I had the pleasure of coming across all the wonderful reviews of other users here regarding this great machine. I took a chance too, and I am happily surprised. Three months ago, I purchased a Nordic Track CXT 910, which broke under normal usage, due to some cheap welding. You can find my review on that piece of junk here on Epinions as well. Anyhow, I needed to find something, fast, so my husband and I could continue our workout routine. I knew that the Precor would be out of our price range, not to mention the space requirements, so I started looking for a better option. Luckily, I found it in the Smooth CE. One thing is for sure; they call it Smooth for a very good reason!

I viewed the information online, but I noticed that there was a price discrepancy on their websites. Some pages said it was $1,399, other pages listed it for $1,499. So I called them up and told them I wanted to purchase it, but at the $1,399 price listed on the web page I was viewing. The sales rep was quite helpful, and he immediately gave me the price adjustment. Exactly one week later, the machine was scheduled for delivery. I did not pay extra for special delivery arrangements, and I was expecting to lug the machine into the house, piece by piece, from the curb. I got a great delivery person, who put the mini pallet on a hand truck, and wheeled it up the stairs and into my apartment!

Putting this machine together was a snap, even with the awkward directions. The machine is mostly assembled in the box, and everything else pretty much made sense to me, so I had the machine up and running in about an hour. According to the measurements, this machine is supposed to be 3" shorter in length than the Nordic track I had, but it actually looks like it takes up significantly less space, due mainly to the elimination of ramps, which you get on the Nordic track. It also looks better, and is quite neutral, so it blends in nicely with everything else in the room.

While I was quite happy with my purchase so far, I was about to get an even better surprise! The Nordic track was pretty quiet, in my opinion. This machine, makes no noise whatsoever! It rides like a dream. The pedals are perfectly set, and are wide enough to accommodate both my small 7.5 size feet, and my husband's size 12 feet. Neither one of us had any problems using the machine; it is designed quite well and does not interfere with your workout.

The kilojoules measurement is somewhat uplifting, since it is a small measure to the calorie. While exercising, looking at that number is a great motivator for me, since it makes me feel like I'm making a good amount of leeway! Honestly, it doesn't bother me at all, since I think all these computer measurements are inaccurate. Time is the most important factor, and it handles that feature perfectly.

I did not find any use for the manuals, since the computer is pretty much common sense. I played with it for about three minutes, and I was able to run programs with no problem. This machine is also amazingly sturdy. You can feel it when you use it, and you can see it in the details of the machine. Metal and bolts where the high stress areas are - the way it should be! The stabilizer bars on the floor are quite wide in comparison to other machines, and this machine does not rock, even at super fast speeds! Can't say the same about Nordic Track, which used to rock at resistance level 7.

This machine offers levels from 25 to 400 watts, which gives you an amazing range, and will ensure that you may never outgrow this machine! Changing the resistance is a breeze too; just push a button a few times, until you are working at a comfortable rate. I tend to start at a lower rate, work my way up, and then back down as I cool off, so I like being able to push myself extra hard some days, or a little less on extra tough days. Anyone can get a good low impact, cardiovascular workout on this machine, and you won't wake up sore the next morning!

Another important feature to note is that this machine is rated for up to 275 pounds, which is much better than most other machines, which stop at 225 - 250 pounds. This is particularly important for people such as my husband, who can "feel" the cheapness of a machine, since his weight is about 230 pounds. This machine offered him just as sturdy a workout as it did for me, and I'm about 85 pounds lighter than him. Add to that the 3-year warranty it comes with, and you know you have a quality machine, with a company willing to stand behind it. I'll try to come on every so often and update my review of this machine, but I doubt I'll find anything wrong with it as time goes by.

It cost me twice what I paid for the Nordic Track, but this is one of those cases where you get what you pay for. It will take me a few more months to pay off the extra $700 I had to cough up, but I know that this machine will continue to work in 3 months, and most certainly in 3 years!

Recommended
Yes

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