Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model, DISCONTINUED)

by Sole

Product Features

• Features a 23-pound flywheel and dual-action functionality for an upper and lower body workout
• Grip pulse monitoring and heart rate chest strap; oversize, adjustable foot pedals
• Sixteen resistance levels and seven programs for a challenging workout
• Offers a 20-inch stride length, LCD display monitor, cooling fan, and water bottle holder
• 325-pound maximum weight capacity; measures 71 by 27 by 68 inches (L x W x H) when assembled

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Enjoy an efficient full-body workout without heading to the gym with the Sole E25 elliptical trainer. Boasting a heavy 23-pound flywheel, a high gear ratio not found on most comparable models, and a pair of upper body handles, the E25 delivers an extremely smooth workout with plenty of top-end resistance. Users will also appreciate the unique oversize and adjustable foot pedals, which were designed in collaboration with a leading physical therapist and sports enthusiast. The pedals are not only extra large, but also feature a 2-degree inward slope that reduces the ankle and knee stress that's common in other elliptical machines. And thanks to the stationary handle bars with built-in pulse sensors, it's a breeze to monitor your heart rate as you exercise (a chest strap is also included for highly accurate wireless monitoring).

Workout specifics include 16 resistance levels, seven total programs, and a 20-inch stride length. Perhaps the handiest feature from a user perspective, however, is the easy-to-use electronic console, which integrates a blue backlit LCD display, a cooling fan, and a water bottle holder. The E25, which offers a maximum weight capacity of 325 pounds, carries the following warranties: lifetime on the frame, three years on all parts and electronics, and one year on the labor.

Specifications:

The E25's LCD display will track your key workout metrics.

• Assembled Dimenstions: 71 by 27 by 68 inches (L x W x H)
• Stride Length: 20 inches
• Front Drive
• Steel Frame: 34mm
• Resistance Type: ECB
• Adjustable Pedals: 3-Position Pin
• Articulating Pedals
• Flywheel: 23 pounds
• Resistance Levels: 16
• Power: Plug in
• Pulse Grips
• Display Type: Small LCD, Blue
• Heart Rate Telemetry Belt Included
• Track Display: Yes
• Audio System: Yes
• Incline: Manual
• Six Standard Programs
• One User-Defined Program
• Cooling Fans: Standard
• Water Bottle Holder: Yes
• Rear Rail Shroud: Yes
• Weight Capacity: 325 pounds

Manufacturer's Warranty
Frame - lifetime; labor - one year; parts, brake, and electronics - three years

About Sole
Sole brings over twenty years of treadmill and fitness product design and manufacturing to the table in their line of innovative equipment designed for fitness-conscious people. The company's treadmill line is simple in design, with an emphasis on quality and warranty all at a great price. Sole's easy-to-use treadmills offer a great value and feature a convenient, space-saving portable design. The treadmills have a very stable base with four wheels for ease of movement, folding decks to conserve space, and a 30-year motor and lifetime deck and frame warranty. Sole is always looking for ways to make their equipment better, more efficient, with higher quality at a great price.

About Elliptical Trainers
Elliptical trainers represent the next wave of advancement in low-impact cardiovascular exercise machines and continue to grow in popularity. By simulating motions experienced through walking, stepping, cycling, and skiing, elliptical machines allow for a smooth and fluid motion while building strength in the arms and legs. Similar to the exercise position for treadmills, elliptical trainers are used by standing in an upright position while holding the handrails of the machine. With elliptical trainers, however, your feet remain in the foot pedals throughout the exercise regimen and circulate in a smooth and seamless motion, resulting in little to no impact on the knees, back, and hips.

Elliptical trainers are compatible for all ages and fitness levels and allow you to select the difficulty level through the incline and intensity settings. Additionally, elliptical trainers allow you to determine the complexity of your workout based on your needs, all while listening to music, watching television, or reading a magazine while exercising in the comfort and safety of your own home.

Although different types of elliptical trainers offer an assortment of features, many of them include an array of challenging programs, forward and reverse directional movement, EKG grip pulse handles, a lightweight portable design with easy fold-up capability, and a monitor displaying calories burned, distance, speed, time, and heart rate. Other types of exercise machines, namely treadmills and bikes, offer excellent cardiovascular exercise and muscular training for the legs in a forward-motion exercise. Elliptical trainers take this to the next level by offering an upper and lower body workout with dual motion, challenging and diverse programs, and a low-impact exercise machine that won't strain sensitive joints.

