[Help] Consumer advice - Treadmills/running machines

[Norman Potting]

In the spirit of NSC threads with no Albion or indeed football connection can I please pick the brains of the Collective?

Oldest daughter is keen to buy a treadmill/running machine (first question, are they essentially the same thing?). The first one she has come across is a Bluetooth Nero Pro treadmill Electric Motorised Folding Running Machine at around £160 and featuring a large complement of "bells and whistles".

Having no knowledge of such things what makes/models would you recommend, do you have experience of the above machine and is going down the "second hand" route a worthwhile option.

Over to you good people.

 

[Postman Pat]

My experience is to get one with good handles on the side, that way when it sits in the corner un-used for 6 months it can double up as a clothes airer or 2nd wardrobe.

Hope this information is useful.

 

[Brian Parsons]

My experience is to get one with good handles on the side, that way when it sits in the corner un-used for 6 months it can double up as a clothes airer or 2nd wardrobe.

Hope this information is useful.

Bugger you beat me to it.

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[Biscuit Barrel]

I bought a second hand one just over a year ago. I only paid £100. The one I got is nothing fancy and has no incline feature and no bluetooth connection. It just goes on the flat and runs from 0.8 MPH to 12 MPH.

I have used it pretty much every day for 14 months now. I have slowly built up my fitness and I have managed to loose over 4 stone in weight.

I don't think the type of running machine is that important, its more about having the inclination to use it.

 

[timbha]

If it’s safe it’s far better and cheaper to run outside. Lots of us out there at all standards!!

 

[St Leonards Seagull]

In the spirit of NSC threads with no Albion or indeed football connection can I please pick the brains of the Collective?

Oldest daughter is keen to buy a treadmill/running machine (first question, are they essentially the same thing?). The first one she has come across is a Bluetooth Nero Pro treadmill Electric Motorised Folding Running Machine at around £160 and featuring a large complement of "bells and whistles".

Having no knowledge of such things what makes/models would you recommend, do you have experience of the above machine and is going down the "second hand" route a worthwhile option.

Over to you good people.

I bought a second hand one for £80, it’s still going strong.
You can usually pick up second hand treadmills with a decent spec reasonably cheap.


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[nwgull]

Top speed of 10k/h (6 mph) on that treadmill - that’s barely a jog. I’d save my money and get myself some new trainers and running kit.

 

[St Leonards Seagull]

Top speed of 10k/h (6 mph) on that treadmill - that’s barely a jog. I’d save my money and get myself some new trainers and running kit.

That’s definitely the best bet, dreadmill running is horrible.


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[Bozza]

In the spirit of NSC threads with no Albion or indeed football connection can I please pick the brains of the Collective?

Oldest daughter is keen to buy a treadmill/running machine (first question, are they essentially the same thing?). The first one she has come across is a Bluetooth Nero Pro treadmill Electric Motorised Folding Running Machine at around £160 and featuring a large complement of "bells and whistles".

Having no knowledge of such things what makes/models would you recommend, do you have experience of the above machine and is going down the "second hand" route a worthwhile option.

Over to you good people.

I know very little about treadmills, but what I do know means that strikes me as very cheap - certainly not a premium model at all.

A quick Google turned it up on eBay for the £159.99 and the first thing that strikes me is it seems to have a max speed of 10km/h. That's not very fast at all and I'd think most runners would be beyond that speed relatively quickly.

Unfortunately, there'll be a factory in China knocking these out and many chancers inventing a brand name to stick on them. If you search Amazon for treadmills, for example, you'll find a whole load of very similar looking, very similar priced treadmills to this and I suspect if you dive into the detail of the reviews you'll not find a lot positive about them.

I think you'd have to spend at least double to get a decent motorised treadmill. Your best bet would probably be to buy a second-hand one that someone else has given up on.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

Decathlon have a good range, we went for a bulkier looking one about 3 years ago, it's been superb .... and makes a great clothes hanger too!

 

[seagullwedgee]

You really need to be paying decent money. The cheaper they are, the shorter and narrower the running surface, to the point where the really cheap ones (less than £400) are so short and narrow that you have to completely change your running gait, making it counter productive, and a clothes horse that nds up being sold to someone who will pay £160 for it.

Horizon Elite make a great treadmill. Proper full running plate, variable speeds up to 12mph, inclines up to 8%, foldable, durable for 15 years. You get what you pay for.

 

[mwrpoole]

In my experience get one that has a higher maximum speed than you think you may need. I've used a few different 'home' machines and they all tend to 'stick' when used at or near the maximum speed. By 'stick' I mean the belt sort of sticks for a split second which throws you out of your stride and can be quite dangerous.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

In the spirit of NSC threads with no Albion or indeed football connection can I please pick the brains of the Collective?

