Experience immersive indoor cycling with the Schwinn IC Series, featuring a backlit LCD JRNY® console, 100 levels of micro-adjustable magnetic resistance, and dual-sided SPD clip/toe-cage pedals. Seamlessly connect your phone or tablet to JRNY® or popular apps like Peloton® and Zwift® for on-demand classes, real-time metrics, and adaptive workouts.
- 2-Month JRNY® Membership – Access mobile-only adaptive workouts, guided by top trainers, right from your device.
- Virtual Courses – Travel through 200+ scenic routes at your own pace or alongside JRNY® classes.
- App Compatibility – Connect to Peloton®, Zwift® and more (subscriptions sold separately) for interactive training.
- Magnetic Resistance – 100 micro-adjustable levels deliver smooth, whisper-quiet performance.
- Dual-Sided Pedals – Use SPD clips or toe cages for versatile indoor cycling workouts.
- Adjustable Race-Style Seat – Customize your fit for optimal comfort and power transfer.
- Full-Color LCD Console – Monitor heart rate, speed, time, distance, calories & RPMs in real time.
- Integrated Dumbbell Cradles – Keep up to 1.5 kg free weights within arm’s reach for upper-body exercises.
| Brand | Schwinn Fitness |
| Drive Type | Magnetic Resistance |
| Resistance Levels | 100 Micro-Adjustable |
| Console | JRNY® Backlit LCD (Heart Rate, Speed, Time, Distance, Calories, RPM) |
| Pedals | Dual-Sided SPD Clips & Toe Cages |
| Seat | Race-Style, Fully Adjustable |
| Dumbbell Cradles | Holds up to 1.5 kg Free Weights |
| Max User Weight | 150 kg |
| Item Weight | 51 kg |
| Dimensions (L×W×H) | 139 cm × 78 cm × 132 cm |
| Power Source | Corded Electric |
| Special Features | JRNY® Connected, App Connectivity, Adjustable Resistance |
As far as delivery and assembly - I had it delivered the next day after I ordered. It was a huge heavy box but I was able to slide it into my garage and take everything out. I carried it in pieces to my basement and put it together with the help of a YouTube video in about an hour and a half. Mind you, I’m a 5’3” 113 lb woman. I did it all by myself. Yes it was heavy and awkward to carry myself, but I did it. It went together mostly easy, but the biggest issue was some of the smaller screws didn’t want to go in on the monitor. After messing with them for a bit I got them in.
Once I got it all set up I tested it out. It is so smooth and a quiet ride. When my husband got back in town and saw it he noted how good it looks and he can tell it’s good quality.
So far, I love it!
The pedals have two sides to them, one that you can use with sneakers and the other with clip-in bike shoes. I use the bike shoes since I feel like I get a better workout when my feet are clipped in. If you do use sneakers there are adjustable straps to fit different shoe sizes.
You can use workouts from whatever fitness program you have a membership with (Peloton, Apple Fitness, etc) or even find some free YouTube ones. Just set up the workout video on your phone and hit play (there is a little phone holder on the front of the bike) and when they tell you to increase resistance you just crank up the resistance on your bike and follow along. There is no need to connect the bike to any program, so you have flexibility.
It did take some time to set up - over an hour with two people working on it - but I am slow and careful with those things so it might not take everyone that long.
This is great if you live in an apartment and don't want the noise of a treadmill waking up roommates or neighbors. And I love that I can just wake up and exercise in the morning without having to drive to the gym.
Second, the bike has magnetic resistance so it's super smooth and quiet.
Third, the bike works with several apps to up my game as the knee heals.
Fourth, you have the option of toe cages or cleats on the pedals, again allowing a range of users.
Limitations that might bother some: it does not have a built in display screen and, for a different set, it comes with a racing seat. For those who want to use apps for classes, you have to use your own device with Bluetooth connection.
On the other end of the spectrum, for those of us not yet competing or spinning, you can swap out the seat if you have strength and a socket wrench. The seat is attached to a bracket that fits on a rail that allows the seat to move forward and back. That bracket is attached to the seat by a post, secured by 2 nuts. The nuts are factory tightened and must be very firmly retightened if you swap it out. I found this impossible without a socket wrench.
