Peloton Vs NordicTrack: Bike And Treadmill Comparison

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reviewed by Ben Gibbons
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Spin classes are a hugely beneficial way to work out, and the positive effects of running on treadmills are well documented; as we all know, there’s no place like home.

So, if you’re looking to invest in some home workout apparatus, you may be weighing up Peloton vs NordicTrack, both of which make top-end exercise bikes and treadmills.

So whether you’re looking for a home spin class challenge, keeping dry while you train for a marathon, or looking to save on plane tickets by taking a virtual scenic ride, read on for our in-depth comparison.

Along the way, we’ll be getting into pricing and coverage, the builds of the equipment, and what memberships with the associated fitness platforms get you to help you make the most informed purchasing decision you can.

We’ll be covering:

  • Peloton Vs NordicTrack Bike Comparison
  • Peloton Vs NordicTrack Treadmill Comparison
  • Peloton Vs NordicTrack: Which Is Right For Me?

Ready? Let’s start the session.

A woman cycles on an indoor bicycle with the words peloton vs nordictrack in the foreground.

Peloton Vs NordicTrack Bike Comparison

For our Bike comparison, we’ll be pitting the Peloton Bike and Bike+ against the NordicTrack S22i and S27i studio bikes.

To keep the comparison fair, we’ll just be covering spin bikes, as Peloton doesn’t manufacture stationary bikes and so has no equivalent to NordicTrack’s VU 19, VU 29, and R35 bikes.

Pricing And Warranty

Peloton Bike Pricing

Probably the first thing you’ll notice about these home spin bikes from both Peloton and NordicTrack is that they’re upmarket. You pay a lot and get a high-quality product.

The Peloton Bike is the lowest price point of the bunch at $1,445 USD, which comes with free delivery, and 12-month warranty, and free returns within 30 days.

For a $150 delivery and set up fee, they can also be rented at $89 USD / month, which includes an all-access membership. Peloton offers a free 30-day return policy and a 30-day trial of the Peloton all-access membership.

This low price point is borne out in the comparatively reduced features compared to the other three bikes here.


The Bike+ comes in at $2,495 USD and comes with the same free delivery, warranty, and 30-day return policy.

After the $150 delivery and set up fee, they can also be rented at $119 USD / month, which includes an all-access membership.

We’ll cover the features that differentiate Peloton Bike+ from the more basic Bike when weighing both up against NordicTrack’s bikes, but if you’re wondering if the increased price tag is worth it, check out our full guide here.

A woman cycles on an indoor nordictrack bike.
Credit: NordicTrack

NordicTrack Bike Pricing

The S22i is priced at $1,999 USD; this includes free delivery and frame, parts, and labor warranties from one year upwards.

There is also a financing plan available for $52 USD/month until the bike is fully paid off after 39 months, though this does not include an iFit membership.

The S27i costs $2,499 USD and comes with the same free delivery and warranties. The S27i’s financing plan costs $65 USD/month, plus monthly iFit membership fees.

Both bikes can be returned within 30 days for a reverse shipping fee, plus a 10% restocking fee.

So, the NordicTrack S27i and Peloton Bike+ are almost on par in terms of price, but the regular Peloton Bike comes in a little lower than NordicTrack’s S22i equivalent.

Specs And Features

Peloton Bike Specs and Features

As mentioned, the Peloton Bike is the cheapest of the four bikes, and this is reflected in the 21.5″ tablet technology, which runs slower than the rest and will likely enter obsolescence in the next two or three years.

Peloton stopped releasing updates for the 2014 Bike in 2019, and that same year, users began to notice that the 2014 model’s performance worsened with subsequent updates.

There’s no word yet on when the current Peloton Bike’s hardware will begin to become obsolete, but in 2019, Peloton offered customers a tablet upgrade at a reduced (but still considerable) rate.

The Bike has 16-watt speakers, which are a little quieter than NordicTrack’s, though this shouldn’t be an issue if you plan to make use of its Airpod connectivity. Peloton bikes also feature Apple Watch connectivity.

