I purchased the Weslo Cadence EX 14 after a recent visit to my doctor for an ear problem. Part of the visit included the requisite weight and blood pressure check. I knew my weight left something to be desired but it was my elevated blood pressure that was my wake up call. I knew I had to find some kind of exercise that I would stick with and that I could do anytime.

Choosing

I had been casually comparing treadmills, elliptical trainers, exercise bikes and steppers for quite some time. I have had an excercise bike in the past and knew it was not something I would stick with. Steppers and elliptical trainers didn't look any more promising. The only things left were the treadmills. After much deliberation as to whether or not it would end up a glorified coat rack, I decided it was the one thing I knew I could stick with.

The two main reasons why I decided on a treadmill-

1. Convienance. I could walk on a treadmill at any time of the day or night.

2. Space. All of the treadmills I looked at had the space saving fold up feature. A must when dealing with limited space.


Having decided to purchase a treadmill, I now had to decide on which brand and model would best suit my needs and checkbook capabilities. The high end models were automatically out. There was no way I could afford to spend $1000 on a treadmill. After I recovered from the sticker shock of the high end ProForms, I whittled the rest down to the ProForm CrossWalk at $399 and the Weslo Cadence EX14 at $299. My first choice, had it been in stock, was to go with the ProForm CrossWalk. Fate had other plans for me. The ProForm wasn't in stock and the sales associate couldn't give me a firm date on when they would be. Since I needed one so I could immediately start improving my health and the Welso Cadence EX14 was in stock, it came home with me.

Set up

The instructions for setting up the Weslo Cadence EX14 state that it takes two people. Since my spouse is currently deployed, I decided I would give getting it into the house and setting it up myself a shot. If it came to a point where I felt I needed assistance, I could always call on one of my neighbors. I'm happy to say, I got it in the house and set up all on my own. Getting it out of the back of our truck was pretty easy. In order to get from the truck to the house, I set it on it's end and 'walked' it up to the front door, moving one side at a time. Once it was in the house, the box easily slid into the living room. Getting it out of the box proved to be an bit more of a task. However, once I cut the top of the box and removed some of the packing, it came out easily. An hour, two wrenches and a screwdriver later, I had the Cadence EX14 all set up and had only needed my 5 year old to hand me a couple of the bolts.

Features and Operation

The Weslo Cadence EX14 has the following features:

Dial for adjusting speed. Speed choices are Warm Up (0.4-1.4 mph), Fat Burning (1.5-3.5), Aerobic (3.6-5.7) and Performance(5.8-8.3). Simply insert the key and turn the dial slowly until you come to a speed that is comfortable for you. I start at 1.2 for a warm up, increase to 2.6 and then back down to 1.2 for a few minutes before I'm through.

LCD for scanning Time, Distance, Calories Burned, Fat Calories Burned and Speed. The LCD automatically turns itself off after the treadmill has been stopped for 6 minutes. There is a Reset Button for setting all read outs back to zero.

Manual Incline Adjust the two back legs for either of two incline positions or a flat position. The legs are secured with two thick pins that are easily removed and reinserted. The manual does not indicate what degree the two inclined positions are in relation to the flat position.

On-Off Key Red plastic key is inserted to turn the treadmill on and off. The key and a black plastic clip (for attaching to your clothing) are at either end of a nylon cord. When the key is removed, the treadmill does come to an abrupt stop.

Allen Wrench For adjusting the belt. I had to adjust the belt after setting up the treadmill. The instructions in the manual are very clear and centering the belt was easily accomplished.

Hand weights One set of 6 handheld weights. There are two each of 1, 2 and 3 pounds. I not only use them while I'm walking on the treadmill, I have found myself doing curls with them while watching tv or reading. They are easily stored on racks on each side of the treadmill.

Space Saver design The Weslo Cadence EX14 easily folds up. There is a latch on the left side that holds the treadmill securely in an upright position. There are two wheels for easily moving the treadmill around.

The console also has a bottle holder and a small compartment for holding keys, a cell phone or remote.


In conclusion

I am quite pleased with the Weslo Cadence EX14. I have found that it suits my needs and is very easy to use. While I've only owned this treadmill for a week, I have used it nightly and, along with eating better and drinking more water, have already lost 6 pounds. Since I have found that I enjoy walking while watching a tv show or a movie, I fully expect to get more than my money's worth out of this treadmill.

My only peeve about the Cadence EX14 is the handrails. They could be higher. I do not have long arms and if I hold the handrails, I find that I am slightly hunched over and that can be uncomfortable after only a few minutes of walking.




Recommended: Yes