Tl; dr: I would buy this bike again in a heartbeat. It is suitable for beginners to more competitive cyclists.
I do, however, have some minor beefs. The biggest is the lack of a tilt adjustment on the handlebars. I know this would add complexity and expense but it would help to find the most comfortable position. Even without that, this isn't a big problem for me. The water bottle cages are a joke and I removed them after one ride. They just get in the way and using the bike at home, I have lots of options for setting a water bottle within easy reach. These may be useful in a gym setting but I found them to just be clunky. Finally, as noted by several others, the RPM scale is analog and only marginally useful.
But, as I said, none of this detracts from this being a really top quality product that I will use a lot.
The only negative was the heart monitor and seat (ouch). The monitor is finicky and works about half the time. No big deal for me as I have one on my watch that I have been using. The seat was easily replaced as the post is pretty standard from what I can tell.
The hardest part of the setup was getting it upstairs by myself. I had to remove everything from the box and bring the pieces up individually. Assembly is pretty straight forward especially if you have worked with bikes at all. I've had the bike almost 2 weeks and am very pleased with the purchase so far.
Points of reference: I am about 160 Lb 5'4" frame. I wanted something to use as a cross-training and "Safer" than my road bike. The bike weighs in over 100 lbs. When I "take off" on sprints or Slide the saddle, the bike does not wobble or feel unstable at all.
Features I shopped for specifically that this bike has: The saddle is similar to a standard road bike saddle, and a "pad" could be added if needed(I don't); The saddle frame and handlebars move horizontally and vertically, allowing me to adjust and feel comfortable both seated sprints/standing sprints/using the "high" and "low" bars. They adjust easily so that multiple folks could adjust between rides once they figured out their sweet spot.
The device holds our phone or iPad. We are set up to face a TV and using Youtube I can find things to watch and ride at the same time. I did not get or have any interest in the "free" trial or their streaming service (which is why I wanted to be able to use my own devices and not one provided). The display reads well and the gears adjust smoothly. One reviewer did mention how tight the wheel will seem at first and using their recommendation, I had no issues.
It takes a few rides to get used to the "levels" that indicate the tension on the wheel.
Only Con: My three-point bike clips do not work in the clips provided; I just use the cages with my normal shoes.
Final thought: this bike is best for someone who has indoor spinning/cycling experience (home or studio) or road cycling experience. I would not recommend this for a beginner who isn't sure if they would commit to the device for the cost.
Here's what you need to know. A gear-head could set this up in 30 minutes. It took me a couple of hours-my fault not the bike's. There are no wobbles or vibrations. You would expect there would be. There aren't. It is as quiet as a mouse. No gear or grinding noises at all. It's very stable and you don't rock the bike riding it. I had originally wanted a club version of the Lifecycle. It wasn't available when i was making the purchase, and now I am glad. This one is better and saved me about $1,500 bucks to boot.
I do have one quibble. If you are a short person, this may not be the bike for you. The adjustment on the handlebar doesn't come as far back as desirable for max riding comfort. This is a weakness of the design. My guess is if you are less than 5'-5" it won't be comfortable for you.
Other than that it gets and unqualified endorsement from me. Get one and get riding.
Update 5-24-22 I've had this about a week now and 5-6 rides. I still love the bike, but the mismatch between the seat elevation and distance has started to bug me. I am 5-9" and need the seat about 2/3 extended to have a full leg extension at the bottom. I have to raise the handlebars to the max-they wobble a little here, to hold them. This is uncomfortable and transfers a lot of weight to my shoulders and wrists, and I can only maintain it for a minute or so. That has me balancing on the tiny racing seat that comes with it which is a little unsafe. I've ordered some extension hand grips to keep from having to bend over so far. I would suggest anyone buying this bike order some of these with it.
