The “NEW” NordicTrack S22i

Hey guys, Matt here, and I want to make some comments on the “new” NordicTrack S22i.

As you probably already know I’ve made several videos and comparisons with the original NordicTrack S22i, and I gave it a TailHappy Score of 90/100 – which ranked it near the top of the chart against other indoor cycling bikes.

But since that time NordicTrack has made a new and improved 2022 NordicTrack S22i and it’s for sale at the same exact $1,999 price as the original, however it now appears the original s22i seems to be semi-permanently reduced to $1,499.

>> See current S22i Price and discounts

Largely the new NordicTrack S22i remains the same, which is a good thing because the s22i is great, but the 2022 model has a few significant upgrades that might make it worth the extra cash.

So, what’s new?

The Sound

One of my complains on the original NordicTrack S22i was the lack-luster sound system. Sure, you could hear the audio just fine, but the built in speakers on the original s22i pointed the “wrong direction” and were underwhelming. In order to get a great audio experience on the original S22i you really needed externally connected earbuds, which was (and still is) possible via it’s Bluetooth capabilities.

The new NordicTrack S22i has corrected this problem by not only adding more power to the audio system, but also pointing the speakers forwards towards the rider – resulting in much more clear and immersive audio.

The new NordicTrack S22i has a 30 watt forward facing audio system – in comparison the $2,495 Peloton Bike+ only has a 26 watt audio system.

On the right of the image above we can see the lack of forward facing speakers on the original NordicTrack S22i, while on the left of the image we can see the speakers are forward facing. Additionally the new S22i has a cleaner aesthetic with the screen, fan, and speakers all integrated together in a nicer looking way, whereas the original s22i simply has a fan slapped on below the screen in a manner that almost appears to be an afterthought in the design.

Sidenote: The fan on the new S22i appears to be slightly smaller than on the original in terms of surface area for air to blow, which may affect the cooling capabilities of the fan.

The Pedals

Finally, they fixed the pedals.

In my original review of the S22i one of my biggest complains was the pedals that came on the bike. I couldn’t believe the bike came with steel teeth pedals without the ability to clip in.

The new S22i comes with an improved dual-sided SPD clip in pedal.

The new pedals are improved in a couple different ways. The most obvious improvement is you now have the ability to clip in with SPD shoes, but in addition to this the “toe cage” (non-clipped in side of the pedal) is much nicer because it has a flat and larger surface area.

In the past the metal teeth style pedals on the original S22i have cause numbness in my toes (I actually used to have those steel teeth style pedals on my original road bike before learning better). The pedals that come on the new NordicTrack S22i are on par with the nice pedals other popular indoor cycling bikes like the Echelon GT+ and Stryde Bike are using.

S22i Cosmetic Changes

In the image of the pedals (above) you may have noticed there are some cosmetic changes to the new NordicTrack S22i for better or worse.

The lettering color is now grey and blue which is more on point with iFit brand colors, instead of the orange color font we saw on the previous s22i. Also the crank arms are now black instead of grey.

It also appears the emergency brake is now a red color instead of the orange emergency brake on the original s22i (the button that’s usually a resistance knob on most other bikes).

The orange color has also been removed from the magnetic resistance calipers as well as the orange font on the 3lb weights that come with the bike, each replaced with a more subtle and aesthetic blue.

Dropping the touches of orange and replacing it with the subtle deep blue is a welcomed improvement in my book, but at the end of the day we all have our own favorite colors.

Enhanced Auto Incline/Decline

One of the most unique things about the NordicTrack S22i is its ability to incline and decline, there is no other manufacturer making a bike like this to date. In my review of the original S22i I commented on the speed of this system and also the noise the bike made adjusting the incline and decline.

The original S22i was a bit noisy, but the New S22i claims to have an enhanced auto incline/decline and an improved DC Motor controlling the incline/decline. I’m excited to see exactly what the changes are to this system and whether or not it’s less noisy, smooth, etc.

Final Thoughts

The original NordicTrack S22i is a great indoor cycling bike, and the new S22i seems to be a nice improvement over what was already pretty great.

>> Click here to buy the NEW NordicTrack S22i

If you’re on the fence about buying the new NordicTrack S22i, I’d say go for it.