Got a workout involving an air bike? People either love them or hate them. But if you are in the market to buy one, there are two big brand names that you may want to know more about. We’ve taken on the task of comparing the Assault bike vs Rogue Echo bike to help best educate you on their likeness and major differences.
What’s an Air Bike?
Air bikes make for an incredible workout. You’ll find that these bikes aren’t like normal stationary bikes. Air bikes have handlebars that move independently for an added upper body workout. You create an intense resistance workout by driving the handlebars and pedals, causing the large fan to propel and push against you.
The large benefit of having an air bike is the fact that you can have a total body workout. By having to both push the handlebars and pedals, you target the upper and lower body with the use of a single machine. Talk about bang for your buck.
What’s the Difference Between the Assault Bike vs Rogue Echo Bike?
Currently on the market are two major air bike brands, the Assault bike and the Rogue Echo bike. When comparing the two, it may help to look at them from a few different perspectives.
Whether you are curious how they differ from a competition level or purely from a cost perspective, we’ve tested them out for you.
From a Counting Calories Perspective
The biggest difference between the Assault bike vs Rogue Echo bike is that “ghost calories” aren’t a thing with the Rogue Echo bike. Ghost calories are the calories that continue to add to your total calorie count after you have stepped off the bike.
Not counting ghost calories matters for the athlete looking to go to a competition using the Rogue Echo bike. For instance, training may look a little different if you’re used to completing workouts based on the Assault bike metrics. Without realizing it, you may have been relying on ghost calories for a workout and might be surprised how much more effort the Rogue Echo bike may ask of you.
Curious what the calorie conversion rate is between the Assault bike and Rogue Echo Bike? The chart below is a nice reference point!
| Calories (M/F) | Time | |
|---|---|---|
| Assault Bike | 30 / 22 | 1:45 – 2:00 |
| Echo Bike | 28 / 20 | 1:45 – 2:00 |
From a Difficulty Perspective
Let’s be honest. Both of these machines are a killer workout. Most users would agree though, that the Rogue Echo bike provides more of a challenge.
You’ll notice that the Rogue bike slows down quicker, the second you give it a little slack. Therefore, the Rogue bike makes it more difficult to maintain an average RPM. As far as your average watts, don’t be alarmed if on a Rogue Echo bike your watts are significantly lower. It’s the bike’s belt that causes more friction and therefore a more difficult ride. All these different things play a significant role in the ride of the Rogue bike and the overall difficulty you experience.
From a Price Perspective
If price point is the main consideration for you when you’re deciding between Assault bike vs Rogue Echo bike, the Assault bike is currently less expensive. But when comparing price, the Assault bike is only marginally cheaper. Like any item though, you can sometimes find a good deal for either brand bike so be sure to shop around!
From a Maintenance Perspective
Are you savvy with fixing things up when they break? Assault bikes are driven by a chain, compared to the Rogue Echo bikes which use a belt to propel forward. Not that Assault bikes are prone to break but the difficulty level in fixing chains is typically tougher than fixing a belt on a bike.
Therefore if your handy skill level is subpar, you may want to consider the bike with easier maintenance options aka the Rogue Echo bike.
From a Comfort Perspective
From a comfort level, I think absolutely everyone can agree that the Rogue Echo bike is more comfortable. Hands down. You can almost tell from pictures alone that the seat is wider and larger. So for those of us with bony butts or who just don’t like sitting for long periods of time, the Rogue bike’s cushioned seat will be very welcome.
Overall Perspective
When considering the Assault bike vs Rogue Echo bike, they are both solid, well-made bikes. If you are looking for a great workout, you can’t go wrong with either one. But as you can see from each category we explored, there is a clear winner.
The overall winning choice on the air bike battle is the Rogue Echo bike! By spending just a little bit more, you set yourself up with a serious piece of equipment that will give you access to some awesome workouts!
Never had a chance to test out an Assault AirBike or Rogue Echo bike? Check your local CrossFit gym to see if they offer a drop-in option. Most CrossFit gyms have at least one kind of AirBike available for you to test drive.
Need a Sample Workout?
Another benefit of having an air bike is you open up a whole new world of workout options! If you’ve never tried it, tabata is a straightforward workout option to test out the AirBike. But Fit at Midlife has created a list of a bunch of Assault bike workouts to try out if you want something more structured. Or basically any CrossFit workout with calories/meters in it can be subbed out to use the air bike.
Ready to Get You One?
Assault Airbike
Rogue Echo Bike
Any additional thoughts? Be sure to let us know your bike reviews in the comments! We’ve also taken the time to review the Concept 2 ski erg if you’ve ever been curious exactly what the deal is with that cardio machine.
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