Most elliptical machines currently on the market have the flywheel mounted at the front or rear of the machine. This makes for a large, complicated, pedal linkage, and quite often a large distance between the pedals.

This machine is a little different. Instead of the crank and flywheel assembly being mounted between the pedal assemblies, it is mounted on either side, and the pedal rails slide back and forth on top of the flywheel crank.

What affect does this have on your workout?

1) The pedals are closer together than most ellipticals. This makes the workout easier on your knees.
2) The motion is very smooth. The unique pedal linkage makes for far less "bouncing" up and down motion than with most machines. This unit is far more like a natural "walking" motion than the competition, but with far less impact on your joints than a treadmill.

Side-mounting the flywheels also makes for a machine that is not quite so long. In addition, since the flywheels are low to the ground, the frame is far more stable and less tippy than most machines.

If you order this machine, I strongly suggest professional delivery if the machine will be on an upper floor. It weighs near 300lbs shipped, and the parts that can be easily removed for transport don't weigh that much. When mine was dropped off, the two guys (who do nothing but deliver fitness equipment all day) were straining to get this thing up the stairs. To fit the width of the machine through the interior doorway, the removal of a side shroud was required, but this only took a few minutes and a phillips screwdriver.

I cannot comment on the ease of assembly for this machine, because my dealer assembled it in the shop prior to delivery.

Like most machines in this price range, this unit has "Heart Rate Control", which means it will vary the resistance to keep your heart rate (monitored with the included chest strap) to keep your workout in a target zone.

My experience with the workout:
The first thing you will notice working out on this machine is that it is smooth. All of the bearing just glide, and the flywheel is hefty enough to even out your motion quite well. Working out is so smooth it doesn't feel like "work", although of course you will tire out quickly at high speeds and resistance settings.

During the workout, the machine is rock-solid. There is no swaying, creaking, rumbling or shaking, no matter how fast you are going. Except for an almost-silent whir, the machine is noise-free.

The Console:
The console is the weak point of this machine. While it is full-featured, the controls are not intuitive, and the manual is not much help. That being said, it is easy to read, and once you figure it out (with some fiddling), it is not that bad.

Side notes on this design:
According to the fitness store guy, the basic design for the Center-drive machine is licensed to three companies. On the low end, New Balance / FitnessQuest. I tried out one of those machines in the store, and the resistance was busted, and the frame was falling apart. No thank you.

In the mid-range, IronMan CDT / CenterG: This machine (made by Keys Fitness) uses the exact same drive mechanism (as in, the exact same part numbers) as the more expensive CenterG models (also made by Keys Fitness). The CenterG models have a nicer console, side rails, and a cupholder. Whether or not that is worth the additional $400+ they cost is up to you.

On the high end: True Fitness makes machines based on this basic motion.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 1400