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There are many differences between the NordicTrack S15i and Peloton. Your personal preferences will influence what bike you like more.
The main differences between the NordicTrack S15i and Peloton are that the Peloton Bike has a bigger screen, more resistance levels, a lighter weight, more positive customer reviews, and a price that is initially a bit more budget-friendly.
On the other hand, the NordicTrack S15i has a higher weight limit, automatic resistance adjustment in certain IFIT workouts, incline and decline options, a longer included workout app subscription on the NordicTrack site, handlebar resistance/incline adjustment buttons, and longer warranties.
When you check the prices of each bike, keep in mind that the premium Peloton App subscription will add extra costs over time. In the long term, the package of the NordicTrack S15i may be more budget-friendly.
That being said, if you don’t mind the manual resistance adjustment and like the bigger screen of the Peloton Bike, you will likely prefer this exercise bike.
On the other hand, the NordicTrack S15i can be the better choice if you care less about screen size and more about automatic resistance adjustment and how the incline/decline options make certain scenic rides more fun.
Lastly, some people will need the extra weight capacity of the NordicTrack S15i (350 pounds = 158 kg) instead of the 297 pounds (134.7 kg) weight capacity of the Peloton Bike.
Important differences NordicTrack S15i vs Peloton
The NordicTrack S15i and Peloton bike are both indoor cycling bikes but they vary in many areas. This will influence what model the best choice is for your personal situation.
At the same time, not all differences are equally important. In the first table below, you can find the ones that are most likely to play a role in your decision.
| Feature | NordicTrack S15i | Peloton Bike |
|---|---|---|
| Weight Limit | 350 Pounds (158 kg) | 297 Pounds (134.7 kg) |
| Screen | 14” HD Touchscreen | 21.5” HD Touchscreen |
| Resistance Levels | 22 Levels | 100 Levels |
| Automatic Resistance Adjustment | In Certain IFIT Workouts | No |
| Incline Options | 0% to 20% | No |
| Decline Options | -10% to 0% | No |
| Workout Programs* | 4-Year iFIT Family Membership Included | 30-Day Trial For New App Trials |
| Handlebar Incline & Resistance Adjustment Buttons | Yes | No |
| Warranties** | 10 Years Frame Warranty, 2 Years Parts Warranty, And 1 Year Labor Warranty | 5 Years Frame Warranty, 12 Months Most Original Components And Labor Limited Warranty |
| Weight | 203 lbs (92.1 kg) (Box Weight) | 135 lbs (61.2 kg) |
| Price Category*** | $$$$$$ | $$$$$ |
| Check Current Price | Check Current Price |
*NordicTrack website at the time of writing, often varies in other places
**Warranties can vary from seller to seller
***Price category at the time of writing
Other features NordicTrack S15i and Peloton Bike
Before investing in either the NordicTrack S15i or the Peloton Bike you may also want to know about their smaller differences and common features. In certain situations, these can be relevant too.
| Feature | NordicTrack S15i | Peloton Bike |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance Type | Magnetic | Magnetic |
| Flywheel Weight | 32 Pounds (14.5 kg) | Not Mentioned |
| Position Flywheel | Front | Front |
| Handlebar Style | Elevated Bullhorn | Elevated Bullhorn |
| Handlebar Adjustment | Height | Height |
| Seat/Saddle Style | Competition | Competition |
| Adjustable Seat | Height & Fore/Aft | Height & Fore/Aft |
| User Height Range | 28 to 41 Inches (71.1 cm to 104.1 cm) Inseam Range | 59 to 76 Inches (149.9 cm to 193 cm) |
| Pedals | Toe Straps | Delta-Compatible |
| Screen Mobility | Rotates And Tilts | Tilts |
| Device Holder | No | No |
| Dimensions | 60″ L x 22″ W x 58″ H | 59″ L x 23″ W x 53″ H |
| Transport Wheels | Yes | Yes |
| Heart Rate Monitor | Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor, Bought Separately | Bluetooth Heart Rate Monitor, Bought Separately |
| Workout Fans | Yes | No |
| Dumbbells | Two 3-Pound (1.4 kg) Dumbbells Included | In Some Packages But Often Not Included |
| Bottle Holder | 2 Medium | 2 Medium |
| Check Current Price | Check Current Price |
Differences NordicTrack S15i vs Peloton Bike in detail
If you are more familiar with indoor cycling bikes and know what you want in them, the price and feature differences could be enough to decide between the NordicTrack S15i and the Peloton.
That being said, you may also still be unsure about what certain features mean, why they are important, and to what extent the difference should influence the choice in your personal situation.
Screen
Cardio machines like exercise bikes often have some type of screen or monitor to show workout measurements. These details can help you adapt your workouts and keep you motivated to keep going.
Additionally, some brands use the screen as an opportunity to improve the overall experience of the exercise bike. You can include both the NordicTrack S15i and Peloton in this last category.
The NordicTrack S15i has a 14” HD touchscreen. The Peloton Bike does a bit better in terms of size with a 21.5” HD touchscreen.
In both of these exercise bikes, the premium apps with workouts, immersive rides, and workout classes for other types of exercises play a big role in the overall experience.
Most people will agree that following the workout apps will be more pleasant on the bigger screen of the Peloton Bike. Especially for individuals with suboptimal vision.
Additionally, if you tend to misclick touchscreen buttons, the Peloton Bike can help you avoid a few confusing or annoying moments.
