NordicTrack 2950 vs Concept 2 bikeerg

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack 2950 treadmill and the concept2 bikeerg. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Concept two bikeErg

The Concept 2 bikeErg comes in at $999. 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 Concept 2 bikeErg

The concept 2 bikeErg is concept 2‘s take on bringing the real cycling experience to your home. Most bike parts are compatible with the bikeErg so you can attach your own pedals, saddle and handles to simulate your bicycle. The bikeErg also has been designed with increasing resistance the faster you go. The mechanics simulate shifting gears to get you ready for the real ride. All of this comes with poly groove belts instead of a chain. This ensures a smooth ride which does not produce too much noise. The bikeErg comes with the following specs:

Assembled in the US
Color black
Length 48”
Width 24”
Weight 58lb
Made of Aluminium

Concept 2 has a long history of building machines for cardio. The bread butter machine is the concept 2 rower and recently the company has added the skierg and bikeErg to their portfolio. The bikeerg is the machine for you if you want to cycle at home and can not always take to the road to do your training.

Pros of the Concept 2 bikeErg

The pros of the bikeErg are

Lightweight construction
Adaptable
Simulated gears
PM5 monitor

The lightweight aluminum construction is an advantage for what this machine wants to achieve. Real world bicycles are usually built as light as possible. If you want your home training to be specific for cycling in a triathlon or the gourde France, you can not have a bulky Airbike to replace the experience.

If you want you to take all of the sports you touch as a driver apart and swap them for your own. This way you can get very close to riding your actual bike from the comfort of your home.

The bikeErg simulates the switching of gears during the ride so you get as close to the real experience than you can.

Finally, the PM5 monitor will enable you to race against others in parallel on multiple bikeErg. This can result in great fun for spinning classes.

Cons of the Concept 2 bikeErg

The cons of the concept 2 bikeErg are

No full body work out
Not for the big guys
It’s indoors

The concept 2 bikeErg will mainly focus on your legs. Therefore you will not get a lot of an upper body workout from your session. If this is important to you, you might want to go for the Rogue Echo bike instead.

The concept 2 bikeErg is lightweight and therefore build for cyclists. If you have a lot of football players on your roster you might want to go for one of the bigger Airbikes to make sure they don’t fall off.

Last but not least, nothing is like the real experience. If you want to compete in cycling you also must put in the miles on your bike outdoors. Otherwise, it is very likely that you will fail on race day.

Alternatives to the Concept 2 bikeErg

Alternatives to the concept 2 bike erg are

If you are buying equipment for your home gym and you are more on the extreme side of things you might prefer the Rogue Echo bike. This is the solid all body workout for the weekend warrior.

The concept 2 skierg is a great variation from concept 2 for anyone who skies. It simulates the upper body movement of skiing. Thing of it like a marathon version of a lat pulldown machine.

If you are shopping for a commercial gym you also might want to throw in a couple of rowers to mix things up. Avoid getting all of the same. Concept 2 actually has a mix pack on offer at Rogue where you can buy a skierg, bikeErg, and rower in one go.

Overview and review Nordictrack Commercial 2950 Treadmill $2999 - $3599

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.

Overview Nordictrack Commercial 2950 Treadmill $2999 - $3599

The 2950 is the top-end treadmill from Nordictrack without the big %40 incline option. The main features are the massive 22-inch touchpad and the foldable Running track. The full list of features is:

22” Smart HD Touchscreen
1-Year iFit® Membership Included ($468 Value)**
Auxiliary Music Port
Two 3” Digitally-Amplified Speakers
Runners Flex™ Cushioning
Dual AutoBreeze™ Workout Fans
22” x 60” Commercial Tread Belt
4.25 CHP DurX™ Commercial Plus Motor
0 - 12 MPH Speed
0 - 15% Incline
0 - 3% Decline
OneTouch® Controls
EKG Grip Pulse
300 Lb. User Weight Capacity
2.5” Precision and Balanced Non-Flex Rollers
SpaceSaver® Design with EasyLift™ Assist
40 On-Board Workout Programs
Integrated Tray
79.5” L x 39.2” W x 66.6” H Footprint
10-Year Frame Warranty
2-Year Parts Warranty
1-Year Labor Warranty

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.

Pros of the Nordictrack 2950

The pros of the 2950 Nordictrack treadmill are:

Big screen
Good folding mechanics
Strong motor
High capacity and large belt

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.

Cons of the Nordictrack 2950

The cons of the 2950:

No Start stops possible
High price
Big footprint

The Nordictrack 2950 is a great option when you have the necessary change in your pocket and space in your home or gym. Otherwise, it is a pretty bad choice. If you have to buy in bulk the price will escalate quite quickly. You also can not do Start-stop sprints that are relevant to many sports.

Alternatives to the Nordic track 2950

Alternatives to the 2950 are

The X32i is the ultimate treadmill you can get from Nordictrack. It has a 32-inch touchscreen and goes up to 40% incline. If you want everything and can pay for it go for this model. I personally think that 40% incline is overkill unless you are an extreme Trail runner who wants to be able to train all year round. If you want to burn the maximum calories per minute there are cheaper options than an incline treadmill.

The Nordictrack X22i has the same specs as the X32i. The only difference is that the screen is 22inch and you save $1000 because of that.

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 Rogue echo bike is a great value for money option if your main goal is to burn as many calories as possible in a short amount of time. It is roughly priced at $700 and therefore for under most cardio equipment you can get for your home gym. In addition, it is also very space-efficient.

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.

Summary for the 2950

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.