If you’ve seen our GX3.9 or 4.6 Exercise bike reviews, you’ll notice that we are huge fans of the Nordictrack bikes. I was excited to review this, as it’s one of their flagship models with some fantastic features. I was so excited to get cracking on the Nordictrack Grand Tour Pro Review.

29/12/2021 Important Update
Notice from Tom – HGR Team:
We’ve received a handful of messages regarding the quality and support for these NordicTrack exercise bikes, which have led to no longer recommending them. If you’re looking for an exercise bike, I would advise you to take a look at this IC400 Pro.

This review will remain in place for full transparency of my initial thoughts.

As always, I’ll be providing my honest thoughts on what this bike does well, in addition to what could be improved.

Exercise bikes have been the go-to choice for cardio, as it’s one of the most entertaining forms of exercise. This bike is built with some extra features which keeps the entertainment & motivation levels high, so let’s get into it.

Who are NordicTrack?

A Brief look at NordicTrack as a Company

NordicTrack aren’t just a budget brand which sell their equipment on Amazon, like some other brands we’ve seen. NordicTrack are a high-end manufacturer of Fitness Equipment, specialising in Cardiovascular Equipment.

Most of their equipment is suitable for commercial gyms, as the quality is top-standard. In 2021 and beyond, they are also making moves to create products which can be accessed by all, in a home gym.

There’s a very high chance that you’ve used Nordictrack equipment in your local gym, I know my Local Gym swears by their equipment. Their range isn’t defined as cheap, but they are known for their extreme durability & technology.

01/01/2021 Important Update
Notice from the HGR Team:
The Nordictrack Grand Tour Pro costs £1,499 at time of conducting this review. It’s a big outlay. NordicTrack are one of the good ones, they haven’t increased the prices of their equipment during lockdown.

The benefits of exercising on a purpose made exercise bike are fantastic, In addition to toning up your muscles, you’ll lose weight & increase your metabolism. After tackling the workout library on the grand tour, you’ll also notice that your mood is better as you release endorphins.

Let’s take a look at the NordicTrack Grand Tour Pro below.

NordicTrack Grand Tour Pro

Is this the Best Exercise Bike that we’ve reviewed?
Almost Perfect. Very Expensive. Worth it.

Quick review:
You know by now that NordicTrack make elite equipment. It’s no different with the Grand Tour Pro. I think it’s my favourite exercise bike…. ever. It’s not a cheap bike, but it’s totally worth the investment.
  • Assembled Dimensions – 157L x 59W x 148H cm
  • 1 – 2kg Integrated Dumbbells
  • Water Bottle Holder
  • Front-mounted Transport Wheels
  • Vertical Seat adjustment
  • Horizontal Seat Adjustment
  • Oversized Cushion Sea
  • 10” Smart HD Touchscreen
  • Includes 1 Years iFit Family Membership
  • Auxiliary Music Port
  • Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers
  • 10° to 10° Incline and Decline
  • 26 Digital Resistance Levels
  • iFIT Technology

NordicTrack Grand Tour Pro Review

In-Depth Review

If you’ve seen our GX3.9 or 4.6 Exercise bike reviews, you’ll notice that we are huge fans of the Nordictrack bikes. I was excited to review this, as it’s one of their flagship models with some fantastic features.

As always, I’ll be providing my honest thoughts on what this bike does well, in addition to what could be improved.

Exercise bikes have been the go-to choice for cardio, as it’s one of the most entertaining forms of exercise. This bike is built with some extra features which keeps the entertainment & motivation levels high, so let’s get into it.

Introducing: NordicTrack Grand Tour Pro

The Grand Tour Pro is a warm addition to a fantastic lineup in the NordicTrack product range. It’s not one of their budget models, coming in as their 3rd most expensive exercise bike. However, once you look into the specification, you may be wondering why it doesn’t cost more than £1,499.

The Nordictrack grand tour pro is an upright exercise bike, which gains it’s resistance from a flywheel at the very front of the machine. This is very common for upright exercise bikes & it’s a highly effective design.

As I’ve mentioned design, it’s also worth noting that this is the predecessor for the original Grand Tour bike. The ‘Pro’ model has superseded it, taking everything that worked well & improving the bike further.

The Grand Tour Pro is re-designed with a larger centre console which now features their highly successful iFIT compatibility. More on that, later! It also offers a higher intensity workout, supported with more resistance levels & an increased supply of workout programs to complete.

