Rear drive cross trainers for home use

What a rear flywheel gives you

Because the wheel sits behind you, the pedals are drawn along from the rear and your foot describes a long, nearly flat path. That feels like walking with a bigger step, without a landing. Your ankles, knees and hips stay in a pattern your body knows, which is why half an hour or more is easier to sustain than on a machine that pushes your foot steeply upwards.

The second advantage is height. You step on lower and your foot climbs less during the movement, which keeps this shape usable under an ordinary ceiling. It does cost you depth: the frame runs on past the rails, so expect a machine that is long rather than tall.

Honest about the trade-off: if what you mainly lack is floor area while height is there, a front drive cross trainer fits better, because it is shorter. If you want a movement that feels as natural as possible and you have the length, this build is the better choice.

Which version suits you?

The length of your space, your own height and the kind of sessions you do together decide the choice.

You have length but little height: this is the shape that works for that. Measure the frame plus room for getting on and off, and check whether it can stand along the wall rather than in the middle of the room.

You are tall or have a long stride: look at the stride length. This build has the longest strides, and for long legs that is the difference between striding and shuffling.

Your sessions run half an hour or more: the flat path is the most comfortable for that. You keep moving in a natural pattern and your feet do not go numb, as can happen on a short steep stride.

You want to be able to shift the load: some versions set the path itself steeper, which puts more work into your glutes without raising the resistance. That is a separate control from the resistance and worth comparing.

You want to put in many hours: this shape has the heaviest frames and the largest flywheels. They run rounder, stand more firmly and were built for more hours than you will do at home.

You train above another room: put a mat underneath. The weight keeps the machine still, but your own movement carries through a wooden floor. The wider choice sits under cross trainers for home use.

Compact home model or heavy trainer?

Two groups sit side by side within this build, and the difference is in the stride and in the weight.

Compact home model. Shorter frame, lighter flywheel and a shorter stride. It finds a place in a room more easily and can be moved, but the movement is less round and sometimes cramped for long legs. For easy twenty minute sessions that is no problem.

Heavy trainer with a long stride. A larger flywheel, a stiffer frame and the longest path. The movement stays fluid, including at a low cadence, and tall people can stride out fully. You give up noticeably more length and weight for it.

If you train easy and have an ordinary room, a compact home model is enough. If you do long sessions, are tall, or share the machine, the heavier trainer is the purchase you will not need to replace for years.

What to look for when buying

Length of the frame

On this build that is the first dimension. Measure the full length and add room behind you for getting on and off. Also check whether it can go along the wall: in practice that counts for more than a few centimetres on the spec sheet.

Stride length

A longer stride means a more natural movement and more room for long legs. This is where a heavy trainer sets itself apart from a compact model, and it is harder to judge on paper than the other dimensions. Try it if you get the chance.

Step-on height and ceiling

The pedals start low on this shape, but measure anyway. Add the highest pedal position to your own height, because even a flat path still lifts you some way off the floor.

Flywheel weight

The weight of the flywheel decides whether the stride stays round when you move slowly. On long sessions at a low rate you notice this more than during intervals, so within this build it is an important figure to compare.

Adjustable incline

Not every version has it, but where it does, it is the most useful control on the machine. You shift the load from your thighs to your glutes without pedalling harder, which gives variety without doing anything else.

Console and connectivity

Time, resistance, strides per minute and heart rate you always get. If you want to track sessions or follow programmes, check whether the screen works with an app or a heart rate belt. Separate parts for that sit under elliptical accessories.

Floor and vibration

The machine itself is quiet, but the weight plus your movement puts vibration into a floor. A solid mat underneath keeps it in place and softens what travels downwards. Have a look at the mats for that.

Our advice: choose this build if your ceiling is ordinary and you have the length. Measure the frame and the room behind you, then choose on stride length; that is the dimension that decides whether the movement feels natural. If you do long sessions or you are tall, take a heavier model with a large flywheel. If floor area is what you lack, front drive is the more practical choice, though it comes with a steeper stride.

Who is this suitable for?

• You want a movement that resembles walking and stays comfortable for half an hour.
• Your ceiling is ordinary but you do have length in the room.
• You are tall and want to stride out fully.
• You put in many hours and want a large flywheel and a stiff frame.
• Several of you train at different heights on the same machine.

Less suitable if floor area is mainly what you lack, if the machine has to stand in the middle of a room, or if you are after a short climbing movement. In those cases front drive serves you better, or a stepper if it really is about climbing.

Need help with your choice?

Would you like to buy a rear drive cross trainer for home use but are you not quite sure which one fits your wishes and needs best? We are happy to help. You can reach our cardio specialists by phone on +31 85 773 00 57, send an e-mail or visit our fitness store in Volkel, the Netherlands.

Frequently asked questions about rear drive cross trainers

Why do these machines stand in almost every gym?

Because the long flat stride is comfortable for most people and stays comfortable over long sessions. The movement is close to walking, so anyone can use it without instruction, and the heavy frame was built for many hours in a row.

How much room do I need?

Length above all. Measure the frame and add room behind you for getting on and off. In height this shape asks less than a machine with the wheel at the front, because your feet stay lower. Check whether it can stand along a wall; in a room that makes the biggest difference.

What is the difference from a front flywheel?

The path of your foot and the dimensions of the machine. At the rear it gives a flat, long stride resembling walking, in a longer frame with a lower step-on. At the front it gives a steeper, climbing stride in a shorter frame, but you stand higher. Your room usually decides which of the two it will be.

Is a longer stride always better?

For tall people and for long sessions it is, because you then move in a natural pattern. If you are shorter or do short intervals, you notice it less and a compact model can work perfectly well. What matters more is that the stride suits your own step.

What does an adjustable incline do?

It changes the angle of the path your foot follows, which shifts the load from your thighs to your glutes. You train differently without raising the resistance. Not every version has it, and it is the most useful extra setting on this type of machine.

Do I need a socket?

That differs per model. Some run on mains power for the console and the resistance, others take the power from your own movement. Check this before you pick the spot, because it decides whether you have to stand near a wall socket.