The IC3 is well-built and heavy. For those considering their first "exercise bike," note that a spin bike feels more like riding an actual bicycle. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your perspective. If you are just starting out and are intimidated by skinny seats and unforgiving geometry of a real bicycle, then you should probably buy an "exercise bike" instead. But if you are used to riding a real bike and want something that offers a similar experience, then you'll want a spin bike. You're in luck too, because they are often less expensive because they don't have many bells and whistles. They are simple and just plain work.
A note about squeaking: Many spin bikes develop an annoying squeak or whine. It's nothing to panic about and it doesn't really reflect the quality of the bike. It just happens. The resistance mechanisms on these things are dead simple - just a felt pad pushed by a spring against the rotating wheel. It 'aint rocket science, but it works reliably. Sometimes, at certain combinations of pedal cadence and resistance, they can develop a harmonic squeak, much the way rubbing your wetted finger over the rim of a wine glass in just the right way will make it sing. Yes, the squeak can be annoying, but it is super easy to fix. You just need a TINY bit of lubricant. A single pea-sized glob of automotive brake grease was all I used. I rubbed it between my fingers and then smeared it as uniformly as possible along the rim of the wheel in a super thin coating. Squeak gone! As a bonus, the small amount of lubrication also made it easier to micro-adjust the resistance.
Anyway, the IC3 is very well built and I expect it to last a very long time. It's so simple and solid, I almost can't imaging how it would break. My one nit is that I wish the handlebars would raise just a tiny bit more. They're OK, but another inch would be super.
Skip the Peloton. Get this. There are plenty of spin class videos on youtube if you really need the motivation of someone yelling at you. Better yet, check out the many scenic ride videos. I virtually biked in the Swiss Alps yesterday. It was awesome!
First of all this bike is very heavy! As the box says, it needs at least two people to move it. I felt bad for the UPS person who delivered it, I wasn’t sure if I should stand and wait by the porch to help. This comes in a box smaller than the indoor bikes sold at Sam’s Club and Costco. Upon opening the box, the styrofoam was falling apart so keep your vacuum cleaner or broom nearby. This bike is very easy to assemble and they pre-screwed most screws so you know there’s enough and you won’t go wrong. You don’t need to get your toolbox out because it comes with it’s own wrench, screwdriver and allen wrench. The illustrations in the instruction booklet are easy to understand and big enough. It’s easier to assemble than tables or chairs sold at Amazon.
Maneuverability
You have to decide which floor or the house you want it before you start assembling it. Once put together it’s not the easiest to move around. It comes with the small wheels in front just like most other indoor bikes.
I’ve been to different spin classes in different gyms in different countries throughout the years. This bike appears to be more high quality than the Stages SC3 bike in my old gym. The build is great and it appears very sturdy. I’m very pleased with the feel I get when I pedal. It kinda reminds me of BodyBike but that brand is in another level (and is 4x the price, too). Pedals are SPD which is great.
To motivate me I’m trying out the Peloton app on my living room TV where my bike is. Monthly subscription is not that expensive (only their bikes are!!) and classes are fun. I’ve been doing Les Mills’ RPM for years but will have to decide soon between Peloton app and LM Online
To be honest my expectations were really low because of the price. But thank goodness, I got a great bike. Schwinn really means business—they have a US hotline you can call if you’re having problems with your bike. I’m not sure how warranty and getting your bike fixed will be for me since I don’t live in a big metropolitan city.
