Schwinn 290 Recumbent Bike Review

Schwinn is an iconic American company that's been making bikes since 1895. They began making exercise bikes in 1965 and have made some incredibly successful products. Despite many mergers and corporate takeovers, Schwinn has been one of the most innovative companies in tackling the exercise bike market. The 290 Recumbent Bike is their premium recumbent offering and brings years of tech and refinement to the comfort of your home.

Performance Comparison

Exercise Quality

The Schwinn 290 Recumbent provides a stable and comfortable platform to spin your legs and burn a few (hundred) calories. What our testers liked most about spinning on the 290 was the relaxed disposition and calm upper body that could accompany a good cardio session. Set up in front of a TV, the 290 felt more like active furniture than a fitness machine. Hopping on and starting one of the programmed workouts takes only seconds, with no need to sign in or connect via Bluetooth. There is no wobble or flex like we experienced with the Marcy ME-709. You can also dial in your “saddle height” or your distance from the saddle to pedals. Instead of indexed positions like the Marcy has, the 290 has infinite adjustability along its 13.2" seat track, which accommodates riders from at least 5'1" to 6'2", possibly more.

Getting on the 290 isn't difficult, but they could have made it easier. The frame is shaped so that getting your foot through the lowest 4" high section is a tight squeeze. Our testers preferred to sit on the seat first and then rotate into place so they could avoid the possibility of getting their foot stuck. This isn't an issue on other recumbents we've tested and, while not a deal breaker, should be a consideration for older or mobility-impaired users. Once you start spinning, it is apparent that the inner workings of this bike are high quality; the belt drive and magnetic resistance make it feel like pushing through water. The back of the seat is stiff enough to leverage yourself for high output but still comfortable enough to sit for over an hour.

Our lead tester rode every one of the 11 programmed workouts and several of the JRNY classes to assess the exercise quality. The bike could sustain hard pushes and provide firm enough resistance for HIIT-style workouts. Regardless of our input level, the magnetic resistance always felt consistent and smooth. How the seat adjusts on a track moving upward feels counterintuitive as taller folks with longer legs are positioned higher than shorter riders. Schwinn doesn't specify a range of fit for the 290, but our 5'1" tester wasn't all the way forward on the seat, and our 6' 2" tester had some room to spare, so the fit range is likely wider than the 13" height range that our testers represent.

Staring at the console on the 290, you can see far more data than you can on the Marcy ME-709, and it also feels more engaging. The colors and graphics are limited, but they add to the experience while giving you some screen-oriented metrics. On the screen are readouts for Time / Interval / Speed / Calories / Burn Rate / Watts / Heart Rate / Distance / Cadence / Resistance. We tested the accuracy of the machine's power meter using our own Garmin power meter pedals and a Garmin 805 head unit. The wattage indicated on the screen isn't very accurate, but it is consistent. We found the 290 to be under-reporting wattage by approximately 20% throughout several testing sessions.

Comfort

The Schwinn 290 has a comfortable perch with a wide, cushioned seat bottom and a stiff, non-adjustable, ventilated seat back. The seat features 13.2" of infinite adjustability, unlike the Marcy ME-709, which has only 12" of adjustability, and users must choose one of the seven indexed positions. The Schwinn's adjustment happens on the seat rail rather than the frame, so instead of just getting longer, the 290's seat gets higher as it gets further from the pedals. Our testers all ranked the bike high in comfort, but there is no adjustability other than moving the seat forward or back.

The 290 is fairly easy to mount and dismount thanks to its recumbent style. The stepover height of 4" is higher than the Marcy ME-709, and there's also a narrower channel for your foot to pass through. Mobility-impaired people would be encouraged to study its design and may have issues with the narrow step-through, but we found it more accommodating than any of the upright bikes we've tested, as you can sit down first and swing your leg over. There are multiple positions for resting your hands, with a padded U-shaped handlebar under the screen and additional handles beside the seat, but neither handlebar is adjustable. Testers found the forward handlebars useful during hard strains and high resistance training, while the handles beside the seat were optimal for stabilizing yourself while spinning. Testers appreciated the comfort of the wide pedals and found them comfortable in all the shoes we used while testing. The pedals are also weighted, so they're always in the correct position for entry.

The only complaint we had about the bike's ergonomics has to do with its q-factor or width between pedal platforms. The q-factor on the 290 measures 222mm, which is quite wide for an exercise machine. Some people may not notice this aspect of the bike, but it may irritate some user's knees. Most exercise bikes in this review measure between 150mm and 190mm, with only a few topping 200mm, so 222mm is extremely wide.

