Anyone know about spin bikes?

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I'm about to pull the trigger on a Schwinn Johnny G Pro spin bike, but whilst I appreciate the bike is commercial grade gym territory, I also know these bikes are between 10 and 15 years old.

Assuming it's all working OK I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it, but a quick mooch seems to suggest parts are hard to come by in the UK.

I'm not averse to importing from the US, but I always seem to get slapped by HMRC when I do, so a UK source would be nice.

So has anyone got any experience of this particular bike, and if anyone has any experience of spin bikes in general, (regarding DIY fettling), I'd appreciate to hear from you.

THIS is the BB for the Schwinn, and it looks like any other sealed cartridge BB to me, can anyone confirm this.
 

Pdstubbs

Regular
Schwinn have a uk presence. Best to ring them up for spare parts. They seem to be more used to dealing with gyms but spare parts should be available without importing
http://equipment.schwinnindoorcycling.co.uk/contact-us/
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
Johnny G was a legend in the California fitness scene around the turn of this century. He was the first guy to offer bike workout classes on specially built bikes that mimicked actual bikes and these bikes were built to take a lot of punishment. Schwinn had a good reputation from their American made fitness bikes as well. I think these bikes were also built to use many standard parts where they could.These bikes are great spinners, and offer bike-like position. Supposedly packs two hours fitness into a one hour session. 44 pound flywheel.
 

Gravity Aided

Legendary Member
Location
Land of Lincoln
Schwinn is now a Canadian owned company called Dorel, who own rights to the name and have everything mainly built overseas from the US. Mostly, you see Schwinns in Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart anymore. Rather a shame, but this has also happened to GT and Cannondale and many other marques over here. If you want a bicycle of quality, with a Schwinn involved, go here: http://waterfordbikes.com/w/
 
OP
OP
smokeysmoo

smokeysmoo

Legendary Member
Schwinn is now a Canadian owned company called Dorel, who own rights to the name and have everything mainly built overseas from the US. Mostly, you see Schwinns in Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart anymore. Rather a shame, but this has also happened to GT and Cannondale and many other marques over here. If you want a bicycle of quality, with a Schwinn involved, go here: http://waterfordbikes.com/w/
The Schwinn Johnny G Spinner Pro is one of the older generation 'proper' Schwinn's and as such is very highly regarded, (as you allude to in post #6), so at least it's not a K-Mart special :thumbsup:

Anyhoo, despite Schwinn UK's lack of communication I've bitten the bullet and bought it, argh!

If anything is untoward when I collect it I'll just walk away, but hopefully it'll be fine, and then as far as consumable items go I'm sure the flywheel bearings will be a standard available size, (we have a bearing specialist in town who's never failed to match one up for me yet), the BB is standard Shimano fare, so that only leaves the friction pads, and even if I can't get originals I'm sure I can make something else fit/work when the need arises.

Let the spinning commence :sweat:

Anybody got any recommendations for spinning videos? I've used Spinnervals before so I'll dig those out to be going on with.
 
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