Product Description

The Sole E25 elliptical creates a fluid natural motion provided by a whisper-quiet ECB drive system. Its 20-in stride length is ideal for areas with limited floor space, and the adjustable, articulating pedals provide multiple workout options. You can work up a sweat to your favorite tunes thanks to the built-in sound system, and keep track of your progress with the blue backlit LCD display.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 66 x 34 x 22.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 209 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• ASIN: B001G60YJ4
• Item model number: E25-09
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #167,437 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Great product --- if you can actually get it to work, January 25, 2009

By 

E. Goldberg (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model, DISCONTINUED) (Sports)

Nearly four months ago, I bought one of these. I still don't have a working elliptical.

Here's the problem with this elliptical: if it doesn't work, forget your expectations from getting your computer or TV fixed: you can't send a 300 pound elliptical in for repair. Nor does Sole have a dedicated staff of repair technicians; they contract to companies who do parts replacement on many different brands and models of fitness equipment. Your repairman may have never seen your particular model before, and won't necessarily know its nuances as a qualified sustaining engineer would.

Worse, the actual diagnosis has to be done remotely by phone. Then they'll ship parts to you by ground. And only after you finally receive the parts can you schedule the repair visit -- the whole process takes weeks per repair. The repairman isn't paid to do anything other than swapping the parts, so you're technically SOL -- no pun intended -- if the technician wasn't able to successfully guess the right problem from a single phone call.

Imagine trying to get your car repaired this way!

That's why, nearly four months later, hours of my time, and two repair visits, I am still stuck with a non-working elliptical, and there's no end in sight. On the plus side, the repair contact at Sole has been really kind and great to work with (despite things being set up to be very hard for him to actually solve my problems.)

But I have to admit if I knew it would be this much trouble, I would have paid the extra bucks for a Precor. I can't recommend this product in good faith.

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great machine for the price, December 11, 2008

By 

S. Lambert - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model, DISCONTINUED) (Sports)

I've had this elliptical for a month. Between my husband and me, we use this machine 8-10 times a week. I will update this review if my opinion changes.

This is a GREAT machine for the price. A LifeFitness was out of my price range, and research showed that this was a great "budget" model so this is the one I went with.

Pros:
- 20" stride. My husband and I are both tall and 18" machines don't feel right.
- Warranty. Compare this to other brands. I couldn't find a warranty this good.
- Stability. This machine is VERY stable for us, even for intense workouts. Far more stable than the Horizon and Nordic models I tried.
- Price. This is a "budget" machine but it doesn't feel like one to me.
- Heart rate strap: Love having this!

Cons:
- As the previous reviewer said, the console and fan aren't great. Oh well. I care far more about the quality of the machine than whether the console looks modern.
- The iPod connection works great, but the sound is a bit tinny. See my comment above. This is a very minor issue.
- Not fun to carry downstairs! But we managed. Assembly took a couple hours.
- No heart rate control. Most people don't use this, so it doesn't matter. I would have liked it, but it was not worth the price to upgrade to a different model for me.

This 2009 version has a manual incline. Mine arrived in non-working condition. A repairman was sent, did some adjustments, and now it works great. I am happy with the customer service about this issue. This was all covered by warranty, of course. Having the incline is a very nice feature (the e35, about $300 more in price, has a power incline).

For those with low ceilings: My husband is 6'2" and he can comfortably exercise in our basement with 7' ceilings. Don't quote me on this, but 8" clearance seems like enough.

Overall, this gets 5 stars for me - remember that this is a budget model, so you may not get the best programs and the best console. But so far, so good for us!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Can't handle 200 lbs!, January 7, 2010

By 

K. Tan "Kit" (Jacksonville, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sole E25 Elliptical Trainer (2009-2010 Model, DISCONTINUED) (Sports)

I had this product (2008 model) for 1.5 years and it broke 2 times. I use it 5 days a week, and I weigh less than 120 lbs. My husband weighs about 200 lbs and it seems like every time he starts using it, the machine will break within a few weeks. The part that broke about six months ago was the left connecting arm. I called Sole and they sent out technician to replace the part for free.

Now the exactly same part on the other side - right connecting arm broke off. The process to call/wait for technician is very lengthy and hopeless. I called Sole and told them exactly the part that was broken because it's the same part that broke last time, they said I have to wait for the technician to call me and make appointment so he can come out to take a look. They said the technician will call within 24-48 hours, but it always takes a few days for the technician to call. I asked if they could already send the replacement part while waiting for the technician, they said no and told me to keep waiting for technician's call. I know from the past experience that once the technician calls (who knows when that will be), he will call Sole to order the replacement part, which will take another 1-2 weeks to arrive. Then we have to contact the technician again to make another appointment for him to come and install the part. That will take another week. (And last time they even sent the wrong replacement part, so they had to re-send and all, so add another 2 weeks)

So within 18 months, 2 parts broke. I'm not able to use the machine for about a month every time it breaks. I'm expecting something more reliable for the price I pay, will definitely not recommend this product to anyone.