My XCITE is almost identical to the new REV-600. The main difference I see between the EVO and CE is that the EVO appears to be more sturdy and the frame is solid including the bottom that sits on the floor whereas with the CE you only have legs. I believe the EVO is bigger than the CE (over 7 feet long) so it does take up a lot of space. The EVO definitely gives a longer stride instead of short and choppy which we found with most of the ellipticals (except for the top of the lines or commercial ones). I believe the longer stride equates to a smooth stride. My husband is over 6 ft tall and weighs over 250 lbs. so we definitely needed an elliptical that would support his frame. Also, my husband has bad knees and has had his ankle replaced so we needed a machine that would not place a lot of stress on his joints. Good luck with your decision.

I have an elliptical trainer and like it for days I donÂt feel like walking outdoors or doing a cardio DVD. The one thing you have to watch for though is your form when exercising. For example if your normal posture tends to show signs of rounded shoulders or signs of a forward bending neck you really must pay attention to how you are standing and where you are grabbing the handles and pulling back. If you take a sloppy posture you can encourage your shoulders to come forward even more. Pull your shoulders back and down (in a comfortable position, donÂt push it) & then grab handles without taking your shoulders and concentrate on keeping your navel to spine. When used right the elliptical can help correct these posture problems especially for those that sit at computers a lot. I wrap wide exercise bands around the handles of mine to keep proper form. Because you are using upper and lower muscle groups your heart rate may increase in a shorter amount of time, some people do not like this because it is a fast reminder that they are out of shape but if you start with a few minutes and add one minute a day you will progress fast. Also, if you are thinking of purchasing a home elliptical machine, do your research as there is a weight variance that they except. Another thing, make sure you do a full stretch, upper & lower when done or you will be mighty sore the next day.

I think there are good sides to both of your choices. I think that the good ellipticals are very expensive but a very good workout. People say not to bother with the ones for $3-400 dollars. They just aren't like the commercial ones. A recumbant bike can be purchased for a lot less money and seems to stand up better and you are right!! You can read and do the biking. If you are actually running on the treadmill, the bike sounds like a good option. I find when I bike on a recumbant and read that I tend to bike slower. Let us know your decision. Deanna

Thanks to all of you for the tips. I'll try the vinegar tomorrow. Pbrisjar--does it matter if it is white vinegar vs. the brownish cider vinegar? I sprayed the floor and all the walls with a peroxide and baking soda solution yesterday (recommended in a thread that I found on the flooring forum). That seemed to help at first, but I think the smell is coming back. It sounds like I will probably have to buy a lot of primer and seal the odor into the walls and/or the floor. I went to petsmart today and bought a blacklight; hopefully that will help me find the worst areas so that I know where to concentrate my efforts. I have a feeling the walls are worse than the floor; when applying the peroxide solution I noticed some discoloration and residue about 2 feet up from the floor on a few walls, so those may have been major spraying locations. I bought a large bottle of an enzymatic cleaner that sounded like it might help with older stains, but it was $35 and I know it won't be enough for the whole area, so if it's not much different from vinegar I may as well return it for a refund. Yes, I'm sure the prior owners knew about it. I have no idea how they managed to hide it every time that I came to the house (I have a sensitive nose), and it irks me that they did. If I'd known, I could have had a painter seal everything before I moved in, while it was still empty. At the closing, the owner mentioned that the cats had been "stressed" because of the move; I guess she knew that I would soon discover the smell. Thanks again!!