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Nordictrack GX 4.4 vs concept 2 bikeerg

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Oct 12, 2020 9:00:00 AM

Nordictrack GX 4.4 vs concept 2 bikeerg

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack GX 4.4 and the concept 2 bikeerg including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview and review of the Concept two bikeErg

The Concept 2 bikeErg comes in at $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 Concept 2 bikeErg

 
The concept 2 bikeErg is concept 2‘s take on bringing the real cycling experience to your home. Most bike parts are compatible with the bikeErg so you can attach your own pedals, saddle and handles to simulate your bicycle. The bikeErg also has been designed with increasing resistance the faster you go. The mechanics simulate shifting gears to get you ready for the real ride. All of this comes with poly groove belts instead of a chain. This ensures a smooth ride which does not produce too much noise. The bikeErg comes with the following specs: 
 
  • Assembled in the US
  • Color black
  • Length 48”
  • Width 24”
  • Weight 58lb
  • Made of Aluminium 
 
Concept 2 has a long history of building machines for cardio. The bread butter machine is the concept 2 rower and recently the company has added the skierg and bikeErg to their portfolio. The bikeerg is the machine for you if you want to cycle at home and can not always take to the road to do your training.
 

Pros of the Concept 2 bikeErg

 
The pros of the bikeErg are
 
  • Lightweight construction
  • Adaptable 
  • Simulated gears 
  • PM5 monitor 
 
The lightweight aluminum construction is an advantage for what this machine wants to achieve. Real world bicycles are usually built as light as possible. If you want your home training to be specific for cycling in a triathlon or the gourde France, you can not have a bulky Airbike to replace the experience. 
 
If you want you to take all of the sports you touch as a driver apart and swap them for your own. This way you can get very close to riding your actual bike from the comfort of your home. 
 
The bikeErg simulates the switching of gears during the ride so you get as close to the real experience than you can. 
 
Finally, the PM5 monitor will enable you to race against others in parallel on multiple bikeErg. This can result in great fun for spinning classes. 
 

Cons of the Concept 2 bikeErg

 
The cons of the concept 2 bikeErg are 
 
  • No full body work out 
  • Not for the big guys 
  • It’s indoors
 
The concept 2 bikeErg will mainly focus on your legs. Therefore you will not get a lot of an upper body workout from your session. If this is important to you, you might want to go for the Rogue Echo bike instead. 
 
The concept 2 bikeErg is lightweight and therefore build for cyclists. If you have a lot of football players on your roster you might want to go for one of the bigger Airbikes to make sure they don’t fall off. 
 
Last but not least, nothing is like the real experience. If you want to compete in cycling you also must put in the miles on your bike outdoors. Otherwise, it is very likely that you will fail on race day.
 

Alternatives to the Concept 2 bikeErg

 
Alternatives to the concept 2 bike erg are 
 
 
If you are buying equipment for your home gym and you are more on the extreme side of things you might prefer the Rogue Echo bike. This is the solid all body workout for the weekend warrior. 
 
The concept 2 skierg is a great variation from concept 2 for anyone who skies. It simulates the upper body movement of skiing. Thing of it like a marathon version of a lat pulldown machine. 
 
If you are shopping for a commercial gym you also might want to throw in a couple of rowers to mix things up. Avoid getting all of the same. Concept 2 actually has a mix pack on offer at Rogue where you can buy a skierg, bikeErg, and rower in one go. 
 
 
 

Overview and review of the Nordictrack GX 4.4 Pro 649 / 799 (UK / US)

This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack GX 4.4.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.

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The NordicTrack GX 4.4 is the little brother of the GX 4.6 which has been stripped of the touchscreen and heart rate monitor. The GX line is only available in the UK and has been replaced with the "Grand Tour" line in the US undergoing a rebranding. The main features of the GX 4.4 are its 5-inch Backlit Display, 9kg flywheel, and 125kg max capacity. The full list of features includes: 
 
  • 5" Backlit Display
  • iFit Bluetooth - 1 Years Membership Included
  • Smart BlueTooth (BLE) Chestbelt Compatible
  • Dual 2-Inch Speakers
  • Upright Frame
  • 9kg Flywheel
  • 25 Digital Resistance Levels
  • Onetouch™ Controls
  • EKG Handgrips
  • 125kg Max User Weight
  • Oversized Cushioned Seat
  • Vertical and Horizontal Seat Adjustment
  • Extra-wide Ergonomic Pedals with Adjustable Straps
  • AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
  • Water Bottle Holder
  • Product Weight 48kg
  • Box Weight 57kg
  • Front-mounted Transport Wheels
  • 30 Workouts Apps
  • Assembled Dimensions - 105L x 59W x 161H cm
  • Boxed Dimensions - 108L x 65W x 39H cm
  • Warranty - 2 Years parts and labor; 5-year frame guarantee upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.
 
This bike shaves off 350 pounds compared to its bigger brother, the GX 4.6. This is achieved by swapping the 7-inch touch screen for a 5-inch backlit screen, getting a smaller flywheel, and not shipping a heart rate monitor with the machine. This is the middle of the G series from Nordictrack available in the UK. You are compromising on features and on price. 
 

