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Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle vs Concept 2 skierg

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Apr 8, 2021 9:00:00 AM

Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle vs Concept 2 skierg

This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness GR3 Indoor cycle and the Concept 2 skierg including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview and review of the Concept 2 skiErg

The Concept 2 SkiErg comes in at $770. In this article you will learn more about the product itself, its Pros and cons and alternatives you might want to consider. This article has originally been published in the overview "Which conditioning equipment to buy from Rogue".

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Overview of the concept 2 skiErg

 
The concept 2 skierg is a machine which simulates cross country skiing. The concept 2 rower flywheel has been adapted to keep the athlete in an upright position. This way of going about solves several challenges.
 
The design of the skierg uses a lot less space than bikes, treadmills, and rowers. Mounted to a wall it takes almost no floor space which makes it a great option for home gyms with limited space. Based on the nature of the movement it can also be used by athletes who have disabilities or rehab from injuries. You can still get a great workout in while seated with the skierg. The skierg has the following specifications: 
 
  • Assembled in the us 
  • Color black 
  • Weight 46 LB
  • Length 52”
  • Width 24”
  • Height 85”
 
The concept 2 Skierg is great value for money, especially if you want to mainly focus on your upper body. 
 

Pros of the Cncept 2 skiErg

 
The pros of the concept 2 ski erg are:
 
  • size 
  • Can be used by people with disabilities 
  • Price 
 
The size of the concept 2 skierg is one of its main benefits. Mounted to a wall it takes up no floor space in your gym whatsoever. This is especially good if you want to fit a big rack into a small space and still be able to do cardio. 
 
The concept 2 skierg is one of the few options for endurance training on the market which I know that suits people who can not stand or walk because of their wheels. The only other option I would know is the hand driven ellipticals which are bigger and provide less bang for the buck. 
 
The price is also very attractive to many other cardio options. From the rogue website, it is one of the lowest priced options available. 
 

Cons of the concept 2 skiErg

 
The cons of the concept 2 skierg are
 
  • Specificity 
  • Not a real full body workout 
 
Not many people compete in skiing, at least compared to running which is applicable to almost any team sports. Therefore the skierg will not provide a specific movement relevant to the sport your athletes and clients do, except you live in Norway or Switzerland. This means you will also have to provide another machine apart from the skierg.
 
Even though the marketing claims it is a full body workout I would doubt that you get the same amount of a response from the skierg than a rower or a fan bike. The legs are just too stationary and passive for that. Still a hard workout. 
 

Alternatives to the Concept 2 skiErg

 
Alternatives to the Skierg are
 
 
The Rogue echo bike will probably give you the better full body workout at roughly the same price. You will need minimally more floor space. This is a great option if you want to burn maximum calories per minute per square foot. 
 
The TrueForm runner would be the best option in the market today to simulate real conditions on a treadmill as close as possible. This also comes at a hefty price tag. Based on the reviews I have seen it is worth every penny. 
 
The concept two rower would be the solid option for a full body workout for every age group. I think this one of the best options for home use if you have the space for the entire family. The only downside is that you would have to free up quite some space to fit it into most homes.
 

Summary for the Concept 2 SkiErg

 
The concept 2 skierg is a great machine which fits in any corner. With this, you can train hard and burn your calories. The only downside is that you will mainly focus on your upper body while the legs stay stationary. 
 

Overview and review of the Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle

This is an overview of the Horizon fitness GR3 Indoor cycle including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was first published in Which Horizon fitness bike to get?

For the most up to date information and asking direct questions you can follow me on Instagram.

