TITAN Pro sled system vs Nordictrack S22i
This is a comparison between the TITAN pro sled and the Nordictrack S22i including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article has been originally published in which conditioning equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for more details.
Overview and review of the Nordictrack S22i 2499 /1999 (UK/US)
This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack S22i. This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details
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The
Nordictrack S22i stationary bike is the flagship bike in the current Nordictrack portfolio. Its main features are its 20% incline, 22 HD Touchscreen and the included 3lb dumbbells to be able to do full-body workouts on this machine. This is the bike to get if you want to max out all features with Nordictrack and you are not afraid of paying up to do so. The full feature list includes:
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22” Smart HD Touchscreen
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Free Ground Floor Installation Included
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Watts Power Readout
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Includes 1 Years iFit Family Membership
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Auxiliary Music Port
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Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers
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Inertia-enhanced Flywheel
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Powergrade Incline & Decline Drive System
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-10% – 20% Incline
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SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
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OneTouch™ Controls
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Enhanced Corrosion Resistance
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Large Diameter Adjustable Leveling Feet
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22 Digital Resistance Levels
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150 kg User Capacity
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Commercial Grade Steel Construction
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Dual Water Bottle Holders
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Two 3 Lb. Dumbbells Included
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Assembled Dimensions - 140 L x 55 W x 146H cm
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Front-mounted Transport Wheels
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Compatible with Standard Road Bike Pedals & Seat
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Warranty - 2 Years parts and labour; 5 year frame guarantee upon warranty registration within 28 days of purchase.
This is a great machine for very dedicated home gym owners or to impress your clients in a commercial gym. You can also customize it at home, in case you want to make it feel more like your outdoor experience.
Pros of the S22i
The pros of the
S22i are:
It is possible to exchange the seat of the
S22i with the one you are already using for your outdoor bike. The same goes for the pedals. This is usually a good option for anyone who already cycles a lot outside and has a semi-professional or even professional setup with their current bike. You can clip into the pedals and give it your all. Still, less experienced cyclists will also get a fully functioning setup with good pedals and a seat.
The massive 22-inch screen on the
S22i is one of the main factors which drives price. It even has an HDMI connector to take up even more screen real estate. This can interesting if you want to run classes with inexperienced trainers. You just buy the
S22i for the instructor and get some other bikes, which are a bit cheaper, in bulk. Hook up the main bike to a projector and you have a good group setup which is not too expensive. I can not really see how you would want even more screen estate at home. I personally think the 22 inch is even overkill. But go for it, if you want to tread yourself.
The
S22i bike also comes with an incline/decline system so that you can simulate hill climbs and downhill biking in the sense of the tour de france. You will not recreate the experience of a mountain bike on this, but it is a very good option to take challenging tracks indoors and simulate them when you combine the bike with the Ifit subscription.
The
S22i also comes with a good sound system that will fill the room with the music and instructions from the available Ifit exercises. This will be needed as the bike does not come with Bluetooth to hook up your earphones to it.
Cons of the S22i
The cons of the
S22i are:
You will have to watch and tighten the seat and the pedals regularly, especially if you are a heavy user. If you compare this to a street bike, it will be more maintenance than you are used to. Still, if you are an average user, you will probably experience this less.
The pedals are attached to an inertia flywheel which means that they will keep moving even if you break. If you are used to using indoor machines and ellipticals this is something you are already familiar with. If you are a very dedicated outdoor cyclist who bought the
S22i to press even more miles into a week than spend a little to get used to the mechanics. They are different from how your street bike would react and you might hurt yourself if you want to break at high speed instinctively.
A big oversight for a stationary bike with such a high price tag is that you can not use Bluetooth with the machine. If you are already investing in such a big touch screen it is very safe to assume that you want to make heavy use of the preprogrammed I Fit content. For this, you can not hook the sound up to your earphone. This is bad for use at home or in a gym. For such a high price I would expect Bluetooth to be included.
Another con to the
S22i is weight capacity. Officially it only goes up to 150kg. If you want to get active to lose some weight, you might want to look at the ellipticals or heavy-duty treadmills to use for walking. Possible models can be the
X22i treadmill or the
SE7i elliptical.
Alternatives to the S22i
The
Nordictrack 1750 will cost you roughly the same as the
S22i bike. With this, you will get one of the most well-balanced treadmills in the Nordictrack portfolio.
