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As the newest version of the popular Airdyne style of exercise bikes, the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne features a range of improvements over the earlier AD4 and AD2 models. This includes being fitted with a larger seat, which is perfect for keeping you comfortable during longer workouts.
In this review we’ll be taking a look at these upgrades in more detail, as well as explaining what you can expect from the display console feedback, and even providing a selection of effective workout ideas.
Ergonomic design features
If you are considering buying a new exercise bike and haven’t come across an Airdyne before, you may be surprised to see so many differences in the design.
The AD6 is the flagship Airdyne bike produced by leading fitness equipment company Schwinn, providing a range of features that set it above both the AD2 and AD4 models.
One of the best improvements over the AD2 is in the design of the foot supports attached at the side of the main fan.
The smaller platforms have now been replaced with metal stems that extend outwards more to creating a larger area to rest your feet.
If you prefer not to rest your feet on the metal stems, there’s also enough room between the fan casing and the seat to rest your feet there instead.
Another improvement is in the design of the seat. At a larger size and with thicker padding than earlier models, you can be sure that no matter how difficult your workouts are, you will always be as comfortable as possible.
Although cycling on the AD6 can be considered lower impact than treadmills, that certainly doesn’t mean a lower intensity workout.
The belt driven fan resistance system creates an infinite range of resistance settings, while keeping the exercise much quieter than on bikes that rely on a chain driven system.
Ease of assembly
As well as knowing the different design features and workout options, it can also be useful to get an idea about how easy it is to put together.
This is often one of the reasons for people leaving negative reviews on exercise equipment, either due to poor quality instructions or missing parts.
Fortunately Schwinn have developed a clear and concise way of explaining each step of the assembly for the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne, together with providing a detailed parts list.
With the main base unit and fan already assembled straight out of the box, there’s really not a great deal left to put together.
Once you have the base stabilizers attached it’s easy to setup with just one person, making it possible to go from getting the parts out of the box to enjoying your first workout in less than 60 minutes.
Schwinn AD6 – Features Summary
- Infinite wind resistance the harder you pedal the harder the resistance
- Workout upper and lower body simultaneously or independently
- Console continuously shows 6 workout metrics, no more waiting for the readouts and has RevMeter RPM gauge
- New RevMeter RPM gauge is a fun visual way to see your efforts
- Large thickly padded seat for comfort
- Four levellers to ensure stability
- Integrated water bottle holder
- Telemetric heart rate compatible (chest strap not included)
- Transport wheels
- Wind screen and reading rack accessories are available (sold separately)
Workouts with the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne
If you have never used an Airdyne bike before, one of the biggest differences between these and a standard magnetic resistance bike is the type of workout.
While magnetic resistance bikes allow you to adjust the resistance by changing the distance magnets are from the flywheel, the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne uses fan resistance.
With no preset training programs it’s up to you to create your own workout, with infinite levels of resistance due to the fact that the harder you pedal, the higher the resistance becomes.
A few of the most popular types of workout you can use the Schwinn AD6 for are Airdyne intervals, Tabata intervals, and descending sprint intervals.
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Descending sprint intervalsIf you are looking for a workout that keeps the intensity high, this could be the most effective option.Keeping your rest periods at 60 seconds each, you would start with a total workout time, then gradually decrease the duration of work for each set until the time ran out.
Using a 20 minute workout as an example:
Start – 20:00
Rest – 17:00
Start – 16:00
Rest – 13:30
Start – 12:30
Rest – 10:30
…So your rest periods would maintain their 60 second duration, while your work sets gradually decreased in time as the workout progresses.
- Tabata intervalsIn contrast to the descending sprint form of interval training, the Tabata protocol is usually made up of one or two cycles.Each cycle requires 20 seconds of all out sprinting, followed by 10 seconds of rest, and repeated for 8 work sets. This has been shown to be highly effective for increasing both your aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
Display console design
Although the display console for the Schwinn AD6 Airdyne may appear to be rather basic, without any workout programs, user profiles, or resistance settings, displaying important workout information is really all you need.
This includes your speed, time, rotations per minute, distance, power, and calories burned.
If you want to keep track of your heart rate while you exercise then there is also a section of the display used to show for your heart rate.
While many upright and recumbent exercise bikes feature heart rate hand sensors built into the handles, the AD6 does require you to wear a heart rate strap.
It’s worth mentioning that while the display is compatible with Polar heart rate belts, these do need to be uncoded.
Currently the only uncoded transmitter they make is the Polar T31 Non-Coded Transmitter and belt set, usually available for around $35.
Customer reviews
Although we try to provide you with as much useful information as possible about the Airdyne AD6, another excellent way to find out about the bike is by reading customer reviews.
With Amazon being such a well known and trusted shopping site, this is where we found the largest collection of in depth reviews.
After reading through these reviews we put together the following list of the most common pros and cons, written by other people who have bought and used this bike.
Pros:
- Straightforward assembly
- Compact design
- Quieter fan than earlier models, particularly at lower resistance settings
- Most of the bike arrives pre-assembled, leaving just a small amount of additional setup
- Battery powered monitor means you don’t need to rely on placing the machine near a power socket
- Takes out the momentum that can be built up on some elliptical trainers, creating a more challenging workout
- Smooth cycling motion
- Very sturdy
Cons:
- Difficult to move over carpet due to relatively small transport wheels
- No horizontal seat adjustment
- Console provides no way of entering information such as height and weight, meaning the calories burned isn’t as accurate as it could be
- No backlight to the LCD display
What’s included in the warranty?
- Frame: 15 years
- Parts: 3 years
- Electronics: 2 years
- Labor items: 6 months
Review Overview
Overall Review Rating
4 / 5
The Schwinn AD6 Airdyne bike is the perfect cardio machine for a home gym. It offers a cardio workout for both upper and lower body. With updated styling, and new features all over the bike, the Schwinn AD6 has the same dual motion benefits as its predecessor and a few cool surprises.
The advantage of the unique air resistance system is that it offers as much resistance as you can handle.
Although you may need to put a bit more planning into workouts and can't rely on preset training profiles, the versatility and range of different workout options actually makes this a more personal and exciting concept.
If you enjoy reading a magazine, e-book, or simply want to watch a film on a tablet while you workout, the Schwinn AD6 also offers a reading rack as an extension to the main console.
Product dimensions: 50" x 26" x 51" Product weight: 115 lbs User weight limit: 300 lbs
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We go to great lengths to ensure that our reviews are completely comprehensive, usually covering everything from the design features to the warranty coverage and exercise options. This is all to help guide you towards the home gym equipment that’s best suited to your goals and budget, whilst also being the highest quality option in your chosen price range.
