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Nordictrack Grand Tour vs run rocket

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Jan 29, 2021 5:00:00 PM

Nordictrack Grand Tour vs run rocket

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack Grand Tour and the run rocket including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Run rocket

The Run Rocket comes in at $1999. 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 Run Rocket

 
The run rocket is a piece of acceleration equipment which especially helps for sprint and acceleration training. This machine will be very useful for 
 
  • Football players 
  • Rugby players 
  • Soccer players 
  • Tennis players 
 
And any other sport where you have to sprint and change direction often. The Run rocket has adjustable resistance and comes with the following specifications: 
 
  • Length 37“
  • Width 28“
  • Height 40“
  • Weight 165l
  • 44lb Flywheel 
 
The big difference to many other machines or sleds is that the run rocket provides consistent resistance when you are running forward and does not pull back on you. Sleds have the challenge that they have an uneven resistance and also not truly mimic a running pattern. Bands and straps simulate a real running resistance, but the pullback leaves your athletes exposed to injury risk. The run rocket solves both of these problems for sprinting work. 
 

Pros of the Run Rocket

 
The pros of the run rocket are:
 
  • Sturdy 
  • No pull back 
  • Easy swap 
 
This machine is built like a professional lawnmower. It can be left outside and survives rain and other weather conditions. It’s the ideal companion for the pitch. 
 
The resistance immediately stops when the forward pull ceases. This makes it a good machine for sprint work without breaking any ankles. 
 
With the hook and click system, you can easily swap between athletes to get a good workout in for the entire team. Parachutes are way more complicated to handle.
 

Cons of the Run rocket

 
The cons of the run rocket are 
 
  • Space requirements 
  • Price 
 
To work effectively with the run rocket you need access to a pitch. This machine is a waste of your time and money if it is placed into a tiny gym or back garden. You need the necessary space to do a bit of distance for your sprint work. 
 
Compared to other sprint Resistance options like bands and harnesses the run rocket is ten times the price and also does not include the necessary vests for the entire team. They would come in at an additional $50 to $100 a player depending on what you are getting. 
 

Alternatives to the Run rocket

 
  • Resistance bands
 
Resistance bands of all forms and lengths can be an alternative to the run rocket. While less easy to use and setup they come in at a fraction of the cost.
 

Summary for the Run rocket

 
The run rocket is the right option for professional training facilities which focus on speed. If you are lucky enough to be a world class athlete who has a pitch in their own home and to whom $2000 are peanuts tja this is a gijd piece of equipment to get. You can spend a whole lot of more money on things which will do a lot less for your professional development. 
 

Overview and review of the Nordictrack Grand tour 1299 (US)

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

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The Grand Tour from Nordictrack addresses the spinning classes market for NordicTrack in the US. The other model is the Grand Tour Pro. The main features of this model are a 7-inch smart touch screen, a freewheel clutch, and a 10% incline. This makes it a good model to buy in bulk for spinning classes. The full list of features includes: 
 
  • 7” Smart HD Touchscreen
  • Integrated Tablet Holder
  • Includes 1-Year NordicTrack iFit® membership**
  • Auxiliary Music Port
  • Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers
  • CoolAire™ Workout Fan
  • Oversized Cushion Seat
  • Horizontal and Vertical Seat Adjustment
  • Extra-Wide Ergonomic Pedals with Adjustable Straps
  • Upright Articulating Cycle
  • 3 Piece Crank
  • Freewheel Clutch
  • SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
  • 24 Digital Resistance Levels
  • -10° to 10° Incline and Decline
  • OneTouch™ Controls
  • Oversized Levelers
  • 350 Lb. User Capacity
  • Included 3 Lb. Dumbbells
  • Integrated Handle Controls for Incline and Resistance
  • Front-mounted Transport Wheels
  • Water Bottle Holder
  • 59.2" L x 23.3" W x 56.2" H Footprint
  • 10-Year Frame Warranty
  • 2-Year Parts Warranty
  • 1-Year Labor Warranty
The Grand Tour is a great option when you want to take your spinning classes to the home. A commercial buyer might want to get spinning bikes with fewer multimedia and casing options to save some money to buy in bulk.
 

Pros of the Nordic track Grand tour

 
The pros of the Grand tour bike are:
 
  • 10% incline
  • Freewheel clutch
  • 7-inch touchscreen
 
For a bike including a touch screen and incline option the Grand tour is reasonably priced for a Nordictrack bike. The Grand Tour is great value for money as long as you like the way it works for biking. Some might prefer the inertia of a flywheel for use of use. The 7-inch touch screen is the cherry on the top to round up the picture. 
 

Cons of the Nordictrack Grand Tour

 
 
  • Small screen 
  • Freewheel clutch
  • No Bluetooth
The grand tour has a relatively small touchscreen compared to the wider Nordictrack portfolio which reaches up to 32-inch. If you want a bigger screen with the experience of a spinning class you can go for the Grand Tour pro. This bike has a 10-inch instead of a 7-inch touchscreen.
 
The freewheel clutch might not be liked by every user. If you are used to spinning classes this will be the preferable bike option for you. If you usually use flywheel bikes on the general gym floor, go for the VU19 or GX line instead. 
 
As with most Nordictrack bikes you do not have the option to use your Bluetooth headphones to follow the instructions of the Ifit classes. This is a little irritating when you spend more than 1000 bucks on a piece of equipment you can not hook up to your wireless headphones. 
 

Alternatives to the Nordictrack Grand tour

 
Alternatives to the Nordictrack Grand tour are:
 
The Grand tour Pro is the big sister of the Grand tour bike. For an additional $200 you get a bigger touchscreen than with the Grand Tour. If you are shortsighted or use the Ifit classes a lot, get the Grand Tour pro instead of the Grand tour. If you think that 7-inches are more than enough, spare yourself the extra expense. 
 
The Nordictrack 6.5 Si treadmill is one of the smaller Nordictrack treadmills which are available in the US. If you want a solid low budget option from Nordictrack this is the one. The T series has been recently released in the US and is more likely to be continued than the C series of treadmills that has seen its best days. If you want to run and put some miles on the treadmill without going overly fast, this is a solid option.
 
The Nordictrack SE7i is an elliptical in the same price range as the Grand tour bike. An elliptical can be a better compromise for all members of a gym or family to get their cardio in than a bike. Not everybody likes sitting on a saddle for 30 or more minutes to burn their calories. Just make sure that you have enough clearance to the ceiling when getting an elliptical as this can be an issue. An elliptical will also take up more floor space than a bike. 
 
The concept 2 model D rower is a worldwide standard and you can not go wrong with it if you are interested in an indoor rower. This bread butter machine from concept 2 does its job and will also save you some money compared to the Grand Tour. Commercial buyers will also appreciate that package deals are easier to obtain from concept 2 then from NordicTrack when the unit count climbs. 
 
The Rogue echo bike is my personal preference for use at home. I like to go hard and blast my ears with music from my bose earphones when I work out. The Rogue echo bike is just perfect for that, it does not cost a leg and an arm and can take my 105kg muscle with layer fat. 
 

 Summary for the Nordictrack Grand tour

 
If you like spinning classes and want to do them from home this is a good way to go. I would still go for the Grand tour Pro if I was in the market for one. If I do spin classes at home I want the instructor to be as big as possible. A 10-inch screen will be better for that than 7-inch and the two models are only $200 apart. That is not really a lot of money in terms of cardio machines. Of course, $200 can buy you a lot of jump ropes made from plastic, but that is a different debate to be had.