Review Guide to Nordictrack Commercial S22i Studio Cycle

NordicTrack S22i Overview

OUR TAKE

The Nordictrack S22i Studio Cycle powered by iFit has come a long way and evolved into an exceptional, hi-tech connected-fitness bike delivering high-energy rides and workouts in either a studio class setting or in the wild and on the road, streamed direct to its wide 22-inch, Full HD touchscreen — Take a fast-paced studio spin class at home or experience a wide variety of city, to mountain trail rides as if you were actually there. Several features go into making the Nordictrack S22i Exercise Bike a standout over other exercise bike brands with several features.

A Unique S22i Bike Feature (ONLY on Studio Bikes)

One such feature, found only on NordicTrack Studio Bikes, is the ability to climb uphill or decline down a slope. The S22i Studio Bike can incline up to +20 percent or descend downward to a negative -10 percent decline. A feature set not found on other competing indoor bikes, including the Peloton or Peloton Bike+.

Besides giving a more realistic road or trail-like experience, the ability to elevate to an incline or decline provides riders with a more intense workout, making the Nordictrack S22i bike one of our favorite exercise bikes to work out on.

This elevation INCLINE/DECLINE option is not an elaborate gimmick. With the incline engaged, your legs will feel it, plus it gets your heart pumping (some super-good cardio), to build strength and stamina, and yes, your quads will burn, burn, and burn at first, but then you're rewarded with the downhill, which is so fun, as the speed increases and the resistance fades away.

You then get to do it over again, so if you like hi-intensity interval workouts (HIIT) this option is very effective for weight loss. There are rides for recovery days where you can coast around the streets of Chicago or Bermuda with Giddy Akande and just enjoy the sights. Or plan your own routes using iFit and Google Maps, another cool option we found fun to use.

iFit AutoAdjust, Live Trainer Control, A Big Difference

A second unique aspect, referred to as AutoAdjust, enables iFit trainers the ability to dynamically control your bike's speed, incline, decline, and resistance to match the studio class challenge or the destination terrain encountered during a ride. If you prefer, you can manually override AutoAdjust and make your own changes as you ride, then rejoin a workout in live-trainer control mode at any point during a session.

Based on our reader's feedback, Riders seem to love it —they find AutoAdjust makes this exercise bike more engaging, expressing an appreciation for not having to think about making any adjustments to cadence (pace), resistance, or incline as they ride. Overall, other feedback received from Nordictrack S22i bike owners is that it pushes you harder than you might be inclined to do so yourself, providing an effective way to motivate, torch calories, and ensure you get the most out of your workout. We can confirm from firsthand experience that iFit AutoAdjust absolutely encourages you to work harder.

S22i PROS:

S22i BIKE OPTIONS/FEATURES

■ well thought design with extended reach from seat to handlebar enables space for all size riders

■ We like that the whole screen console can rotate 360° and pivot 45 degrees up or down to enable your preferred viewing angle for off-the-bike sessions and cross-training segments.

■ S22i bike ships with dual-sided, SPD clip-in pedals on one side, and a toe cage on the other for use with regular sneakers.

■ When in use the S22i is an exceptionally quiet and smooth indoor bike to ride. The bike’s Flywheel uses a silent magnetic resistance mechanism referred to by Nordictrack as SMR.

■ A decent Built-in fan designed to keep you cool while riding.

■ Training Content. iFit takes a different approach to training and workouts sessions with destination trainer-led workouts, Heart Rate workouts, and Progressive Series workouts, all with monthly challenges.

■ Bluetooth Support for your favorite heart rate or wireless headphones or AirPods or go loud with Full Sound from 2-front facing 30-watt Speakers.

■Trainer and music volumes can be controlled separately via touchscreen.

■ You get the first month of iFit family membership included to familiarize yourself with trainers, destination, and studio-class workouts. (a $39 value) along with the pair of 3 lbs. weights included with your bike. (With Peloton you must buy them separately)

S22i CONS:

• While you can use this exercise bike in manual mode, it is designed to offer a lot more value powered by iFit Connected Fitness, which requires a monthly subscription.

• If you are into music-powered Spin Classes, this indoor bike is probably not for you, and you might be better off with a SoulCycle at-home Bike or a Peloton.

