NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 Exercise Bike Review
NordicTrack
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Key Features:
- Price: $1,299
- 14-inch HD smart touchscreen
- 24 digital resistance levels
- Automatic trainer control with iFIT
- Oversized ergonomic pedals and seat
It’s hard to beat an upright bike if you’re looking for an effective, low-impact cardio machine that’s easy on the joints yet still burns calories. These exercise bikes are attractive options for home gym use since they take up minimal space compared to bulkier machines like treadmills or ellipticals, and they tend to be more budget-friendly as well. In addition to being great exercise options for people with joint pain or limited mobility, indoor cycling bikes offer a host of health and fitness benefits, like reduced body fat and improved blood lipid index.
However, buying an upright exercise bike doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on high-tech features that many larger cardio machines come with. The NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 is a smart exercise bike that looks and feels high-end at a mid-level price point. Our in-depth NordicTrack VU 29 review will dive into the pros and cons of this upright bike, its cycling experience and its noteworthy features. We’ll also share who it’s best (and not best) for, what customers have to say and everything you should consider before purchasing the NordicTrack VU 29.
What Is the NordicTrack Commercial VU 29?
The NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 is a smart stationary bike that’s one of the latest additions to NordicTrack’s upright bike offerings. It’s an upgraded take on the lower-end VU 19 model, which comes with a much smaller seven-inch smart HD touchscreen compared to the VU 29’s 14-inch smart HD touchscreen—its most impressive feature and biggest selling point. The NordicTrack VU 29 is best-suited for light to moderate exercise, but you can still crank up the challenge with 24 levels of digital resistance that use silent magnetic resistance for smooth and quiet cycling.
Like all NordicTrack cardio machines, the VU 29 is designed to be used with iFIT, a subscription fitness platform that offers thousands of live and on-demand workouts. Still, if paying $15 per month for an individual iFIT membership or $39 per month for an iFIT family membership isn’t for you, you can always use the NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 to exercise on a manual setting. Purchasing an iFIT subscription, however, will unlock access to all of the upright bike’s interactive features. These include trainer-led workouts, automatic trainer control that adjusts your resistance to match that of any class you take, scenic rides, enhanced metrics tracking and a Google Maps integration that lets you cycle just about anywhere in the world.
Outside of its touchscreen and iFIT technology, the VU 29 also packs in additional high-tech features and a comfort-first design. This smart upright bike is Bluetooth compatible, built with oversized ergonomic pedals and a cushioned seat, and comes with a number of other perks.
Specs:
- Footprint: 55.29 inches by 24.86 inches by 41.49 inches
- Resistance: 24 digital levels of resistance
- User weight capacity: 325 pounds
- Product weight: 115 pounds
- Display: 14-inch HD smart touchscreen
- Warranty: 10 year frame, two year parts and one year labor
Working Out with the NordicTrack Commercial VU 29
NordicTrack
The NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 offers a smooth, comfortable and user-friendly workout experience. The 14-inch touchscreen has just about everything you need to adjust your rides, and below the touchscreen console are One Touch controls that let you change your resistance digitally. While a resistance knob (which this bike doesn’t have) is a much more convenient option for HIIT training, the One Touch controls work relatively fast. Still, the absence of a resistance knob may feel strange to riders who are accustomed to interval training or spin bikes like the Peloton exercise bike. The 19-pound flywheel also runs on the lighter side and may not create as smooth of a ride when riding at higher speeds. Therefore, it's important to keep in mind that the VU 29 isn’t the best fit for people looking for serious or intense training.
The Pros of NordicTrack VU 29
- Immersive 14-inch HD smart touchscreen
- Oversized cushion seat and oversized pedals
- Quiet workouts with silent magnetic resistance
- High maximum user weight of 325 pounds
- Speakers are compatible with Bluetooth audio
- iFIT integration unlocks global workouts
- Horizontal and vertical seat adjustment
- Compact size can fit smaller home gyms
The Cons of NordicTrack VU 29
- No built-in or preset training programs
- iFIT subscription required for full content access
- Lighter flywheel may not support faster rides
- Handlebars have awkward placement
- Heart rate monitor not included
Who the NordicTrack VU 29 Is Best For
NordicTrack VU 29 is best for casual riders looking for a light-to-moderate workout experience. As a low-impact piece of fitness equipment, it also offers a great workout for people with injuries, limited mobility and joint pain. Research shows that indoor cycling can help reduce body fat, so if weight loss is your goal, this upright bike is a good option to consider as well. Thanks to its compact footprint, the VU 29 is an excellent fit for those with smaller home or garage gyms.
Who the NordicTrack VU 29 Is Not Best For
Serious riders may want to steer clear of the NordicTrack VU 29, since its lighter 19-pound inertia-enhanced flywheel is designed to support more casual riding. Despite having a number of built-in ergonomic comfort features and a low-impact design, an upright bike may less comfortable for some people than a recumbent bike, which has a seat that allows you to ride in a reclined position. Depending on your needs or the extent of your mobility, you may want to lean towards a recumbent bike if sitting upright isn’t for you. You can also check out the NordicTrack S22i Studio Bike for a more realistic road bike experience complete with incline and decline riding.
Factors to Consider Before Purchasing the NordicTrack VU 29
Before investing in any piece of fitness equipment for your home gym, it’s important to do your research on that product to make sure it’s right for your needs. Be sure to consider these factors before purchasing a NordicTrack Commercial VU 29.
