Schwinn Airdyne Pro Vs AD7

 

Schwinn Fitness has been at the head of exercise equipment design for years.

Their Airdyne Pro bikes are marketed for commercial users like gym owners and personal trainers, while the Airdyne AD7 model is marketed toward residential users.

But how do these two models differ? We’ve put together a guide to the important points regarding these bikes.

Airdyne bikes come in several models. Some are made for commercial spaces like clubs and gyms, while others are designed for residential use.

A residential airbike is one you can purchase and install anywhere in your home to use at your leisure. Many people prefer them as a long-term investment because they allow easier access to fitness than a gym membership.

Schwinn Airdyne Pro Vs AD7

What’s the Difference?

The Airdyne Pro and Airdyne AD7 are the same model of bike. They have the same technology, construction, and specs.

However, the Airdyne Pro is marketed toward commercial gyms and used as a communal piece of equipment, while the Airdyne AD7 is marketed toward residential users.

There are three Airdyne bikes marketed toward residential users; the AD7 tends to perform the best of all of them.

The only difference between the two bikes is in the warranty. As the Airdyne Pro is used in commercial gyms, subject to longer use, and more susceptible to being broken, this bike model comes with longer warranties.

Gym owners who purchase the Airdyne Pro get a 10 year frame warranty, 2 years of coverage for electronics and parts, and 6 months of labor coverage.

Residential owners of the AD7 receive free warranties half this length of time. There’s 5 year frame coverage, 1 year covering parts and electronics, and 90 days covering any potential labor needs.

Airdyne AD7 Workout Programs

Of all the home air bikes that Schwinn manufactures, the AD7 is the only one that has workout programming more complex than manual mode.

Each bike has an LCD monitor that gives you nine preset options. These include heart rate zone monitoring, interval workouts, and target setting for calories, time, and distance.

Unlike some at-home exercise bikes made by other manufacturers, these programs don’t have an effect on the bike’s speed or resistance.

However, they give you ongoing feedback that guides the intensity of your workout.

If you choose a 20-10 interval prompt, you’ll sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10, and repeat for however many cycles you’ve set.

With the heart rate zones, the bike monitors your ongoing heart rate so you can adjust your workout intensity. It’s possible to use this program individually or combine it in the background with others.

Different workout programs give you slightly different data. Generally speaking, the bike gives you standard exercise machine feedback like heart rate, calories burned, distance, and time spent working out.

Features

The AD7 has the strongest frame in the residential Airdyne line. Though it’s compact enough to take up minimal space, it offers support for up to 350 pounds.

In addition, the model is the only home Schwinn air bike that includes a powder coating, which helps keep the equipment looking fresh from the factory for several years.

As far as exercise bikes go, air bikes are specifically designed to be breezy rides. Some riders prefer feeling the air of the fan, but if you don’t like feeling the airflow against your skin, you can use a fan air diverter to move the flow away.

The bike comes with adjustability settings to accommodate a range of different rider heights. The seat can be moved up, down, forward, and backward.

Similar to elliptical machines, Airdyne exercise bikes have moving handlebars. Of the series, the AD7 boasts the most advanced handlebar design. They let you grip in multiple positions to diversify your exercises, target different groups of muscles, and keep from becoming fatigued.

The bike frame has two built-in pegs to let you rest your feet while you use the handlebars. Meanwhile, the pedals come with textured surfaces and foot straps to help your feet stay safely gripping during intensive bouts of exercise.

You can use a Polar chest strap to get accurate heart rate monitoring data, although this needs to be purchased separately. The bike does include a large bottle holder that can attach to the frame.

The AD7’s design is purposefully made to be both compact and sturdy. Its physical footprint is a little less than 42 by 20 inches.

You don’t even need a power cord, because the entire bike is powered through just two AA batteries. The equipment comes with attached transport wheels to help you move it into your home.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been thinking about buying an Airdyne bike for your home, the AD7 is by far the best option available.

It has the most compact design, most intricate data tracking, multiple workout program settings, and handlebars that move similarly to an elliptical machine.

The AD7 is a bike model that’s high-quality enough to be marketed to multiple fitness clubs and gyms under the Airdyne Pro name.

But unlike many of the other professional-tier fitness bikes that are difficult to find in residential models, the AD7’s pricing is on the lower end of the exercise bike spectrum.

The one potential drawback is that there’s no way to adjust the bike’s resistance or speed, so it may be difficult to do workout regimens intended to build up muscle slowly over time.

But the machine does provide accurate data regarding the heart rate and calories burned during workouts.