The Bike+, however, comes with a beefier, faster, more future-proof tablet with a 23.8″ display that can be rotated, 26-watt speakers, and rear-facing subwoofers.

The Bike+ also has an auto-adjusting resistance feature; when activated, this allows the bike to set its own resistance based on instructors’ cues.

A man wearing grey rides on an indoor NordicTrack bicycle.
Credit: NordicTrack

NordicTrack Bike Specs and Features

The S22i comes with a 22″ rotating touchscreen and impressive 30-watt speakers.

The real draw is the auto-adjusting resistance and incline, features that the Peloton Bike doesn’t have, allowing the bike to adjust based on the instructor’s cues or the conditions on a virtual ride.

For your money, with the S27i, you get a large 27″ rotating touchscreen, which adds some immersion to virtual rides and makes interfacing with the tablet while peddling a little easier.

NordicTrack can also be linked to Strava, Apple Health, Garmin Connect, and Google Fit. Peloton doesn’t offer this connectivity.

A Peloton indoor biycle with a white background.
Credit: Peloton

Membership

Peloton Bike Membership

Owning a Peloton Bike comes along with the membership fees to access the platform. Peloton’s all-access membership costs $44 USD/month.

With that membership, you get access to classes and challenges, which continue to be Peloton’s bread and butter. The variety of classes allows you to work around your own health and fitness priorities, whether that’s strength, weight loss, or simply a good time.

Their roster of magnetic instructors continues to deliver high-quality home studio cycling experiences choreographed to pumping music.

The live leaderboard can be a real motivator for some to get the most out of their session on the bike.

Peloton also features virtual outdoor scenic rides, which can be a nice alternative to the intensity of a studio class but lack the polish of iFit’s outdoor alternative.

For those interested primarily in performance, Peloton’s Powerzone training is a major selling point.

Powerzone sessions are customized sessions based on your own personal Functional Threshold Power score, the most reliable performance indicator according to research.

Another interesting way to work out through your Peloton membership is with Lanebreak, a spin-class-based videogame.

For the naturally competitive, Lanebreak can actually be more exhausting than even the most intense spin class.

A man wearing a vest cycles on an indoor NordicTrack bicycle.
Credit: NordicTrack

NordicTrack Bike Membership

NordicTrack’s platform iFit costs $39 USD/month, and this is discounted to $33/month if you pay for 12 months in one go for $396.

NordicTrack also offers an individual membership plan for $180/year for a single profile.

The classes you can access through iFit are serviceable, with professional coaches and multiple music channels to soundtrack your ride, although they don’t size up against Peloton’s, who really do lead in this category.

iFit’s outdoor instructor-led content is where NordicTrack’s bikes shine. The outdoor rides are shot all over the world, and instructors make excellent virtual rides.

Paired with the bikes’ adjustable resistance and incline, you get a very well-realized virtual outdoor riding experience.

Each location has a range of sessions varying in both difficulty and duration, meaning anyone can experience the full breadth of virtual locations available, and progressing through the same area over time can be rewarding.

iFit doesn’t size up against Peloton’s home studio cycling experience and performance-driven programs, but NordicTrack bikes are well suited to outdoor virtual rides, which is iFit’s strong suit.

A woman wearing orange runs on a Peloton treadmill.
Credit: Peloton

Peloton vs NordicTrack Treadmill Comparison

For a fair treadmill comparison, we’re weighing up the pros and cons of the Peloton Tread vs Nordic Track’s equivalent, the C2450.

Pricing And Warranty

Peloton Tread Pricing

A Peloton Tread costs $3,495 USD, plus the monthly membership fee of $44 USD/month.

This comes with free 30-day returns, a 12-month warranty on the parts and labor, a three-year warranty on the motor and belt, and five years on the frame.

Like the Peloton Bike, there is a free 30-day return policy and a 30-day trial of the Peloton all-access membership.

NordicTrack Treadmill Pricing

At $2,999 USD, NordicTrack’s C2450 model comes in at a comparatively lower price point relative to the Peloton Tread.

This doesn’t include your iFit membership fee, which is $39 USD/month, and this is discounted to $33/month if you pay for 12 months in one go for $396.

