Schwinn 270 Recumbent Bike
Editor’s Conclusion
If your joints really take a beating while training for your next race or after a brutal cross-training session, the Schwinn 270 recumbent bike is worth a look.
More often than not, the humble recumbent bike is overlooked because many users feel that it is a design geared more towards seniors or athletes recovering from an injury. While that’s certainly true, it’s also a really great machine to build muscle in your lower body, and shed calories while taking it nice and easy in your joints.
It’s a great tool to use for nice and easy cardio days when you just want to fit in a nice and easy fat-burning workout. For building muscle, this design has some pretty intense resistance features to help build muscle in your lower body without putting strain on your lower back.
This design clocks in at a reasonable price point, and the onboard screen display provides a myriad of great workout programs to keep you engaged.
Below, I wanted to take a deep dive into all of the advanced features that make the Schwinn 270 Recumbent Bike a great addition to any home gym!
More often than not, the humble recumbent bike is overlooked because many users feel that it is a design geared more towards seniors or athletes recovering from an injury. While that’s certainly true, it’s also a really great machine to build muscle in your lower body, and shed calories while taking it nice and easy in your joints.
It’s a great tool to use for nice and easy cardio days when you just want to fit in a nice and easy fat-burning workout. For building muscle, this design has some pretty intense resistance features to help build muscle in your lower body without putting strain on your lower back.
This design clocks in at a reasonable price point, and the onboard screen display provides a myriad of great workout programs to keep you engaged.
Below, I wanted to take a deep dive into all of the advanced features that make the Schwinn 270 Recumbent Bike a great addition to any home gym!
Schwinn 270 Recumbent Bike Review Facts
Editor's Pros & Cons
Pros
Built-in fan
Sealed acoustic chamber speakers
Bluetooth compatible
Easy to adjust the seat
Super comfortable padded seat with vented backrest
High inertia perimeter weighted flywheel
10-year warranty on frame
Cons
Onboard display burns through batteries quickly
Unable to swap out pedals
Key Features
PERFORMANCE
A good recumbent bike needs to support your back while providing a full range of motion in your lower body, and the Schwinn 270 hits its design out of the park. It should come to you as no surprise that a brand like Schwinn really knows how to build a bike!
What I love most about this design is that it is packed with adjustable features to ensure that you get a full range of motion to light up those muscles in your lower body like a Christmas tree, and the quality seat helps to support your lower back while in use.
Overall, I would suggest this bike for users that like to switch up intense cardio, weight training, or running with a nice and easy workout. Intense workouts can do some real damage to your joints, and taking a rest day is the best way to ensure that you don’t do any long-term damage.
If you want to still fit in a good workout on those rest days, a good recumbent bike is a great tool to have in your home gym.
It’s also a great cardio machine for older users or for those recovering from an injury. I once tweaked my lower back on a deadlift, and hopping on a recumbent bike helped to keep me active while protecting my injured back.
It doesn’t quite engage the same amount of muscle groups as an upright bike, but it’s a great tool to strengthen your lower body in a safe and low-impact workout.
ADJUSTABILITY
A full range of motion is key when using this style of bike. What’s great about this design is making adjustments to the angle of the seat is incredibly easy. The entire seat runs up and down an aluminum track to accommodate a wide variety of users.
Simply pull out the lever at the base of the seat, and run the seat up and down on the track to find that perfect position for your unique body type.
COMFORT
Many recumbent bikes out there on the market don’t really put a lot of thought into their seats. I found that even some of the higher-end designs boast a curved plastic seat that contours to your body, but isn’t exactly comfortable.
The seat on the Schwinn 270 is composed of plastic ventilated backing that contours to the shape of your body and helps to keep you cool when you work up a sweat, and the seat section is nice and padded.
The padding seat also has contoured leg impressions that help to support your lower back, and the plush padding provides a nice and comfortable ride.
If you are recovering from an injury or just need a lot of lower back support, this seat is a great overall design!
ONBOARD DISPLAY
The onboard screen display isn’t quite as exciting as full-color touch screen designs, but the simple nature of this screen helps to keep the price tag incredibly low. While it may look simple, it is still packed with advanced features to really help you build muscle and shed calories.
The dual display has a bright blue backlight that is a cinch to read even in low light conditions. The top screen details your training program and different levels of resistance, while the smaller bottom screen tracks key metrics such as calories burned, speed, distance, and even your heart rate.
