Treadmills?

yournotunique · January 2015

This isn't triathlon specific, but I suppose it can be moved there if necessary.

Anyway, I'm starting to look at getting a treadmill for home. The two that I've been eyeing up are the NordicTrack 1750 and the ProForm Pro 2000.

Does anybody have any experience with these, or any others they might recommend?

johnlitts · January 2015

Have you read this ST article @yournotunique ?

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Hunting_up_a_Treadmill__4817.html

I am also considering buying one, however want it cheap purely for short brick runs off the trainer. It seems that the cheap ones are only good for walking. Any thoughts?

James Lange · January 2015

I just bought a treadmill (which I use for 100% of my winter running) and I agree with pretty much everything in the article @john_littlewood linked. The biggest thing is the size of the motor. If it isn't at least 3.5hp with a max speed of no less than 12mph, then it isn't good enough to do real run training on. Never compromise on the motor!

yournotunique · January 2015

I did read that article, but I had already started looking and came across treadmill reviews.net independently of that. That's how I settled on the two models I mentioned.

Guess I'm more looking for is experiences: how/where you got it set up, noise level (we have a baby and apparently going for a run while she naps is frowned upon), some models fold up, maintenance, etc.

James Lange · January 2015

@yournotunique Do you mean experiences with treadmills in general or with those two models of treadmill specifically?

yournotunique · January 2015

A little of A, a little of B

Zach Boring · January 2015

I too want a treadmill so I never have to leave my house and can still train when the zombie apocolypse comes.

But really, I want one. Just know I would want a woodway, and I can't afford that shit

James Lange · January 2015

Noise: I had my old one in the family room, which is close to my kids' rooms. I put it there so I could watch TV. In the end it was too loud to be able to use it while they were sleeping, and I couldn't hear the TV unless it was really loud. I put my new one in the basement right up against the wall with a TV mounted right there. This has worked out really well so far. My old treadmill was a very cheap model with a small motor (2.25 hp) and it was significantly louder than my new treadmill that has a 3.5 hp motor. That being said, most of the noise from a treadmill that is running well is actually caused by the runner (footfalls and heavy breathing) or the TV/Stereo that is louder than usual so the runner can hear it.

Folding: Both of my treadmills have been folding models. For me this has proven to be a useless feature because I never fold them up. It also creates more moving parts, which makes it more likely to develop creaks. However, only big commercial treadmills seem to be non-folding these days, so I don't think it's worth worrying about too much.

Maintenance: The first thing is to assemble it correctly, which should go without saying. Other than that be sure to lube the fuck out of it at first, and regularly thereafter. This will make it run quieter and will prolong the life of your belt, deck, and motor. As I understand it the rollers should not need to be greased with normal use.

Set up: It's really important to have it on a flat surface. An uneven surface with cause noise, it will stress the treadmill frame, and it might damage the floor. I tried putting a rubber mat under my old one, but it was no quieter than just having it right on the laminate. As I mentioned above I set mine up so that I could watch TV (just Netflix actually) while I run. It think that it is pretty important to build some form of entertainment/distraction into the set-up because it does help make long training runs more manageable when the scenery isn't providing stimulation.

Features: Incline/decline is overrated in my opinion, but pretty much all treadmills do have incline, so you don't pay extra to have it. I've known a few people who have injured themselves getting crazy with the incline. Programs are something that the treadmill review sites focus on a lot, but I see no value in them. I don't need a computer screwing around with my pace/incline to get a good workout. Heart Rate is nice to have so long as it is a body mounted sensor that displays nicely on the main panel. The sensor that are just on the frame are a bit useless because they can't provide feedback while you run.

That's my two cents!

yournotunique · January 2015

@james_lange Thanks. That's actually really helpful. I've noticed that a lot of them are folding models, and I was thinking about just having it on the first floor for now, but hadn't considered that it would be that noisy. So basement it is (even though it's a half finished one, at the moment).

Did you assemble yours, or did you need it installed? From what I understand, the NordicTracks are pretty difficult and the ProForms are cake.

ADRBilly · January 2015

I have a cheap Walmart treadmill and also a higher end, way more expensive treadmill. I actually use the Walmart one more than the other. It is a lot noisier and creaks a lot, but it has a fan on it (which is also noisy) that I really like. I agree with @james_lange and think that the motor is the most important thing to take into consideration. No matter what you get, they are all a pain in the ass to move around...especially if you have to go up or down stairs!

Theo · January 2015

I didn't read the links provided ( :P ), and I don't have a treadmill or want one since I can run outside anytime year-round if I need to, but having had the misfortune a couple times of having a treadmill "break" on me mid-run I would say make sure you get one where this won't happen to you. Imagine you start running along on the treadmill, happy as a clown, daydreaming of the shower/burrito/hand-job waiting for you at home, and then all of the sudden the treadmill starts not being able to keep up the pace and effectively "jerks" you out of your rhythm every so often when the belt doesn't maintain speed. After a minute or so of this going on, the treadmill ended up shutting itself down and I would move on to the next one in hopes of it working better. The first time this happened I was doing fast intervals (~5:30 pace) so I could maybe see where the problem came from, but the other time it was a more normal ~8min pace so pretty surprised that it happened. Good practice for drunk running and stumbling around, but otherwise the most annoying experience on a treadmill ever.

Once was at a fairly large/well maintained climbing gym that had 20+ treadmills, and the other was at the small crappy gym at my office (think Holiday Inn type gym), so not much correlation there that I know of, and I didn't pay attention to makes/models. Although at my crappy office gym I managed to break both treadmills that way before going running around the block.

