The Bwflex TreadClimber – the 3-in-1 Cardio Machine
When you compare a Bowflex TreadClimber to a
treadmill in the same price range, the final analysis is fairly simple. The
traditional treadmill, even those with power incline motors and advanced
electronics on the console, are a much better value and will give you more
reliability than a tread climber will.
The Bowflex TreadClimber consists of two short walking belts or Dual Treadles
that can be locked down and used in a treadmill mode, or unlocked and used as a
stair stepper. They can also be used in a combination of both actions – working
somewhat like an elliptical trainer. In other words, it is a 3-in-1 cardio
machine.
Too Much To Go Wrong
Comparing the Bowflex Tread Climber to more standard treadmills is like
comparing apples to oranges. While it is different and innovative, does that
mean it’s better than a treadmill? No, not really. And if someone warned
you that this Bowflex cardio machine had less reliability, came with no labor
warranty, and had a unique and complex design with parts that were bound to fail
in a couple of years, would you still buy a TreadClimber? We hope that you would
not.
Bowflex® TreadClimber® Factory Direct
The sales pitch states that you will burn
twice as many calories in the same amount of time on the Bowflex tread climber
as you would a treadmill. This is nonsense. Simply raise the incline on any
treadmill, kick up the speed a bit and, voilá, you are burning some serious
calories and working the legs and trunk hard. The result of any exercise depends
on how much you put into it, and the TreadClimber is no magic calorie-burning
machine.
If you see a Bowflex TreadClimber at your local health club
then have at it and don’t worry about it breaking, because if it does, it is
someone else’s problem. However, to buy a tread climber for your own home, just
know that the warranty does not cover any labor (repairs) whatsoever.
Customers must diagnose the problem, call Bowflex to order the part, and install
the part themselves. This includes the motor and the belts which are more
physically demanding (think about pulling a tight new belt over a roller pulley)
and frustrating than you can imagine. The TreadClimber’s hydraulic shocks are
another issue altogether, and the warranty on the hydraulics is for two years
only.
Will They Be Around for Parts Replacement?
The recession has been especially hard on Nautilus, the parent company of
Bowflex, which reported a net loss for last year of over $90 million dollars. It
didn’t help that they changed the name of the Nautilus TreadClimber to the
Bowflex TreadClimber; it is still the same odd duck of a cardio machine. With
the parent company in such dire financial straits, buying such an innovative
product from them is a risk.
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