Nordictrack Grand Tour Pro vs Rogue Echo bike

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack Grand Tour Pro and the Rogue Echo bike including pros, cons, and alternatives. 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".

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:

Color black
Made in USA no
Weight 127LB
Length 58.875”
Width 29.875”
Height 52.75”
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

The pros of the Rogue echo bike are

Build
Price
Space

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

Cons of the rogue echo bike are

Not made in the USA
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

Alternatives to the Rogue echo bike are:

Schwinn Air bike
TrueForm runner
Concept 2 bike erg

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 the Nordictrack Grand tour pro 1499 (US)

This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack Grand Tour Pro.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.

The Grand tour pro bike from Nordictrack is the flagship in spinning bikes from this brand. The main features of this machine are its 10-inch touch screen, freewheel clutch, and 10% incline. the full list of features covers the following points:

10” Smart HD Touchscreen
Includes 1-Year NordicTrack iFit® membership**
Integrated Tablet Holder
Auxiliary Music Port
Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers

Upright Articulating Cycle
3 Piece Crank
Freewheel Clutch
SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
26 Digital Resistance Levels
-10° to 10° Incline and Decline
OneTouch™ Controls
Oversized Levelers
375 Lb. User Capacity

CoolAire™ Workout Fan
Oversized Cushion Seat
Vertical Seat Adjustment
Horizontal Seat Adjustment
Extra-wide, Ergonomic Foot Pedals with Adjustable Strap

2–3 Lb. Integrated Dumbbells
Integrated Handle Controls for Incline and Resistance
Front-mounted Transport Wheels
Water Bottle Holder
57.5" L x 23.5" W x 62" H Footprint
10-Year Frame Warranty
2-Year Parts Warranty
1-Year Labor Warranty

This is a solid bike to take your spinning classes home and connect to the trainer via a 10-inch touchscreen. If you like to work out at home and keep engaged, this is the machine for you.

Pros of the Nordic track Grand tour pro

10% incline
10-inch screen
Freewheel clutch

Compared to the S10i and S15i you get a reasonably balanced bike at a good price point including an incline. It is up to you whether you prefer the experience of a freewheel clutch or an inertia flywheel. If you like spinning classes over usual bikes on the gym floor, go with the Grand tour range.

The 10% incline will enable you to follow the Ifit instructors on various tracks around the world and the incline will automatically adjust according to where your ride takes you. This keeps the experience and fun and you engaged to stay fit and healthy.

Cons of the Nordic Track Grand Tour pro

The cons of the Grand tour Pro are:

Price
Storage of dumbbells
Ifit subscription

If you wanted to buy in bulk or do not need the fancy extras, because there is already a big screen on your home gym for youtube videos, then the price is high. You can get goof spinning bikes for under 1000 without these bells and whistles if they do not appeal to you.

The storage of the dumbbells can rattle or they fall off. Unfortunately there is no click-in system for the dumbbells to keep them in place. This is a minor annoyance as you can easily store 3lbs dumbbells somewhere in the room you train in. Still worth mentioning when you invest $1500.

The Ifit subscription will cost you somewhere between $10 to $30 a month depending on which subscription you will choose. Not everybody likes to pay infinitely to use all of the features of their home gym equipment. Still, there are plenty of workouts available in the free library, but you will not have access to the live content and latest releases.

Alternatives to the Grand tour pro

The alternatives to the Grand tour pro are

The Nordictrack Grand tour is the little brother of the Grand tour pro. It comes in with a smaller screen that is 7-inch across to save you $200. If you do not care about big screens you can save the $200 to get a nice pair of shoes with the Grand Tour to start your new exercise regimen.

The Nordictrack 6.5 SI treadmill is another option in the same budget bracket as the Grand Tour Pro. This is a solid treadmill for walkers, joggers, and runners alike. Runners should just take care that the treadmill is not necessarily designed for high speed pounding over a prolonged period of time. Do a moderate long-distance run or short sprints. If you are very heavy, fast and can run for a long time you might want to a little more upmarket in the Nordictrack portfolio.

The Nordictrack SE7i elliptical can be a good compromise to accommodate many different clients or family members when space is limited. Ellipticals are machines that usually appeal to a wider audience than bikes. Not everybody likes to sit on a saddle for half an hour to get their daily burn in. Ellipticals leave you with more options as long as you have enough clearance to the ceiling.

The concept 2 model D is the classic option for indoor rowing. You can not go wrong with this model and you can even hang it on the wall after you finished your workout to save some space. It is also less expensive than the Grand Tour pro.

The rogue echo bike is my personal favorite for home gym use. Simple, straight forward, and sturdy. This machine is affordable and built like a tank. I put on my bose earphones, leave the iPhone on the countertop and blast intervals until the airbike beats me to it.

Summary for the Nordictrack Grand Tour Pro

The Grand Tour pro is a very good option for the serious spinning class enthusiast to keep their hobby up from home. If you want to save a little money go for the Grand Tour from NordicTrack instead.