We’re no longer new to the world of indoor trainers after having tested and reviewed a lot of models, but of course, still can’t claim to have tried every single bike trainer out there. What we do know, however, is that the legendary brand of Schwinn have gone and released yet another killer product that will please a lot of cycling fans looking to stay in shape over the off-season – yep, the Schwinn Fluid trainer is certainly a trainer to consider if you’re after quality and staying power!
The Schwinn is very well-constructed and carefully designed, and you’re going to be shedding some pounds this winter with this one in your man cave!
We’ve recommended it to all a few fellow bike enthusiasts getting started with indoor training, and won’t be surprised to see one in their houses the next time we swing by for a drink!
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Read on for our full review…
Why you’ll love this Schwinn Fluid trainer…
If you’ve been putting off buying an indoor trainer for ages because there aren’t any trainers that are ready to use right out of the box – and if there’s someone who is worse at this DIY assembly stuff than me, I’d like to meet him – then think again. With this Schwinn trainer, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easily and quickly everything comes together. It took me all of fifteen minutes to set up, while others who have reviewed their purchase online have mentioned setup times of just 5 minutes!
The hand-clamping mechanism for securing the bike was especially convenient and very intuitive. Fortunately for me, it fit my mountain bike’s large 700 cc tires just fine and will most definitely fit other commonplace tires as well. I also appreciated the effort Schwinn put in to deliver a complete package. Every part I could possibly have required was in the box, including a skewer for the wheel axle capable of fitting 5-7 gear cassettes. All in all, I started my first training session within an hour of receiving the delivery from Amazon.
When it came to the riding experience, I was also blown away. For the price, I’m pretty sure you won’t find a better fluid trainer out there. It might be just over the $200 mark, but seriously, this is a great deal for the benefits a fluid trainer can provide you over the cheaper magnetic resistance trainers.
For starters, the Schwinn Fluid Resistance trainer is remarkably stable, and this is coming from someone who can usually be found with his butt half out of the saddle, pedaling as if my life depends on it. I think this must be down to the wide-leg design and the very secure hand-clamping system. Since I let my children on my bike sometimes, stability is a very important feature for me, and I feel completely safe letting my kids use this trainer.
Secondly, the machine was very quiet. I have some of the most intolerant neighbors on the planet, and I’ve had them banging on my door more than once complaining about loud footsteps or noisy television shows, but I haven’t had a peep from them about my indoor cycling. Considering I tend to train late at night or before dawn (a working adult’s got to make do with what little free time he has, right?) this is very impressive. The fluid resistance technology certainly lives up to its billing of being one of the quietest systems out there for indoor bike trainers.
Lastly, the fluid resistance system is a really smooth operator. I haven’t done any maintenance in the four months since I’ve received it, and the ride experience is still extremely enjoyable – no creaking, jerking or wobbling that might distract you from your training! Schwinn’s done a good job of simulating outdoor cycling here. The fluid-based system is, quite astonishingly, able to replicate that exhilarating feeling of coasting down an open road – minus the wind, rain and other niggling discomforts that make open-road cycling in the dead of winter a dubious proposition at best.
Oh, and before we wrap it up, we forgot to mention that this one is also made in the USA. For those of you keen to support home-grown talent and businesses.
But…what’s the catch?
I’m sure you’re wondering, “What’s the catch?”. Fantastic indoor bike trainers don’t usually come cheap, and at just over two hundred dollars, the Schwinn Fluid Resistance trainer clearly falls squarely into the “affordable” category. Well, with this bike trainer you won’t be getting a lot of the high-tech features you might enjoy if you forked over a thousand dollars for a luxury model like the CycleOps PowerBeam Pro. For example, there’s no 12-level adjustable resistance or smartphone compatibility. It could also certainly be made out of heavier metal, and a fold-able frame would be nice.
However, it would be grossly unfair to criticize this Schwinn product for lacking these bells and whistles. It’s an entry-level fluid bike trainer, and I have to evaluate it on that basis. If you want a bike trainer that gives you a safe, smooth and comfortable ride, and is capable of sustaining you through the off-season with challenging and realistic workouts, the Schwinn fluid trainer gets the job done with great aplomb. It’s hardy and designed with the serious cyclist in mind – what more could you ask for? Stop sacrificing your fitness gains when winter comes around, and click that button below to grab your Schwinn indoor trainer today!