The 130 is Schwinn’s most affordable upright bike and even though this model is quite budget-friendly, it still comes with a surprising collection of features.

Most notably a console that’s bluetooth friendly, compatible with chest strap heart rate monitors, and loaded with a nice selection of workouts.

The 130 scores pretty highly when it comes to performance too.

With a 13 lb flywheel and 16 magnetic resistance levels, it’s able to provide a smoother ride than you might expect for a bike in this price range.

It also happens to be backed by a great warranty, something few bikes at this price point can say.

All things considered, I think the Schwinn 130 is one of the best affordable upright bikes around – but you can’t just take my word for it (well, you could I guess, I’m a trustworthy guy), you gotta do your own homework to see for yourself.

But I can still help.

In this review, I”ll go over all the key specs and features you should know about before deciding on the Schwinn 130.

After reading this, you’ll be well equipped to decide for yourself whether or not this is the right bike for your home.

The Schwinn 130 Upright Bike

I know spin bikes have become the big craze these days, but I think there’s still a solid need for quality upright bikes.

After all, everyone isn’t going to be comfortable hunched over a spin bike and not everyone has the room or need for a recumbent bike.

And that’s where the humble upright bike comes in.

An upright bike can fill that gap for the folks who like the idea of sitting more vertically while they ride, but aren’t necessarily trying to mimic the sensation of riding a road bike.

And even though we don’t see any marketing for these bikes, there are still plenty of quality upright bikes on the market- like the 130 we’re here to discuss right now.

Schwinn’s one of the most well-known fitness brands on the planet, so I don’t think they need much of an introduction here.

All I’ll say is that they’ve been going strong for over a century and the fact that they’re still going strong today has gotta say something.

Anyway, the 130 is one of 2 upright bikes in Schwinn’s current lineup The other is the higher-end 170, which comes with several console upgrades.

Pros

• Decent flywheel for the price
• 16 levels of magnetic resistance system
• 300 lb weight capacity
• 13 workout programs
• Heart rate strap compatible
• Bluetooth compatible
• Great warranty
• Great price

Cons

• Lightweight frame
• Console not backlit
• Seat not fully adjustable

Resistance

I always start with a rundown on the resistance system because I think this is the most important aspect to consider for any exercise bike.

Even if you’re not interested in getting intense workouts, having a sophisticated resistance system is still important because it’ll give you a smoother pedal motion.

And unfortunately, a lot of budget bikes don’t have the smoothest pedal motion.

And a lot of that is due to the fact that so many cheaper bikes come with really light flywheels.

Heavier flywheels usually provide a smoother feel because the extra builds up more momentum as you pedal and this momentum helps keep the pedals spinning between each pedal stroke.

The result is a more fluid transition between strokes.

It’s also important to consider the type of resistance the bike is using too.

Exercise bikes can use friction brakes or magnetic systems and at this price range, it’s probably a guarantee that you’re getting magnetic (but it’s still good to check).

Magnetic systems are preferred because they’re smoother and don’t require the replacement of a felt pad.

So, with all of that in mind, the 130 comes with a 13 lb flywheel and 16 levels of magnetic resistance.

Even though 13 lb would be considered light for more expensive upright bikes (and pretty much every spin bike), it’s actually a good size for a bike in this price range.

This is the same flywheel found on the more expensive 170, as well as Nautilus’ U616 and U618.

And users generally agree that the resistance feels smooth during workouts, especially when compared to other budget bikes.

16 resistance levels is also nice because it gives you a decent amount of room to fine tune the intensity of each level.

Having more levels doesn’t mean you’re getting more overall resistance, it just means you can make smaller incremental changes.

Overall, I think the 130 scores highly in this department. It’s packing a respectable flywheel for this price range and it comes with plenty of magnetic resistance levels to work with.

Frame

I think it’s a good idea to check out how robust a bike is before purchasing too.

And by that, I really mean how heavy-duty it’s going to feel during workouts.

This can be difficult to asses, without being able to hop on and and take it for a spin before purchasing, but there are some things you can look for.

Like the assembled weight and weight capacity.

Seeing higher numbers in both stats is a good sign the bike will feel more stable during use, especially for larger users.

The 130 comes in with an assembled weight of 58 lb, which is far from heavy, but it’s pretty average when compared to similarly priced uprights.

FYI, I consider anything over 100 lb to be pretty heavy-duty, like Sole’s B94 that weighs around 123 lb assembled (although to be fair, it costs 2x as much as the 130).

The 130 redeems itself a little with its 300 lb weight capacity, which is certainly high enough to accommodate most riders.

The 130 only takes up a footprint of about 41″ x 21″ (L x W), so it really doesn’t require much floorspace.

Overall, this is a lightweight bike, but that’s to be expected at this price point.

Warranty

Schwinn backs their 130 Upright Bike with the following residential warranty:

• 10 year frame
• 2 year parts
• 1 year electronics
• 90 day labor

Ok, so I think this warranty is really good.

Ten years on the frame is very impressive for a bike in this price range where you’re lucky to get more than a year on anything.

The same goes for 2 years on the parts.

90 days on labor is short, but again- at this price point, getting a labor warranty isn’t a guarantee to begin with.

Overall, I think Schwinn does a great job with their warranty for this bike. It’s easily one of the better warranties you’ll find in this price range.

Features

The Schwinn 130 comes with the following features:

LCD console- the screen on this bike is very basic and it’s not backlit, making it a little harder to read in darker rooms, but it’s easy to use and allows you to see all your basic workout stats.

13 workout programs- the 130 comes with a nice selection of preloaded workout profiles to choose from, including all the standards you’d expect as well as heart rate guided ones too.

Bluetooth- this bike is bluetooth compatible with some fitness apps (like Explore the World and Zwift), allowing you to connect for metric tracking and scenic workouts (you have to use a tablet phone, or tv to see the app).

Heart rate monitoring- the 130 comes with built-in grip heart rate monitors and is also compatible with chest straps for more accurate readings during workouts.

Media shelf- the small media shelf gives you a place to hold your phone or tablet during workouts.

Water bottle holder- nothing fancy here, but it gives you a place to store your beverage of choice.

Price

Ok, let’s talk numbers.

I’ve mentioned throughout how this bike performs “for it’s price range”, well, let’s talk more specifically about that range.

At the time of writing this, the 130 is going for $399 directly through Schwinn’s site, but I’ve seen it as low as $299 through Amazon (it’s always a good idea to compare prices!)

Both of these prices are well within the budget range, although this bike does cost more than the super cheap upright bikes out there (and there are a lot of them).

There actually aren’t that many upright bikes in this price range.

Nautilus’ U616 is close, but still about $100 more. ProForm’s 8.0 EX is also close, but again, still about $100 more.

And the 130 holds it’s own pretty well against all of the bikes just mentioned.

Final Thoughts

Well, it’s about time to wrap this review up.

All things considered, I think the 130 has a lot to offer.

It comes with a very respectable resistance system and a nice selection of features for such an affordable upright.

The biggest downsides I see are that it’s a very lightweight bike and that the console isn’t backlit.

But again, for this price range, lightweight is what you get and I don’t consider the lack of a backlit console to be a deal breaker.

Especially considering how good that warranty is.

Overall, if you’re looking for an affordable upright bike, I think Schwinn’s 130 is one of the best options around.