Customer Reviews

Schwinn 112 Upright Exercise Bike

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

First off, the reviews i read really helped me in making my decision so i wanted to make an effort to write one myself back.
One thing i noticed is that people spoke highly of the "schwinn" name, ironically actually for most cyclists the Schwinn name is now synomonous with "cheap" bikes as when they went bankrupt they were bought by Pacific Cycles and the Schwinn name has been slapped on every bike in Target, K-Mart etc, the real low end bikes etc, so i actually was real embarrassed and hesitant to buy a Schwinn, but "Schwinn Fitness" is a different company and much better, their exercise bikes are high quality and cost $300 to well over a $1,000 and are not in the category of the cheap Target bikes.
So with all that said, i was not seeking out getting Schwinn, but did slowly figure out that it is the best for the money, in that in my opinion don't get a bike that you can't "glide" i.e. when you stop pedaling the internal wheel keeps going.. this bike has that.. the ones cheaper don't, so this is probably about the cheapest bike that has that... it has a "heavy wheel" in there that you pedal and this is what gives you some feel when you ride, this is what makes this bike the bottom end of the "decent" bikes..
The other thing that i compared this to were the other bikes right about its price level, i'll have to tell you, some of the other ones might have "looked" at bit better (that's just an opinion) or one had a better seat, but the Schwinn is a just a lot better, this bike is "refined" in that it has been around and been re-designed and is really well done, the other ones are still figuring it out and working out the kinks, the point of getting a bike in the long run is to have an enjoyable workout experience and that is what this bike will do for you, it is really adjustable, seat: forward and back, up and down, tilt up and back, the handle bars slide towards you and away and adjust up and down and fold up and down... i.e. very comfortable.. the bike is solid and well built, the computer is very good and provides all you need... it does what it needs to do at the lowest price that is being offered for a bike.. i think if you want more than this bike offers, you really have to then considering pay a lot more, because at this price Schwinn has got it, this matches what all the reviews are saying, consumer reports etc... good luck..

I've ridden bicycles regularly since 1990. I've averaged about 4,000 miles a year, but I've always wanted to ride more. Unfortunately, bicycling is a daytime activity, and I have a difficult time getting free during the day. This Schwinn 112 Upright Exercise Bike is exactly what I've needed. In the six weeks that I've had it, I've ridden just under 1,000 miles (48 hours). All this riding was done at night, and no traffic to contend with. The bicycle was easy to assemble and is very sturdy. It has 12 difficulty levels, 6 programmed rides, and a manual mode, which I prefer. It's a good bike for people who just like to ride. When I picked out the bike, one of my big fears was that it wouldn't provide enough resistance to give me a good workout. (When I used to work out at the gym, I did leg presses at 30 reps at 600 lbs., 15 reps at 700 lbs., and 8 reps at 800 lbs. I have strong legs.) As it turned out, it was more than adequate. I work out at levels 6 and 7, so there is a lot of capacity for improvement. And last, but certainly not least, it has a big comfortable seat. I am very happy with this purchase.

This review is for a Schwinn 112, but the four Schwinn exercise bikes in the title are identical except for "trim level". The main structure, drive mechanism, seats, and handlebars are the same. Differences between them include a backlit LCD on the computer, number of exercise programs in the computer, regular or wide pedals and seat, and a small fan at the top of the display.
I purchased it on-line from Dick's Sporting Goods web site for $299. However, eight different on-line retailers of this unit were all quoting the same price and shipping costs. Upon further examination (looking at the page source in the browser), I discovered that all eight web sites were delivering the same web content from the same server. In other words, you may think that they are separate on-line stores, but they are actually eight store _brands_ putting their face on only one on-line source carrying this unit.

Pros:
The bike is comfortable, quiet and well-designed.
Handlebars are adjustable about 2 inches horizontally and 90 or so degress in tilt.
Seat is well padded and has a small depression down the middle to help prevent loss of blood flow to reproductive organs. Seat is adjustable about a foot in height, 3 inches horizontally, and a useful amount in tilt.
Pedals have adjustable straps to hold feet in or to allow upward pulling while pedaling.
I don't use the exercise programs in the computer, so I can't review that, but to start up only requires pressing the quick start button and however many presses you wish on the plus sign to increase resistance. Heart rate minitoring takes a little too long (about 30 seconds) to settle on a consistent reading.

Cons:
Just as at least three other reviewers have noted, my bike was delivered with a flaw. Every time the pedals moved, the bike screamed like a banshee. Examining inside the plastic cover of the drive mechanism, I found a spring in constant contact with the flywheel; every time the flywheel moved, the spring sang. Schwinn Fitness support (M-F, 8-5 PST/PDT) said the flywheel may have shifted during shipment.
They did not agree to let me take it to an authorized Schwinn service center, but rather mailed me the tool for me to pull the cranks off and fix it myself. They also took eight days longer than necessary to mail it to me.
It turns out that the placement of the flywheel and spring is likely to cause others to experience this problem. The flywheel mount seems to be randomly positioned laterally on the frame. I had to take spacers and extra nuts off of one side of the flywheel axle and move them to the other in order to get it out of the way of the spring but still aligned with the drive belt.

Overall, I can't recommend this unit unless you get it at a store that will assemble it for you and verify that it's right, and that places its cost at or above other bikes in its class.

I just love this exercise bike. I looked at consumer reports and the only difference between this one and the 113 is that this one does not have the fan. Consumer reports says that the fans don't do a whole lot anyway. So, save yourself $50 and go for the 112. It is extremely quiet and as a mother of 5 that is great! The workouts are really good and it figures your BMI for you. It does not take up much space and was easy to assemble. Customer service was exceptional.
I truely recommend this product to everyone.

