Exercise machine (cross trainer)

Bernard_Coleslaw

Looking to get an ellitical cross-trainer. However, they're all up at the £300 mark, which is a bit rich for me.

Has anyone been able to find any suppliers that will do any better?

Thanks in advance.

BC

michaels

I have a ski exerciser I am selling - top of the range Nordic Trac hardly used (sadly) but it is too big to ship...

Bigun28

You really get what you pay for and it also depends on how much you intend to use it. I went to a fitness superstore warehouse in Northampton called Bodypower Sports (link) which had a whole range of sports equipment on display for you to try. I was after a cross trainer and I found that the cheaper models tended to rock and creak a fair bit in use. The more expensive models (£300+) tended to be more sturdy.

In addition I found that there was quite a noticable difference in how the eliptical operation worked and how it 'felt'. Some had a higher rise, others a longer stride etc. Some were very smooth to use, others were terrible. But I spent a few hours trying them out, with advise from the staff, and finally chose a Kettler Mondeo.

Another point of note was whilst I was looking for a trainer I also looked on eBay and the free ads papers and noticed that certain models kept appearing for sale. When I read the reviews of the models concerned they weren't rated very highly. Hence, I assume people had bought them from Argos etc without trying them out, didn't like them when they got them home and decided to sell it. If you buy this sort of equipment you really need to feel comfortable with it and be prepared to use it.

mbamick

Randal wrote:

You really get what you pay for and it also depends on how much you intend to use it.

I echo Randal's comments. I also went to the library and read the Which? report on Exercise equipment. Which? recommended the Bremshey Orbit Control-S Cross-Trainer (£474 using Randal's - this price is common across all suppliers), as well as the V-Fit Met 4 (£219 using Randal's link).

Refering to the V-Fit trainer it stated that: "This elliptical trainer is surprisingly cheap, considering how well constructed and feature-packed it is. It offers 12 exercise programmes including mountain, fat burn and fitness test, all of which help liven up your exercise session. The performance feedback on the display is accurate, but the text is a bit small because of the amount of information that's crammed in. The machine is heavy and 'sturdy, so you feel safe' - even when you're going fast and working at high resistance levels. It has a 'smooth and quiet' action, but the stride is a bit short, so you'd probably find it a bit bumpier than the other Best Buys.
We experienced a few problems with the power supply so we'd recommend that you read the detailed instructions carefully when assembling it."

I opted for the more expensive Bremshey - but it really is a quality piece of kit, with an excellent, large scren display.

Hope ya find what you are looking for.
Mick