Aaron Webstey · January 2015

@yournotunique I have to say that with kids around, the folding aspect is convenient. Definitely go for the basement. And for TV noise, just grab a 20' (or whatever you need) extender cable at radio shack and plug your headphones into the TV.

Aaron Webstey · January 2015

And I also agree about incline and 'programs' being useless. Just get a good motor, and I would expect that a larger motor might, unintuitively, be quieter at speeds less than its max as it won't be working as hard.

James Lange · January 2015

@yournotunique I assembled it myself. My previous one I got from my parents and I had to disassemble and assemble it. I never had any trouble. Really it was no different than putting together Ikea furniture. Like @ADRBilly said though, treadmills are heavy as hell. I opened the box in the back of my truck and moved it in piece by piece, and even then the deck was probably 150 pounds (me and my pregnant wife still got it downstairs without breaking anything).

HMkrplunkit · January 2015

AaronWebstey said:
And for TV noise, just grab a 20' (or whatever you need) extender cable at radio shack and plug your headphones into the TV.

wireless headphones will change your life. BF has some for the TV in the bedroom that plug into the audio jack.

I have bluetooth jaybirds.

Our lives our elevated. :-B

Aaron Webstey · January 2015

@Kpressure what model? I looked into that but everything I found online had people complaining about delays in audio track when using for TV.

HMkrplunkit · January 2015

@AaronWebstey

sennheiser hdr 180

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002TLT10S/ref=psdc_172541_t3_B002TLT10I (hopefully that link works in the great white north)

Aaron Webstey · January 2015

Thanks @Kpressure ! Those might be a bit bulky for running, but it's worth looking into again.

WadeCutter · January 2015

If you have an option for a "premium" motor, or extended motor warranty, or something along those lines, I would opt for that. The motor is the most critical element , IMO. Also, if you are looking at cheap second hand units, make sure you check what maximum speed the unit will put out- some models are designed for walkers mostly and max out at 6MPH.

Depending on the motor size you should take care to see what electrical service is required. For example, mine requires a 20A dedicated circuit.

Finally, if you belong to a health club, you might ask what they do with their old units as you might be able to get a high quality unit at a fraction of the cost.

Scheck48 · January 2015

Went throught these same thoughts a few years back. Decided I wanted nothing as far as "extras"- fans, monitors, connectivity, etc., and went for durability and simplicity. So far my choice of the Precor 9.23 seems to be working great! My wife and I don't put tons of miles on it 7 months of the year, but it's perfect for the Michigan winters and quick summer brick sessions w/ the bike trainer.
Here's a pretty good review/summary that explains exactly how I feel about the 9.23 better than I could-

http://treadmillreviewers.net/precor-9-23-treadmill-review/

James Lange · January 2015

I agree with @WadeCutter that it is worth looking into used commercial treadmills. The real commercial grade treadmills are head and shoulders above residential versions and they are designed to last a long time. They are expensive as fuck though, so used is the only way to go for most people.

Robert Rankin · January 2015

You guys really need 12 mph? I'm fat and when on treadmills can actually hear them scream they make so much noise. I'm with Zach and if I bought one it would be a woodway, saw one on CL for $600 and passed (passed/then fiancée said no, same thing right?) I'll never see that deal again. Then again I don't have children yet and live in FL so don't really have to worry about treadmill runs

yournotunique · January 2015

12mph is a 5:00 mile. That might not be a long run, at least for me, but if I'm doing a structured run there might be some intervals at that pace.

James Lange · January 2015

Currently the fastest I even run on the treadmill is 9.4mph (which for me is significant because it is a sub 4 min/km). My old treadmill had a max of 10mph and it seemed to have to work hard to maintain that 9.4mph, which is of course 94% of its max. My new one has a max of 12mph and when I do the intervals at 9.4mph the treadmill doesn't seem to be working al that hard at 78% of its max.

GentlemanJerseyDave · January 2015

You people have had me shopping for a treadmill for two days now. I've been wanting one for a while and this is just the sort of arm twisting I need.

yournotunique · January 2015

@GentlemanJerseyDave That was the reason I started the thread

I'm shopping and wanted some first hand experiences and recommendations.

GentlemanJerseyDave · January 2015

Let me know where you land. I'm in that 1200-1700 range personally. That leaves me looking at something like the Nordic 1750, Pro Form 2000 or Precor 9.23. I need to get out and try one and size it up. I'm concerned that the Precor has a slightly too short belt for me - I am not a particularly graceful man to be kind.

I'm following along here so keep it updated.

yournotunique · January 2015

Pretty much the same, here. Leaning toward the nordictrack if for no ther reason than they offer 18mos interest free financing.

GentlemanJerseyDave · January 2015

Definitely an appealing element. I need to find one to try though. My YMCA has killer Precor stuff and I know it's a very different experience.

James Lange · January 2015

It's worth noting that Lionel Sanders (the King of treadmill training) just bought a new treadmill and he chose a NordicTrack C1750. I don't think that there was any sponsership deal or anything, so presumably Sanders decided that that was the best treadmill out there.

GentlemanJerseyDave · January 2015

@james_lange - thanks. Definitely a solid endorsement.

frame

Howdy, Stranger!

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

Treadmills?

Comments

Leave a Comment

foot

Contact us

Get In Touch

frame

Howdy, Stranger!

Howdy, Stranger!

Quick Links

Categories

Treadmills?

Comments

Leave a Comment

foot

Contact us

Get In Touch