Shopping Advice Needed: Home Exercise Equipment

[gerisullivan]

Two and a half years ago, I bought a Pro-Form elliptical at some sports equipment shop or another. All I remember is that I found the place on my way back from Thanksgiving in New York, and the elliptical was dirt cheap thanks to a Thanksgiving Weekend sale.

I used it only intermittently until 6 weeks ago. Tonight it demonstrated that it wasn't up to regular use by breaking 2 minutes into my workout. The part that broke appears to be inside a sealed unit. I think I'm in the market for a new elliptical...and facing the annoyance and expense of disposing of the broken one.

So I'm looking for buying advice. Are there any brands or models you can recommend? Any to avoid in the hope of avoiding a repeat of my current situation a few more months of steady use down the road? Is there some other exercise equipment you'd heartily recommend? I've had exercycles in the past, but want more exercise than they provide. I'm not enthusiastic about tackling weights, good though I know they can be. I like the elliptical, and the last six weeks have demonstrated that I don't seem to get bored with it.

As far as ellipticals go, I don't need much more than the basics. I want one that keeps track of time and distance, and allows for different levels of tension. (Though I just set the last one at "5" and left it there.) I liked the heartbeat rate thingy, but it's not vital to me. I don't use different programs or modes -- I just get on and go until I stop.

Also, are there any sellers you're happy or unhappy with? In particular, does anyone have any experience buying used equipment from Play It Again Sports? (2nd Wind appears to only be in the midwest, but I'm also interested in hearing about anyone's experience shopping there. My general question is whether buying used from a store is a good idea or not.

I'm willing to pay someone to assemble and deliver whatever I end up buying. I went the D-I-Y route last time, and it was more than a minor pain.

Many thanks for any shopping advice you can provide!

Update: I've found EllipticalTrainerReview.com and will Google my way through other reviews and opinions, too.

Another update: Elliptical Trainer Review may well be a front for Sole and Smooth online equipment sales. I'll keep looking for info from other sources, too.

Comments

[smofbabe.livejournal.com]

I don't know anything about elliptical trainers per se, but regarding Play It Again, Sports, it's hard to make a general statement about them. I think that buying used equipment is a pretty good idea because most people buy (or have given to them) exercise equipment with the best intentions of using it regularly and then get bored with it or never use it to start with. When they discover they're using it as a clothes hanger or dust collector, they often bring it to a place like Play It Again, or places like Goodwill or Salvation Army. However, because stock is one-off, you can't really make a general judgment about their equipment. Best you can do is test it thoroughly yourself, and research online what parts usually fail quickest and examine them, before purchasing. I did well with a recumbent exercise bike I bought from one in California but a friend had bad luck with a rowing machine from the same location.

[gerisullivan.livejournal.com]

Good advice, and useful, too. Thanks!