Schwinn AD6 Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike Review 

Schwinn AD6 Airdyne Upright Exercise Bike Review

August 3, 2018

An air resistance bike is specifically designed to increase the resistance when you exercise. Providing more resistance leads to a more physically demanding workout. This means that you are getting a very thorough workout during each workout session on the bike. The more you exercise the more resistance you encounter and the more intense of a workout you receive. Airdyne exercise bikes are popular for good reason. They are excellent air resistance bikes. A very good, and probably the best Airdyne bike is the Schwinn AD6 model.

An air bike is excellent for interval training such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT). With air bikes, the handles also move when you pedal so that you also get an upper body workout in addition to a lower body workout. An air bike provides a low impact workout for the entire body. The air bike gives unlimited resistance because of the fan.

Schwinn AD6 Design and Materials:

The Schwinn AD6 Airdyne bike is very well-built and made of steel, plastic and rubber belts. The frame of the bike is primarily constructed of tough steel. There is a rubber covered safety step which makes it very easy to get on or off the bike. This rubber covers and protects a plastic component. The air fan is made of a tough ABS plastic, but it is well protected since it is enclosed in a wire cage.

The seat post is made of ¾ inch steel for durability. The Airdyne bike has wheels for easy transport or storage and has a water bottle holder.

Schwinn AD6 Airdyne Exercise Bike

Unlike magnetic resistance exercise bikes where you change resistance by moving the magnets, this bike adjusts resistance based on the speed that you pedal. The bike has a fixed gear, which means that the fan wheel, pedals and handles all move together in sync. The Airdyne bike can accommodate people who weigh up to 300 lbs.

Features:

The Schwinn AD6 Airdyne bike is an improvement on the older Airdyne bike models. The foot platforms have been made larger for more comfort. The seat has also been made larger than earlier models and has more padding for a better feel and more comfort. This is the best Airdyne bike that is currently available on the market. It offers great performance and comfort and is an excellent addition to any home gym.

Schwinn AD6 Airdyne Exercise Bike

This Airdyne bike uses a BioSynch linkage system and a frictionless fan to ensure a safe and smooth workout. It has resistance-based braking that generates no friction, and it has an LCD console which records statistics. There are also foot straps to keep your feet securely in position while pedaling. It also has a very nice modern dual torque belt that gives consistent performance. The belts are covered by a protective plastic cover to prevent dirt from accumulating on the belts.

The seat can also be adjusted up or down by using the pole and adjustment knobs so that you can alter the position of the seat for maximum comfort.

Console:

Schwinn AD6 Airdyne Exercise Bike

The console of the Airdyne exercise bike is a battery-operated LCD display. The console has readouts of various parameters. Readouts include RevTime, Time, Distance, Calories, RPM and Watts, and Pulse. The heart rate is telemetry enabled. The console has a service mode which enables you to select either English or metric units.

In addition, you can find out the total distance and time by using the console mode feature. It is a good idea for you to also change the altitude value as this will provide you with a more accurate count of the calories that you are burning based on the altitude at which you live. The console does not upload your results, so you will need to record this manually at the end of your workout.

Assembly:

Assembly of the Airdyne bike is not difficult and usually takes about half an hour. The product manual has very clear instructions with diagrams to facilitate ease of assembly.

The main base and fan are available in the box already assembled which greatly speeds up the time needed to put the bike together.

Available accessories:

A very useful accessory to buy for the Airdyne bike is the reading rack. The rack is specifically made to be large, 21.8 x 3.7 x 12.1 inches, to hold magazines and newspapers in place. It is also easy to install on the front of the bike.

The Airdyne wind screen is a good accessory to have if you find the wind flowing from the fan to be annoying. The wind screen attaches over the flywheel of the Airdyne exercise bike. 

Dimensions:

The airdyne bike once assembled has a weight of 115 lbs.

The dimensions of the airdyne bike are 50.9” high by 49.7” long and 25.7” wide. 

Warranty:

The AD6 Airdyne exercise bike has a 15-year warranty on the frame and a 3-year warranty on parts. Electrical warranty for the bike is only 2 years and labor is only a 6-month warranty.

