Why The Schwinn Airdyne Evolution Is Better

The Schwinn Airdyne Evolution Comp is as the name suggests an updated version of the old Schwinn Airdyne. The older model Airdyne is still available. My own personal bike is an old model Schwinn Airdyne. As a former automotive engineer, I appreciate rugged designs and detest machines that require tinkering and constant repairs. My bike is as tough as could be. We're talking trouble free for 15 plus years of hard use. Couldn't be better.

The dual action Schwinn Airdyne Evolution works your arms and legs with resistance from turning a fan. The faster you pedal and pump, the higher resistance your workout. The only way to change the resistance is to just pedal and or pump faster. This is unlike a magnetic resistance machine where you just dial in a different resistance. If you want more resistance you must pedal faster.

One plus of these machines is the simplicity of the design. You're just turning a fan so there isn't as much to go wrong as with more sophisticated machines.

The EVO has several differences compared to my old machine. Most noticeable is the size of the fan. The EVO fan is much smaller which makes for less noise and smoother operation. Also there's less breeze blowing on you. I could appreciate that most of the time. Constant gale force winds aren't all that much fun. ALso the drive is by belt instead of chain which makes for less noise and smoother pedaling.

Early reports on the EVO complained of poor assembly quality, not poor components, and poor instructions. Later reports say the assembly problems have been fixed, but the assembly instructions are still poor.

The Schwinn Airdyne is one of my all time favorite machines. It does what it is designed to do and is rugged and reliable. The Schwinn Airdyne Evolution model is similar with the changes to make it quieter and smoother.