NordicTrack 2950 vs Schwinn Airdyne Pro
This is a comparison between the Nordictrack 2950 treadmill 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:
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Length 42”
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Width 20”
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Height 52”
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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
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Noise canceling design
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Handles
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Design
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Experience
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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
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Concept 2 bike
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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
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.
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.