Schwinn 170 Upright Bike Review | From a Group Instructor

By Robbie Ferri, Cyclist, Personal Trainer, and Group Exercise Instructor.

Exercise bikes are an amazing tool, and we consistently see new bikes hit the market. Having an exercise bike can open you up to so many benefits you get from exercising that you wouldn’t want to miss out on. With so much choice, it can be really challenging to find the right bike for you. In this article, we want to tell you about the Schwinn 170 upright bike, which is getting spoken about a lot at the minute. 

What I liked and what could be better

Best Overall Upright Bike

Schwinn 170 Upright Bike

4.8

The Schwinn series prides itself on making the user feel comfortable. The pedals are oversized with toe straps to suit a range of users and sizes.

Price & Reviews

If you want a quick rundown of what to expect, here are our first thoughts about what we liked and what we didn’t like about the Schwinn 170 exercise bike. We will further detail each of these points later in this article and explain each point.

Schwinn 130 vs. Schwinn 170

One of the most common questions we get about the Schwinn 170 is how does it compare to the Schwinn 130. The first thing to mention is they are very similar but overall, the Schwinn 170 is a better bike because it offers more.

You get 25 resistance on the levels on the 170 instead of 16 on the 130. The display on the 170 has two screens and much more function than the 130. The seat on the 170 can move back and forward, but on the 130, it can’t, and this is vital for a better fit. You also get speakers, a USB charging port, and a cooling fan on the Schwinn 170.

Overall the Schwinn 170 does have more to offer, and they are not gimmicky things. They are things that really improve the experience, and we highly recommend the Schwinn 170 over the Schwinn 130. As there’s not a huge difference in the price, we recommend the 170 as it is just better.

The Big Picture

The best way to understand an exercise bike is to break it down, so you know exactly what to expect. That’s exactly what we are going to do with the Schwinn 170, and we’re going to tell you everything you need to know.

Size and who’s it for?

The Schwinn 170 is 41” in length, 21” in width, and 56” in height. It can work for all riders up to 300lbs and can work for users from 5ft to 6ft 1”. The actual size of the bike is about average, and it has a good range as far as height and weight goes.

Connectivity and Applications

The bike has Bluetooth technology on it, and at a bike of this price, it is very impressive. You can use the technology to connect to different applications such as exercise bike apps like Peloton, and some people I have read even use the bike for Zwift also. The applications cannot automatically adjust the resistance, but it does offer another level to the experience this bike can give. 

The other uses of Bluetooth include calorie tracking applications like MyFitnessPal, and it also has Apple fitness application integration. You also have the added benefit of using a Bluetooth heart rate monitor, which opens you up to more training tools

Construction and Quality

Schwinn is not known for making low-end products. If anything, they are known as a high-quality brand as far as exercise equipment goes. The quality of the 170 heavily backs this up, and everything is excellent. The adjustment handles feel solid, and the buttons on the screen work smoothly and just feel very solid.

If there’s one thing I like about this bike, it is that it feels solid when being ridden. It doesn’t feel like a cheap budget bike that has had corners cut in its build. It feels incredibly well put together, and everything is hidden nicely.

Resistance

The Schwinn 170 has a magnetic resistance system, and this means the bike is completely frictionless and controlled electronically. It’s incredible because it is just so smooth and quiet even while under a huge amount of power. It has 25 different levels to choose from, which will challenge a beginner and also seasoned professionals.

Drive System and Flywheel

The drive system isn’t an old-school chain system; it is a belt drive. This makes the bike feel very responsive and requires next to no maintenance. Unlike a chain, it doesn’t need oil and will work for years without any issues. When it comes to the flywheel, it’s very small at only 13lbs, but don’t let this fool you. It’s very well designed and can spin incredibly fast, so it works perfectly.

Comfort

I was very surprised at Schwinn’s effort to make this bike not just useable but very comfortable. The position it puts you in when riding is excellent, and it doesn’t feel uncomfortable when sitting for long periods of time. The saddle is wide and is high quality, and the bars can be adjusted to get that perfect hand position. 

The Monitor

The monitor actually offers much more than we originally thought. It has a lot of inbuilt programs for you to follow, which are tremendous fun, and has two data screens that will tell you everything you need to know, such as cadence, time, distance, etc. One thing we really liked was the cooling fan, sound system, USB charging port, and stand for a tablet. It’s intelligent thinking from Schwinn.

Pedals

The pedals are not your typical exercise bike pedals, and what Schwinn has done is used some very wide flat pedals with a reinforced large strap. These are actually very good quality, and they feel great to use when you’re wearing trainers.

Portability 

A question we often are asked is about how difficult this bike is to move around your house. The first thing to mention is that it’s not heavy as far as indoor bikes go and has wheels on the front, making it really light work to move it around. 

Adjustability

The bike does offer a good level of adjustability, but it’s not great. The seat will move up and down, and the handlebars can lean for comfort, but that is about it. It doesn’t take long to adjust and is really simple to do. 

Assembly

The assembly of the bike isn’t difficult, and when it arrives, it doesn’t take long at all to get it together. We advise taking your time and ensuring everything is nice and tight. It can be done easily by a beginner and shouldn’t take more than an hour or two. Ensure that the pedals are tight and properly to avoid cross-threading.

Warranty

As you can expect with Schwinn, the warranty is very good, and you get 10 years on the frame itself, 2 years on the mechanical components, 1 year on the electrical components, and 90 days on labor. This is a very good warranty, but there’s very little chance you will need to use it. 

Usual issues

You don’t hear about many issues with this bike. Some people do end have ended up getting the incorrect manual which was recently updated, and the Bluetooth password is different, but apart from that very few issues.

Alternatives

Schwinn 170 vs Nautilus U616 and U618

Nautilus U618 Upright Bike

4.5

With enhanced Bluetooth connectivity, users can set, track and monitor progress with popular app-based tracking tools like Explore the World, MyFitnessPal, UA Record, and more.

Price & Reviews

Nautilus is also a very big brand in the fitness market and probably the Schwinn 170’s biggest competitor. They look very similar but have some very subtle differences. The first thing to mention is the Nautilus U616, and U618 are very similar bikes. The only difference between the two is the fact that on the U618, you get an extended warranty, tilting console, heart rate strap, handlebar resistance controls, and a higher weight limit. 

How does the Schwinn 170 step up to these bikes is simple? With the Nautilus, you get a longer warranty, a higher weight limit, a gel seat, and a tilting console. Though the Nautilus is more expensive and we don’t think they are worth the extra money, the Schwinn, in our opinion, is a better buy.

Schwinn vs. Sole B94

Sole B94 Upright Bike

4.8

Lightweight, durable, easy-to-use and space saving, the B94 is the perfect piece of home exercise equipment for anyone. The B94 stationary bike provides both comfort and challenge.

Price & Reviews Get Holiday Deal

Away from Nautilus, the next bit of competition for the Schwinn 170 is the Sole B94. The Sole B94 looks very similar and comes in around the same price, but it is very different from the Schwinn170. The Sole B94 doesn’t offer as much as the Schwinn when it comes to programs on the monitor and the amount of the resistance levels, but it does feel like a very solid build and does come with a better warranty. We think either is a great buy, but the Schwinn does look and perform better, in our opinion. 

FAQ’s

Is the Schwinn 170 worth it?

If you’re in the market for an upright exercise bike with excellent build quality, works efficiently and smoothly, and has the technology to make it more interactive, then the Schwinn is ideal. We think it is amazing value for money and highly recommend it to anyone looking to get fitter and improve their health.