The frame of the Nordictrack grand tour pro has also been reinforced, meaning it can cope with my lockdown weight gain. At least I’ve got the right machine to strip it back off!

I’m really impressed with the fact that this exercise bike has incline. For quite a while now, I’ve wondered why every other cardio machine in the gym can incline… apart from a bike! NordicTrack, kings of cardio, addressed this… going a stage further.

In addition to a 10 degree incline, you can also set a 10 degree decline. On specific programs, this will help you to go through the motions of varying intensity for faster fat loss potential.

If you want to watch your favourite television whilst your cycling, you’ll also benefit from the SMR (Silent Magnetic Resistance) system. Let’s face it, nobody wants to hear the creaking, or whining of a belt in action.

This Grand Tour Pro also features a freewheel clutch, which means that bike pedals will physically come to a stop when you decide to stop pedalling.

I’ll be quite shocked if you’re considering watching the television though, as the Grand Tour Pro has a 10″ smart touchscreen, which works with a system called iFIT. This could be one of the greatest features of this bike.

What is iFit?

Revolutionary Training Classes

You get 12 months free access to iFit and you’re going to love it. Ok, at the time… you might just hate it! That’s because iFIT is a Personal Training Class, which is fed from the smart touchscreen. You will have access to a workout library, accessible whenever you require them. There are new workouts added daily, meaning you can’t physically complete it.

Notice above how I mentioned that you might just hate it? Well that’s because this indoor cycle is going to put you through your paces. On the live sessions, the Elite iFit trainers can automatically adjust your cycles incline and decline… so there’s no possible way to cheat! I’ve done it myself in exercise classes, when the trainers aren’t looking add another 4 reps to your workout!

Unfortunately, or fortunately, you can’t do this as the iFit coach team are in charge. If you’re struggling, this can be changed on your console, so don’t worry if you’re considering tackling these challenges. The fitness instructors also motivate & push you through your workout, speaking directly through the in-built speakers.

It even supports wireless heart rate monitoring, in addition to showing you calories burnt, speed levels and all the other basic features you would expect.

More Grand Tour Series Features

The Nordictrack Grand Tour Pro also features 26 resistance levels, which will work together with the inertia-enhanced flywheel to produce a ride that’s similar to being on the tarmac. Again, your trainer can control this on workout programs, which takes the pressure off you having to fiddle with it.

If you like to audit your workouts & find out how to improve, or compare your efforts against others, you can do-so with the workout insights & statistics. This will help you improve your workouts going forward, helping you to get fitter & smash your goals.

Variety of Exercises. I was fooled for thinking this was just another expensive exercise bike, with a fancy centre console. However, I think the grand tour pro could be the best exercise bike that I’ve ever tried. I do still want to try the S22i Studio Cycle though… so if you’re reading this NordicTrack…

I was mid-way through my second workout with Mike & he instructed us to get off the exercise bike. A little bit confused, I thought the workout had ended prematurely. What followed next was a circuit to complete, I had to pick up some dumbbells and start doing lunges!

Although a little dazzled at the time, I was really impressed with this feature. It’s something that matches One Peloton & Echelon… but you have to wonder if this bike does it better. Looking at the categories, I saw Bootcamp, Body Sculpture, Cross Training, Yoga & HIIT.

If you haven’t got any dumbbells, you don’t need to worry. The Grand Tour Pro comes with integrated dumbbells, which you can use for your exercises. NordicTrack have thought of everything with this. Yes, you would probably expect high quality when spending this much money, but the effort they’ve put into this is fantastic.

If you don’t feel like a public workout class, you can take to the streets on your own. And by that, I mean literally. It has Google Maps integration, which allows you to explore new places from the comfort of your home gym. This is great, as in England the weathers often poor & it’s not always possible to get out on your bike. Another benefit of this is that it’s going to be entertaining & motivating, it’s better than seeing figures on a screen which fast become boring.

Most exercise bikes have water bottle holders and the grand tour pro is no different, with integrated holders for a water bottle and also your tablet device. In terms of features, they’re pretty standard, but it’s good that they have even added the basics. They actually added 2 water bottle holders, over-perfoming seems to be their thing!

Once assembled, the Grand Tour Series measures up at 157cm long, with a width of 59cm. It’s pretty compact, but because the console is quite big & accomodates a huge touchscreen device it becomes a little longer than traditional exercise bikes, such as the GX3.9 or other models.

