Nordictrack VR21 vs Assault airbike Elite
This is a comparison between the Nordictrack VR21 and the Assault airbike elite including pros, cons, and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.
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".
Related articles
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
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.
Cons of the Assault airbike elite
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.
This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack VR21.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.
The
Nordictrack VR21 is the little brother of the
VR25 in the Nordictrack recumbent bike line up. Its main features are a 5-inch backlit display, 9kg flywheel, and 125kg maximum capacity. The full list of features reads as followed:
-
Lumbar Supported Cushioned Seat
-
Horizontal Seat Adjustment
-
Extra-wide Ergonomic Pedals with Adjustable Straps
-
AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
-
Front-mounted Transport Wheels
-
Water Bottle Holder
-
Integrated Tablet Holder
-
32 Workouts Apps
-
Assembled Dimensions - 155L x 59W cm x 132H cm
-
Product Weight 48kg
-
Boxed Weight 57kg
-
Boxed Dimensions - 153L x 65W x 39H cm
-
Warranty - 2 Years parts and labor; 5-year frame guarantee upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.
The
VR21 is the better option for home gym buyers who want to save some money as the 9kg flywheel is more than enough. Commercial buyers might consider this option when they want to buy 5 - 10 units instead of the
VR21. Otherwise the
VR25 might be the better option.
Pros of the NordicTrack VR21
The pros of the
VR21 are:
-
Price
-
Meshed seat
-
Comfortable position
The
VR21 is the cheapest recumbent bike that you can get from Nordictrack. If you want one and like the NordicTrack brand, this is the one to go for. Especially if you are a home gym buyer. Commercial buyers might consider this model when they buy in bulk. If you only want to have one or two on the floor, invest in the
VR25 and the bigger flywheel as they will clock more miles per unit as a fleet of ten
VR21 on the floor.
The meshed seat is a good little design feature to prevent sweating like mad. Other models have hard plastic full seats which can become sticky and unpleasant.
If you only want to moderately exercise and still use the time to go through emails or place some calls, a recumbent bike can be a very good option. They also have the advantage over ellipticals that they are closer to the floor and therefore do not need high ceilings.
Cons of the VR21
The cons of the
VR21 are:
-
9kg flywheel
-
Space requirements
-
Low-calorie burn
-
No touch screen
The 9kg flywheel puts the
VR21 at a disadvantage to the
VR25 model which has an 11kg flywheel. For home users this will not be as relevant as for commercial users. The trade-off is that you pay less money.
Compared to a traditional bike a recumbent bike takes more space and burns fewer calories per minute. If you want to optimize your floor space for the maximum amount of people burning the maximum amount of calories this is not the model to go for. Keep your clients and space requirements in mind, especially when shopping for recumbent bikes.
Compared to the
VR25 the
VR21 has no touch screen. If you want to get the full benefit of an easy workout while doing your work or surfing on the internet, the touch screen option will go along way for convenience.
Alternatives to the Nordictrack VR21
Aöternatives to the Nordictrack
VR21 are:
The
Nordictrack VR25 is the big brother of the
VR21. Personally I think that this is a better option for commercial buyers who only want one or two recumbent bikes on their floor. Otherwise, homebuyers can save some money by getting the
VR21. The worse media options can be compensated by just using your own devices on an easy ride.
The
NordicTrack C700 is the treadmill alternative from Nordictrack in the same budget range as the
VR21. The
C700 is a good option for walkers and joggers to get some miles in. If you intend to get your calorie burn in while standing, this might be the better option than the
VR21. The
C700 is not suited for runners who will take their treadmill through a lot of abuse in speed or distance.
The
NordicTrack SE3i elliptical is the cheapest elliptical in the Nordictrack line up. This can be a good compromise for all your clients or the entire family when you think that a recumbent bike does not have enough oomph. Just make sure that you have enough clearance to the ceiling as an elliptical will put you in a higher position than a recumbent bike and is harder to get on and off.
The
concept 2 model D is the industry standard for indoor rowing. If you want to row and turn your cardio into a full-body workout, this might be better option than the
VR21. A rower can also be hung on the wall after your workout to save some space. The only downside is that the calorie burn per minute is also relatively low compared to treadmills and upright bikes.
The
Rogue echo bike is my personal favorite for indoor gyms. This is a straight forward machine to make you sweat. No extra bells and whistles, just pure focus on high-intensity interval training. For some this bike might be intimidating, but I love it and it is also reasonably priced. Still, i would not place this one in an old folk's home or rehab center. The
VR21 might be a better option in those scenarios.
Summary for the Nordictrack VR21
The
Nordictrack VR21 is a good budget option for a recumbent bike from Nordictrack. If you want to relax and still burn some calories, this is the right machine for home use.