Overview and review NordicTrack SE 3i 849

This is a review of the NordicTrack SE3i including pros, cons, and alternatives. This article has been originally published in “which NordicTrack treadmill or elliptical to get in the UK”. Follow the links for more details.

Related Articles

• Which treadmill to get in the US?
• Which elliptical to get in the US?
• Which treadmill to get in the UK?
• Which elliptical to get in the UK?
• Which Nordictrack bike to get?
• Should I run on a treadmill or outside?
• How many calories do you burn on a treadmill?
• How a treadmill works
• How a treadmill calculates calories

 

The Grand Tour from Nordictrack addresses the spinning classes market for NordicTrack in the US. The other model is the Grand Tour Pro. The main features of this model are a 7-inch smart touch screen, a freewheel clutch, and a 10% incline. This makes it a good model to buy in bulk for spinning classes. The full list of features includes: 

 

• 7” Smart HD Touchscreen
• Integrated Tablet Holder
• Includes 1-Year NordicTrack iFit® membership**
• Auxiliary Music Port
• Two 2” Digitally Amplified Speakers

• CoolAire™ Workout Fan
• Oversized Cushion Seat
• Horizontal and Vertical Seat Adjustment
• Extra-Wide Ergonomic Pedals with Adjustable Straps

• Upright Articulating Cycle
• 3 Piece Crank
• Freewheel Clutch
• SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
• 24 Digital Resistance Levels
• -10° to 10° Incline and Decline
• OneTouch™ Controls
• Oversized Levelers
• 350 Lb. User Capacity

• Included 3 Lb. Dumbbells
• Integrated Handle Controls for Incline and Resistance
• Front-mounted Transport Wheels
• Water Bottle Holder
• 59.2" L x 23.3" W x 56.2" H Footprint
• 10-Year Frame Warranty
• 2-Year Parts Warranty
• 1-Year Labor Warranty

The Grand Tour is a great option when you want to take your spinning classes to the home. A commercial buyer might want to get spinning bikes with fewer multimedia and casing options to save some money to buy in bulk.

 

 

The pros of the Grand tour bike are:

 

 

For a bike including a touch screen and incline option the Grand tour is reasonably priced for a Nordictrack bike. The Grand Tour is great value for money as long as you like the way it works for biking. Some might prefer the inertia of a flywheel for use of use. The 7-inch touch screen is the cherry on the top to round up the picture. 

 

 

Cons of the Nordictrack Grand tour:

 

The grand tour has a relatively small touchscreen compared to the wider Nordictrack portfolio which reaches up to 32-inch. If you want a bigger screen with the experience of a spinning class you can go for the Grand Tour pro. This bike has a 10-inch instead of a 7-inch touchscreen.

 

The freewheel clutch might not be liked by every user. If you are used to spinning classes this will be the preferable bike option for you. If you usually use flywheel bikes on the general gym floor, go for the VU19 or GX line instead. 

 

As with most Nordictrack bikes you do not have the option to use your Bluetooth headphones to follow the instructions of the Ifit classes. This is a little irritating when you spend more than 1000 bucks on a piece of equipment you can not hook up to your wireless headphones. 

 

 

Alternatives to the Nordictrack Grand tour are:

 

The Grand tour Pro is the big sister of the Grand tour bike. For an additional $200 you get a bigger touchscreen than with the Grand Tour. If you are shortsighted or use the Ifit classes a lot, get the Grand Tour pro instead of the Grand tour. If you think that 7-inches are more than enough, spare yourself the extra expense. 

 

The Nordictrack 6.5 Si treadmill is one of the smaller Nordictrack treadmills which are available in the US. If you want a solid low budget option from Nordictrack this is the one. The T series has been recently released in the US and is more likely to be continued than the C series of treadmills that has seen its best days. If you want to run and put some miles on the treadmill without going overly fast, this is a solid option.

 

The Nordictrack SE7i is an elliptical in the same price range as the Grand tour bike. An elliptical can be a better compromise for all members of a gym or family to get their cardio in than a bike. Not everybody likes sitting on a saddle for 30 or more minutes to burn their calories. Just make sure that you have enough clearance to the ceiling when getting an elliptical as this can be an issue. An elliptical will also take up more floor space than a bike. 

 

The concept 2 model D rower is a worldwide standard and you can not go wrong with it if you are interested in an indoor rower. This bread butter machine from concept 2 does its job and will also save you some money compared to the Grand Tour. Commercial buyers will also appreciate that package deals are easier to obtain from concept 2 then from NordicTrack when the unit count climbs. 

 

The Rogue echo bike is my personal preference for use at home. I like to go hard and blast my ears with music from my bose earphones when I work out. The Rogue echo bike is just perfect for that, it does not cost a leg and an arm and can take my 105kg muscle with layer fat. 

 

 

If you like spinning classes and want to do them from home this is a good way to go. I would still go for the Grand tour Pro if I was in the market for one. If I do spin classes at home I want the instructor to be as big as possible. A 10-inch screen will be better for that than 7-inch and the two models are only $200 apart. That is not really a lot of money in terms of cardio machines. Of course, $200 can buy you a lot of jump ropes made from plastic, but that is a different debate to be had.