10% to -10% Incline Decline Levels

This Nordictrack exercise bike features a motor on the rear stabiliser, which lifts to physically tilt the bike. When lifted, this simulates various grades of outside travel. When you combine the incline decline levels with the 26 different levels of magnetic resistance, you receive an immersive experience which is probably as close to outdoor cycling as you can get. 10 degrees is an impressive range.

Magnetic Resistance

This bike uses Magnetic Resistance, which is delivered silently through their SMR technology. In addition to offering a pleasurable experience, the flywheel will not receive general wear and tear. This is a great benefit, as I really hate working out and hearing creaks and whines.

Digital Resistance Controls

Most exercise bikes have an adjustable tension knob, which has to be turned in order to change the resistance levels. Not the Grand Tour Pro. All resistance levels can be changed digitally, using the touch screen console. When you’re on a workout, your personal trainer can also adjust the resistance… which is a surreal but cool feeling!

You also get various controls for adjusting the incline and resistance. There’s the QuickTouch options, which sit perfectly alongside the HD Video screen. Incline is found on the left, whilst resistance can be adjusted on the right. There’s also the manual buttons on the extension grips, which can be reached if you need to quickly change. Additional buttons are found just underneath the console, which means there’s plenty of ways to change your workout.

Versatility & Adjustability

NordicTrack thought of everything when they designed this bike. You can change the horizontal position of the saddle, using the Adjustable knob on the seat. This can also be adjusted vertically. If you’ve adjusted these but still not in the perfect position, you can fine-tune the handlesbars with another adjustable knob that’s located on the neck of the handlebar.

iFIT

I’ve already explained what iFIT is, but the technology is so nice, I gotta mention it twice! To date, there are just under 17,000 workouts inside the iFit library, all led by certified personal trainers. When you’re on the grand tour pro you can also join a live studio-based class, or choose to go riding alongside other cyclists on a pre-filmed route anywhere in the World. These are motivating, as you get some physical competition, but also see some fantastic sights. Yes, it’s through a HD video screen, but it’s still fun.

Does it match your requirements?

Who is this suitable for?

Before we go into the specification of this bike, I’d say this bike is definitely for someone who has deep pockets. The very best price you can get this bike for is £1,499 direct from NordicTrack. The benefit from buying direct, is that you can take advantage of their 0% finance. If you currently have a gym membership, you could transfer the costs you spend on riding their bikes & get yourself this grand tour.

It’s an exercise bike which demands a high price, but based on the technology that you receive it’s well worth the money. From a Tablet holder, in-built hand weights and a responsive touch screen with their iFit personal trainers, this bike is a serious upright bike that’s suitable for any professional.

There’s a few extra features such as the large padded saddle, extra-wide pedals and handlebars which are all adjustable, meaning your height is no issue. The weight capacity is also huge, which gives you the manouvre room for adding a weighted vest to your workout. I’d probably not advise this though, until you’ve built up your core fitness using their build in workouts.

Where could it improve?

Disadvantages of the Grand Tour Pro

The Grand Tour Pro doesn’t fold or store-away, which means it may not be entirely suitable if you have no space. It does have transport wheels, but that doesn’t help if you need to utilise the space whilst you’re not working out. The flywheel isn’t also the heaviest, which can cause a jerky, lagging feel.

Conclusion

Our Final thoughts

This is a great exercise bike. It doesn’t come without it’s slight drawbacks, but I can over-see this as it’s done so many things well. The matte finish on the bike alongside the general design is very good, so it won’t make your home gym look ugly or out-of-place.

The Seat and pedals are extremely comfortable & the centre console is worth it’s weight in gold. It’s suitable for all riders, regardless of height & supports multiple profiles if the whole family attend your home gym. If you want to experience true to life riding from the comfort of your own home then I recommend this bike. The workout classes will definitely keep you hooked.

The final point that we will mention is the warranty. It comes with 2 years parts and labour, alongside a 5 year frame guarantee. You must register the bike with NordicTrack within 28 days of purchasing.

This sums up our NordicTrack Grand Tour Pro Review, which we rate highly. Buying this bike will be an expensive investment, but the quality that you receive will be second to none. If you want an iFIT enabled exercise bike but can’t afford the Grand Tour Pro, you can look into the GX3.9 or GX4.6 which are a little bit cheaper.

We will be happy to hear your thoughts

Leave a reply

Home Gym Review
Logo