NordicTrack S22i vs Schwinn IC4 / Bowflex C6

By Robbie Ferri CPT

CPT & Indoor Cycling Instructor

Spinning bikes are a great way to get your fitness fix. They are easy on the joints, don’t require you to head to the gym, and there’s a huge amount of applications to choose from to keep you entertained. 

Finding the right bike for you can be challenging as so many are on the market. Two we often get asked about here at Girl Bike Love are the NordicTrack S22i and the Schwinn IC4 / Bowflex C6. 

In this article, we’re going to be telling you everything you need to know about these two bikes. We will put them side to side against each other and compare these two bikes, so you know which will be right for you. 

NordicTrack S22i

Nordictrack S22i (New Model)

4.4

The bike itself is an incredible machine and has an incline and decline feature, which means when you ride, a motor will raise and drop the front of the bike. The screen is 22” HD and uses an application called iFit for all your live and pre-recorded classes.

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NordicTrack is not shy about making incredible indoor bikes. They produce amazing quality, and as far as technology goes, they offer some incredible features. The S22i is one of the best bikes on the market and has been up there with the top bikes since its release. Coming in at around $2400, we expect the best.

It’s not a small indoor bike coming in at 57” x 22” x 55”, and it’s also very heavy at 193 lbs, but it carries a lot more compared to other bikes. It can work with users up to 350 lbs but doesn’t state a height range. From what we can gather, it works with a wide range of users from 4ft 7” to 6ft 6”, taking in user feedback. 

The design is excellent, and not only is it very comfortable, but everything is where you want it to be. It’s an incredibly sleek-looking bike and comes in matte black with silver detailing that fits into any home gym well. The weights are at the front, so you don’t need to reach around to the back, and it even has a small inbuilt fan in the screen, which can swivel to the side for off-the-bike workouts. 

Its magnetic resistance system is incredibly quiet and comes with a belt drive offering excellent feel and reliability. It’s a silky smooth ride, and even its sprints will feel solid and secure. One thing you can’t miss on this bike is the climbing motor that sits on the front and can simulate climbs from -10% to +20%, making it very fun to ride. 

The 22” HD screen on the front offers all the entertainment you could ever need. It uses the iFit application offering live classes and many different workouts such as strength training and HIIT. It has automatic resistance and climbing that the instructor can control, making the experience very immersive.

You can also read our detailed review of NordicTrack S22i and its comparison with the S27i.

Pros

• Great max user weight of 350 lbs
• It looks Incredible with the 22” screen
• Incline, decline motor, and weights
• iFit offers many classes
• Belt drive and magnetic resistance 
• NordicTrack Quality

Cons

• A fairly large and heavy bike
• Cost isn’t cheap 
• iFit subscription cost

Older Vs. New NordicTrack Models

It’s important to mention that when it comes to NordicTrack bikes such as the S15i, S22i, and S27i, they are updated regularly. This means although you might find last year’s model for much cheaper, there might be features it will be missing. 

The latest model S22i has a few extra features we think are worth investing in. A quiet climbing motor, better Bluetooth connectivity, and the screen and processor have been upgraded, making the technology faster. Is it worth an extra $500? It is, yes. 

Schwinn IC4 / Bowflex C6

Bowflex C6 Bike

4.5

An excellent alternative option to Peloton or other streaming bikes. A quiet magnetic resistance bike, proficient enough to link with the many available streaming devices such as Peloton® and Zwift®.

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Schwinn IC4 Bike

4.5

Comes equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, allowing you to link to several apps such as Peloton® and Zwift®. The Schwinn really does offer excellent quality at a very affordable price.

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Although you might think we’re comparing two bikes to one, here we are not. The Schwinn IC4 and the Bowflex C6 are the same bike, just branded slightly differently. This bike goes down a different route to the NordicTrack range, which is why we like it. Its simplicity works, and we can’t wait to tell you about it. 

The first thing to mention is that it is a very small bike coming in at only 49” x 22” x 52”. It doesn’t take up much room compared to the bigger all-singing and all-dancing bikes. Not only is it quite small, but it’s very light, coming in at 106 lbs, half the weight of some of its competitors but still heavy enough to give you a solid base to train with. It works with users from users up to 330 lbs and users from 4 ft 6” to 6ft 6”. 

Both the IC4 and the C6 are nice-looking bikes. They are a bit more basic compared to the higher end of the market, but they don’t look cheap and slot into a home gym well. The setup is very good, and we love the weights and water bottle holder combination on the front. The bike is very adjustable, and unlike many other bikes, you have the ability to move the handlebars back and forth. 

It’s an excellent bike, which utilizes magnetic resistance and the belt drive. It gives you 100 levels to play with, meaning you can fine-tune it exactly to where you need it to be when working out. Although a much lighter bike compared to many others, it still offers a safe feeling in the sprint and a smooth ride. 

