LOL, I guess I'm following in your footsteps Nelie! I started at Sears and Sports Authority, only to realize the machines were, to be polite, not that great. I found the Keys Center G at Leisure Fitness, but no Octane there. Not sure about Fitness Resource but will check it out. Its hard to find the specialty stores using google for some reason. Let me know if you know of any other stores that have a chain in north NJ or NY. Thanks a lot.

I've been researching ellipticals also, and it sounds like ones that allow inclines will work the booty and other body parts nicely. Make sure to look for that option while you're shopping.

I found this great article the other day:

http://www.ellipticaltrainers.com/in...l_ratings.html

Also check out the links on the left - there's an elliptical buying guide and here is their list of "Best Buys" for 2006. There are also a couple of other interesting articles.

After review, this is the one I'm considering:

http://www.smoothfitness.com/ellipti...ooth-ce-32.htm

i have a precore, I have had t for about 8 years and it still works great. I have had to service it once in all that time, i admit I use it more in the winter because I prefer to walk, as does the dog :)
My advice is to get the best you can afford.

We have a Reebok RL 1500 and it is great. I'm not very mechanical but it gets me breathing hard and sweating in 5 min. And it says you burn 250 cal in 25 min. You can burn more if you go faster. That's far better than walking. It is very quiet and smooth and reminds me of a fair ride. It does make my thighs burn at first but doesn't hurt otherwise. My DH tried out a lot of different ones and looked all over the internet. We paid about $1000. It doesn't have to be plugged in either.

Diva - I have had both a gazelle and an elliptical. I think it is a much better workout on the elliptical. And yes it will change the shape of your whole body. More curves.

I bought an Eclipse 1100HR elliptical in March. I got it o about $330 from Dicks Sporting Goods. I looked around a lot and did as much research as possible before deciding on the Eclipse. Most of the reviews I read from people online said that it was a reliable machine for the small amount of money you pay for it compared to the Precor or other large machines.

I like it because it has different inclines, and 12 programs to choose from if you don't want to set a manual program. I feel like I get a good workout on it - it does make a few weird creaks sometimes, but I think that's probably because it is a cheaper machine. I don't feel like it will fall apart, and it feels stable and sturdy enough for moderate exercise.

Well I didn't have much money to waste so i purchased my elliptical machine at walmart for like 168 plus tax but it works ! OMG i LOVE it . I wish i would have bought it sooner . I've been using it for 2 days now and i already lost 2lbs. I use it 20 - 30 min. a day. I dont regret buying it !

Ellipticalls
 

Kathy4804: I to got mine at wal-mart. I love mine as well. I looked and looked online and in stores galore for a smart-easy-affordable-butt_rounding piece of equipment. Finally I had the sportsman associate to get the display down for me at wal-mart and I tried it for a while and liked it, but thought about the price. I figured since it was only $168.00 that it may not be what I was looking for to get in shape. After about 3 days of searching in sears and dicks sporting goods, I thought "what the heck, $168.00 is well worth the price. If I dont; like it, then I can sale it at a garage sale. Well after 2 years of using it and developing this tight firm hiney. My cheap walmart ellipticall isnt leaving my house for no reason. It is the most wonderful thing. I put it in front of my tv at 11:30am ( young and the restless) and ride it until the second commercial. After the commercial is over, back to the riding, then at 12:00 take another break at drink a bottle of water. From 12:00 till 12:30 I ride non stop. I may be 36 and over wieght, but I got a firm butt and smaller hips......

We just purchased the Horizon e900 and I just love it. We got it for 999.00 and the orignal price was over 2000. It took us over 2 hours to put it together . My husband was impressed with the packaging. The instructions had everything broken down in steps and all the nuts and bolts were packaged separtely for each step. It also included all the tools you need to put it together . Everything works great on it and we just love it.

My husband bought a Sears Pro-Form 15.5 s for Christmas. I'm the only one whose used it so far :dizzy:

I haven't been on any other ellipticals, but I think this one isn't quite a high quality model. It feels a little rickety, and it can squeak pretty annoyingly. But I'm still using it :carrot:

I just bought the Nordictrack ASR 1000. I've only had it for two days, but so far i LOVE it!!! It has many different resistance levels AND it has a power incline ramp...which to me is the best part!! This one was 899 on sale at Sears, but seems to be well worth the price so far!

I use the lifefitness eliptical...it's the best you can buy, smooth range of motion and all the options...but a bit pricey...over $1600, but worth it in the long run because of the quality of construction...but the Octane is not far behind in price, but not as smooth a ride and construction not as good. Hope this helps...Joyce

I covet the Smooth CE 7.4 elliptical. They only sell them online, direct from the manufacturer. It'll be about $2200 with shipping and "white glove" service, where they bring it in and set it up for you.

I'm getting one as my reward for getting to the halfway mark. "Only" 46.5 lbs. to go! :D