I've had my bike for about a month now and love it. It was delivered without any problems and the box was undamaged (some people have reported damage to components on delivery). Assembly was pretty straightforward and I was especially careful when connecting the wiring since I wondered if the E-2 console error reported by some people might have been due to crimped wires during assembly (I have no proof of this). Anyway, the whole thing went together smoothly and it's worked flawlessly for the past month. It has 12 levels of difficulty and I doubt I'll ever get to level 12 as cranking at 100 rpm at level 6 gets me to about 150 heartbeats per minute. It has a number of exercise programs built in but so far I've been operating it manually. The bike is very solidly built and you can adjust the seat up or down and back or forth relative to the handlebars. This model doesn't come with a fan, but you might want to consider getting one. It's incredibly quiet; my wife can watch a movie at the same time as I'm riding and most of the noise comes from my huffing and puffing. Highly recommended.

An update after more than a year of having the bike. Still riding it several times weekly and still no problems. The dreaded E-2 console error has never cropped up. I am completely happy with this purchase.

Now two and a half years with this bike and still no problems.

I initially read some of the reviews left by people here who used this product and I have to admit I was mildly put off. But I figured, if it's a good bike (as most Schwinn bikes are) then maybe these reviewers were just fussing over nothing.

The bike arrived fairly quickly and I was able to put it together easily, but like the reviewers cautioned, I discovered I had a problem: a supporting piece was damaged in transit. One black plastic cover of the rear support base was cracked. Fortunately it wasn't crucial. I could have krazy glued it together, but since I paid good money for it, I wanted it "whole".

When I called Schwinn's support, they rushed another tube over (part of which was also damaged, but I was able to unscrew the tube to get out the piece I needed and dumped the rest).

Yes, it was a bother and a big "turn off".

And yes, I could have returned the bike or called again for another piece instead of swapping it out, but wasting time whining over technicalities was not in my time schedule. I wanted to start using my bike and didn't want my interest to wane. Besides, technically, the damaged part was replaced.

Using the bike is a breeze. I'm loving it. Using the programs is fun and challenges me when I need it to. (And no, they no longer send the free water bottle.) I've had this bike for over five months and use it all the time. I get a tremendous leg work out since, as an amateur bodybuilder I have had to suspend doing squats and leg presses due to knee problems. My wife, who is a runner, uses the bike as well and loves it.

Excellent value for the money. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because of the initial damage mishap. (I rarely if ever receive products that are damaged. I really wanted this to have gone without a hitch, but it didn't.) The product, however, is worth the money I paid for it. I would get it again if I had to.

NOTE: I have already recommended this bike to a friend, who bought it and had problems too. Fortunately, Schwinn tech support is very understanding and forthcoming. They shipped him a brand new bike because his broke down for some unknown technical reason. (I believe when it's delivered, if it's toss around by its handlers, it creates issues you may inherit.) So be forewarned. It's a great product, (once the dust settles), but you may have to endure some drama before that happens.

I just recently purchased this bike, first I must say that it is very comfortable. My husband did not have any difficulty putting it together at all. It does not take up much space and I enjoy the different programs. It does provide you with a very good workout. 20 minutes at level 6 the first day, really surprised me.
My only complaint is that the pedal makes a knocking sound. Hopefully this can be fixed easily, as I really enjoy all other components of this bike.

This is my third bike in 20 years. Had the recumbent version of this same bike (Schwinn 213) but sold it because the angle of incidence was not good for my back. My chiropractor suggested going back to a sitting bike. He was right. After a week my back was OK again. It probably won't matter to people with no back problems, but I've had a bad back for years.
The bike is great, especially for the money. And, as I learn from these reviews, skip the 113 version. The only differnce is the fan, and the fan isn't worth it. I had it on the recumbent version. Doesn't do much.
This will give you a good work-out and has plenty of programs to reduce boredom, and the programs actually work. There is also plenty of resistence available. I'm a long time bike user and I'm only up to level 6 on some programs, so there is plenty of challenge left.
There were several reviews that noted delivery damage. Mine was fine and arrived in a week on regular shipping. Went together in about 30 minutes. Instructions were fine, and in the right order. The included tools were very good, although I did used my Craftsman wrench instead.

I've been on much more expensive bikes in gyms, hotels, spas, etc. and you can spend $500 more and not get any more utility. The bike is very stable, (it's also heavy) and well made. Good seating and height adjustment, too.

I ordered the 112 because the $349 price was right, especially after factoring in the free shipping and no sales tax. My 112 was shipped by Bring's Cyclery in Wisconsin. They did an amazing job of securing the rather flimsy Schwinn cardboard box by reinforcing each corner with stiff boards, and on top of that they wrapped several high-strength bands around the reinforced box...ensuring that it maintained its rectangular shape and correct upright position. The box was shipped by FedEx and arrived at my front door in 8 days. There was one puncture in the box, but otherwise it was in great shape. There was no damage to the contents of the box. It took me two hours to assemble and works flawlessly. Amazon needs to correct their product description of the 112: a) it has no louvered fan, and b) the electronic display is not backlit.

I looked and looked for a bike that had a great digital screen with all the things I wanted (calories burned, RPMS, distance, heart rate and time), one with a lot of different resistance levels and one that was going to be quiet. I got everything plus more with this bike! I'm so glad I spent the extra $100 or so for this one instead of the 200$ ones I was looking at. Worth every penny! I would recommend this bike for any at home exerciser looking for a great workout on a daily basis!