Horizon fitness IC 7.9 bike vs Run rocket

This is a comparison of the Horizon fitness IC 7.9 indoor cycle and the Run rocket including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

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Overview and review of the Run rocket

The Run Rocket comes in at $1999. 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 Run Rocket

The run rocket is a piece of acceleration equipment which especially helps for sprint and acceleration training. This machine will be very useful for

Football players
Rugby players
Soccer players
Tennis players

And any other sport where you have to sprint and change direction often. The Run rocket has adjustable resistance and comes with the following specifications:

Length 37“
Width 28“
Height 40“
Weight 165l
44lb Flywheel

The big difference to many other machines or sleds is that the run rocket provides consistent resistance when you are running forward and does not pull back on you. Sleds have the challenge that they have an uneven resistance and also not truly mimic a running pattern. Bands and straps simulate a real running resistance, but the pullback leaves your athletes exposed to injury risk. The run rocket solves both of these problems for sprinting work.

Pros of the Run Rocket

The pros of the run rocket are:

Sturdy
No pull back
Easy swap

This machine is built like a professional lawnmower. It can be left outside and survives rain and other weather conditions. It’s the ideal companion for the pitch.

The resistance immediately stops when the forward pull ceases. This makes it a good machine for sprint work without breaking any ankles.

With the hook and click system, you can easily swap between athletes to get a good workout in for the entire team. Parachutes are way more complicated to handle.

Cons of the Run rocket

The cons of the run rocket are

Space requirements
Price

To work effectively with the run rocket you need access to a pitch. This machine is a waste of your time and money if it is placed into a tiny gym or back garden. You need the necessary space to do a bit of distance for your sprint work.

Compared to other sprint Resistance options like bands and harnesses the run rocket is ten times the price and also does not include the necessary vests for the entire team. They would come in at an additional $50 to $100 a player depending on what you are getting.

Alternatives to the Run rocket

Resistance bands

Resistance bands of all forms and lengths can be an alternative to the run rocket. While less easy to use and setup they come in at a fraction of the cost.

Summary for the Run rocket

The run rocket is the right option for professional training facilities which focus on speed. If you are lucky enough to be a world class athlete who has a pitch in their own home and to whom $2000 are peanuts tja this is a gijd piece of equipment to get. You can spend a whole lot of more money on things which will do a lot less for your professional development.

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.

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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 pros of the IC 7.9 indoor cycle are:

Reinforced frame
Mechanical belt
Smooth resistance adjustments

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 cons of the Horizon IC7.9 are:

Lack of programs
Price

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.