Nordictrack X7i treadmill vs Schwinn airdyne pro

This is a comparison between the Nordictrack X7i treadmill and the Schwinn airdyne pro including pros, cons and alternatives. 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:

Length 42”
Width 20”
Height 52”
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

The pros of the Schwinn Airdyne are

Noise canceling design
Handles
Design
Experience
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

Specificity
Price

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

Alternatives to the Schwinn Airdyne Pro Are:

Concept 2 bike
Rogue Echo bike
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.

Overview and review of the NordicTrack X7i 1899

This is a review of the NordicTrack X7i including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article has been originally published in “which NordicTrack treadmill or elliptical to get in the UK”. Follow the links for more details.

Overview of the X7i

The Nordictrack X7i is a treadmill with 40% incline, a 2.75 CHP motor, and a 7-inch Backlit display. If you have a bit of money to spend on a treadmill from Nordictrack in the UK, I think this is the model to get. The full list of features includes:

7" Backlit Display
iFit Bluetooth Compatible - 1 Year Membership Included
BLE Chestbelt Compatible
Dual 3-Inch Speakers

Reflex™ Cushioning
Tablet Holder Included
55 x 152 cm Tread Belt
Dual AutoBreeze™ Workout Fans

2.75 CHP Motor
0 – 40% Incline - 0 – 3% Power Decline
0 – 20 km/h Speed
2.5” Precision-machined and
Balanced Non-flex Rollers
EKG Grip Pulse Heart Rate Monitor
115kg Max User Weight
Out-of-the-box Easy Assembly

Large Boxed Item - This item can only be delivered or delivered and installed to a ground floor room location.
Product Weight 172kg
Boxed Weight 182kg
Assembled Dimensions - 177L x 100W x 183H cm
Boxed Dimensions - 193L x 102W x 82H cm
Warranty - Lifetime Frame Warranty, 10-year Motor Warranty, 2-Year Parts & Labour upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.

The X7i is a good option if you can afford it for a purchase from Nordictrack in the UK as it is part of the more modern product ranges of Nordictrack compared to other models available in the UK line up.

Pros of the Nordictrack X7i

Pros of the Nordictrack X7i are:

Good value for money
40% incline

The Nordictrack X7i treadmill is a good value for money in the UK line up, especially for home use. You will get the 40% incline at a reasonable price and not leave money on the table as with the S50. Of course, this is only going to make sense, if you are intending to use this feature on a regular basis. Otherwise, you can go for a cheaper model with a lower incline.

Cons of the NordicTrack X7I

The cons of the Nordictrack X7i are:

Price
40% incline

While it is a great feature to have, especially if you want to burn a lot of calories in a short period of time, the 40% incline is not necessarily a feature you need. This is one of the main drivers of price and makes this comparatively expensive to models which only have a 12 - 15% incline. That is more than enough if you are only running.

Alternatives to the Nordictrack X7i

Alternatives to the Nordictrack X7i are:

The Nordictrack T 7.5 is a good alternative to the X7i if you do not need the 40% incline. With this machine, you will get a stronger motor and a 7 inch HD touch screen instead of a backlit display. It is also slightly less costly than the X7i. Unless you can make a really comüelling case on why you need up to 40% of incline, this is the machine to get. Commercial buyers also might want to consider this machine instead as 3 CHP give it a longer lifetime.

The Nordictrack FS5i is the elliptical available in the Uk from Nordictrack which is in the same budget range as the X7i. If you want to provide for the entire family and go a bit easier on the joints, this might be the better option for you. This elliptical has the free stride technology which makes it a three in one machine for running, stepping, and as an elliptical. Some people find it hard to get used to keeüing the balance on such a machine and it does burn fewer calories per minute than a regular treadmill.

The VersaClimber H/HP is the home use version of the VersaClimber line up. It has been stripped of some commercial warranties to make it more affordable for home use. The VersaClimber is the ultimate machine to maximize the calories burned per minute in your home. It will also eat up a lot less space than a treadmill or elliptical. If you want to work your core and burn a lot of calories, this is the machine to get. The only downside of this machine is that it is not really for beginners. You need a certain degree of fitness to work with this and not turn it into complete frustration. Don't get a VersaClimber as an "I want to get fit" item. It is more suited to "I want to go to beast mode and do not have the time to go on a one hour run each day" bracket.

The Rogue echo bike is the compromise solution between space, budget, and calories burned per minute. I personally think this is the ideal machine for a home gym for many uses at a reasonable price when it comes to cardio. The cons os this machine are that it comes with no fans, multimedia or any other little niceties to make your workout less challenging. It is a compact, sturdy, bike. It does not care to entertain you to keep you motivated.

Summary of the Nordictrack X7i

I personally think this is the best buy for a 40% treadmill in the UK line up of Nordictrack. It is also a very good value for money option, as you can definitely go wrong with the outdated S series which is still listed on the Uk website.