Nordictrack Grand Tour vs VersaClimber SM model

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack Grand Tour and the VersaClimber SM including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the VersaClimber SM

The VersaClimber SM comes in at $4995 - $5300. 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".

Overview of the VersaClimber SM sport

The Versa Climber Sport model is the high-end product of the Versa range. This machine simulates climbing a mountain and is known for its relentless workouts. This thing will make you sweat. It can be used as a Climber or a stepper. It is hand welded and made from high-quality steel. The specs are:

Weight 150 Lb
Height 7’ 10’’
Climb angle 75 degrees
Footprint 43’’ x 46’’

The Versa Climber is made in the USA and has been around for decades. It is a good alternative for gyms which cannot provide outside space for running or want to offer their athletes something more challenging. Le Bron James is said to use this machine for his routines.

Pros of the VersaClimber SM

These are the pros of the Versa Climber for your use:

Small footprint
Intense workout
An unusual piece of equipment

Compared to most treadmills the Versa Climber has a very small footprint. That means you can fit more people into a smaller space. For a home gym, you might also be able to put it in a corner of your house and just work away. That is usually more of a challenge with heavy treadmills.

The Versa Climber possibly offers the most intense workout you can do for your cardiovascular system in the smallest space possible. This is pure intensity formed into metal.

If you are running a gym and want to attract more customers this is also an unusual piece of equipment. It might attract clients who are willing to pay more for their members to get more than just regular treadmills.

Cons of the VersaClimber

The cons of the Versa Climber are

Price
No relation to most sports
Maintenance

With the price tag of $5000, you are investing a considerable amount of money per machine. For two of these, you can get ten concept 2 rowers, skiergs or rogue Echo bikes. With this, you can run an entire CrossFit or strength class. It all depends on what kind of gym you want to be.

The movement pattern of the Versa Climber has not a lot of carryover to most sports. If you are training athletes all around you will still need to get some type of treadmill despite having the Versa Climber. Whether the Versa Climber is worth the investment if you still need to get other equipment is up to you.

The Versa Climber works with chains. These can break and need to be maintained. Based on the rattling and way this machine is used it is More likely to break down than a treadmill or bike.

Alternatives to the VersaClimber SM

Alternatives to the Versa Climber SM are

The Versa Climber H is a variation on the SM for home use. It only weighs half of the SM so it won’t take as much if a beating than the SM, which is ok for home use as it will not be used as much. Switching from the SM to the H will save you $3000. Be aware that the guarantee is voided if you place the H in a professional gym setting.

The Rogue Echo bike packs a punch on your cardiovascular system for a fraction of the cost. The workout is not as intense as with the Versa Climber as you are seated. But it comes at a considerably lower price and the bike can be moved around more easily.

The concept 2 skierg is an alternative which can be used in tight spaces. it is also an alternative for people with hip or leg injuries to do endurance work indoors. It simulates skiing like you would do it in biathlon. The price tag is considerable than the one of the Versa Climber SM model.

Summary for the VersaClimber SM

The Versa Climber SM model is the one to go for when you want to bring the Versa Climber experience to your gym. Especially when people will use it around the clock. The warranty will help in case of breakage. Compared to other workouts in the endurance sphere, the climber is superior for burned calories per minute. You will be hard pressed to find anything more challenging. For sprinters and athletes who work on the pitch, it might be better to veer towards running and sprinting as this has more overlay with their actual sport.

Overview and review of the Nordictrack Grand tour 1299 (US)

This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack Grand Tour.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.

