Nordictrack T 9.5 vs Air Assault bike

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack 9.5 treadmill and the Air Assault bike. 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".

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:

Color Black
Weight 99LB
Length 50.9”
Width 23.3”
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

Pros of the Assault Airbike are

Sturdy design
Band propelled
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

Cons of the air assault bike are

Specificity
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

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 Nordictrack T 9.5S Treadmill $2299

This is a review of the Nordictrack T 9.5 treadmill which was originally published in "Which Nordictrack treadmill to get". Follow the links for more details.

Overview Nordictrack T 9.5S Treadmill $2299

The 9.5 nordictrack treadmill is the top end product with a narrower belt of 20' compared to the 22' of the incline and xx50 series. It also has the biggest screen out of this lineup. Those are the main specifications of interest when you put it into context with the full portfolio. The full specs are:

14” Smart HD Touchscreen
1-Year iFit® Membership Included ($468 Value)
Bluetooth® Audio Capabilities
Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers
FlexSelect™ Cushioning
20” x 60” Commercial Tread Belt
AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
Integrated Tray
0-12% Incline
0-12 MPH Speed
One Touch® Controls
3.5 CHP DurX™ Commercial Plus Motor
1.9” Precision and Balanced Non-Flex Rollers
300 Lb. User Capacity
EKG Grip Pulse
SpaceSaver® Design with EasyLift™ Assist
78.9” L x 35.5” W x 59.4” H Footprint
10-Year Frame Warranty
2-Year Parts Warranty
1-Year Labor Warranty

The 9.5 treadmill is the best treadmill from Nordictrack if you specifically need a belt which is 20' due to space requirements. Otherwise, other models might be a better option for you based on the value you are getting for your money.

Pros of the Nordictrack T 9.5 treadmill

The pros of the Nordictrack 9.5 are:

14-inch screen
20' belt

For one of the smaller treadmills from Nordictrack the 9.5 has the biggest screen. If that is what you are looking for, this treadmill is a good fit for you.

Cons of the Nordictrack T 9.5 treadmill

The biggest con to the T9.5 model is the value for money. If you pay more than $2000 for a treadmill you might as well go for the 2950 and get an even bigger and more modern treadmill. If you need a small treadmill to squeeze into your money and want to save money, go for the T 6.5 which is below $1000.

Alternatives to the T 9.5 treadmill

Alternatives to the Nordictrack 9.5 treadmill are:

A Rogue echo bike is a great option if you want to burn as many calories as possible in the shortest amount of time possible. As it comes in at only around $700 you save yourself a respectable amount of money compared to the NordicTrack 9.5. As an added bonus it is easier on your joints and takes up less space in your home.

The NordicTrack 6.5 treadmill is a small size, small budget option from Nordictrack. This is the treadmill to get when you want to fit it into a tight space or not spend more than $1000 to start your indoor runs.

The True form runner is an alternative model that uses a self-propelled belt resting on bearing. This saves you the hassle of an electronic motor in maintenance and electricity costs. This treadmill is especially good for runners who want to simulate sprints and stops with very sudden acceleration and deceleration.