*ORIGINAL REVIEW*
Did some very basic research before purchasing, this bike was the middle ground between a budget bike and a Pelton/Nordic Track. I have never used an indoor spinning bike before, but alas, a tibial stress fracture kept me from running for 4 months, and after returning the last month i am feeling the same pain. I decided to get an indoor spinning bike to offset the next 8 weeks of my recovery and boy oh boy have I stumbled onto a new hobby! This bike arrived in two days, the box is heavy, so if you’re a weakling it could pose a battle. It assembled very easily, as a man who always assembles something incorrectly the first go around, the only hiccup on this assembly for me was mixing up The front and rear wheel assemblies. I was diligent when attaching the pedals, as this seemed to be a common complaint of people who owned this bike. Likely, the pedal issues are user error. I purchased Zwift and this bike/heart rate monitor paired up with the Zwift app right away. In 30 minutes on this bike, and with the motivation of the Zwift app I burn 550 calories, yeah baby! My only complaint is that this bike has set me on a new found obsession, I’ve already discovered the Wahoo Kickr bike, and will drop the thousands of dollars on that in several months after I save some paychecks. People, don’t spend money you don’t have, let that be my lesson to you in life. Conservative > Liberal when it comes to financial decisions...not even debatable. If your still reading this, you rock. I highly recommend this bike, especially if you find yourself in a similar position I have; that is a runner grounded with injury wasting away at the thought of not seeing that heart rate working overtime. Buy this bike, wet your teeth on it and start saving for the big buck smart trainer bikes (Wahoo Kickr and other brands, not the overpriced, over gimmicked Peloton).
The bike: Ultimately I still bought the Schwinn IC4 from Dick's Sporting Goods. Assembly was straightforward but it is a two-person job IMO. It rides like a dream - super quiet, 100 micro-levels of resistance, and the dashboard computer includes an RPM meter, time, calories, distance, speed, resistance level, and pulse (the bluetooth wrist band for measuring heart rate is also included). There is no required monthly fee required to own/use this bike, which was one of the major selling points for me (though the bike is enabled to be integrated with the Peloton app [$14.99/mo but you don't get the scoreboard] or a couple other exercise apps). Personally, I have been riding along with free YouTube spin classes rather than paying for an extra service. The tablet/phone stand allows me to stream videos up close or I can stream from my TV across the room. The integrated USB plug helps me keep the tablet (or my phone) charged.
I am very petite (5'0") so I love that both the seat and the handlebars are not only adjustable verically (up-and-down), but also movable horizontally (forward-and-backward); the latter is not an option on the Peloton. This bike not only fits me perfectly, but works for my 6'2" husband as well. The pedals come with cages on one side and SPD clips on the other. A set of SPD cleats come with the bike to attach to your cycle shoe of choice (should you want). I am lucky enough to already have cycle shoes with compatible cleats. Overall, after having the bike for a month and having ridden for at least 20 hours, I am highly satisfied with this spin bike. It is on par with the spin bikes I've used in cycle studios and costs significantly less than the Peloton.
I watched a YouTube vid and followed along so assembly was a breeze. Honestly, if I can do it so can you. Save yourself the $150 and assemble yourself. The bike works beautifully. On the 2nd day I noticed some squeaking in the pedals but again I just you tubed and there was a helpful video that showed you how to grease the screws in the pedals. Make sure you pay close attention when screwing in the pedals, the left one goes the opposite direction that what you think and doing it wrong could cause damage. Use a pedal wrench if you have one, but the tool that comes in the box will suffice. Make sure you screw things in very tight, but don't overdo it.
I have been riding for over a week and NO issues. Love it. Whisper quiet. A peloton would be better if you really need to have exact cadence, speed and HR on your app but there are work arounds for that. The screen on the IC4 gives you an estimate of cadence and the bike comes with a HR monitor but I just set my apple watch to indoor bike and that woks fine for me, for now. I might get a wahoo cadence monitor later.
The resistance is NOT THE SAME as the peloton, so if you are using the peloton app make sure you learn the conversion scale, otherwise you might burn out too quickly. For example, resistance 25 on Peloton is about 5 on the Schwinn.
It's beautiful and sturdy! Everything is easy to adjust. The seat is SUCH good quality for this type of bike. The pedals have cages but on the flip side there are clips if you prefer to clip in. Two water bottle holders and weights right up front. I hear if you are over 6ft your knees might hit the water bottle holders but I don't have that problem. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it.
I guess if I had to say one thing about it that I don't absolutely love. It's that the tablet holder isn't adjustable, but it's really not that much of an issue. I rigged it with a hand towel so my iPad screen was at the angle I preferred.
I wish I would have made this purchase years ago instead of wasting time stressing about finding the best deal. Having one of these at home is one of the best investments you can make.