The Grand Tour from Nordictrack addresses the spinning classes market for NordicTrack in the US. The other model is the Grand Tour Pro. The main features of this model are a 7-inch smart touch screen, a freewheel clutch, and a 10% incline. This makes it a good model to buy in bulk for spinning classes. The full list of features includes:

7” Smart HD Touchscreen
Integrated Tablet Holder
Includes 1-Year NordicTrack iFit® membership**
Auxiliary Music Port
Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers

CoolAire™ Workout Fan
Oversized Cushion Seat
Horizontal and Vertical Seat Adjustment
Extra-Wide Ergonomic Pedals with Adjustable Straps

Upright Articulating Cycle
3 Piece Crank
Freewheel Clutch
SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
24 Digital Resistance Levels
-10° to 10° Incline and Decline
OneTouch™ Controls
Oversized Levelers
350 Lb. User Capacity

Included 3 Lb. Dumbbells
Integrated Handle Controls for Incline and Resistance
Front-mounted Transport Wheels
Water Bottle Holder
59.2" L x 23.3" W x 56.2" H Footprint
10-Year Frame Warranty
2-Year Parts Warranty
1-Year Labor Warranty

The Grand Tour is a great option when you want to take your spinning classes to the home. A commercial buyer might want to get spinning bikes with fewer multimedia and casing options to save some money to buy in bulk.

Pros of the Nordic track Grand tour

The pros of the Grand tour bike are:

10% incline
Freewheel clutch
7-inch touchscreen

For a bike including a touch screen and incline option the Grand tour is reasonably priced for a Nordictrack bike. The Grand Tour is great value for money as long as you like the way it works for biking. Some might prefer the inertia of a flywheel for use of use. The 7-inch touch screen is the cherry on the top to round up the picture.

Cons of the Nordictrack Grand Tour

Cons of the Nordictrack Grand tour:

Small screen
Freewheel clutch
No Bluetooth

The grand tour has a relatively small touchscreen compared to the wider Nordictrack portfolio which reaches up to 32-inch. If you want a bigger screen with the experience of a spinning class you can go for the Grand Tour pro. This bike has a 10-inch instead of a 7-inch touchscreen.

The freewheel clutch might not be liked by every user. If you are used to spinning classes this will be the preferable bike option for you. If you usually use flywheel bikes on the general gym floor, go for the VU19 or GX line instead.

As with most Nordictrack bikes you do not have the option to use your Bluetooth headphones to follow the instructions of the Ifit classes. This is a little irritating when you spend more than 1000 bucks on a piece of equipment you can not hook up to your wireless headphones.

Alternatives to the Nordictrack Grand tour

Alternatives to the Nordictrack Grand tour are:

The Grand tour Pro is the big sister of the Grand tour bike. For an additional $200 you get a bigger touchscreen than with the Grand Tour. If you are shortsighted or use the Ifit classes a lot, get the Grand Tour pro instead of the Grand tour. If you think that 7-inches are more than enough, spare yourself the extra expense.

The Nordictrack 6.5 Si treadmill is one of the smaller Nordictrack treadmills which are available in the US. If you want a solid low budget option from Nordictrack this is the one. The T series has been recently released in the US and is more likely to be continued than the C series of treadmills that has seen its best days. If you want to run and put some miles on the treadmill without going overly fast, this is a solid option.

The Nordictrack SE7i is an elliptical in the same price range as the Grand tour bike. An elliptical can be a better compromise for all members of a gym or family to get their cardio in than a bike. Not everybody likes sitting on a saddle for 30 or more minutes to burn their calories. Just make sure that you have enough clearance to the ceiling when getting an elliptical as this can be an issue. An elliptical will also take up more floor space than a bike.

The concept 2 model D rower is a worldwide standard and you can not go wrong with it if you are interested in an indoor rower. This bread butter machine from concept 2 does its job and will also save you some money compared to the Grand Tour. Commercial buyers will also appreciate that package deals are easier to obtain from concept 2 then from NordicTrack when the unit count climbs.

The Rogue echo bike is my personal preference for use at home. I like to go hard and blast my ears with music from my bose earphones when I work out. The Rogue echo bike is just perfect for that, it does not cost a leg and an arm and can take my 105kg muscle with layer fat.

Summary for the Nordictrack Grand tour

If you like spinning classes and want to do them from home this is a good way to go. I would still go for the Grand tour Pro if I was in the market for one. If I do spin classes at home I want the instructor to be as big as possible. A 10-inch screen will be better for that than 7-inch and the two models are only $200 apart. That is not really a lot of money in terms of cardio machines. Of course, $200 can buy you a lot of jump ropes made from plastic, but that is a different debate to be had.