Nordictrack Elite 12.9i vs Rogue Echo bike
This is a comparison between the Nordictrack 12.9i elliptical and the Rogue Echo bike. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Rogue Echo bike
The Rogue Echo bike comes in at $750 - $795. 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 Rogue Echo bike
The
Rogue echo bike is built on a solid steel frame to give you one of the sturdiest fan bikes $800 can buy. It is probably the best value for money option for a cardio machine that you can get. The
Rogue echo bike has the following specifics:
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Color black
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Made in USA no
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Weight 127LB
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Length 58.875”
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Width 29.875”
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Height 52.75”
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Footprint 44.5”x 23.75”
Fanbikes are ideal for interval training. If you want to burn as many calories as possible in the shortest amount of time this is a great tool to go for.
Pros of the Rogue Echo bike
As everything from Rogue, the
Echo bike is completely overbuilt. In fitness, this is usually a good character trait. The
echo bike will stay in place during your ride and not sway. It is also driven by a band instead of a chain which means less maintenance and noise. The computer which comes with it has good contrast so that you can see exactly what is going. Some other vendors provide computers which leave you guessing.
The price of the
Rogue echo bike is excellent for what you are getting. While most other fan bikes hug the $1000 mark you can get the
echo bike and just about for a barbell into the $1000.
Compared to treadmills, ellipticals, and rowers the
echo bike takes up considerably less space. This is especially interesting for home gyms.
Cons of the Rogue Echo bike
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Not made in the USA
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Specificity
The
Rogue echo bike is one of the exceptions from the Rogue portfolio and is not made in the USA. If you care about that you might want to find other options, although most of the fan bikes are assembled in the US at best.
Fanbikes are not that specific to any real sport. If you want to prepare your athletes with machines that are as specific as possible to the real world the
TrueForm runner or
concept 2 bikeErg might be better options for you.
Alternatives to the Rogue Echo bike
If you want a fan bike, but with a cooler looking fan, the
Schwinn air bike might be the right choice for you. It is slightly more expensive than the
Echo bike and has recently been used at CrossFit regionals.
The
TrueForm runner is the ultimate indoor running simulator. This is the best that money can currently buy if you want to simulate running for long distances on the pitch as closely as possible while being independent of the weather.
The
concept 2 bikeErg simulates the look and feel of a real street race with a bike as closely as possible. You will even have the switching of gears inbuilt.
Summary for the Rogue Echo bike
The
Rogue echo bike is probably the best option for your home gym to burn calories fast on a budget while not compromising on quality. This has been priced to sell in truckloads and it does. If you don’t want to think too hard about your purchase, this is the way to go.
Overview and review of Nordictrack Elite 12.9i $1499
This is a review of the Nordictrack Elite 12.9 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".
Overview of the Elite 12.9i
The
Elite 12.9i elliptical is the mid-range front-drive elliptical from Nordictrack. Its main features are the 30-pound flywheel, 20% incline, and 10-inch TOuch screen. The full list of features includes:
- 10” Smart HD Touchscreen
- 1-Year iFit® Membership Included*
- Bluetooth® Audio Capabilities
- Two 2” Digitally-Amplified Speakers
- Front Drive
- 30 Lb. Effective Inertia-Enhanced Flywheel
- SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
- 24 Digital Resistance Levels
- Auto-Adjustable Stride
- 0-20% Incline
- Commercial Solid Steel Construction
- Oversized Levelers
- 350 Lb. User Capacity
- AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
- Soft Touch™ Upper Body Grips
- Oversized Cushion Pedals
- Front-Mounted Transport Wheels
- Water Bottle Holder
- 68.5" L x 28.75" W x 68.25" H Footprint
- 10-Year Frame Warranty
- 2-Year Parts Warranty
- 1-Year Labor Warranty
This is a good value for money elliptical for commercial buyers and home gym owners. You will get a larger touch screen compared to other Nordictrack ellipticals and a reasonably sized flywheel to make the machine last longer.
Pros of the Elite 12.9i
The pros of the
12.9i elite are:
- Biggest front-drive elliptical touch screen
- Good value for money
- 20% incline
The
12.9i has the biggest touch screen which Nordictrack can put in their ellipticals to date. Compared to other front and rear drive models you get the most real estate in touch screens with this machine.
For the $1499 you get a big flywheel, big screen, and a good warranty. This is the best value for money machine in the elliptical line up of NordicTrack. If you want a workhorse elliptical which becomes the backbone of your commercial fleet, this is a good option. Home gym owners who intend to put a lot of miles on their elliptical (read multiple users in the home) also want to consider this elliptical over cheaper options due to the bigger flywheel.
With the 20% incline, you can work at any intensity levels to get a workout in and make you feel good about yourself after starting the day with a good workout.
Cons of the 12.9i elliptical
The cons of the
12.9i elliptical are:
- No wow factor
- High price for doing everything moderately good
- Low-calorie burn
If you are already forking out more than $1000 on an exercise machine, you might as well get a bit of wow-factor out of the machine. This is not the case with the
12.9i. There is no cool mechanics like with the
FS7i or a massive screen like you get with the
14.9i. All you get as a solid elliptical, that's it. Good for buying in bulk when you do not need to impress that much. Most home gym owners should go for the
10.9i instead with the 20-pound flywheel to save some money.
As with all ellipticals, you get a relatively low-calorie burn per minute compared to treadmills and bikes. If this is your main concern, go for a
VersaClimber model or the
Rogue echo bike.
Alternatives to the 12.9i elliptical
Alternatives to the
12.9 elliptical are:
The
FS7i would be a good alternative for home gym owners with a little extra money to spend. This free stride model would provide a little bit more of a wow factor rather than just having an elliptical at home. If you are buying new and not used, I think this is the better option. If you buy a used elliptical and budget is your main concern, try to find a Nordictrack elite
10.9i on craigslist or eBay.
The
NordicTrack 10.9i is the most affordable front-drive elliptical out of the Nordictrack line up. It has no touch screen and a smaller flywheel. This is a good option for the home gym owner who wants to occasionally train without having to go to the gym. In this scenario, you do not need a big flywheel to take the beating of several thousand miles.
The
VersaClimber H/Hp model is the product that
VersaClimber designed for home use. If you already run outdoors and want to maximize your warm-up when you workout at home, this is the machine for you. The calories burned per minute of this are not matched on a machine with that low a footprint.
The
concept 2 rower is the home gym variation for anyone who likes rowing or does not want to stand or sit on a bike while exercising. There a re two models available, the E and the D. If you are older and struggle to get very low, go for the
model E. Otherwise get the
Model D to save some money. Commercial buyers might find it interesting that these machines can be hung on the wall, if you get multiple, to save space and make your gym more modular. Hard to do with an elliptical.
The
Rogue echo bike is in my opinion one f the best options for a home gym to burn the most amount of calories with the smallest footprint at a competitive price. Unless you have reservations for airbikes, this is the one to get at about $700 apiece.
Summary for the 12.9i
The
12.9i is a good elliptical to be bought in bulk by a commercial gym. It will please a lot of customers without breaking the bank like the
14.9i. Home gym owners might consider to either move up or down the Nordictrack portfolio as they do not have to take economies of scale into consideration. You will probably only buy one or two ellipticals in your life so you might as well either maximize your savings or maximize the wow factor.