Horizon GR3 Indoor cycle vs Rogue echo bike

This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness GR3 Indoor cycle and the Rogue echo bike including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview and review of the Rogue Echo bike

The Rogue Echo bike comes in at $750 - $795. 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 Rogue Echo bike

The Rogue echo bike is built on a solid steel frame to give you one of the sturdiest fan bikes $800 can buy. It is probably the best value for money option for a cardio machine that you can get. The Rogue echo bike has the following specifics:

Color black
Made in USA no
Weight 127LB
Length 58.875”
Width 29.875”
Height 52.75”
Footprint 44.5”x 23.75”

Fanbikes are ideal for interval training. If you want to burn as many calories as possible in the shortest amount of time this is a great tool to go for.

Pros of the Rogue Echo bike

The pros of the Rogue echo bike are

Build
Price
Space

As everything from Rogue, the Echo bike is completely overbuilt. In fitness, this is usually a good character trait. The echo bike will stay in place during your ride and not sway. It is also driven by a band instead of a chain which means less maintenance and noise. The computer which comes with it has good contrast so that you can see exactly what is going. Some other vendors provide computers which leave you guessing.

The price of the Rogue echo bike is excellent for what you are getting. While most other fan bikes hug the $1000 mark you can get the echo bike and just about for a barbell into the $1000.

Compared to treadmills, ellipticals, and rowers the echo bike takes up considerably less space. This is especially interesting for home gyms.

Cons of the Rogue Echo bike

Cons of the rogue echo bike are

Not made in the USA
Specificity

The Rogue echo bike is one of the exceptions from the Rogue portfolio and is not made in the USA. If you care about that you might want to find other options, although most of the fan bikes are assembled in the US at best.

Fanbikes are not that specific to any real sport. If you want to prepare your athletes with machines that are as specific as possible to the real world the TrueForm runner or concept 2 bikeErg might be better options for you.

Alternatives to the Rogue Echo bike

Alternatives to the Rogue echo bike are:

Schwinn Air bike
TrueForm runner
Concept 2 bike erg

If you want a fan bike, but with a cooler looking fan, the Schwinn air bike might be the right choice for you. It is slightly more expensive than the Echo bike and has recently been used at CrossFit regionals.

The TrueForm runner is the ultimate indoor running simulator. This is the best that money can currently buy if you want to simulate running for long distances on the pitch as closely as possible while being independent of the weather.

The concept 2 bikeErg simulates the look and feel of a real street race with a bike as closely as possible. You will even have the switching of gears inbuilt.

Summary for the Rogue Echo bike

The Rogue echo bike is probably the best option for your home gym to burn calories fast on a budget while not compromising on quality. This has been priced to sell in truckloads and it does. If you don’t want to think too hard about your purchase, this is the way to go.

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.