Winner: Peloton Bike
Resistance levels
The main health principle behind exercise bikes is that they make certain movements more challenging. By doing this, you start a variety of internal processes that can make you healthier and happier in the long term.
At the same time, you don’t want to make the movements too challenging. This can reduce the quality of your workouts and can potentially lead to injuries.
To help you train at the right challenge level exercise bikes generally allow you to choose between different resistance levels. This option can also add some variety to your workouts.
Both the NordicTrack S15i and Peloton Bike have the option to switch between different resistance levels but the number of options is different.
More specifically, the NordicTrack S15i has 22 resistance levels whereas the Peloton Bike has 100 resistance levels.
These numbers can mean different things including that the Peloton Bike offers more challenging workouts, less challenging workouts, more precise resistance adjustment, or a combination of some of these.
Since there are not really (m)any mentions about it in the NordicTrack S15i, it seems like the Peloton Bike mostly offers more precise resistance adjustment.
This will not make that much of a difference for most people but the big difference in resistance levels definitely deserved a more in-depth explanation.
Winner: Peloton Bike
Resistance adjustment
The NordicTrack S15i and Peloton Bike do not only vary in terms of total resistance levels. There are also differences between these exercise bikes in terms of how you can change the levels.
More specifically, the Peloton Bike requires you to manually turn the resistance knob.
The NordicTrack S15i is definitely more advanced in this area.
First of all, there are resistance (and incline/decline) adjustment buttons on the ends of the handlebars. These allow you to rest on the handlebars throughout your exercise session.
Secondly, many workouts in the IFIT Membership work in a way where the video can automatically adjust the resistance and incline levels of the NordicTrack S15i.
This is more convenient in the sense that you don’t have to pay any attention to this detail. You can just focus on completing the workout to the best of your ability.
Additionally, the automatic adjustments can make certain of the scenic IFIT rides feel more immersive.
Some people will not mind this difference too much. That being said, you are likely considering these bikes because you like the workout classes and/or scenic rides.
In that case, you will likely prefer the automatic adjustment options and handlebar adjustment buttons of the NordicTrack S15i over the manual method of the Peloton Bike.
Winner: NordicTrack S15i
Incline and decline options
Something relatively unique to the NordicTrack S15i is that it has the option to choose between different incline and decline levels.
In simpler words, that means you can tilt the angle of the exercise with a few button pushes (or automatically in certain workouts.
Most indoor cycling bikes, including the Peloton Bike, do not have this option.
Different incline and decline options do not have much impact on the physical workout you get with your exercise bike.
However, they do add some variety to your workouts and make certain scenic rides feel more immersive.
Whether this difference is important to you and to what extent depends on what workouts you plan to do and your personal preference. In any case, the NordicTrack S15i definitely has more options in this area.
Winner: NordicTrack S15i
Price
There are advantages and disadvantages to both the NordicTrack S15i and Peloton Bike. Something that could make your decision easier is any big price differences.
Exactly how much each exercise bike costs depends on where you get them and can change over time. Especially the NordicTrack S15i varies a lot.
That being said, at the time of writing, the NordicTrack S15i package on their website is initially a decent amount pricier than the Peloton Bike.
One thing to keep in mind is that the NordicTrack S15i package on their website includes a 4-year iFIT Family Membership at the time of writing.
In the case of the Peloton Bike, you have to get the premium subscription separately. This adds extra costs over time.
These premium workout apps play a big role in the overall experience of both bikes. That means you definitely want to consider their costs in your price comparison.
Winner: Peloton Bike in terms of initial investment compared to NordicTrack site deal at the time of writing
User reviews
When comparing the NordicTrack S15i and Peloton Bike, the price and feature differences are helpful to get an idea about what indoor cycling bike the best option is for your personal situation.
That being said, customer reviews sometimes uncover unexpected downsides or trends in quality issues.
In this comparison, customer reviews of the Peloton Bike tend to be a lot more positive than the NordicTrack S15i reviews.
While there are a few cases of faulty parts, most of the negative customer mentions about the NordicTrack S15i are related to software issues.
NordicTrack customer support can be a bit slow to solve the issues.
Additionally, a good amount of customers are surprised about how important the premium IFIT Membership is for the NordicTrack S15i.
In the case of the Peloton Bike, there are a few exceptional cases of faulty parts and people who don’t like the subscription app costs. However, customers do tend to be very positive overall.
So while many people are still happy with their NordicTrack S15i, the reviews about the Peloton Bike are definitely more positive overall.
Is the NordicTrack S15i or Peloton Bike right for you?
In short, the NordicTrack S15i has a higher weight limit, automatic resistance adjustment in certain IFIT workouts, incline and decline options, a longer included workout app subscription on the NordicTrack site, handlebar resistance/incline adjustment buttons, and longer warranties.
On the other side, the Peloton Bike has a bigger screen, more resistance levels, a lighter weight, more positive customer reviews, and a price that is initially a bit more budget-friendly.
Something to keep in mind when it comes to price is that the premium Peloton App subscription will add extra costs over time. In the long term, the package of the NordicTrack S15i may be more budget-friendly.
That being said, weight limit requirements aside, people who don’t mind the manual resistance adjustment and like the bigger screen will likely still prefer the Peloton Bike.
On the flip side, individuals who care less about screen size and more about the automatic resistance adjustment and extra immersiveness of the incline and decline options will likely find the NordicTrack S15i the better choice.
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