It is not always possible to run outdoors but no amount of bad weather can rain on your parade if you have your own treadmill set up at home.

The Sole F63 sells at the moment for just under $1,000. It would not be hard to double or even treble that figure when looking for a home fitness machine so the F63 can be said to be in the low price range for treadmills.

Sole Fitness machines are generally seen as sturdy and durable. The F63 has a smaller motor than the others which may make a difference if you are planning to use the machine for long periods of time or at its highest speeds. It seems to take a bit of time to warm up when starting but soon settles down to the pace of the required program. It also has to be said that the advertised user weight capacity – 325lbs - seems a bit optimistic. We’d recommend going for a machine with a more powerful motor like the F80 if you are upwards of 250lbs and if you intend to be doing anything more athletic than a medium jog.

Another thing to consider is the length of the stride. While the 20 x 55 “belt may be fine for anybody to walk on, a longer belt would probably be better for anyone taller than 6ft when running.

The F63 has a bright blue LCD display which allows the user to track speed, incline, time, distance, calories, pulse and pace. There are six preset programs of different intensity which target either cardio or calorie burn. The advertised speed is up to 10 mph although the machine may run a little faster – up to 12 mph. Overall the console makes it easy to automatically adjust the intensity of each training session making the effort to exercise more varied and fun and less of a chore.

The F63 has built in speakers which is great for those who like to run to the beat. Admittedly they are not of the best quality but what do you expect for under a thousand bucks? Same can be said of the cooling fan. It’s there, it may not be the best fan in the world, but it does blow cool air at you while you are working up a sweat.

As is often the case with these large home equipment machines, there are mixed reviews regarding the ease of installation. Ask one buyer and he’ll say installation was a snap. Somebody else will tell you they nearly sliced a thumb off and needed to rope in their neighbours for help. Generally speaking, the instructions are clear and if followed methodically there should be no problem.

Although not the heaviest of the Sole F series folding treadmills, this baby can still put some nubs in your carpets or marks on your parquet. These will be visable when the deck is folded up. You can avoid this by using a heavy duty rubber mat under the legs such as the Body Solid Super Mat or the slightly more expensive Supermat Treadsolid.

Sole offers a lifetime warranty on the motor and the frame. The deck, electronics, belt and rollers are covered for 3 years and there is a 1 year warranty on labor.