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NordicTrack Fs9i vs Assault Airbike Elite

Posted by Pascal Landshoeft

Jul 12, 2020 9:00:00 AM

NordicTrack Fs9i vs Assault Airbike Elite

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack FS9i elliptical and the Assault Airbike Elite. Follow the links for more details.

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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: 
 
  • Color Black
  • Product weight 140LB
  • Length 51“
  • Width 27“
  • 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

 
The pros of the Assault air bike elite are:
 
  • Most up to date LCD computer 
  • Bluetooth capability 
  • Overbuilt 
  • Strong brand 
  • Price 
 
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. 
 
The price is good when you compare the Assault air Bike elite to another top of range endurance machines like the TrueForm Runner, Versaclimber SM, and Run Rocket. When you compare Airbike to Airbike the story is a little different.
 

Cons of the Assault airbike elite

 
Cons of the Assault Air bike elite are: 
 
  • Price 
  • Specificity 
 
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. 
 
 
 

Overiew and review of the FS9i Free Stride $3799

This is a review of the Nordictrack Fs9i 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".

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Overview of the FS9i

 
The FS9i Free stride elliptical is a design that combines a stepper and an elliptical into one machine. The motor of this elliptical has been moved to the center so that you move more freely and have a longer stride for up to 32 inches. It comes with a 10-inch screen and a 20-pound flywheel. The full list of features includes:
 
  • 10” Smart HD Touchscreen
  • Includes 1-Year NordicTrack iFit® membership**
  • Pivoting Integrated Tablet Holder
  • Auxiliary Music Port
  • Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers
  • AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
  • SoftTouch™ Upper-Body Grips
  • Oversized Cushioned Pedals
  • Center Drive
  • SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
  • 32” Auto-adjustable Stride
  • 20 Lb. Effective Inertia-enhanced Flywheel
  • 26 Digital Resistance Levels
  • 10% Power Adjustable Incline
  • OneTouch® Controls
  • iFit Bluetooth® Smart Chest Strap Included
  • Oversized Levelers
  • 375 Lb. User Weight Capacity
  • 38 On-board Workouts
  • Integrated Handle Controls for Ramp and Resistance
  • Transport Wheels
  • Water Bottle Holder
  • 58.3" L x 29.5" W x 73.6" H Footprint
  • 10-Year Frame Warranty
  • 2-Year Parts Warranty
  • 1-Year Labor Warranty
 
This is an innovative design that will keep your running, walking and stepping workouts interesting. Especially if you have the need to be easier on your ankles and knees and want to train with different stride lengths, this is a good machine. Compared to other center ellipticals this machine also has a 10-inch incline.
 

Pros of the FS9i elliptical

 
The pros of the FS9i elliptical are:
 
  • All bells and whistles
  • three for the price of one 
  • Free adjustments
  • Low impact
If you are looking for a center drive elliptical model this is the one with all bells and whistles from Nordictrack. You won't find a center drive elliptical with a longer list of features and all of them brought to the maximum.
 
With this elliptical, you will get two machines for the price of one. As the movement pattern is not fixed on an ellipsis you also get a high-grade stepper with this machine.
 
The free adjustments give your clients or yourself a lot of room to play around. This keeps workouts interesting and also makes it more likely that the stride length fits everyone in the family or your client roster. Front and rear-drive ellipticals have a stride length which can not be changed. This might feel uncomfortable or get boring for some users.
 
As with all ellipticals, a major advantage over treadmills is that you have a lower impact and therefore less stress to the knees and ankles while exercising. This is especially interesting if you or your clients deal a lot with injuries in these areas or have to build-up strength before they can run or walk on a treadmill. 
 

Cons of the FS9i

 
The cons of the FS9i elliptical are: 
 
  • High Price
  • Free moving parts
  • Floating experience 
  • Low-calorie burn
 
As this is one of the high-end machines from Nordictrack you will fork out a respectable sum on acquiring the FS9i. Machines with all bells and whistles have this in common and are designed for this purpose. Keep in mind that for one FS9i you can get four Rogue Echo bikes or a complete rack with plates and a barbell. If money is of no concern and you only want the best, go for the FS9i. Otherwise, you have cheaper options to have the same experience, build an entire gym or run a small cardio class.
 
While the free moving parts enable a great experience and flexibility in the run it also makes this elliptical more prone to error. The more moving parts you have the easier it is to fail. As the flywheel is in the middle it is also harder to design clear footpaths around the FS9i compared to a front or rear-drive elliptical. I see this is a possible challenge when you want to put 5 to 50 of these in a row in a commercial gym. This will leave a lot more risk of someone walking into a machine that is being used than having rear or front-drive ellipticals in a row. This is more a consideration for bulk buys and commercial use, but still should be considered. In addition, the front and rear drive machines are cheaper.
 
The floating experience of the FS9i is not for everyone. Especially if you have balance and spacial awareness issues you might be better off with a front or rear-drive machine.
 

Alternatives to the FS9i

 
Alternatives to the FS9i are:
 
 
The Nordictrack FS10i is a newer model from Nordictrack. When I checked the price was $2999. If you can get this machine at this price I personally think it is the better value for money from Nordictrack while still delivering the same experience as the FS9i. You can spend the $800 you save on a Total Gym to round up your exercise machinery for your home gym. If you buy in bulk you will appreciate an $800 saving on list price per item to invest in a bigger fleet or invest the $8000 saved on a different area in your commercial gym. If you buy in bulk and cash always try to negotiate a discount.
 
The Nordictrack elite 14.9i would be the front-drive alternative elliptical from Nordictrack. It comes with a big TV screen which can be securely fastened to the front. It might also appear to more clients as it is a safer bet and not a novel experience. I think home gym oners are better off with the FS10i while commercial buyers can consider the 14.9i elliptical as a high-end option with nice screens for the masses. No one will think your gym is cheap when you have these, while still not breaking the bank for unnecessary bells and whistles on the elliptical fleet. 
 
The VersaClimber SM would be my personal recommendation for home gym owners with a big wallet who want to maximize their calorie output per minute. If you want to abuse the heck out of your 20 minutes cardio a day and everyone in the house is on that fitness level but does not train at the same time, get a VersaClimber into your home. For commercial use, this is a machine that you can put in the corner for all the lunatics and extreme edge cases of the bulk of your clientele. The money you save from investing in five 14.9i instead of 5 FS9i can be invested in a VersaClimber to make more clients happy on the same budget.
 
The Rogue echo bike is my personal favorite for calories burned per second at the lowest cost. The Echo Bike is a low impact on the joints and does not take up a lot of floor space. It comes in at a price of about $700 apiece and is, therefore, miles below the other options outlined. It is a sparse machine with no entertainment options, so if you buy this in bulk, be aware that it will appeal more to the fitter part of the population who want to push themselves and not watch Television while exercising. For a home gym, to me, this is the ultimate option to cover everything at the lowest price. Unless you cant sit on your bum for more than 5 minutes while exercising.
 

Summary for the FS9i

 
The FS9i was cutting edge technology and a new idea at the time of its go to market. Since then I think Nordictrack has managed to drive down production costs in other product lines and came up with FS10i which is better value for money. The FS10i is not available globally yet, but I expect distribution to pick over the years. If you love ellipticals, free choice of stride and stepping in one machine, this is the one to get. If you can take stress to the knee and ankles or want to maximize calorie output per minute, I personally think there are machines out there for you which take less of your hard-earned money.

Topics: Treadmill