Nordictrack Grand Tour vs SE5i

This is a comparison of the Nordictrack Grand Tour and the SE5i including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the NordicTrack SE5i 899

This is a review of the NordicTrack SE5i 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.

Overview of the NordicTrack SE5i

The SE5i is one of the rear-drive ellipticals from Nordictrack available to the UK market. Its main features are a 16kg flywheel, 5-inch backlit display and 34 preset workouts on the machine. The full list of features reads as followed:

5” Backlit Display
iFit Bluetooth - 1 Years Membership Included
Integrated Tablet Holder

16 kg. Effective Inertia-enhanced Flywheel
SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
24 Digital Resistance Levels
EKG Grip Pulse
130 kg. User Weight Capacity

Oversized Pedals
AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
SoftTouch™ Upper Body Grips

34 Preset Workout Apps
Transport Wheels
Product Weight 60kg
Boxed Weight 72kg
Product Dimensions - 158L x 66W x 175H cm
Boxed Dimensions - 132L x 51W x 64H cm
Warranty - 5-Year Frame Warranty, 2-Year Parts and Labour Warranty, subject to registration within 28 days of purchase.

This is a solid rear-drive elliptical for the home or commercial use.

Pros of the NordicTrack SE5i

The pros of the SE5i are:

Big flywheel
Sturdy design

The SE5i is a sturdy design with a big flywheel which will last for ages. If you want to no-nonsense elliptical that is affordable you will find the right partner in the SE5i for your cardio needs.

Cons of the NordicTrack SE5i

The cons of the SE5i are:

Size
Older model
Display

All rear-drive ellipticals have in common that they are quite clunky and therefore take up more space than other cardio options for the home. In a big gym they will also fit fewer units in the same amount of space as others. SE5i is also an older model that Nordictrack does not sell in the US anymore. Always be mindful of this, especially when you purchase for commercial needs, as the service for this product might be discontinued or suffers as active production will be abandoned.

Alternatives to the NordicTrack SE5i

Alternatives to the SE5i elliptical are:

The Nordictrack Se3i is the small brother of the SE5i it still has a rear-drive, but a smaller flywheel. In my opinion, the SE3i only makes sense if you buy it in bulk for commercial purposes to save money. Otherwise, the two models are too close in price to justify taking the smaller flywheel which ultimately means that the elliptical is more likely to break down.

If you want to get a treadmill instead of an elliptical and get the cheapest from Nordictrack in the UK than the C700 is for you. This is the treadmill with the lowest price tag from Nordictrack for the time being.

The concept 2 model D rower is a reliable machine that has been used all over the world. If you want a solid rowing machine for you this is probably the best value for money options you can get. Not a lot of entertainment on this, but the onboard computer is more than enough to track your workouts and provide statistics during your row.

The Rogue echo bike is my personal favorite for home gym use. This machine is compact, built like a tank, enables a kick-ass workout and I reasonably priced. This is the best calorie per minute deal you can find without running the risk of buying trash.

Summary for the NordicTrack SE5i elliptical

The SE5i elliptical is a solid safe bet for an elliptical to get. It is not too expensive and also does not try to be fancy. In return, it will take up more space than other models and not have the best multimedia options available.

Overview and review of the Nordictrack Grand tour 1299 (US)

This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack Grand Tour.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.

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.

Pros of the Nordic track Grand tour

The pros of the Grand tour bike are:

10% incline
Freewheel clutch
7-inch touchscreen

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

Cons of the Nordictrack Grand tour:

Small screen
Freewheel clutch
No Bluetooth

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

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.

Summary for the Nordictrack Grand tour

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.