NordicTrack 2950 vs Assault Airbike Elite
This is a comparison between the Nordictrack 2950 treadmill and the Assault Airbike Elite. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Assault airbike elite
The Assault Airbike elite comes in at $1299. 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".
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Overview of the Assault airbike elite
Air assault has been around a while in the world of
Air bikes. The elite is their take on taking it tongue next level. Compared to the basic version you will get an upgraded LCD, bigger seat and sturdier steel frame. The
Air Assault Elite comes with the following specifications:
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Color Black
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Product weight 140LB
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Length 51“
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Width 27“
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Height 55“
Airbikes are a great option for your cardiovascular training. The resistance increases naturally the faster you go. This makes it a great tool for interval training. In addition, you also address your entire body. With the
assault bike, you also have the option to only focus on the upper or lower body by keeping the feet or arms engaged or out of the loop. If you want something else from a treadmill and find cycling not challenging enough the
air assault elite is the best you can get in the market.
Pros of the Assault airbike elite
Compared to other air bikes the assault bike elite has one of the most advanced computers. If this is important to yourself or the image your gym want to convey, this is a great option. Quite a few other vendors are behind when it comes to this. Still, keep in mind that most options will never be used.
The Bluetooth capability is nice in the age of the internet of things. You might want to combine the output of the air bike with other technology you are using for analysis or your clients just want to hook your phone up.
I personally admit that I like overbuilt gym equipment. I lift comparatively heavy and like to abuse any kind of cardio machine I am on. That I weigh 90kg does not help the machines. If it rattles and I feel like it will break right under me, I am not too impressed. If you have a team of rugby players to entertain, maybe spent the extra money so that they feel like they are safe.
With the Assault, you are hooking up with a company that has been around the block. You can expect good customer service.
Cons of the Assault airbike elite
The main point against the elite is the price. When you compare
Airbike to
Airbike the elite comes in at almost double the price compared to other
Airbike options. Are the extra features worth giving up on one extra
Airbike for the same time? Most of the times probably not unless you are 7’ 10” tall and weigh 250kg. You can also make an argument for this if your marketing strategy is to never ever be seen to be cheap because you charge your clients a fortune for your services (well to them it is peanuts, but that is precisely why you have to give them the best of everything).
The other downside to the
Assault Air bike elite is that the movement pattern is not specific to most sports. Except cycling, the carryover will not be as high as with a treadmill or
run rocket when you train athlete who competes on their feet on a pitch.
Alternatives to the Assault Airbike elite
Alternatives to the Assault Air Bike elite are:
The
TrueForm runner is the best you can get in the realm of self-propelled treadmills. It will put you back considerably more than the
Assault air bike elite. However, if you consider the Elite budget is probably not one of your main concerns.
What goes for the
TrueForm also holds true for the
Versaclimber SM. The SM is the top of range product of
Versaclimber with all the bells and whistles and a generous warranty for commercial use. If you want the workout that burns the most calories per square foot over time this is the way to go.
The
Rogue Echo bike is the reasonable choice if you want an Airbike at a normal price tag. The
Echo is overbuilt and Rogue took the best ideas from the existing mass products and offers them at a very competitive price tag for the amount of bike you get.
Summary for the Assault airbike elite
The
assault air bike elite is a great option for you if you train big athletes or only want the best of everything. It is also one of the cheaper options for top equipment when you want to offer your clients or yourself that special care. If you are budget conscious you can save about half by getting solid alternatives from the mid-market price range which are under $1000.
This is a review of the Nordictrack commercial 2950 model which was originally posted in "Which Nordictrack treadmill to get". Follow the links for more details.
If you have some surplus money to spend and like the good things in life this is the treadmill for you. The incline options from Nordictrack technically have more bells and whistles if you only want the best, but I think you are more than covered with what the
2950 has to offer with the added bonus that it can be folded up.
This machine is a great option for a high-end home gym for which the owner does not want to spare any expenses without paying for unnecessary gimmicks which will be rarely used. If you work with the elderly are anyone that needs a big touch screen you will not be disappointed with the
2950. The same goes for if you need the extra size and cushioning because you are heavy or just like comfort.
The
true form runner is roughly in the same price range than the
2950. Rather than using an electrical motor, you propel the belt forward yourself. This is a better option when you train high performing athletes who need to do start and stop drills. Especially if you have limited space. It’s still not as good as training outdoors on the pitch, but the
true from runner can be used all year round even when the pitch can not be accessed.
The
Versaclimber SM is the ultimate machine for getting you to sweat and burn calories in the shortest amount of time. This machine is not for beginners and therefore has a smaller range than the rest of the cardio equipment in this comparison. The big disadvantage against the
echo bike is the higher price tag. If you are super fit, rich and value your time above anything else, get this machine to burn the calories fast before you go on set or in the boardroom. If you are a mere mortal with limited finances get the
Rogue echo bike to burn calories.
The
2950 treadmill is, in my opinion, the sensible wealthy treadmill for the home gym owner or the elite/boutique sensible option for a commercial gym. Anyone who enters your gym will be impressed and it will not look cheap. In addition, you get a plethora of functionality without going overboard with the 40% incline. For everyone else, more than 3000 is a lot of money to spend on one machine. You can get up to ten squat stands for that and open an Olympic weightlifting gym. Just the plates might eat your budget up, but that is another topic.