NordicTrack Commercial S22i Studio Cycle Review

Quick Summary

NordicTrack’s top cycle trainer for 2018 is the Commercial S22i Studio Cycle with the iFit Coach app for personal training. A new luxury model, the Commercial S22i provides NordicTrack’s widest display – a 22” HD touch screen – for virtual escapes to iFit Coach spin classes and for biking with interactive Google Maps Street Views. Another special feature is power incline and decline; this ride can tilt for uphill/downhill training! Overall the new S22i is a digitally connected exercise bike that’s optimized for workout variety. Details are below in our NordicTrack S22i review.

Specifications

Model	NordicTrack Commercial S22i Studio Cycle
Rating Our custom rating considers all of the bike's features, specs, warranties, and 100's of user & expert reviews, to save you time!	93.75%
List Price Suggested retail price, typically higher than the price you'll pay with our recommended retailers.	$2,999
Best Price Since prices change daily, this link goes to our preferred retailer for the current best price. Note: MSRP stands for Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price.	$2,399
Resistance The flywheel in an exercise bike is what creates resistance. You can choose the level of resistance to increase your workout intensity.	22 Levels
Resistance Type The type of resistance shows what kind of flywheel is being used (if any), and its weight if the manufacturer provides it.	Magnetic
Type Type refers to the style of the ride: Recumbent bikes allow you to lay back, while Upright bikes are more like road bikes (lean forward).	Indoor Cycle
Drive System The bike's drive system is how your pedaling interacts with the rest of the bike (flywheel) to give you a good workout.	16 lbs.
Frame It's important to choose an exercise bike that will last, and the material of the frame determines how durable the bike is.	Heavy-Duty Steel
Seat The most important part for comfortability during your workout, the seat should be adjustable and have ample cushioning.	Adjustable horizontally and vertically
Pedals Pedals are the driving force for an exercise bike, and should be comfortable, adjustable, and easy to control without slipping.	Toe cages, universal design
Programs Bike Programs allow you to complete a workout with changing speeds and inclines, without changing anything manually.	iFit Coach
Heart Rate Heart Rate programs allow you to track how many times your heart is beating per minute (bpm), and some control the workout for you.	Wireless Telemetry and Grip Sensors
Display Display refers to the screen you'll look at to monitor workouts. LED and LCD displays are similar to TV screens.	22" HD touchscreen
Max. Weight Max. User Weight is the amount of weight, in pounds (lbs), that the bike can safely support, which can represent durability.	350 lbs
Dimensions Dimensions are included to help you figure out if this treadmill will fit properly (Length x Width x Height and Height x Depth).	55"x 21.9"x 54.8"
Accessory Tray Some bikes include an accessory tray for holding items such as water bottles, wallets, keys, or MP3 players like iPods.
Speakers
Cooling Fans
Portable? Some exercise bikes can fold up and/or have wheels that make it easy to roll them around for convenience and to save space.
Warranty The warranty is a very important part of your investment. The longer the warranty, the longer you can get free/discounted repairs by the manufacturer.	Frame: Lifetime Parts: 3 Years Labor: 1 Year

Our Rating

Rating: 93.75/100. Home exercise bikes for 2018 are connecting with the outside world. A prime example is the new NordicTrack Commercial S22i Studio Cycle with iFit Coach personal training app. This luxury ride is equipped with a vibrant 22-inch screen for viewing iFit Coach workouts. The workout selection includes dozens of LiveCast spin class videos, plus an unlimited number of virtual outdoor bike workouts with Google Maps street views. All iFit Coach workout files, including the bike class videos, can control the Commercial S22i resistance and incline to support your workout goals.

The new S22i is NordicTrack’s most advanced cycle trainer for the 2018 model year. It leads their new Commercial Studio Cycle Series, which is also home to the S10i. Compared with similar but cheaper NordicTrack bikes, these fitness machines have the advantage of tilting for downhill and uphill training. The Commercial S22i alone is further distinguished by its 22” screen. (The S10i has a 10” monitor.) With HD resolution this extra-wide display can help you immerse in studio bike classes or take mini mental vacations with scenic Google Maps footage.

With any NordicTrack cycle trainer, 24/7 personal training from iFit Coach is a highlight. The iFit Coach app is built into the NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle, and iFit can be downloaded to iOS and Android devices. The mobile apps offer a host of benefits, effectively providing ‘round-the-clock health and fitness coaching if you please. For starters, upon waking each morning you can check an encouraging statistic: an estimate of calories burned while sleeping! The app also provides a calorie intake suggestion for the day, and iFit Coach can automatically calculate and log your calorie burn for walking, swimming and other activities if it’s paired with a wearable activity tracker.

When you power up the S22i Studio Cycle with iFit Coach membership, the 22” screen will welcome you with customized workout suggestions. This guidance is adaptive; iFit Coach considers your fitness goals, workout preferences and recent exercise history.

Other features of the Commercial S22i Studio Cycle include 22 resistance levels, magnetic braking, an iPod-compatible acoustic system, and a workout fan that adjusts to exercise intensity.