User Interface

While the 290 comes with a user manual, the 7.25" display and controls are so intuitive and easy to use that you're unlikely to get much from the manual that you couldn't figure out in 10 minutes on the bike. Power for the display comes from an AC adapter that needs to be plugged into an outlet. The screen shows three data fields in contrasting colors that make them easy to understand. At the top of the blue screen is a time readout that shows your elapsed workout time, counting down to zero, and your speed. The second field in red shows calories burned, your current burn rate, and your wattage. The lower field shows your distance, cadence, and current resistance level.

Below the three main data fields is a graphical display of your current workout. Graphics are reminiscent of a 1980s Atari console, but they convey your progress and show you what to expect. The control buttons are situated below the display and device holder, so you can still access them if you're using a tablet or reading a magazine. The control buttons consist of Start and Stop buttons, up and down resistance adjustments, and ten resistance shortcut buttons. There is also a Program button that allows you to choose from eleven pre-programmed workouts. A volume button allows you to adjust the output of the console's built-in speakers. The buttons are bubble-style plastic overlays that make the display easy to clean but tend to crack after prolonged use. The two 1.5" speakers aren't very powerful, but they easily overcome the small amount of noise the BIKE creates. The display tilts up and down 22 degrees for riders of different heights or to eliminate glare.

The JRNY app isn't necessary to use the machine, and its extra cost of $12/month may not be for everyone, but we found that it added a lot to our workouts. There are quite a few activities offered in the app. If you're doing studio classes or taking a scenic ride with Explore the World, you can utilize the machines Terrain Control Technology, where the amount of resistance you feel is controlled automatically. Our testers liked that you could focus on the ride and experience the feel of hills dictated by the terrain or trainer. Overall, we like the convenience and cost of the JRNY app, but it doesn't compare with the engagement you get from Peloton or iFit.

Features

The 290 has a simple design but isn't without useful features. While testing exercise bikes, we move them around a lot, and the Schwinn is easier to move than many others despite weighing 108 pounds. A handle on the back of the bike allows it to be lifted, and when upright, its heavy end rests on forward transport wheels, allowing you to push it around like a furniture dolly. While the Marcy ME-709 weighs half as much, its ineffective transport wheels make moving it more difficult. Our testers appreciated the location of the water bottle holder; it sits to the rear left of the seat and stays completely out of the way. “You don't have to reach through a gauntlet of moving levers like you do on the Schwinn AD6,” remarked tester Rachael Lamore.

A device shelf allows you to rest a magazine, tablet, or phone. Having USB-A charging on the console lets you keep a secondary screen charged and running. This is super helpful for using app-connected workouts like JRNY or Zwift. While these apps add to the cost of ownership, they may prove to be aspirational and motivational.

The 290's padded handlebars increase comfort and protect the metal from sweat and scratches. We didn't find the forward handlebar nearly as useful as the lower handles beside the seat. The lower handles allow you to stabilize during hard pushes. Testers noted that the handles are significantly lower than those on the Marcy, giving you more leverage but less of a comfortable perch.

Ease of Setup/Portability

The 290 is shipped in a fairly large bicycle-style box that opens from the top. After removing a fair bit of styrofoam packaging, we found the assembly to be lengthy but not technically challenging. As you can see in the video below, there are quite a few parts to bolt into place, but the instructions are clear, and all of the necessary tools are included.

The general shape and mass of the 290 make it awkward to move around until you mount the transport wheels. Our tester took 55 minutes to read the instructions and assemble the machine, a little less time than the Marcy ME-709. Having a second set of hands around while building this bike will simplify some of the steps, but there was nothing technically or mechanically challenging about putting it together.

After assembling the Schwinn 290 Recumbent, we took its measurements and weighed the unit. We found the unit to be smaller than its stated dimensions, measuring 64.5" L x 28.5" W x 46.5" H. There are two components that move, the screen and seat, but neither contributes to a larger footprint. The maximum width of the machine is on the rear support leg that measures 28.5" while the front support leg is only 20.5". By the nature of its design, this recumbent is longer than any of the other exercise bikes we've reviewed, and while it's lower to the ground, it's not likely much of a space saver. Those with less space to devote to a fitness machine should note that the Marcy ME-709 is almost 18" shorter in its most compact setting.

Should You Buy the Schwinn 290 Recumbent Bike?

The Schwinn 290 isn't the least expensive of our exercise bikes, but it feels like a solid value for its exercise quality and ability to connect to apps that increase your engagement. We appreciate that this machine doesn't force you into a particular app or leave you with a mandatory monthly fee. In some ways, the 290 feels like useful furniture that isn't out of place in a living room or reading lounge. If you've decided that a recumbent riding position is what you desire, the 290 is our recommended fitness machine. We'd suggest that you look at the size of its footprint and measure your available space, as it felt like a big machine when it wasn't in our wide-open testing office or warehouse.

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