2007 January - Part 2

The LifeGear Dual Action Magnetic Elliptical – A good little elliptical for under $250

Ohiyo!

The Treadmill Sensei loves to save money…I wouldn’t say I’m cheap (although my wife might!), but I do like getting the most for my dollar. Unfortunately, with ellipticals and treadmills it’s tough to really save money and get a great machine, especially when you’re looking for a unit under $300. Like I’ve said before, there is no magical machine that is going to feel commercial and cost $250. I wish I could tell you otherwise but I can’t.

When you’re looking at an elliptical in the extremely low price point what you’re looking for is stability and sturdiness. You won’t find programs, you won’t find a completely smooth elliptical motion (they tend to feel more like a “D” shape than an elliptical) and you won’t get a long stride. In fact, a sub $250 elliptical is really just for people who do very light workouts a couple of times a week — under 30 minutes three times a week is perfect for these machines.

LifeGear has been around since the early 1990s. They manufacturer low-low end equipment that hasn’t done a whole lot to set itself out from the crowd at this point. Surprisingly, tho, they have put out an interesting little machine in their very long named LifeGear dual action magnetic elliptical, also known as the LifeGear 93810. We’ve never actually gotten one of these units in at the repair shop because of their lower price. However, everyone who knows me knows to bring over any new fitness equipment they or their friends or family purchase. I love tinkering around on and trying out every elliptical I can get my grubby little hands on! I was able to give the LifeGear dual action magnetic elliptical a quick workout recently…and here’s what I found!

The LifeGear elliptical is very lightweight but will hold up better than most of the other units in this price range. Compared to the Tony Little machines it’s rock solid. The machine is stripped down and offers no programs, 8 levels of resistance and a single button monitor where you can scroll through 5 different pieces of workout information. Interestingly, I couldn’t find any information on the stride length for this unit. I measured it myself and it seems to have about a 14″ stride…maybe as long as 14.5″.

My single warning is that while the manufacturer says the LifeFear Elliptical can handle users up to 250 pounds, I wouldn’t push that weight. It’s best with users under 175 pounds or so. Anything beyond that and it gets a little shakey.

For not being as bad as everything else in its price range, the Treadmill Sensei gives the LifeGear 93810 3 out of 5 golden buddahs.

The LifeGear dual action magnetic elliptical gets 3 gold buddahs out of 5
for NOT being a Tony Little Gazelle!

LifeGear Dual Action Magnetic Elliptical Specifications
Stride: 14″
Flywheel: 16 lbs
Heart Rate Monior: Pulse grip
Resistance: 8 levels
Max Weight Capacity: 250 lbs
Monitor: LCD
Readouts: time, speed, distance, hand pulse and approximate calories burned

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Reader Mailbag – Ohiyo from Ohio

Ohiyo!

A quick non-fitness related email from Debi.

Thanks for the review on the Reebok RL 900. We own this machine and are enjoying it but it was good to read your information on the importance of maintenance.

BTW – I am also of Japanese heritage and just wanted to point out a common error – Ohaiyo (ohaiyogozaimasu) is the correct spelling rather than Ohiyo. I have been tempted to make the same error myself.

Thanks again for the good info. I forwarded to a friend that is interested in the RL900 too.

Akemashite omedetogoziamas! (Happy New Year) – Debi

Debi:

Thanks for the note and I’m glad the Reebok RL900 review helped! About Ohiyo vs Ohaiyo: back in the early days of this blog I received a very nice email from a man named Johnny who titled it “Ohiyo from Ohio.” At the time it made me snicker very much so I adopted it. Unfortunately, it confused people since I wasn’t actually from Ohio, so I shorted it with later usage, keeping the misspelling of Ohaiyo in place. If that’s the only grammatical error someone points out about my writing then I’m in good shape!

Thanks again and enjoy your elliptical!!

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Reader Mailbag – Sole vs Smooth Treadmills

Ohiyo!

Today the Treadmill Sensei feels old! The family and I spent the day at DisneyLand and all of the walking really wore me down. I’m just not the nubile young Sensei I was in the past. It was the last day of the Christmas DisneyLand set up and Mrs. Sensei wanted the see it before they took everything down. As always, it was a blast but tiring.

Due to the huge amount of emails I get here at the DOJO from readers looking for help, I’m going to try to answer a few here on the blog every day. If you send in an email and don’t get a response, drop back by here and you may find your questions answered right here on the website. Also keep in mind that if you send in an email it may be published on the web. If you don’t want your email publicized then make sure to let me know.

The first question of the day is a common one, Sole vs Smooth.

I just read your very helpful treadmill blog. I was wondering what your opinion is on Smooth treadmills. I was considering buying their 5.25 and 6.25 model and also Sole F63 and F80. I am very confused, though I think I have narrowed it down to these 4 choices. My family will all use it. My husband and I are both about 190 lbs (he’s about 6 feet tall and I am much smaller) and my 3 teenaged kids, too. If you could help me choose, I’d really appreciate it.
Happy New Year! -Reb

Reb:

Thanks for your note! I get a lot of questions about comparing Smooth and Sole treadmills – they are the two leading companies when it comes to higher quality consumer equipment. From a quality standpoint you can’t go wrong with either company. Their reputations are well deserved.
In regards to your specific questions of the Smooth 5.25/6.25 versus the Sole F63/F80, the units are all very similar in specs and even warranty. The Smooth 6.25 has a larger motor than the rest, but the Sole units have the edge in running area. If you’re looking for the best bargin then the Sole F63 treadmill wins just about every time. The reason being that it’s the same unit as the Sole F80 with a consumer grade console on it. It does have a shorter warranty, but most retailers will be able to give you an extended warranty for 2 years at around $100 which still beats the price of the other units.

All of the treadmills you mention, Smooth and Sole, will work well for your 6′ husband to run or jog on (even running should be comfortable for him, but marathon training may be out because the decks are a little short for extremely long strides). They are also all sturdy machines which will hold up to teenagers.

I’d suggest the Sole F63 treadmill as the best bet at under $1500 right now, but you should be happy whichever way you go.

Take care and Happy New Year to you and your family!

For more information or to purchase the Sole F63 click above.
Save 3% with the Code TMSENSEI.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com

Fitnex home units downgraded to NO BUY

Ohiyo!

It is with a heavy heart that I must retract one of my earlier recommendations. The Treadmill Sensei received word from a number of people in the industry that Fitnex no longer offers a lifetime warranty when their equipment is used in a home setting. Unfortunately, what this means is the majority of their equipment just doesn’t stand up to other units in their price range. Their treadmill decks are too short for the cost and their ellipticals a bit too bumpy. With a lifetime warranty, these problems can be overlooked.

Now, the higher end commercial Fitnex E70 elliptical is still a fantastic machine and is still a best buy, but their residential units should just be avoided as lower mid grade equipment.

-The Treadmill Sensei
http://www.treadmillsensei.com