NOTE: I'm absolutely convinced that everyone having trouble with pedals coming loose on this bike doesn't understand that the LEFT PEDAL SCREWS ON COUNTER-CLOCKWISE. I'm a lifelong cyclist so this was obvious to me—but clearly it isn't to many people. If you try screwing the left pedal in clockwise, you'll probably succeed—and strip the thread in the process! (Leading to the pedal coming out pretty quickly.) I screwed mine in correctly, going slow to be sure it was threaded properly, and have had ZERO issues with either pedal coming loose.
My only very minor complaint with the bike was that the plastic guard covering the drivetrain creaked a bit...but a simple 1" square of cardboard shoved between the plastic guard and the frame fixed that for good. Otherwise, the bike has been flawless. So has the heartrate monitor—worked perfectly the first time and has worked perfectly ever since.
For the cost, the IC4 is a VASTLY better value than a Peloton bike or other more expensive spinbikes. I have no use for Peloton classes, so couldn't possibly care less about how well it works for those (but I hear it works fairly well if you want to do that).
For my workouts, I've been using the app called "Kinetic" on my iPad—this app syncs perfectly with both the heartrate monitor and the cadence sensor on the IC4. (So all I use the bike's computer for is to monitor my power setting). The magnetic resistance on the IC4 is silky-smooth and feels great. The bike is quiet as a mouse.
Finally, I was not a fan of the seat that comes with the IC4. It's a well-made seat but too wide (in my opinion) if you're a cyclist accustomed to narrower road bike seats (like me). Non-cyclists may not think so, but the narrower your seat, the more comfortable it is (I know, it's counter-intuitive, but trust me on this!) This was an easy fix for me—I just replaced the seat with a narrower one I picked up at my local bike shop, easy-peasy.
So if you're considering a spinbike, I would absolutely NOT hesitate to buy the IC4 (and yes, it is definitely worth it to spend the extra few hundred bucks for the IC4's magnetic resistance over the IC3's felt pad resistance).
I am an outdoor cyclist and figure this bike has now seen the equivalent of around 800 miles on a road bike. I have been reading reviews and it seems that there is some quality inconsistency -- mine is great; other folk have problems. I find the bike to be sturdy and reliable. I ride pretty hard both in and out of the saddle (that's what spinning classes do) and use a variety of resistances from easy (high pedal rate/"flat road) to low pedal rate, high resistance simulating hill climbing.
I have had one significant issue so far -- The display stopped working after only a couple of weeks. Schwinn support was good except they mis-diagnosed the problem. They felt is was a faulty sensor and sent a new one. Since the display began to work again a few days later I diagnosed it as sweat getting into the connector (I sweat profusely during the ride and the display and wiring get soaked). So I used duct tape to protect the vulnerable area and that worked. I never did swap out the sensor. More on the display later.
I also developed a small noise in the pedals after about 30 hours. I tightened them up and was good-to-go again. I think it is good to check and tighten moving parts periodically to prevent problems. For those who are concerned about all of the complaints about pedal problems you should note that so many of them are concerning the left pedal. I think some people do not realize that the left pedal is threaded opposite direction. Screwing it in clockwise (normal direction) will result in cross threading and early failure!
Now, back to the display. The electronic display would be much more useful if the cadence information was not alternating with the speed data. The only two true pieces of data are the cadence and heart rate — they should both be in their own area on the display. The speed, distance and calories are not at all accurate since they do not take into account the resistance of the felt brake pad. More brake pressure simulates a higher gear and, therefore, would result in a higher speed for the same cadence. Similarly, calories burned are a function of both cadence and resistance so are therefore not accurate (resistance not taken into account). My suggestion is to move the speed information to alternate with the distance information.
Since the heart rate on the display only recognizes a limited number of HR monitors (and not mine) I devised another solution. I removed the display and for about $10 got the same bracket I use on my road bicycle to hold my iPhone (it clamps onto the handlebars). I now can use my heart rate monitor and my cadence monitor from my bike for an accurate display (my phone). AND it then gives me a record of the workout by time including calories burned. Using an app like Strava I can now keep track of my workouts in a way that I can see progress (or lack thereof).