NordicTrack also offers an individual membership plan for $180/year for a single profile.

The purchase comes with a 10-year warranty on the frame, 2 years on parts, and 1 year on labor; extended warranties and service plans can be added on for further fees.

At the time of writing, extended warranty and service can be purchased for the C2450 for $299.95 and $499.99, respectively.

A man performs exercises next to a Peloton treadmill.
Credit: Peloton

Specs And Features

Peloton Tread Specs and Features

The Peloton Tread weighs 290 lbs (130 kg) and can support users up to 300 lbs (135 kg); the motor has 3.0 horsepower and runs up to 12.5 mph.

The deck is 20″ by 59″ and inclines from 0% to 12.5%. The processor is quick and responsive; the touch screen is 24 inches and rotates.

Unlike the C2450, the Peloton Tread doesn’t have a built-in fan, there is no option to automate the speed and incline, and the treadmill doesn’t fold up.

NordicTrack Treadmill Specs and Features

The C2450 weighs 350 lbs (160 kg) and can support users up to 300 lbs (135 kg). When not in use, it easily folds up, which is a convenient storage solution.

The deck is a little larger than the Peloton Tread at 22″ by 60″, with a 3.6 horsepower motor that runs up to 12mph, better suited to longer sessions, and -3% to 15% incline.

The 22-inch touch screen can rotate fully and has left / right and up / down pivot.

The C2450 has smart adjust for both speed and incline for greater immersion and a smoother ride during sessions.

It also has a built-in fan, which is a great inclusion, especially if you train in smaller training in smaller spaces.

Simply put, NordicTrack’s C2450 is a cheaper, better treadmill than the Peloton Tread. And the choice would be straightforward if they were being evaluated on this alone.

However, the treadmills are used in tandem with memberships to Peloton and iFit, respectively, so it’s important to factor in the differences between these two platforms as well as the merits of the treadmills alone.

A woman runs on an incline NordicTrack treadmill.
Credit: NordicTrack

Membership

Peloton Tread Membership

Like on the Peloton Bike, the Peloton classes are the Tread’s best asset. The live and on-demand indoor classes are stellar, with well-integrated music and a range of instructors and styles to choose from.

Unlike the Bikes, smart adjust auto resistance and incline is not an option. You need to enact the modulations yourself, which is a shame.

There are some outdoor runs on the platform, but they’re not as well realized as iFit’s virtual outdoor experiences.

NordicTrack Treadmill Membership

iFit has on-demand classes, both indoor and outdoor. iFit’s live classes have been largely discontinued, so you lack the communal and competitive element of a Peloton membership.

The indoor classes are perfectly fine, but they don’t size up to Peloton’s excellent training programs and music-driven intensity – but the virtual outdoor runs are where iFit shines.

Not only is the C2450 a better piece of equipment for these sessions, with its smart adjusting speed and pitch and built-in fan, but the content itself is also better produced, with a lot of care put into creating engaging virtual experiences created across six continents.

So, as with the exercise bikes, Peloton is a more engaging and comprehensive fitness platform, but they really can’t compete with iFit’s virtual outdoor classes.

A man wearing orange cycles on an indoor Peloton bicycle.
Credit: Peloton

Peloton Vs NordicTrack: Which Is Right For Me?

This is largely a question of personal aims and values.

As we’ve laid out in this piece, the Peloton NordicTrack bikes and roughly equivalent in terms of quality, with the main difference being in the composition of the fitness platforms.

Peloton is better for the home studio cycling experience, whereas iFit’s virtual rides are unmatched.

Meanwhile, NordicTrack’s C2450 is a better, cheaper treadmill than the Peloton Tread, and, again, Peloton offers a more complete fitness package, while iFit’s outdoor runs are the draw.

Now, you’re ready to make an informed purchasing decision and get moving in a virtual class!

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One of BikeTips' experienced cycling writers, Riley spends most of his time in the saddle of a sturdy old Genesis Croix De Fer 20, battling the hills of the Chilterns or winds of North Cornwall. Off the bike you're likely to find him with his nose in a book.

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