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NordicTrack C990 treadmill vs Schwinn Airdyne Pro

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Oct 12, 2020 3:00:00 PM

NordicTrack C990 treadmill vs Schwinn Airdyne Pro

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack C990 treadmill and the Schwinn Airdyne Pro including pros, cons and alternatives. 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".

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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

 
The pros of the Schwinn Airdyne are
 
  • 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

 
  • Specificity 
  • Price 
 
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

 
Alternatives to the Schwinn Airdyne Pro Are:
 
 
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. 
 

Overview and review of the NordicTrack C990 1599

This is a review of the NordicTrack C990 including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article has been originally published in “which NordicTrack treadmill or elliptical to get in the UK”. Follow the links for more details.

 

Overview of the Nordictrack C990

 
The C990 is a part of the outdated treadmill series from Nordictrack which has been replaced by the T series in the States fully whilst still being still in stock in other places of the earth. The main features of this treadmill are the 3 CHP motor, LCD display, and the 12% incline. The full list of features covers:
 
  • Includes 1 Year iFit Membership
  • iFit Integrated
  • Smart BlueTooth (BLE) Chestbelt Compatible
  • 7" HD Touch Screen Display
  • Dual 2-Inch Speakers
  • 3.0 CHP Motor
  • 0 - 12% Incline
  • 0 – 22 km/h Speed
  • 1.9" Roller
  • Onetouch Controls
  • 125kg Max User Weight
  • EKG Handgrips
  • FlexSelect Cushioning
  • 51 x 152 cm Tread Belt
  • Dual AutoBreeze™ Workout Fans
  • SpaceSaver® Design with EasyLift™ Assist
  • Assembled Dimensions - 201 L x 91 x 153H cm
  • Product Weight 90kg
  • Boxed Weight 101kg
  • Folded Dimensions - 108L x 91W x 180H cm
  • Boxed Dimensions - 209 L x 77W x 35H cm
  • Warranty - Lifetime Frame Warranty, 10-year Motor Warranty, 2-Year Parts & Labour upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase
This is a solid treadmill to look for int he used market. If you want your own, new treadmill with reliable delivery, this might not be the best choice as the T series is newer and in the same price range.

Pros of the NordicTrack C990

 
The pros of the Nordictrack C990 are:
 
  • 3.0 CHP motor
  • Dual speakers 
The 3.0 chp motor is great for home use, especially if you run a lot and want to put a lot of mileage on this machine. The speakers are also a great addition to this machine, as it was brought to market in a time when good bluetooth earphones were still rather expensive. If you mainly use Bluetooth earphones with your phone, this feature might not be that relevant to you.  
 

Cons of the Nordictrack 990

 
The cons of the Nordictrack 990 are:
 
  • Price
  • Age
The Nordictrack 990 is currently quite pricey for a treadmill that has aged. This might be due to the situation with the Coronavirus in 2020, so you might want to revisit prices at some other stage to get a better picture. 
 

Alternatives to the Nordictrack C990

 
Alternatives to the Nordictrack C990 are:
 
The Nordictrack T7.5 is the more modern alternative to the C990 at almost the same price. If you have the budget and want to go for a treadmill now, go for the T7.5 instead of the C990. If you want to save some money you will have better chances dumpster diving for the C990 than for the T7.5.
 
The Nordictrack FS5i can be an alternative if you want to have an elliptical instead of a treadmill. This model comes with the Nordictrack free stride technology which enabled three different modes of operation. You can use the FS5i as a stepper, treadmill, and elliptical. This comes at the cost of stability for a modern design. This is a good machine if you have to cater to many needs in a limited space, but not if you are a long-distance runner who wants to clock hundreds of miles. 
 
The concept 2 model D is a rower which can be obtained for under 1000. This rower is great when you want to gove your knees and ankles a rest and still get a good workout in. It does not come with a lot of multimedia options but has everything you need to burn some calories. The only downside is that rowers are not great for interval training.
 
The Rogue Echo bike is one of the best machines for use in a home gym. It is compact, affordable and can be used for intense 20-minute cardio workouts covering all bases. If you don't need entertainment and want a solid airbike to kick some butt, this is the machine for you.
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