• Typical for the Fitness Equipment industry, but it should be noted, that customer service can be slow, and may end up waiting on hold for a while.

iFit ENHANCES S22i BIKE WORKOUTS

ABOUT iFit WORKOUTS

TRAINER-LED DESTINATION RIDES

iFit trainer-led destination rides are another exceptional feature of the NordicTrack S22i bike experience, taking you to a large variety of awesome locations across the globe — They are fun & engaging ride sessions that keep you going without becoming bored, so you complete your workout with the right level of intensity and look forward to the next one or even as we found, repeat favorite ones you have previously completed. iFit trainer-led destination rides offer compelling workouts that keep you coming back for more.

STUDIO CLASSES in Your HOME GYM

A broad group of elite personal trainers lead studio sessions, ranging from 20 to 60 minutes. Each trainer brings their unique personal training style, providing several options—from beginner to time trial, and HIIT interval training to meet your wellness goals for fitness or weight loss.

iFit trainers gently encourage, motivate, and push you along, providing useful tips on breathing and form techniques. There are also rides you can create with Google Maps™ Street View images, including classes that offer full-body workouts, off-the-bike, and on-the-mat, that keep your body's muscles guessing and keep you interested. This is where the full-screen rotation and pivot ability of the bike's console comes in handy.

CROSS TRAINING

You can select trainer-led classes that include Cross-training off the bike and are made easy on the S22i with its console screen swivel feature allowing you to turn the touchscreen fully around, so you can view the display from almost any angle when on the mat and not riding. This practical feature is just beginning to appear on other exercise bikes like the Peloton Bike+ but is not available on the Original Peloton bike model.

The Nordictrack S22i also ships with an included pair of 3-pound dumbbells to use with mixed-segment workouts. Dumbbell use can help your arms and ab-conditioning and contribute to your fitness success. We also recommend checking out how to pick a rowing machine to complement your cycling, so you target both the upper and lower body.

When not riding, you can select from thousands of iFit cross-training classes ranging from Yoga, boxing, strength, and meditation, which are streamed directly to your bike's console, a smart device, or a widescreen with Apple TV, Amazon Firestick, or Roku or Goole TV.

The S22i bike's 22-inch display is touch-driven, making it simple to select class options. It responds smoothly and is surprisingly quick. We were particularly impressed with the graphics and image quality, which are sharp and crisp, especially good for trainer-led destination workouts.

S22i BIKE FEATURE RUNDOWN

The S22i bike's 22-inch display is touch-driven, making it simple to select class options. It responds smoothly and is surprisingly quick. We were particularly impressed with the graphics and image quality, which are sharp and crisp, especially good for trainer-led destination workouts.

Nordictrack S22i Bike Features a +20% incline and a decline to -10% for a more realistic and challenging cycling experience. Resistance ranges from a level of 1 to 24. Both can be dynamically adjusted by your iFit trainer during a class to match the terrain of the workout challenge, targeting different muscle groups while building stamina. 

If you prefer to manually adjust speed, incline, fan speed, or volume, they are easily accessible on both sides of the non-slip handlebar with one-finger touch controls. We thoroughly enjoyed this option — for one, it made it so simple to make quick adjustments to resistance instead of turning a knob on the crossbar, as on the Peloton, MYX, or SoulCycle at-Home bikes — it also allows for more precise adjustments to be made quicker. 

Most of all, the destination trainer-led rides with AutoAdjust (the auto-trainer control) became our favorite feature. Hands-free, you can enjoy and focus on your workout without having to stress over making constant/correct adjustments — allows you to just concentrate on what your trainer is saying — and enjoy the ride.

A WATTS power readout is highly visible on the console dashboard and displays your power output, along with all your ride key metrics like Distance, Cadence, Calories Burned, Incline, Elapsed time, Heart rate, etc.

Additionally, a cool feature (no pun intended) is the Cooling Fan, which can be set to auto-breeze mode, increasing airflow to match your cadence (pace) and intensity, or you can set it to a slow/high setting. The fan is a nice option if your workout space is in the basement or an area with poor air circulation, particularly during summer.

There are also easily accessible dual water bottle holders.

The S22i Studio Cycle adjusts to suit riders of difference height and size for a comfortable ride. The ergonomic padded seat/saddle adjusts both horizontally and vertically, and the non-slip handlebars also adjust vertically. You can swap out the saddle (seat) and pedals for your own if you so choose. To see pedal, saddle and cycling shoes recommendations and learn more about the NordicTrack S22i, check out our S22i Bike FAQ article where we go into depth on clip-in pedal options and recommended cycling shoes and other accessories.