1750 is the bread butter machine of Nordictrack and leaves little to be desired if you are an average user or heavy user who does not need a massive incline or screen. Compared to the
S22i you get a smaller screen and in return a very reliable treadmill which is good value for money. Of course, this is will take up more space in your home compared to a bike.
The
Nordictrack X11i is in the same price range as the
Nordictrack 1750. With this treadmill, you will get a whopping 40% incline. It is one of the least costly treadmills out of the 40% incline line up from Nordictrack. If you are a dedicated runner who wants all options on the incline or just wants to maximize calorie burn per minute, this might be the better option. Keep in mind, that a treadmill will have bigger space requirements than a bike.
The
FS7i elliptical is the most modern elliptical to date from Nordictrack which you can get in the UK and a solid mid-range option in the US. The free stride technology makes this machine a stepper, treadmill, and elliptical in one machine. If you like the cushioned experience of ellipticals and have a good balance, this might be an option for you. The only downsides to this machine are that it is more error-prone than ellipticals with a set range of motion and that you need to get used to how to balance on the machine. Compared to the
S22i you will get a smaller screen, it will take up more space, but it will be more friendly for users with a lower fitness level and provide more options for your home gym. Good buy to make the entire family happy, if the most sporty person in the household is willing to compromise.
The
concept 2 model D rower is an option for anyone who prefers rowing over biking. You will also save about 1000 compared to the
S22i. The
concept 2 model D rower is a good option fur budget home gym owners or commercial gyms who want to buy in bulk. You can also hang these rowers on the wall quite easily to save space, once you have the right hooks for it.
The
Rogue Echo Bike is my personal favorite as a choice for a home gym bike with no bells and whistles. It is built like a tank and has been stripped of most of the multimedia features which I find unnecessary. This airbike will take any abuse and has everything on board to get you sweating for around 700 bucks. If you do not need to be motivated by fancy colors and screens, this is a solid bet.
Summary for the Nordictrack S22i
The
S22i is a great piece of equipment for the dedicated home gym owner who likes to be entertained while he or she is cycling. It can also be a viable option for boutique gyms who want to make their clients feel special and buy in small quantities. That there is no Bluetooth option for the price tag is a major let down. Budget-conscious home gym owners or commercial gyms which have more than 20 people in the cardio area at peaks will not find this to be a viable option because of the high price tag.
Overview and review of the TITAN Pro sled system
This is an overview of the TITAN Pro sled system including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article was originally published in Which cardio equipment to get from TITAN. Follow the links for more details.
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Overview of the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
The
TITAN Pro sled system is a lower-priced clone of the
Rogue Dogsled 1.2. This sled is versatile, compact, and can be loaded with plates. You can use it on concrete, grass, or any other medium. With the wide arrangement of options for attachments, you can keep your conditioning training interesting and vary throughout the year. The full specifications for this sled are:
- Multi-function system translates to multiple workouts/exercises with one sled.
- Works as a push, pull, or drag sled with the ability to offer much more!
- Additional accessories transform the sled into a high/low push sled, wheelbarrow, or lawn boy push sled (accessories sold separately).
- UHMW plastic ski liners protect your sled
- Can be used on grass, turf, concrete, or asphalt.
- Two 1.9-in diameter poles included
- Fits 2-in Olympic plates (bumper or steel plates) with plenty of clearance.
- Weight: 111 lbs.
- Footprint: 24-in x 40-in
- Skid width: 3-in- Steel: 2-in x 3-in 11 gauge and 1/4-in plate steel
- Plate tube height: 20-in
- Push Pole Height: 39 1/2-in
- Weight Capacity: 750 lbs.
Attachments
PROSLED - Titan Pro Sled System
- MSLEDARCH - Single Arch
- MSLED2ARCH - Double Arch
- MSLEDHIB - High Bar
- MSLEDLOB - Low Bar
- MSLEDDHA - Double Handle
- MSLEDLAWN - Lawn-Boy Handle
- MSLEDWBA - Wheel Barrow
- MSLEDRAIL - Wrap Around Rail
- PROSLEDSH - Replacement Shoes
Pros of the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
Compared to a
butcher or other bigger sled, this sled is fairly small and easily be stored upright against a wall or in some nook or cranny in your home gym or professional gym. It can also easily be thrown on the back of a trailer to train somewhere else where the view is nice or you have more space to do your exercises. Just bring a plate or two with you depending on what you want to do.
