Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro

Spinning is a great way to lose weight, tone your legs, and get fit. It’s low impact, which means it’s easy on your joints – an important consideration if you are currently overweight. Spin classes are incredibly popular, but that means you may have to book weeks in advance to attend. To get around this problem, a lot of exercisers buy spin bikes for home use. But which one should you choose?

In this Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro Review, you’ll learn all about this bestselling bike so you can decide if it’s the right one for your needs.

Getting the right bike is essential. After all, to get fit and lose weight, you’ll need to use it often and long enough for it to deliver results. An uncomfortable or unreliable bike could stop you from working out and end up gathering dust in your garage.

So, is it worth buying? Let’s take a look!

NordicTrack Grand Tour Pro Review

Who is NordicTrack?

NordicTrack has a long history of making excellent exercise equipment. They started out producing their now-classic cross-country ski machines way back in 1975. They gradually expanded their range to include treadmills, ellipticals, and exercise bikes. Based in Logan, Utah, in the USA, NordicTrack has a good reputation for making high-quality workout equipment that lasts. The Grand Tour Pro spinning bike is their best-selling exercise cycle.

Key Features

The Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro has a lot of useful features to make your spinning workouts more comfortable and enjoyable. The main features are:

Electromagnetic braking system

Unlike standard braking systems, electromagnetic braking has no moving parts and doesn’t use friction for resistance. This means the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro is all-but silent during use, and the braking system won’t wear out or need constant adjustment. There are 26 different resistance levels that are all accessible at the touch of a button.

10” HD touchscreen display

This shows your current and previous workout metrics, such as RPM, duration, calories, power, current gear, etc. But, when combined with an iFIT coach subscription, the touchscreen allows you to log on and follow a wide range of interactive workouts. It’s like having a spin class in the comfort of your own home!

Preloaded workouts

In addition to iFIT, the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro has 35 built-in workouts for beginner, intermediate, and advanced riders. You can also use the manual setting to create your own workouts. With both iFIT and the preloaded workouts, the intensity of your ride changes automatically.

Twin 2” speakers

While you can wear wired or Bluetooth headphones while you work out, it’s nice to be able to exercise without headphones too, especially on sweltering days.

Bluetooth Pairing

display your heart rate using a compatible chest strap or link your headphones using ANT+ low-power Bluetooth.

Built-in fan

Spinning can make you sweat! The Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro has built-in fans to keep you cool.

Water bottle, media, and hand weight rack

Keep everything you need within easy reach by using the built-in racks.

Fully adjustable saddle and handlebars

Both the saddle and handlebars can be raised and lowered and moved forward and aft to fit a wide range of users. The seat can be replaced if it becomes worn, or you want to use your own saddle instead of the one supplied. The handlebars are padded for comfort and offer a range of hand positions. All adjustments feature quick-release knobs.

Trolley wheels

Located on the front of the bike, these wheels make moving your Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro a cinch. Just tip it and roll it.

Pedals with straps

No need to wear specialist cycling shows on the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro. It’s fitted with flat pedals and straps which are compatible with regular sneakers. However, if you want to wear cycling shoes, the pedals can be replaced with clipless pedals.

Incline/decline

What really sets the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro from other bikes in its class is the unique incline/decline function. On other spinning bikes, to replicate going uphill, you crank up the resistance and get up out the saddle. While this does increase the intensity of your workout, it doesn’t really feel like you are climbing.
The Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro incline/decline mechanism actually lifts the front of the bike to replicate pedaling uphill, or the back of the bike to replicate going downhill. When following along with a preloaded class or classes within iFIT’s subscription service, your bike automatically adjusts the incline.

Workouts available include:

• Studio cycling
• Virtual road riding
• Cross-training which pairs cycling and bodyweight exercises
• Floor exercises

Dimensions

Despite its impressive range of features, the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro is a compact exercise bike that is ideal for home use. It’s dimensions, and other important statistics are:

• Weight capacity – 375 lbs.
• 8” long x 23.3” wide x 55.7” high
• 16 lbs. flywheel

Spin bike design

The Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro is built to last! It’s backed with very comprehensive guarantees which reflect the high build quality:

• Frame: Lifetime
• Parts: 5 years
• Labor: 2 years
• NordicTrack also provides a 30-day money-back guarantee

The main frame is made from high-quality carbon steel and powder coated for longevity. The working parts, including the flywheel, drive band, and braking system, are enclosed in plastic cases to stop sweat falling on them. This will prevent a lot of wear and tear. The crank arms are also steel, and all bearings are industrial quality.

The flywheel weighs 16 lbs. which is not the biggest. A large, heavy flywheel means more resistance and a smoother pedaling action. Some bikes have flywheels that weigh twice as much as the one on the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro.

However, the incline/decline setting means that workouts can still be challenging despite the lighter flywheel. Additionally, the electromagnetic braking system will ensure the pedaling action is always smooth. If anything, a lighter flywheel makes for a lighter, more compact bike that is especially well-suited to home use.

Assembly

Some self-assembly is required, but this is relatively straightforward, and all instructions are clear and easy to follow. However, some reviewers have stated that putting a Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro together is much easier with two people.

If home assembly is not your thing, you can always opt for the “white glove” delivery option. This is where, for an extra $249, your bike will be installed, assembled, and set up by a NordicTrack engineer.

Ease of use

Once assembled, the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro is straightforward to use. The computer and built-in workouts are very intuitive, and using iFIT is equally straight forward. But, unlike rival Peloton, the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro is every bit as useable if you choose not to use the subscription service.

The 35 built-in workouts mean that you still have a fully interactive exercise experience even if you don’t subscribe to iFIT. With Peloton, if you don’t subscribe, you’ll have no option left but to make up your own workouts. The Peloton bike does not have any built-in workouts.

Summary: Should you buy the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro?

The Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro is a real rival for the considerably more expensive Peloton exercise bike. The bike itself is excellent quality and backed by one of the most comprehensive warranties around.

It has several great features, not least the 35 built-in workouts and the incline/decline mechanism, which is truly unique. iFIT is not as comprehensive as Peloton’s rider app. Still, it’s also less than half the price, and it’s not essential to the functionality of the bike either.

If there is a downside to the Nordic Track Grand Tour Pro, it’s that lighter flywheel. Some users do say they don’t feel they have enough resistance. It may be that this bike is best suited to beginner and intermediate exercisers. Advanced cyclists may need to look elsewhere for an appropriately challenging workout.