Why You Can Trust CNET Cyber Monday 2019 studio cycle deal: Save $479 on the NordicTrack S15i
This Peloton alternative features a 14-inch touchscreen and a one-year subscription to cycling and other exercise classes.
NordicTrack's indoor cycle offers one key advantage over Peloton's: The class instructor can control resistance and incline.
Hoping to pedal away those Thanksgiving pounds? Or maybe jump-start a 2020 fitness resolution? Whatever the case, this is a Cyber Monday deal you shouldn't overlook: Today only, and while supplies last, the NordicTrack S15i studio cycle is on sale for $1,119.99, with free scheduled delivery. Regular price: $1,599. This is an all-time low on NordicTrack's fairly new exercise bike, and in fact it's the only discount I've seen to date.
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If you've heard of or checked out Peloton bikes, this should seem familiar. The S15i is a similar indoor-cycling machine, with a built-in screen that streams interactive classes. However, this one offers a key advantage: Your instructor can remotely adjust your bike's resistance and incline, meaning you're not having to manually make those adjustments all throughout the class.
And here's one more major benefit: The S15i comes with a one-year iFit subscription, whereas Peloton charges an additional $39 per month. (After the first year, iFit will cost you $15 per month for an individual membership.) In addition to bike classes and scenic rides, iFit offers HIIT, kickboxing, yoga and other fitness videos, and the S15i's screen can rotate away from the bike so you're able to do those mat classes more easily.
That screen, however, measures 14 inches -- smaller than the Peloton's generous 22-incher, but certainly sufficient for the tasks at hand. My real complaint with the S15i, having tested it for the last couple weeks, is with the user interface: It's slow and clunky, with no way to search for specific classes. And iFit doesn't offer live classes, either, which is one of the big draws with Peloton.
A few more quibbles: The built-in fan is a nice extra, but it's loud, and while the bike has a headphone jack, it doesn't offer Bluetooth for pairing with wireless earbuds. (You can, however, pair a Bluetooth heart-rate monitor.)
Having tried both Peloton and Echelon cycles, I'll say this: The S15i is a lot of bike for $1,120. Only the crummy UI keeps me from giving this a wholehearted recommendation -- but that's an easy fix, assuming iFit is willing to make it.
Your thoughts?
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