The Concept 2 bikeErg comes in at $999. 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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The concept 2 bikeErg is concept 2‘s take on bringing the real cycling experience to your home. Most bike parts are compatible with the bikeErg so you can attach your own pedals, saddle and handles to simulate your bicycle. The bikeErg also has been designed with increasing resistance the faster you go. The mechanics simulate shifting gears to get you ready for the real ride. All of this comes with poly groove belts instead of a chain. This ensures a smooth ride which does not produce too much noise. The bikeErg comes with the following specs: 

 

 

Concept 2 has a long history of building machines for cardio. The bread butter machine is the concept 2 rower and recently the company has added the skierg and bikeErg to their portfolio. The bikeerg is the machine for you if you want to cycle at home and can not always take to the road to do your training.

 

 

The pros of the bikeErg are

 

 

The lightweight aluminum construction is an advantage for what this machine wants to achieve. Real world bicycles are usually built as light as possible. If you want your home training to be specific for cycling in a triathlon or the gourde France, you can not have a bulky Airbike to replace the experience. 

 

If you want you to take all of the sports you touch as a driver apart and swap them for your own. This way you can get very close to riding your actual bike from the comfort of your home. 

 

The bikeErg simulates the switching of gears during the ride so you get as close to the real experience than you can. 

 

Finally, the PM5 monitor will enable you to race against others in parallel on multiple bikeErg. This can result in great fun for spinning classes. 

 

 

The cons of the concept 2 bikeErg are 

 

 

The concept 2 bikeErg will mainly focus on your legs. Therefore you will not get a lot of an upper body workout from your session. If this is important to you, you might want to go for the Rogue Echo bike instead. 

 

The concept 2 bikeErg is lightweight and therefore build for cyclists. If you have a lot of football players on your roster you might want to go for one of the bigger Airbikes to make sure they don’t fall off. 

 

Last but not least, nothing is like the real experience. If you want to compete in cycling you also must put in the miles on your bike outdoors. Otherwise, it is very likely that you will fail on race day.

 

 

Alternatives to the concept 2 bike erg are 

 

 

If you are buying equipment for your home gym and you are more on the extreme side of things you might prefer the Rogue Echo bike. This is the solid all body workout for the weekend warrior. 

 

The concept 2 skierg is a great variation from concept 2 for anyone who skies. It simulates the upper body movement of skiing. Thing of it like a marathon version of a lat pulldown machine. 

 

If you are shopping for a commercial gym you also might want to throw in a couple of rowers to mix things up. Avoid getting all of the same. Concept 2 actually has a mix pack on offer at Rogue where you can buy a skierg, bikeErg, and rower in one go. 

 

 

The GX 4.7R is the cheapest of the G series line up of the Nordictrack bikes. Its main features are a 5-inch Backlit display, 7kg flywheel, and 125kg maximum capacity. With this, it is the easiest item to start with cardio equipment from the NordicTrack bike line up. The full list of features reads: 

 

• 5" Backlit Display
• 1 Year iFit Membership Included
• Smart BlueTooth (BLE) Chestbelt Compatible
• Dual 2-Inch Speakers

• Recumbent Frame
• Step Thru™ Design
• 7kg Flywheel
• 22 Digital Resistance Levels
• Onetouch™ Controls
• EKG Handgrips
• 125kg Max User Weight

• Lumbar Supported Cushioned Seat
• Horizontal Seat Adjustment
• Extra-wide Ergonomic Pedals with Adjustable Straps
• AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan

• Front-mounted Transport Wheels
• Water Bottle Holder
• Tablet Shelf
• 24 Workouts Apps
• Assembled Dimensions - 137L x 64W cm x 131H cm
• Product Weight 48kg
• Boxed Weight 53kg
• Boxed Dimensions - 142L x 33W x 66H cm
• Warranty - 2 Years parts and labor; 5-year frame guarantee upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.

This is the low budget option and does what it says on the tin. It gets you a convenient bike for occasional use with no bells and whistles. Think about your user profile and what you enjoy and decide accordingly.

 

 

The pros of the GX 4.7 Pro are:

 

I do not really have a lot else to say about this bike. It is cheap and cheerful for a Nordictrack bike and gives you a screen, pedals, seat, and bars to get going. But that is about it. So if you love spending as little as possible, go for this one. If your budget stretches to 1000, which admittedly, is double the price of this bike, go for the GX 4.6 which is better value for money. 

 

 

The cons of the Nordictrack GX 4.7R are:

 

The GX 4.7R comes without a touchscreen or Bluetooth. This means that many modern ways of doing exercise from home or without disturbing the person next to you in the gym are simply not convenient to do. The lack of Bluetooth is a general oversight in the Nordictrack bike portfolio and is amplified in their cheaper models as they also lack other features. Still, you can not expect to save money and get a lot of features when you buy a new model. 

 

 

Alternatives to the GX 4.7R are:

 

The GX 4.6 Nordictrack bike is, in my opinion, the best value for money option in the Nordictrack bike line up for the UK. IT comes with a big flywheel, heart rate monitor, and a touch screen. With these features, you at least keep a connection with the current industry standard rather than being left completely behind. If you intend to use your bike for 3 - 5 years and have fun with it, spend the extra money if a bike is all you are getting. If you just want a bike fast and cheap, stick with the GX 4.7.

 

The concept 2 model D is a rower which is roughly in the same price range as the GX 4.6. A rower has the advantage that it can be hung on the wall when you do not use it. The model D is also the flagship of concept 2 and therefore a safe bet for maintenance and spare parts. The GX 4.7 might leave you with bottlenecks for both down the line. 

 

The Rogue echo bike os my personal favorite for home gyms. It is solid, has a good, simple design, and makes your sweat drip hard. It has not been designed for entertainment but for performance. I personally like that approach, but it is not for everyone. Apart from this it is slightly more expensive than the GX 4.7 and therefore might be ruled out by some. 

 

 

Cheap and cheerful sums it up quite well. If you only have a couple of bucks left after planning out your entire gym and want to cram in a bike as an afterthought, this is the one. Maybe just to keep the wife and the kids happy. If you want to crush a lot of miles and care about longevity, this is not the bike for you.