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Nordictrack VU 19 vs Grand Tour

Written by Pascal Landshoeft | Aug 10, 2020 4:00:00 PM

Nordictrack VU 19 vs Grand Tour

This is a comparison of the Nordictrack VU19 and Grand Tour including pros, cons, and alternatives . Follow the links for more details.

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.

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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

 
 
  • 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. 
 
 
 

Overview and review of the Nordictrack VU 19 999 (US)

This article discusses the pros, cons, and alternatives for the Nordictrack VU19.This review was originally posted in “Which Nordictrack bike to get”. Follow the links for more details.

 
The Nordictrack VU 19 is an upgraded version of the old G series. Its main features are a 7-inch touchscreen, 19lb flywheel, and 325 lb. capacity. The main difference to the G series is that the Ipad holder has been moved from the front of the display to above. This way you can see your stats while also being on your Ipad at the same time. The full list of features reads:
 
  • 7” Smart HD Color Touchscreen
  • Includes 1-Year NordicTrack iFit® membership**
  • Integrated Pivoting Tablet Holder
  • Auxiliary Music Port
  • AC Adapter Included
  • Two 2” Bluetooth® Compatible Speakers
  • Upright Frame
  • 19 Lb. Inertia-enhanced Flywheel
  • SMR™ Silent Magnetic Resistance
  • 24 Digital Resistance Levels
  • 325 Lb. User Weight Capacity
  • EKG Grip Pulse Heart Rate Monitor
  • NordicTrack iFit Bluetooth® Smart Chest Strap
  • Oversized Cushion Seat
  • Vertical & Horizontal Seat Adjustment
  • Extra-wide, Ergonomic Foot Pedals with Adjustable Strap
  • AutoBreeze™ Workout Fan
  • 32 On-board Workouts
  • Front-mounted Transport Wheels
  • 43.6" L x 24.9" W x 59.4" H Footprint
  • 10-Year Frame Warranty
  • 2-Year Parts Warranty
  • 1-Year Labor Warranty
the VU 19 is a solid middle of the portfolio option for bikes in the NordicTrack portfolio. If you want a reasonable coverage on all relevant features for an upright bike from Nordictrack, this is the one to go for without going over 1000.  
 

Pros of the Nordictrack VU 19

 
The pros of the VU 19 are:
 
  • Well balanced
  • 7-inch touch screen
  • Gadgets are not in the way
The VU 19 is a well-balanced bike that covers all bases without breaking the bank. If you do not want to think too hard about your bike purchase from Nordictrack and have 1000 to spare, this is the right model to get. Think of it as the Volkswagen Golf from Nordictrack. Does everything well, looks good, but does not impress too much.
 
The 7-inch touch screen will keep you in striking distance of current technology trends in cardio equipment. The screens are getting bigger and bigger and the classes more interactive. A small backlit display or even led based display will leave you behind and make the experience less engaging. A 7-inch display is a good compromise to not break the bank as some models go up to 32-inch.
 
A final little touch is that NordicTrack finally managed to move the holder for gadgets out of the way of the touch screen. On older models like the VR21 or some of the GX bikes the gadget holder would put your tablet right in front of your Nordictrack touch screen. This way you could not see the status of your workout.
 

Cons of the Nordictrack VU 19

 
cons of the Nordictrack VU19 are:
 
  • No Bluetooth headphones
  • No big screen
  • No incline 
 
A big oversight in the design of the Nordictrack touch screens and electronics is that you can not project their sound onto Bluetooth headphones. The Bluetooth speakers are a step in the right direction, but still do not go all the way. I listen to heavy metal when i workout... loud. I can not do that on a bike that I have at home at 6 am in the morning unless it is in a separate building. That would be reason enough for me to not buy any NordicTrack bike.
 
A 7-inch screen is rather small compared to the 10-,14-,22- and 32-inch options that are out there. Be aware that the new content that NordicTrack will put out will assume bigger and bigger screens and optimize the layout of the classes and menus accordingly. If you have the extra money to spend you might want to go for one of the S10i or S15i models instead. 
 
The VU 19 has no incline option available. This keeps the bike under the 1000 threshold, but at the same time limits you from getting everything out of your Ifit subscription or cover all the possible rides you want to do. For an occasional cyclists, this will not be a deal-breaker, but someone with a serious performance goal might want to consider to invest 200 to 500 more to also get an incline function.
 

Alternatives to the Nordictrack VU 19 

 
These are alternatives to the Nordictrack VU19 that are in the same budget range:
 
The Nordictrack VR21 costs about the same as the VU 19 but is a recumbent bike. If you want a more comfortable ride or your hand free while exercising, this is the bike to go for. 
 
The NordicTrack C700 is the cheapest treadmill you can currently get from the NordicTrack website. This is a good option for joggers or walkers who do not like sitting in a saddle for their daily calorie burn. It is not a great option for runners who put a lot of abuse on their treadmill in terms of speed, distance or a combination of the two. 
 
The concept 2 model D is the industry standard for indoor rowing all over the world. If you like to sit while you are exercising, but want to turn it into a full-body workout, the rower is a good option. Another bonus is that you can hang a rower on the wall after use to save space. That does really work for most bikes unless they are foldable.
 
The Rogue echo bike is my personal favorite for weekend warriors who want to push their limits at home. This machine has been stripped of most multimedia options to provide a frame that can take a lot of abuse. If you want to put your phone an a counter, blast yourself with heavy metal, and do intervals until you fall off the bike, this is the machine for you. 
 

Summary for the NordicTrack VU19 

 
The Nordictrack VU19 is a well-balanced bike from Nordictrack at a good price which took care of design flaws of former generations of NordicTrack bikes. St the moment it is only available in the US and not in the UK, but that might change when they start to distribute worldwide. 
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