Horizon fitness IC 7.9 bike vs Nordictrack S50 treadmill
This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness IC 7.9 cycle and the Nordictrack S50 treadmill 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 Nordictrack S50 1999
This is a review of the NordicTrack S50 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.
Related Articles
Overview of the Nordictrack S50
The main features of the
S50 treadmill are the 3.5 CHP motor, 12% incline, and that it can be folded up. The full list of features for the
S50 covers the following items:
- Includes 1 Years iFit Family Membership
- iFit Integrated
- Two 2” Bluetooth Digitally Amplified Speakers
- 3.5 CHP Motor
- 0% - 12% Digital Incline
- 0 – 22 km/h Speed
- Onetouch™ Controls
- 1.9” Precision and Balanced Non-Flex Rollers
- 125kg Max User Weight
- EKG Handgrips
- FlexSelect™ Cushioning
- 51 x 152 cm Tread Belt
- This Machine Does Not Feature a Workout Fan
- SpaceSaver® Design with EasyLift™ Assist
- Assembled Dimensions - 200L x 90W x 145H cm
- Product Weight 92kg
- Boxed Weight 109kg
- Folded Dimensions - 103L x 90W x 180H cm
- Boxed Dimensions - 210L x 82W x 34H cm
- Warranty - Lifetime Frame Warranty, 10-year Motor Warranty, 2-Year Parts & Labour upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.
The
S50 used to be solid in the Nordictrack portfolio but might have gone a little out of date.
Pros of the Nordictrack S50
- Strong motor
- Can be gotten used
The
Nordictrack S50 has a very strong motor and therefore good longevity. If you can get one used at a very small price you will not be disappointed. Especially if it was in-home use. As it has been around for a while you will have a higher likelihood on this machine to snatch a second-hand deal. If you are considering a new machine in the UK you might want to go for a different option.
Cons of the Nordictrack S50
- Not really good value for money
- Older model
If you are looking into a new machine you are better off to look at the
NordicTrack C1650 instead of the
S50. You will get the same, maybe even better, specs at roughly the same price. You will have a harder time finding a used machine for the
C1650.
Alternatives to the Nordictrack S50
The
assault air runner is a self-propelled treadmill without a motor which is especially good for sprint/stop work. If you are an NFL or NBA player and want to work off the court on your speed development, this is a good machine to have. The
Assault air runner is said to have bearing that is a little too fast compared to the
Trueform Runner, which is said to have a better configuration.
The
TrueForm Runner is the deluxe model in the realm of self-propelled treadmills. It usually gets the highest marks in terms of calibration and features in this market segment. This comes at a higher price compared to the
Assault air runner. If you are buying for an individual athlete for home use, probably go for the
TrueForm runner. If you buy for commercial use or outfitting a facility for an entire team, go for the
Assault air runner.
The
C1650 is the better value for money option from Nordictrack to achieve the same thing than the
S50. The screen is bigger and the design is more modern for roughly the same price.
If you want to save a lot of money while maximizing the calories burned per minute I personally recommend the
Rogue Echo bike. It is compact, affordable, and sturdy. Even you run usually outdoors and want to burn some extra calories or if you ave limited budget and space, this is the bike to get for your home gym.
Summary for the Nordictrack S50
Unfortunately, the
S50 is probably not the best option out of the Nordictrack portfolio for Uk customers. Have a closer look at the
C1650 instead at similar budget and space requirements.
Overview and review of the Horizon fitness IC 7.9
This is an overview of the Horizon fitness IC 7.9 bike including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was first published in Which Horizon fitness bike 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 Horizon IC7.9 Indoor cycle $699
The
Horizon IC 7.9 bike is an indoor cycle that follows a classic spinning bike design. It is belt-driven and uses mechanical resistance to simulate a bike ride from the road as best as possible while being in the comfort of your home. The full specifications list runs as following:
Frame Type: Indoor Cycle
Adjustable Pedal straps: Yes
Pedal Type: Dual-sided Pedals with Toe cages/clips
Seat Type: Racing style road saddle
Seat adjustment: Horizontal, Vertical
Resistance System: Magnetic
Resistance levels: Resistance lever 0 -100%
Flywheel weight: 35lbs
Extras: Tablet rack, Transport Wheels, Water Bottle Holder
Max User Weight: 300
Weight: 123 lbs.
Assembled dimensions: 53x 24 x48
Home Warranty Frame: Lifetime
Home Warranty Parts: 1 year
Home Warranty Labor: 1 year
This is a solid option for someone who likes spinning classes and riding hard outdoors but does not want to bring their road bike in a home stance for convenience reasons.
Pros of the Horizon IC7.9 Indoor cycle
The frame of this bike is sturdier than if other bike options you can get from Horizon fitness. This seems that bigger athletes can exercise harder on this bike compared to the
GR3.
A lot of bikes work with magnetic resistance in today’s high technology environment. This bike still works with a belt and a mechanical brake. While this means higher maintenance it also translates to an experience that is closer to biking on the street. Depending on what you are looking for this might be an advantage for you.
With the dial to adjust the resistance at the wheel, it is easier to adjust resistance compared to the
GR3 indoor cycle. Think of the
IC 7.9 as a high-quality spinning bike for commercial use, while the
GR3 is more aimed at home users.
Cons of the Horizon IC7.9 Indoor cycle
The included computer of the
IC 7.9 is basic and only provides revolutions, distance traveled and other information about how far and fast you are traveling. As it is very similar to a spinning bike you need to set it up near a television or find someplace else for your tablet or phone to rest on. This is not going with the times where peloton and echelon have entire entertainment systems onboard.
The price is rather high for something that is essentially not a lot more than a bike on a stance. If you already have a high-end cycle at home you might as well get an indoor stance for it which is cheaper and gets you the real deal at home.
Alternatives to the Horizon IC7.9
Alternatives to the Horizon IC 7.9 are:
The
horizon GR3 is the little brother of the
IC 7.9. It has the same basic functions but all the parts are a little less sturdy than with the
IC 7.9 which makes the bike cheaper overall. If you are a light home user this bike is the better value for money for you. Commercial buyers should stick with the
IC 7.9 instead.
The
Nordictrack VU19 is the entry-level stationary bike from Nordictrack. It is more aimed at the leisure cyclist and for commercial use. It is bigger and sturdier than the
IC 7.9 and the flywheel is under, rather in front of the user. Therefore the target group is a little different but if you are a commercial buyer comparing the Horizon and Nordictrack fleets have a look at the
VU19.
The
Rogue echo bike is in my opinion the best value for money cardio machine in the sub $1000 category. This is the case if you want a sturdy machine with a basic machine that you can go hard at. If you want a smooth ride and sit comfortably other machines might be better. A lower-budget copy cat of the
Rogue echo bike is the
TITAN fan bike.
If you want a low-impact cardio kick on a small footprint the
concept 2 skierg might be for you. It takes up minimal space compared to other machines and is also fairly silent. The only downside is that it is not a bike or full-body workout and mainly targets the upper body.
Conclusion for the Horizon IC7.9 Indoor cycle
If you are looking for a spinning bike this is the best you can get from Horizon fitness. Especially if you want to stay under $1000 and still get something solid the
Ic 7.9 is a very good option. There are cheaper bikes on Amazon, but they might have some quality issues. There are other bikes with more multimedia and gamification options, but those will break the $1000 budget wall.