Price
Compared to higher-end indoor cycling bikes that also offer immersive workout experiences, like Peloton, you can snag the NordicTrack VU 29 for about half the cost (and half the resistance). Coming in at $1,299, the VU 29 has a mid-level price point that feels more than fair, given the size of the touchscreen and its high-tech features. Still, if you aren’t willing to commit to an iFIT subscription, then the cost might not be worth it. There are plenty of budget exercise bikes that cost less than $1,000 that can net you a similar workout experience at a much better price point.
Construction and design
The VU 29 has an upright frame with a 19 pound inertia-enhanced flywheel that’s best-suited for casual riding. It also puts a major emphasis on comfort with oversized ergonomic foot pedals, a large cushioned seat, adjustable straps for your feet and a workout fan that uses AutoBreeze technology to adjust the fan’s speed to the intensity of your workouts. You can also adjust the seat vertically and horizontally to fit riders of all sizes. One drawback to this bike’s construction, however, is its awkwardly-placed handlebars. The handlebars sit very high up, unlike the more forward-leaning position offered by a road bike, and may take some getting used to. While the VU 29 includes one water bottle holder in the center of the frame, there’s no media tray or place to put a phone or tablet, which may be a hindrance for users who like to exercise with their devices.
Console and controls
The NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 offers a sleek and streamlined console that’s easy to use. Your touchscreen is your main control center and where you can access scenic rides, iFIT programs led by personal trainers or manual riding. The console also includes One Touch controls for resistance, volume and fan speed. At the very top of the console are your speakers, and at the very bottom is your workout fan.
Tech and features
The VU 29 comes with an impressive array of tech and features, but you’ll need iFIT to access most. Without iFIT, you’ll get a WiFi- and Bluetooth-enabled bike that allows you to connect your Bluetooth headphones, or play your own music through its dual two-inch speakers. With iFIT, you’ll unlock Google Maps technology to ride just about anywhere in the world, guided classes, automatic trainer control, monthly challenges and enhanced real-time metrics tracking.
Training programs
A downside of not just the VU 29, but virtually all NordicTrack cardio machines, is their lack of preset training programs. Since NordicTrack relies so heavily on iFIT, it doesn’t include any built-in exercise programs like fat burn, HIIT or cardio. Instead, you’ll have just two options: Select an exercise program from the iFIT library, or exercise on your own in a manual setting.
Subscription
An iFIT subscription will be necessary to unlock full content access on the NordicTrack VU 29. iFIT currently costs $15 per month for an individual membership or $39 per month for a family membership that supports up to five user profiles. Still, you can exercise manually without iFIT, and your bike purchase will come with a 30-day iFIT trial to let you test the platform first.
NordicTrack VU 29 Warranty and Return Policy
Unfortunately, NordicTrack is lacking in both its warranty and return policies. While many higher-end cardio machines come with lifetime warranties on the frame, NordicTrack only offers a 10-year frame warranty on the VU 29 and most of its fitness equipment. Also, it comes with a limited warranty of two years on parts and one year on labor. While you can buy a three-year extended warranty for an additional $179.95, it doesn’t compare to a lifetime frame warranty. For its return policy, NordicTrack offers returns within 30 days, but there’s a twist: You may be stuck with restocking fees and hefty shipping fees to send your product back, which can cost you hundreds of dollars.
NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 Customer Reviews
Nordictrack
NordicTrack doesn’t include customer reviews on its website, but rather only reviews of iFIT. As a newer product, reviews are still trickling in on Google and Amazon, but here’s what customers have to say so far about the NordicTrack Commercial VU line.
One reviewer named James has had a mixed experience with the VU line. “Most of the features that seemed valuable don’t quite pan out,” James writes. “Build is decent. Assembly instructions were good. Monitor is reasonable.” However, without an iFIT subscription, he says, “It’s really just a sit-down exercise bike for which you could spend half the price.” Yet those who use the upright bike with iFIT have rave reviews. A customer named Justin praises the fitness platform for “great coaching” and a “beautiful ride,” while a customer named Nancy says that she “loves the scenery” offered in the Huay Tung Tao Endurance Ride in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 FAQs
Here’s everything else there is to know about the NordicTrack Commercial VU 29.
Does the NordicTrack VU 29 have scenic rides?
An iFIT subscription will net you access to scenic rides that include both trainer-led programs and Google Maps technology, which lets you ride almost anywhere in the world. Without iFIT, however, you won’t be able to access scenic rides and will only have a manual exercise option.
Can you use the Peloton app on the NordicTrack VU 29 bike?
Since Peloton and NordicTrack are competing brands, you won’t be able to use the Peloton app on the NordicTrack VU 29 bike. The VU 29 is only compatible with iFIT programming. However, you can always use your own tablet or smartphone to play a class on a non-iFIT indoor cycling app; you just won’t be able to play that class on the VU 29’s 14-inch HD smart touchscreen.
Can you wear regular shoes on the NordicTrack VU 29 bike?
The nice thing about the NordicTrack VU 29 bike is that you can wear either regular shoes or cycling shoes while you exercise depending on your preference. The oversized foot pedals include adjustable foot straps that can accommodate many shoe types and sizes.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the NordicTrack Commercial VU 29 is a solid upright bike to add to your home gym if you’re a casual rider or use an indoor cycling bike as your cardio machine of choice for injury, joint pain or limited mobility. For the mid-level price point and immersive high-tech features, it's an excellent value. While some customers report some issues with the VU line, the VU 29 is a newer release that we believe is worth the try for its high-tech riding experience. Serious riders, however, may want to consider the NordicTrack S22i instead.
Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.