The Latest S22i Bike pedals ship with clip-in SPD cleat support on one side and a toe cage type on the other side. This is a great option to if you are sharing your bike with riders who prefer the cage style or, just want to use a regular sneaker to ride and supports you to clip-in with and cycling shoes that support SPD cleats.

Operationally the bike is totally quiet, similar to other recent NordicTrack equipment, the S22i bike employs SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance, it also has a smooth spin action as the result of its inertia-enhanced flywheel.

FOOTPRINT

Aside from the sleek design the NordicTrack S22i bike has a compact footprint of 61 by 22 inches — it fits comfortably in relatively small spaces. To make leveling corrections for an imperfect floor surface you can use the adjustable leveling feet. Finally, there are two front-mounted wheels to make moving the bike around easier.

PRICE OPTIONS

The NordicTrack Studio Cycle Series comes in three options: However, these prices may change with sales and promotion offers online at Nordictrack.

■ The S22i Bike has a 22-inch HD touchscreen console with a price of $1,999 and includes a 1-month iFit membership free, a $39 value.

■ The Nordictrack S27i has a 27-inch touchscreen console with a price of $2,499. It includes a 1-month iFit membership.

■ The S15i Cycle has a smaller 14-inch touchscreen. Available at Amazon, and sometimes included in the Nordictrack+ (Plus) Program where you can get the S15i bike FREE, when you place a month for 48-month commitment to an iFit family membership at $39 per month. See difference summary below.

Financing is Available for both. On a monthly basis, if you finance, you are looking at $49/month for 39 months for the S22i Bike vs. $65/month for 39 months for the S27i model. For qualified buyers.

COST OF iFIT

The 1st month of a Family iFit membership subscription comes included with your S22i Bike. Going forward, you can extend membership at a monthly cost of $39 which is about a dollar a day, or you can pay the annual membership of $396 all at once ($33 per month), saving $72 or 15%. As a family plan, it provides 4 additional accounts for a total of 5 users.

iFit offers an extensive choice of class sessions and trainer-led destination workouts, so it offers good value no matter which iFit-enabled equipment you wish to use.

If you later decide to expand your home gym to include other iFit-enabled exercise equipment, you are all set as you only need one iFit family membership subscription. iFit classes and workouts will be available to use across all your NordicTrack, FreeMotion, or Proform gear.

DELIVERY AND ASSEMBLY

Shipping is currently free with in-cart options to add assembly in your choice of room, which includes removal of all packaging. S22i Studio Bike comes with the first month of iFit included. (a $39 value)

• You can have Studio Bike setup in the room of your choice for $219 or plus assembly included for $249 - $299. Both are good options to ease delivery and Setup.

• Extended warranty OPTIONS are available in the cart.

The NordicTrack S15i Studio bike is currently available for U.S. readers only on Amazon but has nearly all the same features as the S22i bike — the major difference is a smaller 14-inch touchscreen vs. the 22-inch screen, two fewer resistance levels for a total of 22 levels. Everything else is mostly the same and ships with the first month of iFit membership included free but does not have dual-sided pedals. If you want to clip in with cycling shoes on the S15i model you will need to swap out the pedals.

[MYN PRO TIP:] If you can make your budget work, go with the later larger 22-inch screen model. The bigger S22i screen is better all-around with the latest tech makes a world of difference, especially on destination rides and off-the-bike cross-training workout sessions.

S22i BIKE REVIEW SUMMARY

OUR TAKE: The Nordictrack S22i Studio Cycle is a fun and exciting home gym addition to help you achieve your wellness goals. NordicTrack S22i Exercise Bike brings the excitement of real-world cycling to an indoor bike with features like uphill climbing not found on other brands.

iFit cycle trainers are motivating and changing it up so you stay engaged. Cross-training segments in-studio workouts keep a good balance between on-the-bike and off to help you condition other muscle groups, strengthening your core with ab exercises. The features and look of the bike are hi-tech, with a modern touch, we found the bike frame to be durable providing a stable ride, even when intensely pedaling out of the saddle.

If you want to find an exercise program at home and enjoy cycling, the S22i with iFit is a recommended buy. It keeps you from using those gym avoidance excuses like it's a hassle to get to the gym, a bike won’t be available, or avoidance to germs – you can get in a solid workout on your schedule anytime at home and hit your fitness goals with the NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle.

Alternatively, check out the S27i Studio Cycle Bike Guide with its 27-inch touchscreen covering 10 points you need to know.