Nordictrack 14.9i vs Schwinn airdyne pro
This is a comparison between the Nordictrack 14.9i elliptical and the Schwinn Airdyne pro. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Schwinn airdyne pro
The Schwinn Airdyne Pro comes in at $999 - $1200. 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 Schwin Airdyne Pro
Schwinn has been in the game of producing bikes for over a century now. The
Schwinn Airdyne pro is their flagship take on the Airbike market. The special features of this design are the handles and how the fans are formed. This machine will blow some serious air into your face. Great if you train in a hot environment. The handles of the Airdyne pro give you many options to vary your ride and burn calories.
Air bikes are unique as the resistance increases the faster you go. This makes for very intense workouts which burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. You also have less impact than on a treadmill. The Airdyne comes with the following specifications:
-
Length 42”
-
Width 20”
-
Height 52”
-
Color black
This is a solid option for your gym which looks a little more space than comparable products. If you care about looks, that is, but why have a gym otherwise.
Pros of the Schwinn Airdyne Pro
-
Noise canceling design
-
Handles
-
Design
-
Experience
-
Price
One of the biggest pros of the
Schwinn is the noise canceling design.
Schwinn was one of the first Airbike companies in the market to look into belts rather than chains to propel the wheel on the Airbike. This makes the bike more reliable and silent. Since then it has become an industry standard.
The new handles are clever and take a leaf out the treadmill and elliptical industry. Most Airbikes have simple handles which leave fewer options. I personally liked and some might say this can get in the way of a very intense workout.
Design is always a matter of taste. I personally like the
Schwinn. It looks spacey and tasteful and might even make it even a little interior design statement if out in the right spot. I don’t see that happening with other, more down to earth, models in the market.
Schwinn has been building bikes for a while now. You can be sure you will get a top-notch product with a great finish.
For the quality, you are getting it is aggressively priced just around the $1000 mark. Most other Pro/elite/sport models are usually priced nearer to the $1200 to $2000 mark.
Cons of the Schwinn Airdyne Pro
What you do on an Airbike is not specific to most sports. Most bikes do not have self-moving handles or blow air in your face while riding them. A gym which trains athletes who compete in team sports will still have to invest in equipment like treadmills and
run rockets to offer specific training.
If you only want an Airbike and don’t care that much about design or noise canceling there are cheaper options which can be had to get an Airbike into your place.
Alternatives to the Schwinn Airdyne Pro
-
Concept 2 bike
-
-
Concept 2 Rower
A concept 2 bike will come in a little cheaper than the Airbike and is more specific for cycling indoors when you can not get out on the road. It will not burn as many calories in the same amount of time but offers you a solid alternative.
The
Rogue echo bike is a very solid alternative if you want an Airbike. It sells like hot cake and is very popular in the CrossFit community. It is built like a tank and comes in at a good price. Like everything from Rogue, it is designed to work, not to look pretty. In some gyms, it might look displaced.
The concept two rower is solid, time tested machine to build cardiovascular endurance. If you are a fan of water sports this is probably the better option for you than any of the bikes and treadmills. The only downside is that it takes a bit more space than other options.
Summary for the Schwinn Airdyne Pro
The
Schwinn Airdyne Pro has a good design at a good price point. For a flagship product, it is reasonably priced and comes from a vendor with experience in the market. If you are budget conscious there are also solid Airbike options at a lower price.
Further reading
Overview and review of the Nordictrack Elite 14.9i $2499
This is a review of the Nordictrack Elite 14.9 model. You will learn about the specifics, pros, cons and alternatives of this elliptical to make a decision. This article was originally published in "Which elliptical to get from Nordictrack".
Overview of the Elite 14.9i
The
14.9i is the flagship front-drive elliptical from Nordictrack. Its main features are a massive 15-inch flat-screen, 32-pound flywheel and up to 20% of incline. This front-drive elliptical leaves nothing to be desired for commercial use. The full list of features includes:
- 7” Smart HD Touchscreen
- 15” Integrated HDTV
- 1-Year iFit® Membership Included*
- Auxiliary Audio Port
- Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers
- Bluetooth® Smart Receiver for Heart Rate Strap (not included)
- EKG Grip Pulse Heart Rate Sensors
- AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
- Multi-Position Upper-Body Grips
- Oversized, Adjustable Cushion Pedals
- Front Drive
- 32 Lb. Effective Inertia-Enhanced Flywheel
- SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
- 20” Power-Adjustable Stride
- 26 Digital Resistance Levels
- 0-20% Incline
- One Touch® Controls
- Commercial Solid Steel Construction
- Oversized Levelers
- 375 Lb. User Capacity
- Front-Mounted Transport Wheels
- Water Bottle Holder
- 80.25" L x 36" W x 70" H Footprint
- 10-Year Frame Warranty
- 2-Year Parts Warranty
- 1-Year Labor Warranty
This is the ultimate front-drive machine for commercial use or home gym owners with a lot of space. You will have a hard time breaking this machine.