Pros of the Nordictrack GX 4.4

 
The pros of the NordicTrack GX 4.4 are:
 
  • Middle of the lower price range
  • Focuses on the essential
  • Bigger flywheel than GX 4.7
 
The GX 4.4 is the middle of the lower price range of bikes that are available from Nordictrack in the UK. With this, it is the ideal model for someone who does not want to make a decision between saving money and having a lot of features while not spending more than 1000. If this is how you buy, this is the bike for you.
 
The GX 4.4 focuses on the essentials and delivers a display for entertainment and a solid bike to crunch some miles. No-fuss made and still not too cheap to make you worry about the quality of the product. 
 
Compared to the cheapest bike in the UK Nordictrack line up, the GX 4.7, the GX 4.4 has a bigger flywheel and therefore will last longer. Whether that warrants 200 pounds more at the time of writing is a different matter.
 

Cons of the Nordictrack GX 4.4 

 
The cons of the Nordictrack GX 4.4 are:
 
  • Too many compromises
  • No touchscreen 
  • Old Nordictrack model
The biggest point for me about the GX 4.4 is that it makes too many compromises for my tastes. If you are looking into the G series or Grand tour line up of Nordictrack you have decided to spend around 1000 for your home gym cardio equipment. With this you have already ruled out premium features like big inclines or screens. With the GX 4.4 you even further compromise on the lower end and neither save a lot of money or have a great experience. Not all brains are as black and white like mine but either go for the GX 4.6, if you want the ease of use and a great experience for around 1000 or go with the GX 4.7 and maximize your savings to spend on other equipment or a weekend away. 
 
While you are still spending around 700 pounds on the GX 4.4 you neither get a timely screen or a very solid bike. Again the 4.4 is over-compromised. Either get a bike you can abuse the heck out of and has not a lot of entertainment or get a bike that entertains but can not take that much of a beating. This all depends on your user profile and what is important to you personally.
 
The last point about the GX 4.4 is that it is part of a family of products that is very likely to go end of life and continued under the "Grand Tour" line of product of Nordictrack. The GX bikes are available for purchase in the UK but no in the US. As the Nordictrack headquarters is in the US you can make some predictions about the distribution of models that will first be available in the US and then stretch to other parts of the globe like Europe.
 

Alternatives to the Nordictrack GX 4.4

 
Alternatives to the Nordictrack GX 4.4 are:
 
The GX 4.6 is the big brother of the GX 4.4. In my opinion, this is the best value for money bike from Nordictrack you can get in the 1000 budget bracket. The main differences to the GX 4.4 are that the heart rate monitor is included and, a bigger flywheel and a touch screen. As the price is currently 300 pounds higher than for the GX 4.4 you get a better screen, flywheel, and heart rate monitor for 100 pounds each. I think that is a good deal and will leave you with a more complete experience to maximize the entertainment and training options. If I buy a Nordictrack bike for under 1000 I would always go for the GX 4.6 over the GX 4.4 as I don't like to buy twice or disappointments.
 
The GX 4.7 is the better option for penny pinchers. I personally hate penny-pinching as it usually annoys me to look long for things and do not enjoy the process of hunting for bargains. But, if you love this and want to save every possible penny you can save, then the GX 4.7 is the better option than the GX 4.4. For saving around 200 pounds you get a smaller flywheel and squeezed everything from the G line while still getting a functioning bike.
 
The SE3i elliptical is the smallest rear-drive elliptical you can get from Nordictrack. This places it in the same budget bracket as the GX 4.4. Ellipticals are usually a better option when you want to accommodate the entire family rather than just the cycle enthusiast. Remember that your gym will take up community space in the home and you might want to compromise a little. In a commercial setting, an elliptical can tend to more clients than just people who are interested in biking. Beware of low ceilings with ellipticals.
 
The C700 is the smallest treadmill in the Nordictrack line up. This is a great treadmill for anyone who wants to walk indoors and who does not want to spend too much. If you run a retirement home and want to get people to walk more without having them out and about, this can be a good option. Maybe all the families chip in to get two of those. If you are a serious runner who puts more than 1oo miles a week on their machine, stay way clear from the C700
 
The concept 2 model D rower is a good alternative if you want to take more care of your upper body when you do your cardio. Concept 2 is the worldwide industry gold standard on rowers and model D is their best seller. A great option for rowers over bikes is that you can hang them on the wall to save space. This usually does not work that well with bikes. Commercial buyers will appreciate that package deals for buying rowers in bulk from Concept 2 are easier to obtain than for Nordictrack products. 
 
My personal favorite for home gym deployment is the Rogue Echo bike. The design focuses on a sturdy frame, cutting out all amenities except a saddle and pedals. This machine is not designed to entertain but make you sweat. For about 700 you get a machine that can take abuse and will last for a lifetime. The downside is that it will not keep you engaged that much. You will have to want to grind for this model. 
 

Summary for the Nordictrack GX 4.4

 
The GX 4.4 is one of these products that emerge when the vendor wants to combine a middle option on all features. The flywheel is ok, but not great. The Screen is ok, but not great. Combined with being in the lowest budget bracket that usually does not create a great product. I get the thought process, but if you are already penny-pinching, go all the way to the floor or try to get the most value for each penny you spent. The GX 4.4 does neither of these. 
 
 

Topics: Treadmill