With a wide range of different attachments, you can challenge yourself to push and pull this sled from various angles and positions. This keeps the interaction with this tool fresh and fun, especially if you have a big lawn or area in your commercial gym where you can move this thing about.
Compared to other competitors in the market you pay the lowest price in the market for a comparable product with the
TITAN Pro sled. If you want to build an entire home gym on a budget, but do not want to compromise on how much stuff you are getting, then TITAN fitness is one of the most complete addresses you can currently find.
Cons of the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
As long as you are not a professional coach or team member with easy access to a pitch, then this sled might look more useful than it will actually be. Are you really going to be hauling this thing through the neighborhood risking that someone calls the police because you are damaging the precious lawn or pavement? If you have a massive garage or basement where you do not run into the wall after you accelerated just a tiny bit, be my guest. Otherwise, you might get something stationary to take care of your conditioning needs.
As with all products from TITAN they can have some minor to major issues on quality control on their products. When your tactic is to be the cost leader for any product you put into your portfolio you will need to cut some corners. This usually comes in the form of using lower quality paints, sharp edges on drilled holes, no or poor manuals, thinner plastics on buffer zones, etc. When you observe TITAN across their products you can see that there are several reports of this happening. This does not mean that what you get has to have minor to major defects, it just means that it is way more likely than with other vendors. Especially with a sled where you will abuse the material quite a bit, you might want to consider something that will live longer. Racks and barbells are harder to break, therefore you might consider these from TITAN.
Another risk with the
Pro sled is that the cost can balloon quickly. Once you start looking into the attachments you can easily rack up $500 for this sled. For this price, you can almost get a
fan bike from TITAN or a
Rogue Echo bike which I would recommend over a sled for a home gym.
Alternatives to the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
The
heavy-duty HIgh low Push-pull weight sled from TITAN is a clone of the
Rogue butcher. This sled uses a tripod/tricycle design instead of a sled design. It is bigger than the
Pro sled and can therefore take a bigger load. This is the type of machine you want to get when you want to practice pushing trucks or other Rugby / NFL players. It is not great for sprints or any kind of running exercises and also harder to store than the sled.
The
low bar push pull drag sled is a simple design to add weight to your sprints and comes with a small loading pin to add the weights. With $100 the price tag is very reasonable and you get everything you need to add a bit of resistance to your runs. The frame is stiff and has not any holes for attachments so you will only be able to use the sled as is without any modification. You will also drag the sled directly on the surface as it does not have any plastic buffers, so it is better to be used on grass than asphalt.
The
power weighted sled with leash and harness is the cheapest sled you can get from TITAN. The plate pin is higher than for the
low bar push pull drag sled so you can put more weight on it. The pin can also be collapsed for easier transport in a car or on a truck. This is a great little sled if you want to drive to the next hill in your area and do some sprints with resistance. This sled has no buffer so you will rub it directly on concrete or grass, depending on how you use it.
The
XPO trainer 2 is the current gold standard in push-pull sleds on the market. It has an innovative resistance wheel in the construction which makes it heavier to push the harder you are pushing. This means that the resistance will increase the more you put into it. It also has wheels attached which makes it more palatable to use in a residential area without someone calling the cops or local counsel on you due to noise or damage to property. The downside is the high price and that you can not simulate a heavy resistance start to overcome a block. It will roll nicely from the start and get harder rather than you having to overcome the first resistance.
The
Rogue Dogsled 1.2 is the current flagship sled from Rogue. This is the most expensive sled from Rogue with the most attachments available. If you are planning on really abusing the heck out of the sled you are getting this might be the better choice. The finer details are usually better in Rogue products which are relevant to a tool like a sled. That being said you will also pay a higher price than for the
TITAN Pro sled.
The
Rogue Echo dog sled is Rogue's toned-down version of the
Dogsled to be more cost-competitive. It is not as fancy and has not as many attachments as the
Dogsled 1.2 but will do the job.
Conclusion for the TITAN Titan Pro sled System
The
TITAN Pro sled System is a good alternative for anyone who wants to save money, has space, and will mainly use it on grass rather than asphalt. Anyone who will use their sled on asphalt on a more regular basis, wants their attachments to tightly fit, and has a little extra money to spend might want to go for the Rogue Sled 1.2. If all you are looking for is a throwaway sled to keep on the back of your truck, go for the
Power weighted drag sled with the harness.