NordicTrack Commercial Studio Cycle (S15i and S22i) Includes 1-Year iFit Membership
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So the good part is... if you are absolutely "jonsing" to get THIS spin bike and do everything it offers, then you will like this bike. And if that's who you are, then the rest of this review won't change your mind, nor should it.
The pros.. it seems like a sturdy unit, and the screen with a lot of video options is really cool. It's a whole generation better than what was available on the market just a few years ago.
The cons... (for me) The assembly part that has to do with connecting wires is a little tricky and took a little more time than it should have. (hint... drop string down the head tube and pull it out the lower hole... then tie the string to the video wire and pull the string back out of the top of the head tube and that video wire will come with it. If you buy this unit, remember that tip and you will thank me)
What makes it sturdy is also what provides challenges. This unit is heavy so there are a couple of times during the assembly process where you will need another person. That's not terrible... just know going in that will be the case.
My "big irk" on this transaction is the ifit membership. The ifit membership forces you to put a credit card in or you can't get the free one year membership. For many people, that's no big deal and I'm fine with auto-renewals when I want them. It just irked me that you can't get the one year membership without signing up for year two. And iFit's "tough luck... that's how it is" attitude on the phone didn't motivate me to want to give them my business. If the phone rep had said "I've activated your account... you will just have to give a credit card in 12 months to keep things going," I wouldn't even be writing this paragraph. The truth is... if they are a company you appreciate and value, you will gladly give them your money. Out of the gates, they have a check in the "cons" column from me.
If great phone support is an important factor in your buying, then you should know my experience wasn't great. I didn't wait too long (10 minutes) to speak to an ifit billing person, but I did wait 25 minutes to speak to a NT rep.
I'm just so used to the near perfection of customer service from Amazon that anything less irks me. So again, if you really want this unit, you will be happy with it. You won't care you have to give a credit card and you won't care that you waited 25+ minutes if you do have to call in for support.
My overall rating of less than 5 stars is based on a less than well thought out assembly process... ifit billing... and a less than properly staffed phone support system. I'm one of those people who think a company should only be a 5 star rating if they have a great product AND their support is also a 5 star experience.
***Update to original review***
Knowing that I was somewhat critical on my original review and it was largely about the buy/set up part of the process, I felt it only fair to do an update on the actual use of the product.
The bike is really solid and seems to check a lot more boxes then the Peloton. The ifit membership seems to be far more robust than the peloton version and the annual renewal is slightly less costly.
I did a spin today and was 23 minutes into the ride before I noticed the time. Having that screen really makes a huge difference of keeping you going.
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