It also boasts a goal track feature that allows you to log in how many calories you need to burn.
If you want to use this bike with your other fitness apps (such as Explore The World) the Bluetooth connectivity features in conjunction with the tablet rack makes it incredibly easy.
Simply load up your favorite fitness app onto your tablet, pair it with your bike, and hit the road!
RESISTANCE
Whether you simply want to go on a nice scenic ride with the Explore The World app, or you want to dial up the intensity to shred those muscles in your lower body, the resistance on this bike really delivers.
It provides users with up to 25 different levels of resistance that can be adjusted with just the press of a button. It is powered by a high inertia perimeter weighted flywheel that instantly applies tension to the line, and runs virtually silently.
If you love those early morning rides, you can use this bike without the fear of waking up everyone in your home!
FEATURES
I also love that this bike includes excellent quality of life features that make your ride just a little bit more enjoyable. It boasts a built-in fan in the center console that users can turn off and on with the press but a button that can be adjusted up to three speeds.
It also has an easy-access water bottle holder, and a tablet rack to mount your devices to watch a little TV as you build muscle and burn fat.
Another thing that users love about this bike is that it is daily easy to move as needed. Once assembled, the entire bike weighs in at just over 87 pounds.
It has a pair of wheels on the front and a handle along the backside of the bike that makes it a cinch to move it to a new location when you need to clear up a bit of floor space.
PRICE
When compared to other recumbent bikes out there on the market, the Schwinn 270 clocks in at a reasonable price point. It’s not the most budget-friendly option out there, but it certainly isn’t the most expensive.
When you take into consideration the high-performance features such as the high inertia perimeter weighted flywheel and super comfortable seat, this design is well worth every penny!
A good recumbent bike needs to support your back while providing a full range of motion in your lower body, and the Schwinn 270 hits its design out of the park. It should come to you as no surprise that a brand like Schwinn really knows how to build a bike!
What I love most about this design is that it is packed with adjustable features to ensure that you get a full range of motion to light up those muscles in your lower body like a Christmas tree, and the quality seat helps to support your lower back while in use.
Overall, I would suggest this bike for users that like to switch up intense cardio, weight training, or running with a nice and easy workout. Intense workouts can do some real damage to your joints, and taking a rest day is the best way to ensure that you don’t do any long-term damage.
If you want to still fit in a good workout on those rest days, a good recumbent bike is a great tool to have in your home gym.
It’s also a great cardio machine for older users or for those recovering from an injury. I once tweaked my lower back on a deadlift, and hopping on a recumbent bike helped to keep me active while protecting my injured back.
It doesn’t quite engage the same amount of muscle groups as an upright bike, but it’s a great tool to strengthen your lower body in a safe and low-impact workout.
ADJUSTABILITY
A full range of motion is key when using this style of bike. What’s great about this design is making adjustments to the angle of the seat is incredibly easy. The entire seat runs up and down an aluminum track to accommodate a wide variety of users.
Simply pull out the lever at the base of the seat, and run the seat up and down on the track to find that perfect position for your unique body type.
COMFORT
Many recumbent bikes out there on the market don’t really put a lot of thought into their seats. I found that even some of the higher-end designs boast a curved plastic seat that contours to your body, but isn’t exactly comfortable.
The seat on the Schwinn 270 is composed of plastic ventilated backing that contours to the shape of your body and helps to keep you cool when you work up a sweat, and the seat section is nice and padded.
The padding seat also has contoured leg impressions that help to support your lower back, and the plush padding provides a nice and comfortable ride.
If you are recovering from an injury or just need a lot of lower back support, this seat is a great overall design!
ONBOARD DISPLAY
The onboard screen display isn’t quite as exciting as full-color touch screen designs, but the simple nature of this screen helps to keep the price tag incredibly low. While it may look simple, it is still packed with advanced features to really help you build muscle and shed calories.
The dual display has a bright blue backlight that is a cinch to read even in low light conditions. The top screen details your training program and different levels of resistance, while the smaller bottom screen tracks key metrics such as calories burned, speed, distance, and even your heart rate.
It also boasts a goal track feature that allows you to log in how many calories you need to burn.
If you want to use this bike with your other fitness apps (such as Explore The World) the Bluetooth connectivity features in conjunction with the tablet rack makes it incredibly easy.
Simply load up your favorite fitness app onto your tablet, pair it with your bike, and hit the road!