Another minor issue is that if you sweat a lot, the front fender needs to be a bit longer to prevent sweat from dripping onto the flywheel’s circumference. When sweat from my head drips onto the flywheel it changes the resistance generated by the felt braking mechanism. I made an extension using part of a Weber BBQ drip pan attached by duct tape.
Read my "first impressions" review below for the multiple user issue I discuss -- not a problem for me but might be for some!
Bottom line: Great bike at a fraction of the price of the well known "professional" bikes. I have gotten used to changing the resistance using the knob and find it easy to follow online spinning classes and get great workouts. I have had good experience with response to questions, etc. from Nautilus (Schwinn) customer service. Had to wait on hold for longer than I would have liked but I understand this problem since sales have been so strong that the customer service lines are swamped. Exercise equipment became the new "toilet paper" due to Covid-19. The warranty on this bike is great and I am thankful that I found a way to exercise vigorously to keep my sanity until this Covid-19 thing is over!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a "first impressions" review. The bike arrived on time, well packaged and in good condition. Assembly was straightforward (took 1 hour for me to assemble alone). There are two points in assembly where a second person would have been helpful -- getting the stuff out of the box (without destroying the box), and attaching the front and rear stabilizers (requires elevating the attach points). Both difficulties are because the bike is heavy with heavy flywheel and those become pluses for the riding experience.
I have ridden it one time so far and the bike is extremely stable, smooth and quiet. It feels like the bikes in spinning class.
One big drawback: If you plan to share this bike with another person (or several) it will be difficult for each to consistently set it the same way each time. There are four adjustments: seat height and fore-aft position; handlebar height and fore-aft position. Only the seat height can be consistently set (pin into holes). The other three settings have no specific position markings and the only way to re-set to the same position after they have been changed would be with a ruler or tape measure. Additionally, these three adjustments are secured by screwing in adjustment handles which cause pins to bear on the corresponding post. They have to be torqued down pretty hard to avoid wobble and, I believe, repetitive re-setting positions will cause failure to lock in the positions without wobble.
The bike arrived quickly and was delivered into my home by two delivery guys. I had them drop it just inside but they were willing to take it to any room. If you have stairs or any awkward area, ask nicely if they’ll help at least get the box there. This thing is solid and heavy.
90% of this came completely assembled save putting on the pedals, bars and seat then connecting the wires up. It was easy to do by myself but I’ll say really examine the part about how to mount the pieces on the handlebar in the right order so you don’t do like I did and have to redo it three times. Also know that the handle bar adjustments work like a ratchet wrench in that the handle pulls out for you to move, without moving the nut/blot), then you put it back in and turn. This is the only way it works in some of the tricky close spots. Makes it a little harder if you’re constantly switching between riders with different heights but it’s fine.
I’m 5’6”, my husband is 6’2”. Both of us seem to fit fine though I think he is at the max of handlebar height. Seat height is generous.
This bike is very quiet and the digital readout showing cadence, while not numerical to the specific, is helpful and I can follow right along. It does not display power output so if you want to ride those rides (Power Zone etc) you’ll need some additional hardware. Honestly there are so many rides online I don’t need this option. Additionally, the resistance will not match up 1:1 with Peloton. Your Fauxloton here will simply require you to put a little post-it with the conversions until you learn it. If you want something fancy there are Etsy sellers who make pretty looking residence conversion tables. Outside of these few tiny things, this has been a fantastic investment and I’d buy it all over again.
If it helps, I have my own heart rate strap (the one with this bike is incredibly incorrect.) Get a real chest strap that takes into account age, body etc btw. I put my phone on the bike with the heart-rate app open and use a cheap $24 Fire Stick to stream the workout. Full tv size and heartrate info right by cadence and resistance.
You will not get the leaderboard with a Fauxloton setup and will not get power output unless you add on some parts and pieces. If you’re really wanting a leaderboard, the ability to get a virtual high five and the right to pay $30 more a month—knock yourself out. If you’re looking for a better more sensible option give it a whirl.