Treadmill, trainer recommendations
 

Now that we have an empty bedroom, I got the green light from the wifey to remodel/design a fitness room. I have a weight set and am looking to add a treadmill and a trainer for my road bike. And a flat panel TV to hang on the wall. Woohoo!

Anybody have recommendations on treadmills and/or trainers? TIA.

Oh, and feel free to give flat panel TV advice also. I am wondering what size would be optimal for a treadmill to wall viewing distance. I am guessing 26" or maybe 31" max. HD of course.

Do you have a budget figured out yet?

With the trainer, you shouldn't spend more that $100-150 for a magnetic or fluid resistance model. Any brand and make would be okay. Check out Performance. They usually have some decent deals on this kind of thing.

If you really want a nice set-up for biking, get a computrainer. This is a computer adjusted resistance unit that has it all, including pre-programmed Tour de Frances stages to ride. You can get either a traditional resistance unit, or you can get something more like a stationary bike. Here you're probably looking more in the $500-2000 range.

I don't know much about treadmills. Personally I despise them and would rather run outdoors year-round. But we get a good snowfall once every 2 or 3 years, so all I ever have to deal with is the occasional freezing temps and rain.

Thanks. Wow, that computrainer looks very cool. That is tempting.

We get lots of snow and ice here so it is tough to run outside in the winter. I don't mind treadmills. Especially if I can watch the news or something.

Treadmills, yuck.

If I were you, instead of paying $2000 for a treadmill, I'd join a gym. For the same money, you'll have 3-4 years of access to a gym and all of it's equipment, pool, sauna, etc.

I thought about that. The wife and I don't really like the gym scene. And we like the convenience of just walking into the other room.

You should skip the fitness room and go right to the eventual usage: final resting place for laundry and misc cardboard boxes that don't quite have garage status.

Also acceptable as final resting place for laundry: air hockey table in the basement.

Alright then, if you insist. Here are the most recent treadmills reviewed by Runner's World. It's from Jan. 08, but I don't remember seeing any newer reviews since then. http://www.runnersworld.com/article/...2391-0,00.html

We've had a Pro Form treadmill since 2004. It's been good, but it only gets used once in a while, mostly in winter. It had a part that went out after about a month, that they came and replaced. In talking with other people who have Pro Forms, that's a pretty common thing, apparently. I personally believe that these treadmill manufacturers put crappy cheap parts in them, knowing that most people will end up using it as a coat rack. It's probably cheaper for them to pay a guy to go replace the part than to put more reliable parts in there to begin with.

No way, Jose. I have been lifting religiously for three years now. And I bike or run every day and have done so (running at least) for 30+ years. This is for convenience in the winter.

We have other rooms for junk.

Thanks. It is interesting to compare this list to the one in consumerreports.org.

The NordicTrac treadmill at Costco has received great reviews though it is quite inexpensive. Plus you get the peace of mind of Costco's return policy. I have been looking at it for Gidget. Though at your fitness level you may want something more substantial.

Serious? Good for you, then. That is awesome.

Out where I live, treadmills go on sale between November and January (the whole Christmas - New Years Resolution thing). Often, stores have old models that haven't sold in the back and they'll unload them for a song. When we had our kid last year, we said adios to the YMCA membership and bought a treadmill. We paid about $350 for a $1200 treadmill that was in the back, getting ready to be dismantled and sent back to wherever they send the old models they can't unload. The trick is to ask - and my hot wife has much more luck with floor managers than I ever will.

Go with the widest belt you can. Also, the $20 mat that goes underneath is indispensable.

I love watching movies or sports while I'm on the treadmill. It's a great way to make the time cruise.

I splurged and went with the Lanice L7 treadmill. I got a Cycle Ops fluid trainer for my bike and I am most likely going to get a Hoist V4 Elite weight machine. Oh yeah, and a 42 in Panasonic plasma TV for the wall. We ended up shuffling some rooms around so it is going to end up in a bigger room downstairs. It is going to be awesome.

Looks like the crappy economy is not affecting Dr. Lebowski!

lol. I am doing my part to stimulate the economy.

We did just cancel a vacation, so I guess that evens things out.

Wow. Now you just need some mirrors for the walls and you're set. But don't go soft. Remember what happened to Ivan Drago when he had all the nice facilities and Rocky had to lift trees.

Don't be surprised if I show up for a workout. I'm assuming your treadmill comes with my preferred "super-duper-slow" setting.

LOL. I think I'll pass on the mirrors.

You are welcome anytime you are in Utah.

I got my trainer yesterday, so it's all up and running. Just need to mount the TV on the wall. I will post some photos soon.

The kids are going nuts. Tough to get workout time.

OK, here is the finished product. We are loving it.

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_4025b.jpg

http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h2.../IMG_4023b.jpg

you guys are hardcore, JL. That's a pretty sweet setup.

I hate to exercise, but I think I just got a boner for your room.

And by "loving it," I'm guessing you're not referring to the game?

Is that a Bianchi in the corner? Where were you when we were looking for riders for Lotoja. Cool room by the way.

I was loving it from about the start of the fourth quarter right up until the clock said "0:01".

Yes it is. But there is no way I could keep up with you and Arch. Even if he did have a broken sprocket.

that looks awesome!

That is a sweet setup. Are those TV's hard to mount on the wall? I've always wondered.

Not at all. But keep in mind that I am an engineer. Tasks like that make my nipples hard.

This is the mount I used:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009JR42E

I was going to run the wires down through the wall but I have a transverse stud in the middle. So I just ran them down the wall in the adjacent room, wish is just a big storage closet.

I agree with Lebowski. Not hard to mount. I mounted mine on a swing out and swivel type of mount and it was very easy. I am disappointed that Lebowski let a little transverse stud stop him from running the cables properly, meaning insde the wall.

Oooohhh... Them's fightin' words, ape man.

I can't imagine you are nearly as disappointed as me; for heaven's sake where is the power rack, Lebowski?

Seriously, that's a very nice setup.

If I were Triplet Daddy, I'd be able to craft a funny out of the words "mount," "swing and swivel," "running cables," and "transvestite stud" here.

But I'm not. So I can't.

Thanks for the link on the mount. In a year or two when I move, I'm installing one of those.