Horizon Fitness EX-79-2 Elliptical Trainer Review

Stride

One of the 6 design elements is the stride length.  A minimum of 18″ is required to ensure a comfortable ride for most users.  The EX-79-2 goes further with a 20″ stride.  Although not adjustable this gives a good amount of space for training and even taller riders won’t feel cramped.

The long stride length is complimented with a surprisingly high flywheel weight.  Again identified as part of the revised design philosophy, the heavier the flywheel then the smoother the elliptical motion.  The fly wheel will ‘carry’ the pedals over the top of the stride without that jerkiness of lighter models.

Connecting it all together is an oversized pulley system.  This acts to space out the motion, again minumising the jerkyness.An 18” stride length is common for many ellipticals in this price range. The EX-69-2, however, has a stride of 20” that is both very natural and smooth in motion. This smoothness and comfort is further enhanced by the 17.6 lb flywheel and large drive pulley system.

Ride Position

There are two options with the Horizon 79-2, you can hold the moving handles, and use your arms to push the elliptical motion.  Alternatively there are fixed handles under the console that have builtin heart rate sensors.

I usually use the fixed handles if I need to adjust a setting or grab some water, it makes me more balanced and feels safer.

Either way both positions are comfortable and give good posture, with a good upright stance.

Access

Another of the basic design principals is to make this elliptical easy to get onto.  Being front drive there is no bulky frame to climb over, Horizon have designed the pedals to be no more than 10″ high.  This makes getting on and off really easy, it also means that the elliptical is sutible for use in lower ceiling rooms.

Console and Programs

So far I have not really talked about the difference between this and the old model.  The console is one of the main changes.

The old model had a slightly old fashioned LED display, it looked cluttered and was limited in the amount of information that could be displayed.  You had to scroll through menus to change from Heart Rate to RPM for example.

For 2014 Horizon have radically updated the display, now it features a bright blue screen that shows everything you need at a glance, workout progress is shown by a running track, heart rate, incline, speed are always visible and there are options to see watts, RPM, fan speed etc.

Horizon have packed this elliptical with programs.  A personal favourite of mine is the 1-30 day goal challenge designed to help motivate you to meet you goals, such as weight loss or distance in a set period.

All in all there are 11 programs, that allow for hill climbs, cardio burn etc.  In addition you can set your own programs and store a couple in the memory.

Other Features

Most Elliptical Trainers are equipped with speakers and a fan.  nine time out of ten these are junk.  However the Horizon is one of the few where these are actually decent.  The speakers are powerful enough to make the music sound good as you work out, and the fan delivers enough air to keep you cool.

There is also a slot to hold you iPhone/MP3, and a good sized cup holder on the frame.

Warranty

The warranty reflects the overall quality of this machine:

• Frame and Brake Warranty: Lifetime
• Parts Warranty: 2 years
• In-Home Labor: 1 year

Stats

• Dimensions: 73 by 22 by 65 inches
• Machine Weight: 182 pounds
• Maximum User Weight: 325 lbs

User Reviews

Horizon have done a good job making a quality all round elliptical for under $1000.  This is reflected in the positive reviews.  Users like the quiet drive, and the solid feel.  Many users are on their machine 4-5 times a week and it takes the strain without fault.

One downside is that it does require some home assembly.  If you are good with your hands this should take about 2 hours.

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