RESISTANCE
Whether you simply want to go on a nice scenic ride with the Explore The World app, or you want to dial up the intensity to shred those muscles in your lower body, the resistance on this bike really delivers.
It provides users with up to 25 different levels of resistance that can be adjusted with just the press of a button. It is powered by a high inertia perimeter weighted flywheel that instantly applies tension to the line, and runs virtually silently.
If you love those early morning rides, you can use this bike without the fear of waking up everyone in your home!
FEATURES
I also love that this bike includes excellent quality of life features that make your ride just a little bit more enjoyable. It boasts a built-in fan in the center console that users can turn off and on with the press but a button that can be adjusted up to three speeds.
It also has an easy-access water bottle holder, and a tablet rack to mount your devices to watch a little TV as you build muscle and burn fat.
Another thing that users love about this bike is that it is daily easy to move as needed. Once assembled, the entire bike weighs in at just over 87 pounds.
It has a pair of wheels on the front and a handle along the backside of the bike that makes it a cinch to move it to a new location when you need to clear up a bit of floor space.
PRICE
When compared to other recumbent bikes out there on the market, the Schwinn 270 clocks in at a reasonable price point. It’s not the most budget-friendly option out there, but it certainly isn’t the most expensive.
When you take into consideration the high-performance features such as the high inertia perimeter weighted flywheel and super comfortable seat, this design is well worth every penny!
Comparisons to the 230 Recumbent Bike
The 270 is packed with advanced features to help take your workouts to the next level, but how does it stack up against the 230 recumbent bike?
The older models of this design are offered at a slightly lower price point, which is great for users on a budget, but it doesn’t quite offer the same level of advanced features.
The onboard screen of the 230 is very simple and looks like it’s something straight out of the early 2000s. It has a simple black and white screen that allows users to track their progress as well as their resistance levels, but it’s a little hard to read at a glance.
The 270 has a bright blue and white backlit screen that is a cinch to read in low light conditions. While the older models boast Bluetooth connectivity, it doesn’t come equipped with speakers to play music or podcasts, and it doesn’t have a built-in fan.
The older model only has 16 levels of resistance compared to 25, and the newest model runs much more quietly than the 230. The biggest improvement I found between the 230 and 270 is the changes made in the seat.
The older model has a ventilated seat from top to bottom which isn’t as comfortable on those long journeys.
The 270 retained the plastic ventilated back and swapped out the seat from something a little more padded that is far more comfortable.
The older models of this design are offered at a slightly lower price point, which is great for users on a budget, but it doesn’t quite offer the same level of advanced features.
The onboard screen of the 230 is very simple and looks like it’s something straight out of the early 2000s. It has a simple black and white screen that allows users to track their progress as well as their resistance levels, but it’s a little hard to read at a glance.
The 270 has a bright blue and white backlit screen that is a cinch to read in low light conditions. While the older models boast Bluetooth connectivity, it doesn’t come equipped with speakers to play music or podcasts, and it doesn’t have a built-in fan.
The older model only has 16 levels of resistance compared to 25, and the newest model runs much more quietly than the 230. The biggest improvement I found between the 230 and 270 is the changes made in the seat.
The older model has a ventilated seat from top to bottom which isn’t as comfortable on those long journeys.
The 270 retained the plastic ventilated back and swapped out the seat from something a little more padded that is far more comfortable.
Verdict
If you are on the hunt for a great low-impact cardio machine that won’t drain your bank account, the Schwinn 270 recumbent bike is a great choice.
It has a nice and padded seat that helps to keep you cool while supporting your lower back, and plenty of resistance options to keep your workouts challenging and engaging.
I love that the brightly lit onboard displays track progress and offer dozens of preset workout programs that are geared towards beginners all the way up to the intermediate level.
The High inertia perimeter weighted flywheel runs virtually quietly, and provides users with a nice smooth ride that almost feels like you are riding on the real thing instead of stuck inside in your home gym!
It has a nice and padded seat that helps to keep you cool while supporting your lower back, and plenty of resistance options to keep your workouts challenging and engaging.
I love that the brightly lit onboard displays track progress and offer dozens of preset workout programs that are geared towards beginners all the way up to the intermediate level.
The High inertia perimeter weighted flywheel runs virtually quietly, and provides users with a nice smooth ride that almost feels like you are riding on the real thing instead of stuck inside in your home gym!
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