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Overview of the Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle $499

 
The GR3 is the cheapest option to join the Horizon Fitness family. This is a no non-sense spinning bike that provides resistance via a flywheel and mechanical brake system. If you ever have attended a spinning class in your local gym, then this is exactly what you can expect with the GR3. The full specifications are:
 
Frame Type: Indoor Cycle
Adjustable Pedal straps: Yes
Pedal Type: Pedal Cage with toe strap
Seat Type: Road-Style Saddle
Seat adjustment: Horizontal, Vertical
Resistance System: Friction Brake
Resistance levels: Control knob
Heart Rate: Polar wireless Receiver
Extras: Transport Wheels, Water Bottle Holder
Max User Weight: 286
Weight: 97 lbs.
Assembled dimensions: 49 x 19 x46
Home Warranty Frame: 10 years
Home Warranty Parts: 1 year
Home Warranty Labor: 1 year
 

Pros of the Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle

 
The pros of the Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle are:
 
  • Compact
  • Price
  • Quality
 
This is a compact and light bike for indoor cycling if you want to keep it professional and not put the bike you already own on a stand. It is easy to move around and is not as bulky as other cardio options you might have for the home.
 
The price is great for professional home equipment or pragmatic commercial equipment. In a commercial setting, $500 is not a big loss on the books even if you have troubles with the warranty. In a home gym scenario you get a robust too you are unlikely to break. This is a very low price bar to step over to take your home training seriously.
 
This is a good quality bike compared to just getting the cheapest option of Amazon or eBay. Go ahead with this bike if you do not need any fancy digital dials and just want to go after it.
 

Cons of the Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle

 
The cons of the Horizon GR3 indoor cycle are:
 
  • Limited online functions
  • Not suitable for big athletes
  • Resistance setup
 
Compared to more modern bikes like the Peloton series, this bike has no fancy internet access and group functions to keep you motivated. So you have to bring that on your own and for a simple spinning bike, you might think it is overpriced. Still stripping things to essentials is often a good thing.
 
This bike operates at the lower end of the maximum weight of the user as the frame is rather small compared to other machines. If you weigh more than 100kg and go hard at your equipment you might want to choose something with a heavier frame. It will work, but it won’t be fun.
 
The resistance setup on this machine is completely mechanical which means it is more likely to break. Be prepared that if you use this hard that you will have to swap the flywheel and break at least once in its lifetime. These are not the most expensive items to replace and especially in a commercial setting you just can have a spare bike, but at home, you will have to wait with training until the repair is done.
 

Alternatives to the Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle

 
Here are some alternatives to the GR3 indoor cycle:
 
 
The Horizon IC 7.9 indoor cycle follows a very similar design to the GR3. The big differences are the more convenient resistance lever, the sturdier frame, and the professional pedals with a clip-in mechanism. If you want a spinning bike that feels a little more like a professional racer or if you weigh more than 100kg, then the Horizon IC 7.9 is the better choice.
 
The Nordictrack VU19 is the entry-level bike from this brand. If you are looking for something a bit smoother and less wild, this is a good alternative. It also might be an option if stock is running low for Horizon Fitness and you need something fast.
 
The Rogue echo bike is a great alternative to the GR3 Indoor cycle if you want to step your game up a little. It has a sturdier frame and the resistance is regulated by the big fan and the air that circulates through, rather than a brake pedal. This makes it better for interval training and heavier athletes. For me, the Rogue echo bike is the best cardio machine you can get for a home gym in terms of value for money. The only downsides are that you will have to invest more than for the GR3 and that it is considerably heavier.
 
The TITAN fan bike is a copycat of the Rogue echo bike with bigger wheels for transport at a smaller price tag. It will do the job, but the overall design and finish are not as on point as with the Rogue echo bike. However, you will save some money that you can put against more equipment.
 
The concept 2 skierg is one of the most compact cardio machines you can find out there. If you have very limited space, but still do not want to take your cardio outside, the concept 2 skierg is a great option that is also ready ably priced.
 

Conclusion for the Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle

 
I personally like a simple design that focuses on the essentials. That is why I own a Rogue echo bike as I weigh more than 100kg. If I would weigh 80kg, the GR3 would be a serious contender to make it into my garage gym.

Topics: Cardio, Horizon, BIke