Horizon fitness EX-59 elliptical vs Assault airbike
This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness EX-59 elliptical and the Assault airbike including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
If you want the most up to date news or ask direct questions, then you can follow me on Instagram.
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".
Related articles
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
-
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
-
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
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 Horizon fitness EX-59 elliptical
This is an overview of the Horizon fitness EX-59 elliptical including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was first published in Which Horizon fitness elliptical to get?
For the most up to date information and asking direct questions you can follow me on Instagram.
Related Articles
Which Horizon fitness treadmill to get?
Which Horizon fitness bike to get?
Which Horizon fitness elliptical to get?
Which Nordictrack treadmill to get?
Which Nordictrack elliptical to get?
Which Nordictrack bike to get?
Which Cardio Equipment to get from TITAN?
Which conditioning equipment to get from Rogue Fitness?
Overview of the EX-59 elliptical $699
The
Horizon EX-59 is a high-quality elliptical for moderate use at home. The dimensions are kept as small as possible for an elliptical with a flywheel and the pedals are very close to the ground. This makes it a good choice for anyone who wants to workout at home, does not want to make a lot of noise and will not go crazy in their workouts. If you like something that provides a more challenging workout or better entertainment options during your workout than you might want to opt for a different elliptical.
Frame Type: Six Star Non-Folding
Flywheel: 14.3
Stride Length: 18 inches
Incline Range: N/A
Resistance Range: Magnetic, 10 levels
Step on height (inches): 10 3/4"
Extras: Built-in Speakers, Tablet rack, USB Charging, Bottle holder
Electrical requirements: 110 Volt / 220 Volt
Weight: 145lbs.
Assembled dimensions:74"x25"x64.5"
Max user weight: 300 lbs.
Warranty - Frame: Lifetime
Warranty - Brake: 1 year
Warranty - Flywheel: N/A
Warranty - Parts: 1 year
Warranty - Labor: 1 year
Pros of the EX-59 elliptical
The
EX 59 is designed with ease of use in mind rather than chasing personal records and pushing the envelope. Therefore the stride is shorter and the pedals have been moved closer together while sitting close to the ground. This makes it a good machine for anyone who wants to be easy on the joints and simulate a jog on an elliptical. If you want to run long distances you might opt for something else.
Ellipticals with long stride and big flywheels can take up quite a bit of space in the home compared to bikes or treadmills. Horizon Fitness tries to minimize the footprint of this machine by keeping it compact which makes it better suited for use at home. A professional gym might want to upgrade to the Evolve series to compensate for more miles being put on the machine.
Another reason that makes this elliptical attractive for moderate home gym users is the price tag that falls way below $1000. There is not a lot to be scoffed at for a full machine at $699. There are cheaper alternatives when not using a machine but most indoor cycles and treadmills that are worth their salt start at $500.
The handles are helpful if you do not feel confident enough to go for long times without holding onto something. If you still feel like you can walk comfortably without using something to hold on to a walking treadmill might be a great alternative as they are easier to store under a bed or couch.
Cons of the EX-59 elliptical
-
Space requirements
-
Small frame and weight
-
Console
For a machine that is aimed at lower intensities and home use, the
EX-59 still takes up a bit of space. Especially the fact that you can not store it away easily like a tower, that can be hung on the wall, or a walking treadmill or Total gym, which can be stored under a bed or sofa, makes it a less attractive option for the occasional home activities.
The smaller frame and weight are good when you’ve not go hard at the machine. If you expect to go all out or a lot of heavy abuse in a commercial gym, then you might want to look into the Evolve series instead which is bigger and heavier.
The console on the
EX-59 covers the basics of navigating the in-built programs, but not more. It also has no good surface to put down a tablet or bigger phone to look at while you are exercising. In times of Peloton and follow along with YouTube videos this is not up to scratch. Still, an understandable choice in the lower price ranges from a Horizon production perspective. Here Horizon might even make the console smaller for the programs to gain space for the user‘s own device.
Alternatives to the EX-59 elliptical
The
Horizon 7.0 AE elliptical is one of the recent facelifts to the consoles of Horizon fitness. This makes it compatible with a wider range of devices and you can also do follow-along classes by watching at the screen. It is slightly bigger and more expensive than the
EX-59 but I would recommend it to anyone over the
EX-59 who is willing to make their budget stretch to $999.
The
Horizon T101 is the smallest treadmill you can get from Horizon at the lowest price. If you prefer to jog or walk and want to burn more calories per minute, this is the better choice. The drawback is that if you need support to walk or run the
T101 does not really provide a lot.
The
Nordictrack SE7i is the cheapest elliptical you can get from Nordictrack. It compares better to the Evolve series from Horizon but might be an alternative if you want something fast and Horizon is out of stock.
The
Rogue Echo Bike is the Ultimate Choice for serious home gym warriors who want to go hard on a small footprint. It is a well-built air bike that is especially well suited to High-intensity interval training. If you want to hit hard on the same budget as the
EX-59 the
Rogue Echo bike is your choice.
The
TITAN fan bike is the lower-priced copycat of the
Rogue Echo bike. The main differences are the bigger wheels and the price. If you want to build an entire garage gym on a budget
TITAN is a good choice.
Conclusion for the EX-59 elliptical
The
EX-59 is a great elliptical if you love exercising on an elliptical, have a smaller budget, and do not want to go crazy with it. I personally think that a walking treadmill is a better choice for people who still can walk and jog without support as it can be stored better. If you need lumbar support for your exercises, go for the Horizon R series instead.