Oldest daughter is keen to buy a treadmill/running machine (first question, are they essentially the same thing?). The first one she has come across is a Bluetooth Nero Pro treadmill Electric Motorised Folding Running Machine at around £160 and featuring a large complement of "bells and whistles".

Having no knowledge of such things what makes/models would you recommend, do you have experience of the above machine and is going down the "second hand" route a worthwhile option.

Over to you good people.

I have no recent experience, but when I bought one it cost £1,300 and was still nowhere near the quality you get in gyms. It was just about ok for me, though my brother-in-law who used it a bit harder, did break it. When I was looking, anything under £1k was a waste of money.

 

[Pickledegg]

I agree, you get what you pay for without a doubt. You'll find many of these machines second hand for good reason and that is many don't have the willpower to use regularly.

Personally, I would agree with many others, get her gait checked at a decent running shop, spend good money on good trainers and get outside. Perfect time to start as the weather should now start improving.

If I was going to spend money on exercise stuff for the home I would get TRX training straps. Decathlon shop equivalent are a snip at £14.99 or kettle bells. Neither take up much room and loads of YouTube videos of how to use. Coupled with running, fitness will improve very quickly.

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[CliveWalkerWingWizard]

I paid around 300 for mine, New in Jan sale, reduced from 599. I have had it for 3 years, it has been good. I have run marathons but suffered from stress fractures, running machines are easier on the legs. I usually run 7.5 minute miles, this is not the same as that speed on the road. So 300 should buy a good machine for a fun runner.

 

[BigGully]

In the spirit of NSC threads with no Albion or indeed football connection can I please pick the brains of the Collective?

Oldest daughter is keen to buy a treadmill/running machine (first question, are they essentially the same thing?). The first one she has come across is a Bluetooth Nero Pro treadmill Electric Motorised Folding Running Machine at around £160 and featuring a large complement of "bells and whistles".

Having no knowledge of such things what makes/models would you recommend, do you have experience of the above machine and is going down the "second hand" route a worthwhile option.

Over to you good people.

We are quickly coming into spring, after next weeks blast of cold we are getting longer days and warmer and dryer weather, why not try to encourage her to go running outside it is the cheaper more invigorating option, if in her minds eye she see's herself as becoming this treadmill junkie it is an absolute cert that she would become a keen outside runner if she at least tried it whilst saving herself a few hundred quid on something unlikely to be used very much.

 

[dazzer6666]

Some good advice above. Anything costing that little new, with a top speed of 10kph will be gathering dust in no time.

I don’t have one at home but have to travel a lot so I’m using them in hotel gyms all the time - and yes, it is as boring as hell. The difference between running on a treadmill and running outside is immense - so much more pleasurable outside. If you can I’d spend what you’re prepared to spend on a future clothes horse on a nice GPS watch instead and get outdoors. If she’s uncomfortable running alone there are loads of clubs and groups that can be joined catering for all levels.

If it has to be a treadmill, get the sturdiest, widest model you can afford (a little-used second hand one probably much better than a new one for the same money) with a decent length of track.

 

[seagullwedgee]

Be aware that treadmill running is quite different from a physiological perspective as well. In layman’s terms, as the belt moves below you, your running style becomes more one of just falling forward to stay ahead of the belt, and you use considerably less drive from the hips and thighs, compared to road running, as a result. It’s a strange one to describe, but you cannot exist solely on treadmill running, because if you did, when it came to road running you would find it quite tough going because you have not developed the same drive from the waist/hips, and quads.

 

[Badger]

Be aware that treadmill running is quite different from a physiological perspective as well. In layman’s terms, as the belt moves below you, your running style becomes more one of just falling forward to stay ahead of the belt, and you use considerably less drive from the hips and thighs, compared to road running, as a result. It’s a strange one to describe, but you cannot exist solely on treadmill running, because if you did, when it came to road running you would find it quite tough going because you have not developed the same drive from the waist/hips, and quads.

It's also by far the most TEDIOUS form of exercise. I love running and go out on 4 or 5 runs a week. Occasionally I have to do my run on a treadmill, and I lose the will to live after about 4K. Even if I'm listening to music or watching TV I find it very hard to be motivated.

If you get a treadmill there's a very high chance you'll stop using it after about a month.

 

[nwgull]

Treadmill running does have its place in training, particularly in the winter when dark mornings and evenings can limit your opportunities. However, as already mentioned, it can get tedious. The best way to alleviate this in my experience is to do 20-30 minute sessions of intense interval running - eg 2 mins fast, 1 min slow repeated 8-10 times. Again, this would need a treadmill with a bit of oomph to facilitate the fast intervals. Commercials gym treadmills can have speeds of up to 24kph and I don’t think I’d bother with a home one unless it had a top speed approaching 19-20kph.