Nordictrack Elite 10.9i vs Assault airbike elite
This is a comparison between the Nordictrack 10.9i elliptical 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 Elite 10.9i 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".
The
10.9 elliptical can not be beaten on price in the NordicTrack line-up and still dons a 7-inch touch screen. If you are considering this model the main criteria for purchase will be price, as otherwise, you are possibly looking at other options from Nordictrack.
If you are a commercial buyer you probably want to look at the
12.9i instead. It is only a small uptick in price but you get a 30 pound instead of a 20-pound flywheel. As commercial buyers should assume heavier usage and more breakage this minimal uptick in price is a good tradeoff for fewer maintenance cases. I am also quite sure that if you buy 10 plus machines in one go you will get the
12.9i for the price of a
10.9i per piece anyway if you ask for it.
A front-drive elliptical is a big machine. Take this into consideration, especially when you are buying for a home gym. More than $1000 for one machine is still a considerable investment in the private realm. If you are already budget-conscious you might as well get a stationary bike for a lower footprint and price to meet your endurance goals.
The
12.9i front-drive elliptical is the better option for commercial buyers as it is better value for money. It will not impress any of your clients, but also not look cheap or break the bank. If you want to impress go for the
14.9i instead which has a massive screen included.
The
Nordictrack SE7i is a rear-drive elliptical and can be an alternative for home gym owners who still want a high quality elliptical and save some space. The
SE7i comes in at the same price as the
10.9i but has the advantage that the rear-drive design makes it foldable. This way it can be folded up and stored against a wall when it is not used. This is not relevant for most commercial gym scenarios, but definitely in smaller home gym environments.
The
concept 2 rower is a good option for anyone who likes a bit more intensity but does not want to stand while exercising. These rowers can also be conveniently stored on a wall hanger to save space when not in use. The main models are the
Model E and
Model D. Go for the
Model E when you are either big and strong (reads NFL player sized) are have problems with going very low. The
Model D version is the standard
concept 2 model.The
10.9i is a good option for anyone who loves the idea of an elliptical at home for occasional exercise and has space. For my personal tastes I think you can be more consequent in your thinking for a home gym and push the cost under $1000, but I do not have any medical conditions preventing me from doing that. I am also not a huge fan of ellipticals as I have run three marathons and want a bigger challenge. But that is just for context, I might think very differently in 10 - 20 years time or if I consider everyone in the family for a home gym.