The bike that survived the pandemic ($2000 cheaper than the Peloton)

Remember Panic?

All of a sudden we were all shutting down. Almost everything closes. need to adjust. Oh how would I need to adjust.

I confess that there was only one thing that worried me about the pandemic. That’s other than the perfectly obvious concern of contracting a potentially deadly virus.

I don’t want to get too personal here, but you have to sweat. Yes, every day.

I need to burn out the physical and mental elements that aggravate within and on myself. It looked as if it had been attacked by a gang of shower traders.

pandemic panic

Due to the pandemic the gym was closed.So, like many others, I hurried exercise bikeThis was not easy as many others were doing the exact same thing.

The trick was choosing a bike that was still available.which I never intended to be a peloton, was it? Those were the glory days of Peloton’s immense popularity.

So I searched Amazon and found Schwinn 170Of course I had no idea what one of them was, but at least I had heard of Schwinn.

And this Schwinn 170 was a (relatively) very reasonable $520. (Currently retailing for $449.)

I decided it wouldn’t take too long. The pandemic will be over in a few months and we can go back to our old habits. And really, how bad is this bike?

We understand that everyone’s exercise needs are different. Many people prefer to be tricked or yelled at over a screen by someone far more suitable than they are.

I have never seen that joy. I want to forget that I am riding a bicycle and pedaling up and down an imaginary slope while reading a book and going up and down an imaginary slope.

For me it works.

I can immerse myself in a crime novel and spend an hour without much pain, unless my favorite character is suddenly killed off.

Yes, sometimes my novels drip sweat, but who is perfect?

put it all together

Assembling the Schwinn 170 wasn’t too difficult. It looks like an IKEA bike. You get tools, you get instructions, you get help from others.

My wife and I were able to put all the pieces together to look like the picture.

No, it’s not the most comfortable bike in the world – even with a cushy-soft seat cover. In many cases.

Schwinn and I have gone through several phases. First, the left pedal started to click. I don’t understand why. But this click was capricious. Sometimes it lasted the whole ride, sometimes it lasted for minutes, other times it made fun of me for not happening at all.

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Next is the right pedal. It began to make a clicking noise, like wheels without tires going down stairs. It was a hassle. Then it was very annoying. It lasted over a year and I put up with it.

I know you don’t, but when I do, I’m a hopeless man. Did you say delete the ?

So I should mention that the Schwinn 170 has a small shelf that fits perfectly whatever novel I’m reading. Well, almost all novels.

After the applause I continue

But back to crack.

One day it just stopped. No, I don’t know why. or how. But now there are occasional clicks, creaks and creaks, but nothing spares me from its sudden (relative) smoothness.

However, you may want to know a little more detail.

The bike’s maker claims it’s Bluetooth enabled, so you can track your progress with your beloved app. I never tried to app-en it. I just ride and haven’t even looked at 25 levels of resistance and 29 workout programs.

That’s probably not good enough for you, but somehow it kept me going up and down hills, a program called Pyramids.

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Yes, it’s been over 30 months since I bought it Schwinn 170 I have not reactivated my gym membership yet.

It keeps going, it keeps me going and I keep going.

I know this isn’t an entirely fair comparison, but Peloton $2,500 – And perhaps to get someone to yell at you – Schwinn might not be such a bad investment.

The silence is reassuring, even if one of the pedals occasionally clatters.