NordicTrack C990 treadmill vs Assault airbike
This is a comparison between the Nordictrack C990 treadmill and the Assault airbike including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details
Overview and review of the Assault airbike
The Assault Airbike comes in at $699 - $999. 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 Assault airbike
The Assault Airbike has been given an overhaul to live up to the highest standards of athletes. The company in charge is LifeCORE fitness in California, even though this bike is not built in the US. The assault bike comes with the following specifications:
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Color Black
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Weight 99LB
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Length 50.9”
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Width 23.3”
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Height 48.4”
Airbikes work with the resistance of the air and give you a challenging full body workout. The faster you pedal the higher the resistance becomes. These are a great alternative for your home gym to treadmills and ellipticals as they take up less space and provide a better workout if it is burned calories you are after.
Pros of the Assault Airbike
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Sturdy design
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Band propelled
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Long years of experience
The assault air bike is heavy and has a sturdy steel frame. This prevents swaying during the ride compared to other models form the past. The weight of your Airbike is a good indicator whether it has been built thoroughly or whether the vendor took some shortcuts.
Compared to older models the Assault air bike has the advantage of being band propelled. Older models were chain propelled which lead to more noise. This is becoming more and more of an industry standard and is therefore not as much of a differentiator than it used to be.
With Assault you are buying into a range of products of a healthy company which has been around for years. This company is very likely here to stay and won’t go anywhere.
Cons of the Assault Airbike
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Specificity
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Not the newest design
The first one goes for all Airbikes. While they provide a great workout to get you in sweat it is not specific to most sports. Treadmills and normal bikes score better in this regard. If you are outfitting a gym for an elite athlete you will also need to get treadmills.
The Assault bike design is solid, but not the newest one of the market. My hunch is that Assault is good at looking at the market and then outsourcing the production cost effectively to China, but I might be wrong. The Assault bike was a copy of the Schwinn and the Assault air runner is a copy of the TrueForm runner.
Alternatives to the Assault Airbike
These are alternatives to the Assault air bike
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Concept 2 cycle
If you like the design of the Assault bike and the company you can also take it a step up by opting for the elite. The elite comes with an even heavier frame and newer computer to match the highest of standards.
Concept 2 provides a solid range of cardiovascular machines with their rowers, skiergs, and bikes. If you just want a regular bike for spinning classes or to save some space their bike is an alternative.
The Rogue echo bike is Rogue's take on the Airbike market. Manufactured in Columbus Ohio this machine is the no-nonsense approach to Airbikes and currently the best value for money option on the market.
Summary for the Assault Airbike
An assault air bike is a solid machine which you can add to your arsenal. If the design is to your liking and fits your overall gym go for this one. If you don’t care about these things you might want an interesting alternative in the Rogue Echo bike.
Overview and review of the NordicTrack C990 1599
This is a review of the NordicTrack C990 including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article has been originally published in “which NordicTrack treadmill or elliptical to get in the UK”. Follow the links for more details
Overview of the Nordictrack C990
The C990 is a part of the outdated treadmill series from Nordictrack which has been replaced by the T series in the States fully whilst still being still in stock in other places of the earth. The main features of this treadmill are the 3 CHP motor, LCD display, and the 12% incline. The full list of features covers:
- Includes 1 Year iFit Membership
- iFit Integrated
- Smart BlueTooth (BLE) Chestbelt Compatible
- 7" HD Touch Screen Display
- Dual 2-Inch Speakers
- 3.0 CHP Motor
- 0 - 12% Incline
- 0 – 22 km/h Speed
- 1.9" Roller
- Onetouch Controls
- 125kg Max User Weight
- EKG Handgrips
- FlexSelect Cushioning
- 51 x 152 cm Tread Belt
- Dual AutoBreeze™ Workout Fans
- SpaceSaver® Design with EasyLift™ Assist
- Assembled Dimensions - 201 L x 91 x 153H cm
- Product Weight 90kg
- Boxed Weight 101kg
- Folded Dimensions - 108L x 91W x 180H cm
- Boxed Dimensions - 209 L x 77W x 35H cm
- Warranty - Lifetime Frame Warranty, 10-year Motor Warranty, 2-Year Parts & Labour upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase
This is a solid treadmill to look for int he used market. If you want your own, new treadmill with reliable delivery, this might not be the best choice as the T series is newer and in the same price range.
Pros of the NordicTrack C990
- 3.0 CHP motor
- Dual speakers
The 3.0 chp motor is great for home use, especially if you run a lot and want to put a lot of mileage on this machine. The speakers are also a great addition to this machine, as it was brought to market in a time when good bluetooth earphones were still rather expensive. If you mainly use Bluetooth earphones with your phone, this feature might not be that relevant to you.
Cons of the Nordictrack 990
The cons of the Nordictrack 990 are:
- Price
- Age
The Nordictrack 990 is currently quite pricey for a treadmill that has aged. This might be due to the situation with the Coronavirus in 2020, so you might want to revisit prices at some other stage to get a better picture.
Alternatives to the Nordictrack C990
The Nordictrack T7.5 is the more modern alternative to the C990 at almost the same price. If you have the budget and want to go for a treadmill now, go for the T7.5 instead of the C990. If you want to save some money you will have better chances dumpster diving for the C990 than for the T7.5.
The Nordictrack FS5i can be an alternative if you want to have an elliptical instead of a treadmill. This model comes with the Nordictrack free stride technology which enabled three different modes of operation. You can use the FS5i as a stepper, treadmill, and elliptical. This comes at the cost of stability for a modern design. This is a good machine if you have to cater to many needs in a limited space, but not if you are a long-distance runner who wants to clock hundreds of miles.
The concept 2 model D is a rower which can be obtained for under 1000. This rower is great when you want to gove your knees and ankles a rest and still get a good workout in. It does not come with a lot of multimedia options but has everything you need to burn some calories. The only downside is that rowers are not great for interval training.
The Rogue Echo bike is one of the best machines for use in a home gym. It is compact, affordable and can be used for intense 20-minute cardio workouts covering all bases. If you don't need entertainment and want a solid airbike to kick some butt, this is the machine for you.