Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer Reviews
A little history:br /I swore to never have gym machines in my house, as I was always able to take care of home fitness with iso excercises and free weights, and for the cardio, took a lunch break during the day to swim. But to make a long story short, scheduling the swim got to be difficult and with the wife out of town quite a bit, she could not schedule her Curves visits as frequently...And I hate running, as well as living in the north, running outside is very seasonal. So we bit the bullet and started to research the best cardio equipment that was easy to use, and would not be a maintenance problem.br /br /Sooo...Not being a gym machinery rat, I had to start from scratch. I like the fluidity of cycling, and have used and liked stair steppers in hotel gyms, and have previously mentioned that I hate running (ala treadmill), so an elliptical seemed to be the best combination of what we wanted, and had the ability to cram a good calorie burn and heart rate elevation into a tolerable amount of time and level of resistance, while also having some upper body work as well. SO the technique was decided, now to find the unit...br /br /Several independent fitness sites had brand and model reviews and comparisons. The Sole E35 had all of the specific "quality" features that we were looking for such as the magnetic resistance on the flywheel, fully programmable including the incline...and was at the lower end of the pricing range for these features. The consumer reviews on this unit were generally spectacular, with one common negative theme that I can't comment on, which was company customer service and support after the sale. I hope the company takes those reviews to heart, but again I can't comment as I have not had to contact the company for support as of yet. Although there were several distribution options, including ordering from Dick's Sporting Goods locally, we decided on Amazon, as the pricing was the best (even better than direct), shipping was included, and I've had good results with high ticket items at Amazon in the past, so product ordered.br /br /The unit was delivered by ABF Freight within a week. Weighing in at almost 300 pounds, I was thankful that the driver helped me move the box inside. After slicing open the box around the bottom, I was pleasantly surprised at the packing quality. Everything in place and tied down. Of course another common theme in reviews was the "putting together time". After moving the pieces into place, it does take a good 3-4 hours of putting together, but the instructions are laid out nicely, all parts well decribed and fasteners blister packed in "sections" to eliminate confusion. Even the tools needed were provided.br /br /So now I've used the product daily over a month and feel that I can now comment on the product quality and features. The programming is very intuitive and the display is loaded with info but laid out nicely. There are several "canned" programs (that can be modified), and 2 user programs. The programs are broken down into 20 segments, so depending on your total time program, each of the 20 segments is evenly distributed over that time. Each segment contains your level of resistance (on the flywheel) and the incline of the back ramp. The display is broken down into 3 levels of display info which can be scrolled through or automatically scrolled during use. Info includes the program level and ramp level (graphically displayed), rate, calories, power, RPM, distance, heart rate. The heart rate sensor is built into the stationary bars in front of the display, and can be taken at any time during the workout by grabbing the stationary handles. The package also included a remote heart rate sensor but I haven't tried that. The oscillating bars also have controls to adjust the level and ramp up or down on the fly.br /br /And as for quality and sturdiness, this thing is both. The fluidity of the moving parts is without any "jerking". It is totally quiet. I have it upstairs on ceramic tile (placed on a Stamina mat the fits nicely), with no vibration to the downstairs. You can't hear or feel this in the next room or downstairs. It is solid and heavy and does not move around on you. I don't know how a larger person would move it around (I am 170 and wife is much less than that:) ), but the overall feel of this unit is gym quality. I have no hesitation is recommending this unit and purchase outlet to anyone that is searching in this price range. And I don't think you need to spend twice the money on another manufacturers product to get the features and quality you want and need.br /
Sole E35 Elliptical Trainer Feature
- Boasting a heavy 25-pound flywheel
- Contains unique oversize foot pedals
- Features a 2-degree inward slope that reduces the ankle and knee stress
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I call it 'The Monster.' - Jamie M. Seabolt - Dahlonega, GA
Well...The reason I didn't give this machine 5 stars is simply because I refuse to LOVE any piece of equipment that inflicts pain. However, I do give it 4 stars because it does what it is supposed to do---provides one heck of a workout! I named it 'The Monster' because it is quite imposing looking. People walk into the room where I have it set up and the first thing they say is, "Man! That thing is HUGE!" It was a breeze to put together according to my friend Jeff---he managed it in about 2 hours. The hardest part was moving it 20 feet across the room because the big central one-piece section weighs as much as a small elephant. I've had it a month now and am quite pleased with it. It is super quiet, and the rotational gait is smooth as butter. I like the fact that the foot platforms are adjustable. You totally FEEL the action in your butt and thighs---I was sore as Hell after the 1st 2 workouts! :) The fan on the console is a joke. Seriously?? I mean, dang! It's like they had this small space left over and as an after thought stuck in a little fan for decoration. They should have just used the spaced as a holder for a big water bottle. But overall, it's a sweet elliptical. Much better even than the ones I used at the gym. If you intend to drop a wad of cash on an elliptical and wonder if this one is worth the money----I say do it. The Sole E35 is a good machine.
Oct 27, 2010 16:57:04
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