the seat for us, real issue of comfort, not there.