Pros of the 14.9i
The pros of the
14.9i are:
- 32-pound flywheel
- 15-inch TV
- 20% incline
This machine is built to last. With the 32-pound inch flywheel as a front-drive, you have a predictable line of motion and a sturdy built which will last even in the toughest scenarios. If your gym clocks thousands of miles per machine, this is the one to get. Especially if your clients expect to have a massive screen while doing their exercises.
The 15-inch tv is the crown jewel of this machine. If you want to get the full use out of the Ifit options of Nordictrack, this is the machine to get. You might need fewer instructors in your gym or just enjoy the big screen at home right in front of you to keep motivated.
With up to 20% incline there is no limit to the number of different workouts you can do. Combined with the Ifit run simulations you can go all over the world and simulate any track you want.
Cons of the 14.9i
The cons of the
14.9i are:
- Price
- Size
- Low-calorie burn
- Limited variety
- Shorter stride
For an elliptical, the
14.9i is quite pricey. You definitely need to ask yourself whether you really need that big screen or not. If you don't you can almost shave off $1000 from your purchase by going with the
12.9i which is the same model, except without the TV: If you are home buyer who does not want to fix a screen to the walls and needs the motivation and convenience of the multimedia station, this is a good option. Commercial buyers who want to make a statement in urban areas might also consider getting a fleet of these machines. If you have no to little competition in your local area, I do not see the reason to spend almost $1000 extra per machine just to get a massive screen.
hile size is good for durability and creating clear lines of movement in a commercial gym, it can be a burden when space is limited. This machine is huge, so make sure that you check your space. Home gym owners might even fill their entire space just with this machine. As it can not be folded it will also be hard to move around. Be mindful when you purchase.
As with all ellipticals, the calorie burn per minute is relatively low compared to treadmills and exercise bikes at similar intensity levels. If you want to maximize the calories burned per minute a
VersaClimber or
Rogue echo bike are probably better options for you.
Compared to the free stride range from Nordictrack the
14.9i provides only a limited variety of exercises. You can only use it as an elliptical and not as a treadmill and steppers like the
FS9i,
Fs10i, and
FS7i.
As the flywheel is in the front of this machine it limits the stride length to 20" compared to the 32" of the free stride machines, If you want to work with different stride lengths and you are a very tall athlete, you might want to look in the upper echelons of the Free stride range,
Alternatives to the Elite 14.9i
Alternatives to the Elite
14.9i elliptical are:
The NordicTrack
FS7i is the most affordable version of the free stride range of Nordictrack to date. Compared to the
14.9i elliptical you will give up the 15-inch screen and gain the center flywheel with three in one technology. This is a good swap for home gym buyers who do not care about multimedia and have many family members using the gym.
The
Nordictrack Elite 12.9 is basically the
14.9i without a TV. I think this machine is a great option for a commercial gym that wants to buy in bulk and still impress. Of course, if you are targeting very tech-savvy clients in urban areas with a high monthly subscription fee, the big ass screen might be a way to attract clients. Just make the calculations whether the $1000 more per machine justify themselves in terms of marketing opportunities and brand image. Only consider this if the competition is fierce and no gym in the area has screens on all their ellipticals.
The
VersaClimber SM model is the commercial-grade machine from
VersaClimber. This is the machine to get for anyone who wants to maximize calories per minute output. Home gym buyers might tend to go for the
VersaClimber H/HP instead with limited warranties for home use. In the home, this is the right machine if the entire family are hardcore fitness nuts and already run outdoors. For commercial use, I would recommend these if you already have a fleet of ellipticals and want to attract more clients in a "hardcore" endurance corner of your gym.
The
concept 2 rower is a great option for anyone who does not want to run because of their hips and also does not like bikes. This machine has been around for years and is reliable. You can choose between the
model D and
Model E which are targeted at different groups. The
model E is more recreational while
model D is lower to the ground and more for athletes.
My personal favorite for the home gym to burn calories fast and cheap is the
Rogue Echo bike. It is competitively priced for a professional machine at $700 and minimizes footprint in your gym. It still delivers a hardcore workout and only falls a little short of the
VersaClimber in this area.
Summary for the 14.9i
The
14.9i Nordictrack elliptical is the perfect machine for urban commercial gyms with stiff competition who want to attract tech-savvy clients. Especially if you do not want to run any classes in your gym to save labor costs, this is a good investment with the I fit subscription. Just unload the cost of the subscription per machine to your gym subscription and negotiate a god deal with Nordictrack on the commercial package. Home gym buyers might find this machine to be overkill unless they really want a big screen and can not fix it to a wall in their gym. For commercial gyms with ess competition or home gym owners who want an elliptical at a more reasonable price the
12.9i or
10.9i are better options.