Pros of the 231

Most comfortable riding position.
Famous for the great seat.
Fights boredom with lots of workouts.
Stable ride so no rocking and shaking.
Schwinn reputation for quality.
Free shipping if you buy at the right place.
A lot of bike for the money.

Cons you need to know

It’s fairly heavy to make it stable, so not so easy to move.
Fan makes some noise.
It’s not as heavy as a gym model.
Not as many workouts as some more expensive bikes.
Like all recumbents, it takes quite a bit of room.

A commercial exercise bike is made to take the toughest pounding and still live a long time.  Also the gym bikes are heavy, so they won’t move and rock under the hardest use.  The 231 is a home model that’s not as heavy as a gym bike, but still is durable and stable.

Another real plus to this bike is there are many owners.  It’s easy to find owner feedback and learn what users like and don’t like.

The Schwinn 231 Recumbent Exercise Bike, like many Schwinn models, offers a lot of machine for the money.  It’s certainly not one of the more expensive exercise bikes, but it’s rated as a good value.  You get many features of more expensive commercial machines, but you get a home machine price.