NordicTrack X22i vs Schwinn Airdyne Pro
This is a comparison between the Nordictrack X22i treadmill and the Schwinn Airdyne Pro. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Schwinn airdyne pro
The Schwinn Airdyne Pro comes in at $999 - $1200. 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 Schwin Airdyne Pro
Schwinn has been in the game of producing bikes for over a century now. The
Schwinn Airdyne pro is their flagship take on the Airbike market. The special features of this design are the handles and how the fans are formed. This machine will blow some serious air into your face. Great if you train in a hot environment. The handles of the Airdyne pro give you many options to vary your ride and burn calories.
Air bikes are unique as the resistance increases the faster you go. This makes for very intense workouts which burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time. You also have less impact than on a treadmill. The Airdyne comes with the following specifications:
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Length 42”
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Width 20”
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Height 52”
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Color black
This is a solid option for your gym which looks a little more space than comparable products. If you care about looks, that is, but why have a gym otherwise.
Pros of the Schwinn Airdyne Pro
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Noise canceling design
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Handles
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Design
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Experience
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Price
One of the biggest pros of the
Schwinn is the noise canceling design.
Schwinn was one of the first Airbike companies in the market to look into belts rather than chains to propel the wheel on the Airbike. This makes the bike more reliable and silent. Since then it has become an industry standard.
The new handles are clever and take a leaf out the treadmill and elliptical industry. Most Airbikes have simple handles which leave fewer options. I personally liked and some might say this can get in the way of a very intense workout.
Design is always a matter of taste. I personally like the
Schwinn. It looks spacey and tasteful and might even make it even a little interior design statement if out in the right spot. I don’t see that happening with other, more down to earth, models in the market.
Schwinn has been building bikes for a while now. You can be sure you will get a top-notch product with a great finish.
For the quality, you are getting it is aggressively priced just around the $1000 mark. Most other Pro/elite/sport models are usually priced nearer to the $1200 to $2000 mark.
Cons of the Schwinn Airdyne Pro
What you do on an Airbike is not specific to most sports. Most bikes do not have self-moving handles or blow air in your face while riding them. A gym which trains athletes who compete in team sports will still have to invest in equipment like treadmills and
run rockets to offer specific training.
If you only want an Airbike and don’t care that much about design or noise canceling there are cheaper options which can be had to get an Airbike into your place.
Alternatives to the Schwinn Airdyne Pro
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Concept 2 bike
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Concept 2 Rower
A concept 2 bike will come in a little cheaper than the Airbike and is more specific for cycling indoors when you can not get out on the road. It will not burn as many calories in the same amount of time but offers you a solid alternative.
The
Rogue echo bike is a very solid alternative if you want an Airbike. It sells like hot cake and is very popular in the CrossFit community. It is built like a tank and comes in at a good price. Like everything from Rogue, it is designed to work, not to look pretty. In some gyms, it might look displaced.
The concept two rower is solid, time tested machine to build cardiovascular endurance. If you are a fan of water sports this is probably the better option for you than any of the bikes and treadmills. The only downside is that it takes a bit more space than other options.
Summary for the Schwinn Airdyne Pro
The
Schwinn Airdyne Pro has a good design at a good price point. For a flagship product, it is reasonably priced and comes from a vendor with experience in the market. If you are budget conscious there are also solid Airbike options at a lower price.
Further reading
This is a review of the Nordictrack X22i. The original was published in "Which Nordictrack trwadmill to get". Follow the links for more details.
This treadmill has been built for professional use. It has the right cushioning and can take up to 300 lbs of weight. In addition, you can go up to 40% of the incline in various increments. The finish is immaculate and combined with a great digital package to round up the experience. This is not the Mayback, but still the Mercedes E class of NordicTrack treadmills.
If you are already looking at incline treadmills with touch screen chances are high that you not that much of a budget-conscious buyer. These treadmills usually start around $3000 and go upwards from there. If you are already willing to invest that much into a treadmill, why get the smaller screen? Yes, $1000 is a good argument compared to the
32i, but to be honest, if you comparing the
X32i and the
X22i based on price, I think you went in at the wrong end of the portfolio. But that is just my opinion.
This treadmill uses the same base as the
X32i and is, therefore, the biggest frame Nordictrack provides. This treadmill can not be folded and has a wider belt than most standard treadmills. If you have limited space in your home or want to fit as many treadmills as possible into a small space, this is not the right option for you.
As this treadmill provides the best of everything you also pay one of the highest prices for a treadmill from Nordictrack. In most cases, you will not make use of most of the incline options and other bells and whistles and not get your full value out of them. Less is more with most gym equipment as the fancier the use case, the less likely it is that you will actually use what you are paying for. Unless being fancy is part of your brand strategy or what you like. But that relates to Status which this treadmill also can represent.
Alternatives to the Nordictrack
x22i are:
The
True Form Runner is an alternative to the
Nordictrack 22i which plays in the same price range. The
True Form runner has no screen or incline and works without a motor. The main concept is that this treadmill runs on bearing. Therefore it is the better fit for fast interval training and sprints with a lot of acceleration. Basketball players, football players, and other team sport/sprint related athletes might get more use to increase performance out of this machine.
The
NordicTrack 2950 is the top of the line model which costs $1000 less. You get 15% of incline and a 22-inch screen with about the same bells and whistles otherwise. I still think this is more than enough for running indoors and lets you get 3 instead of 2 treadmills against $10.000. If you want luxury but don't want to go crazy on spending, go with this one.
The
Rogue Echo Bike is a very compact low price option at about $700 if you want to keep your knees safe and still get a good workout in. It is robust, easy to store and you can get a whole fleet of them for the price of two
X22i. If your gym has not a lot of space or you want to maximize it, this is a solid option. In terms of comfort do not expect too much as this bike does not have any fans and screens or digital gadgets attached to it.
Now currently the ultimate holy grail in calories per second is probably a
Versaclimber. The footprint is low, the calories per second very high. The only downside the
Versaclimber's have compared to the
Rogue Echo bike is that they at least are double the price. More likely in the $3000 - $4000 range.
If you want the best of everything but can not afford the
32i, go with the
X22i. I am still not a fan of compromising when I am willing to fork out more than $1000 on fitness equipment, but that is up to the individual. If it was for me and I ad decided that I need a touch screen and 40% inclined I might as well wait for a little and put some extra money for the
X32i aside and be proud of myself.