Airdyne Bike Workouts:

The Airdyne exercise bike generates air resistance based on how fast you pedal.

This means that as you pedal faster the resistance increases. You can use various workouts with this Airdyne bike, including descending sprint intervals, Tabata intervals, and Airdyne intervals. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) involves periods of high intensity workouts alternating with periods of low intensity. This type of HIIT training can be used to increase your power output. The most effective intervals are less than 20 seconds and are at maximal intensity.

Schwinn AD6 Airdyne Exercise Bike

You can use the descending sprint intervals for a high-intensity workout. The way this workout works is that you spend progressively shorter times pedaling intensely. You start off by pedaling for about 3 minutes intensely, and then you rest for 1 minute. Then cycle for 2 minutes and rest for 1 minute, and so on.

The Tabata intervals involve one or two cycles in which there are 20 seconds of sprinting done, then 10 seconds of rest time. This process is done for 8 work sets.

Airdyne intervals consist of 7-second high-intensity workouts followed by 15-second low intensity (rest) times. To work the upper body you should move the handlebars during the 7-second intensity workout. With the Airdyne intervals, the rest period is always two to three times longer than the high intensity period.

PROS
  • This airdyne bike is very sturdy; it does not wobble while you are working out. The frame also has a very good 15-year warranty.
  • The belt driven resistance system is also nice and quiet.
  • Air from the fan is mainly forced in front of you so that you do not have too much wind in your face.
  • The airdyne bike also does enable a full body workout since it exercises both the lower and upper body.
  • The foot straps and water bottle holder are also nice features.
CONS
  • The console display is somewhat difficult to see as it is a bit dim.
  • The seat is not as comfortable as it could be, and when you tighten the nut that attaches the seat it tends to cause it to tilt too far forwards.
  • Short people may not be able to sit upright when using the bike, even though the bike is said to be for people from 5 ft. to 6 ft. tall. This may result in some discomfort for these people who may need to stretch to reach the handlebars or the pedals.

FAQ:

What is the difference between AD6 vs AD7?

The AD6 can display RevTime and Pulse on the console, while the AD7 cannot. The AD7 has a single –stage belt drive while the AD6 has dual-stage torque drive belts. The AD7 can hold slightly more weight at 350 lbs. compared with the AD6 which can hold up to 300 lbs. The batteries used in the console for the AD6 are two AA sizes, while the AD7 uses 2D batteries.

How does it read the pulse?

The Airdyne exercise bike does not come with a heart monitor, which you would need, but it is compatible with certain types of chest heart monitors.

Can I sync it with my chest heart monitor?

The airdyne bike can be synced with a chest heart monitor; it is only compatible with a polar non coded chest strap that functions in the 4.5 kHz to 5.5 kHz range. This bike will not work with coded heart rate chest straps.

Does it have foot straps?

The airdyne bike has foot straps on the pedals. You simply place your foot on the pedal and fasten the strap over your shoe to ensure your shoe is nice and secure in the pedal. Your shoes should point straight forward to maximize the efficiency of your pedaling while exercising.

Is it chain or belt driven?

The airdyne bike works by a belt-driven system. It has both a drive belt and a crank belt. The belt-driven system of the airdyne bike is responsible for making an infinite range of resistances. The belt driven system bike also has the advantage of being less noisy than the chain system bikes.

Final Thoughts:

The Schwinn AD6 airdyne bike is perfectly designed and manufactured to help you get a total workout. You can also buy such useful accessories as a wind screen and reading rack. This is probably the best Airdyne bike currently available that can give you a total body workout. The Airdyne bike also displays useful statistics on the console so you can track your progress.

All in all, this is a good buy and worth the investment if you are looking for a good piece of equipment for your gym that will last and give you a good cardio workout.

About the author 

Kevin Lee

Health and fitness have always been a passion for me; whether its being in the weight room, going for a run before work or even participating in a half iron man triathlon. ShapeJunkie was created to share to knowledge and love of fitness with others.

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