Pros
- Unique -10% to +20% motorized incline/decline: no Peloton equivalent
- 22" 360° swivel screen for off-bike classes
- 32 lb flywheel and silent magnetic resistance feel road-like
- iFit cheaper than Peloton (~$39 vs ~$50/mo)
- 10-year frame warranty
Cons
- iFit effectively required: no third-party streaming, limited manual mode
- Documented touchscreen/console failures; replacements run $425+
- Customer service and delivery widely criticized
- Flagged as discontinued by some retailers: verify availability and parts support
Specifications
- Incline / Decline
- -10% to +20% motorized
- Screen
- 22" HD touchscreen, 360° swivel
- Resistance
- 24 digital levels, silent magnetic
- Flywheel
- 32 lb
- Membership
- iFit ~$39/mo (functionally required)
- Weight capacity
- 350 lbs
- Warranty
- 10-yr frame, 2-yr parts, 1-yr labor
Performance
Terrain was the S22i's whole identity, and nothing Peloton sells replaces it: the powered -10% to +20% incline and decline physically tilts the bike through climbs and descents, and the 32 lb flywheel with 24-level magnetic resistance keeps the ride smooth and quiet. Garage Gym Reviews' Coop Mitchell came away positive on the core experience: "I enjoyed testing the NordicTrack S22i. It is technologically advanced and the programming with iFit is solid." The garden walls still apply, though: iFit or nothing, no third-party streaming, and a heavily limited manual mode.
Build Quality
Console reliability was always the soft spot, and discontinuation sharpens it. Our research found a documented pattern of NordicTrack and iFit touchscreens going blank or unresponsive after software updates, with replacement consoles quoted at $425 and up, and that risk reads very differently on a bike whose parts pipeline is winding down. The frame is the durable half: commercial-grade steel, a quiet drivetrain, and a ride owners describe as stable apart from some handlebar movement on hard standing climbs.
Value Assessment
Pricing a discontinued bike works differently. The old $1,999 street price left with the listings; what remains are discount retailers clearing stock and a used market where the S22i can be a bargain or a liability depending on one component. Our advice: price any used S22i as if the console will eventually need a $425+ replacement, confirm whether any warranty coverage actually applies to your purchase, and treat iFit compatibility and parts availability as questions to verify, not assumptions. Bought cheap with those risks priced in, the terrain hardware is still unmatched. Bought near its original price, it is a bet against the odds.
What Owners Say
“The handlebars and monitor shake slightly when I was standing out of the saddle.”
“I'm not the biggest fan of the mediocre warranty and expensive return policy.”
Verbatim owner and reviewer comments gathered during our research, linked to where we found them. They are not our words, which is the point.
Who Should Buy It
A used or clearance S22i makes sense for a specific buyer: someone who wants incline and decline training badly enough to accept an orphaned product, negotiates the price down to reflect that, and is comfortable with self-service or paid repairs down the line.
Who Should Skip It
Most people, frankly. If you need a bike with a long support runway, buy something still in production: the Peloton Bike+ for classes, or any current bike that streams third-party apps. And if a listing offers a new-in-box S22i at full historical price, the discontinuation is your negotiating leverage; use it or walk.
Final Recommendation
There is a lesson in the S22i beyond the S22i: connected bikes live and die by their consoles and their makers' attention, not their steel. This one had the best terrain hardware in the class and still ended up orphaned. Find one cheap, budget for a console failure, and it can be a genuine bargain for hill training; pay anywhere near the old $1,999 and you are buying yesterday's risk at yesterday's price.