Horizon fitness IC 7.9 bike vs Nordictrack X9i treadmill
This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness IC 7.9 cycle and the Nordictrack X9i treadmill including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
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Overview and review of the X9i 2199
Overview of the Nordictrack X9i
The
X9i treadmill comes in at a price of 2199 pounds at the time of writing. Its main features are the 3 horsepower motor, 40% incline, and 7-inch touch screen. With this, it is a treadmill at the higher end of the price spectrum and relatively big features and incline and screen real estate. The full list of features runs as follows:
- 7" HD Touch Screen Display
- iFit Integrated
- Smart BlueTooth Chestbelt included
- Includes 1 Years iFit Family Membership
- Dual 3-Inch Speakers
- Reflex™ Cushioning
- Tablet Holder Included
- 55 x 152 cm Tread Belt
- Dual AutoBreeze™ Workout Fans
- 3.6 CHP Motor
- 0 – 40% Incline - 0 – 6% Power Decline
- 0 – 20 km/h Speed
- 2.5” Precision-machined and
Balanced Non-flex Rollers
- EKG Grip Pulse Heart Rate Monitor
- 135kg Max User Weight
- Out-of-the-box Easy Assembly
- Large Boxed Item - This item can only be delivered or delivered and installed to a ground floor room location.
- Free Installation Included With Mainland Customers
- Product Weight 135kg
- Boxed Weight 175kg
- Assembled Dimensions - 178L x 100W x 181H cm
- Boxed Dimensions - 227L x 103W x 64H cm
- Warranty - Lifetime Frame Warranty, 10-year Motor Warranty, 2-Year Parts & Labour upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.
All of this makes the
X9 a good machine for the UK market if you are interested in a 40% incline and a touchscreen.
Pros of the Nordictrack X9i
- 40% Incline
- 7-inch touch screen
The X9i shines on the incline and the touch screen options. This is a high-end treadmill that you can either use at home or in a commercial setting.
Cons of the Nordictrack X9i
2000 pounds is a high price for a treadmill either to buy for your home or in bulk. Really think hard about whether you will need the 40% incline on a regular as this is the main reason for driving the price up. If you only will use it occasionally you might want to look into other options with less incline.
Another point is that the X9i is one of the older models in the Nordictrack incline treadmills line up. The newer models are the X11i, x22i, and the X32i. These models are not available in the UK yet, but you may want to have a close look at the US website first. Especially if you can wait for half a year to a year with your purchase.
Alternatives to the Nordictrack X9i
Alternatives to the Nordictrakc X9i are:
The
Nordictrack FS5i is a three in one elliptical which can be used as a stepper, treadmill, and elliptical which is available in the UK. This might be the better choice for someone who buys for use at home by multiple people. Especially the fitness levels are a bit lower. A commercial buyer might not want to go this way, is the ellipticals with the flywheel in the middle are more error-prone than the front / rear-drive flywheels or treadmills. Commercial buyers with space might want to split up their fleet in specialized machines.
If you are really sure that you need the 40% incline but want to save a little bit of money you can go for the
X7i instead of the X9i. It is basically the same machine, except that the screen is not a touch screen. This city a little of the budget while you still almost get the same specifications for what you are buying. If you are insisting on a 40% incline and think that this is your main use case you right also want to look at the
VersaClimber product range. This is usually the better pick for maximizing the calories burned per minute.
The
Nordictrack C7.5 would be the treadmill of choice of you ditch the idea of a 40% incline. This is a solid machine for home or commercial use which is more affordable and still does the trick. Definitely look in this area of the Nordictrack portfolio if you think %40 is overkill (which I would say in 999 out of 1000 cases).
The last option would be to go for something completely different. The
Rogue Echo bike coma in at a price of about 700 pounds. It is compact, easy to move, and you can burn a lot of calories per minute with the interval settings. This is the machine that I got for my personal gym as I prefer tor un outdoors.
Summary for the Nordictrack X9i
Nordictrack X9i is one of the most modern incline treadmills available for the UK market from Nordictrack at the moment. Still, you are investing a lot of money into a machine that has been overtaken with new models in the US. I am personally not a fan of spending a lot of money on something which I know will be outdated very soon. Combined with the fact that most people do not get a lot of use out of the 40% incline option the X9i is not one of my favorite options and would go for the
X7i instead to save some money if you are insisting on 40%.
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?
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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.