Full price for the new NordicTrack S22i is $2,399 including delivery… but you could surely own the bike for less; NordicTrack frequently updates its website with sale prices. An extra cost at check-out is the iFit Coach fee for spin class videos and other personal training. Warranty details for this machine are provided below.

Pros:

iFit Coach enabled for spin class videos and interactive workouts
22” touch screen with high definition
22 resistance levels
Quiet magnetic flywheel system
Slope settings from -10 to 20 percent
Adjustable padded saddle with universal stem
Caged pedals; also compatible with road bike pedals
Multigrip handlebars
Set of three-pound dumbbells for upper-body exercise
iPod-compatible sound system
Wireless heart rate receiver
Contact heart rate sensors
Two water bottle holders
Auto-adjusting workout fan
350-pound user weight capacity
Transport wheels

Cons:

Costs a lot more than the average home exercise bike
Assembly involves many steps; you might prefer professional assembly, which adds $250 to your investment
Requires iFit Coach membership for 12 months; cheaper bikes make iFit Coach optional
NordicTrack has a reputation for slow customer service

Introduction

The Commercial S22i Studio Cycle is a digitally connected home exercise bike with 22″ monitor enabled for iFit Coach. This elite fitness machine can stream LiveCast videos filmed at the iFit Coach spin studio, and it also lets you cycle in virtual outdoor environments: Pedal with Google Maps landscape views and synchronized incline changes! Specs include power decline/incline settings of -10 to 20 percent; 22 resistance levels with quiet magnetic shifting; and an iPod-compatible speaker system. Below are details about iFit Coach workouts, components and the free S22i warranty.

Workout Programs

The S22i Studio Cycle is sold with a 12-month membership to iFit Coach, an advanced app for personal training. One membership is enough for the typical household; it allows up to four user profiles. With a user profile you’ll get customized workout program suggestions each time you ride. Two main types of bike workout programs are featured: spin class videos and Google Maps programs. A couple other types are also described below.

First, spin class videos that control bike resistance are the newest iFit Coach benefit. Class videos are filmed at an iFit Coach gym, and like other iFit workouts they’re available on demand. Each video features a world-class personal trainer and a studio filled with “riders like you” on NordicTrack cycle trainers. Many of the classes include upper-body strength training along with cycling; the instructor leads you through exercises with hand weights that ship with the S22i and other models.

Next, Google Maps workouts let you virtually hit the road (or maybe an unpaved trail) while riding the S22i Studio Bike. iFit Coach suggests routes that are scenic and suit your fitness goals, plus you can create customized Google Maps workouts anytime. When you create workouts, you can get social too: iFit Coach lets you challenge other riders to your courses.

Additionally iFit Coach has a selection of HD video workouts for virtually experiencing segments of Tour de France races. These are similar to Google Maps workouts, but the footage is especially vivid and immersive.

Finally, non-bike workout videos are included with iFit Coach membership too. You’ll get on-demand mobile access to hundreds of videos in lots of diverse categories.

S22i Studio Cycle Features

The Commercial S22i’s most eye-catching feature is the 22” touch screen, which can show iFit Coach spin classes and other workouts in high definition. The S22i Studio Cycle is named for its screen measurement, as is the cheaper S10i.

Lots of riders like to keep mobile devices handy, so the 22″ monitor has a ledge sized for your mobile device. You can amplify your favorite workout music by connecting an iPod-compatible MP3 player to the Studio Cycle’s sound system.

The S22i and its simpler sibling, the S10i, show off NordicTrack’s steepest bike incline/decline range. Work your muscles with extremes of -10 and +20 percent! Slope can be controlled manually or by workout programs. This feature is fun to use with Google Maps workouts, which automatically adjust the bike’s slope according to data about the terrain.

Pedalling fast and furiously, you can appreciate how NordicTrack Studio Cycles have pedal cages. The S22i also has a universal pedal design; you can swap out the set for any standard road bike pedals.

This cycle trainer’s saddle is adjustable in four directions (up, down, forward and back) to fit riders of different heights. The machine is also compatible with seats for outdoor bikes.

A set of three-pound hand weights is bundled with the bike. Storage for the weights is built into the bike for easy access during rides.

For heart rate monitoring the Commercial S22i has contact sensors and is compatible with wireless chest straps (not included).

To help you keep cool, this bike is equipped with two water bottle holders and a self-adjusting fan.

NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycles have steel frames with 350-pound capacity. Caster wheels are attached to ease transport.

Warranty & Guarantee

The standard warranty for the NordicTrack Commercial S22i Studio Cycle provides:

– Frame: Lifetime

– Parts: 3 years

– Labor: 1 year

Extended warranties can be purchased along with the bike or after receipt. Additionally NordicTrack exercise bikes have 30-day money-back guarantees.

Conclusion

Top-notch among NordicTrack cycle trainers, the Commercial S22i Studio Cycle has big appeal to luxury shoppers. It’s the only NordicTrack spin bike to supply a 22″ HD monitor along with uphill/downhill slope to make the most of iFit Coach cycling workouts. This ride’s full price is high in relation to the warranty, but price isn’t the main concern of its intended riders!

If you like this bike but balk at the price, maybe check out the cheaper S10i as a fun and effective alternative.