The IC4 doesn’t have a screen but instead an LCD display and a small tablet stand. This isn’t a bad thing in our eyes. It opens you up to way more applications, and with Bluetooth connectivity, it means you have much more variety and save a lot of money on the cost of the bike itself. Even without a tablet, the LCD display can tell you everything you might want for a basic workout. It doesn’t come with auto resistance, but that’s not for everyone, to be fair. 

You can also read our detailed reviews of Bowflex C6 (Hands-on after 1-year experience) and Schwinn IC4. We have also compared the C6 with other popular models, such as the BODi bike.

Pros

• Price is incredible 
• Bluetooth technology
• Lots of applications can link to it
• Very small and lightweight
• It comes with weights and a heart rate monitor

Cons

• Tablet required for the full experience
• It does look a little more basic
• No auto resistance

Differences Between the Nordictrack S22i and Schwinn Ic4 / Bowflex C6

There are many differences when it comes to the NordicTrack S22i and the Schwinn IC4 / Bowflex C6. They are completely different bikes, and as indoor cycling goes two very different routes, you can go down. Let’s discuss the differences.

Cost

The first thing to mention is cost. We all have budgets to stick to, and there’s a very big difference in the price of these bikes. The NordicTrack S22i comes in at around $2400, and the Schwinn IC4 is around $900.

When it comes to these indoor bikes, you get what you pay for. Although the NordicTrack S22i is much more, you get a lot more features that can heavily improve the experience, such as auto resistance, the climbing feature, and a huge screen.

Assembly

When it comes to assembly, they both are relatively easy and can be done at home fairly quickly. The IC4 is going to be easier, in our opinion. It’s much lighter, and there’s a lot less to it when it comes to putting it together. 

The S22i is a tougher assembly, and you will benefit from having two people there, but it is doable, and as this is a task you only plan to do once, we wouldn’t overthink the process. We don’t recommend picking a bike on the assembly level, but it’s good to know.

Design

When it comes to the design, we’re speaking about not just what the bike looks like but how functional it is. The design of the NordicTrack S22i is very good; not only does it look fantastic, but it is very functional. It has a sleek look and adds value to any home training setup.

With the weights and water bottle holder right in front of you and the screen being able to swivel for those on-demand classes, this bike offers the level of functionality we expect for the price. What also impressed us is that it’s able to hide all the climbing motors and technology inside while still looking great.

The IC4 is a smooch simpler design, but we understand that because it’s a simpler bike. It still looks very good but much more like a spinning bike and less like an entertainment system. It is a functional and compact design, making it perfect if you need to move it around your living space.

Mobility

That brings us to mobility. The IC4 is a much smaller, lighter bike, and with the wheels at the front is incredibly easy to move around. The same can’t really be said for the S22i; it is much bigger and heavier, and although it isn’t too difficult to move, it’s not easy either. 

Fit

These bikes can both work with a wide range of users. When it comes to the S22i, it has a 350 lbs weight limit compared to the 330 lbs of the IC4. Then we have height, and although the S22i doesn’t state a height range, it doesn’t seem to be an issue for smaller or taller riders. The IC4 can work with users from 4ft 6” to 6ft 6”.

Resistance

When it comes to resistance, both these bikes offer excellent systems. They are both belt drives and run a magnetic system. This means it’s silky smooth to ride, and being frictionless, it’s very quiet, so great if you have thin walls or neighbors that don’t like the noise of a loud bike. 

The S22i has 24 resistance levels compared to the IC4, which has 100 resistance levels. This doesn’t mean you are going to run out of gears on the S22i. It just means that you get fewer options to choose from. 

The resistance on the S22i is controlled by buttons or automatic, which is a lovely touch, while the IC4 is on a classic manual dial. It’s user preference, but the S22i offers an amazing experience when it’s in auto mode. They both cater to cyclists who are beginners and also professionals as far as toughness goes, but the S22i is more interactive.

Screen 

When it comes to screens, there’s very little competition here. The NordicTrack has a 22” high-definition screen with excellent speakers and even a fan inside. It’s locked to iFit and can be limited regarding applications. It’s an incredible ride experience, and it makes a workout much more fun. 

The IC4 only has a small LCD screen. It can be used alone, giving plenty of data for a decent workout. It’s designed to be used with a tablet instead, not only to keep the bike cost down but to open the user up to more applications we will discuss next. 

Applications

When it comes to applications, the S22i uses iFit. This application is incredible; it offers live and on-demand classes and many other exercise styles, such as strength training and yoga. You also get Google Maps integration, so you can virtually ride on almost any road worldwide. With iFit and the S22i bike combined, you get auto resistance and climbing.  

Although this all sounds fantastic, it comes at $39 a month family membership or $180 a year solo. The S22i is locked to iFit, and you need to pay that membership to get the experience we feel you deserve for such an expensive bike. 

The IC4 is generally designed to be used with a tablet that you connect via Bluetooth. With a tablet, you can choose many more applications, which are generally cheaper. It’s a lot less limiting and much cheaper, but it isn’t going to give the same experience as an all-singing and all-dancing bike. 

Special Features

As far as special features go, the S22i is incredible. You get the incline and decline feature, making you feel like you’re going up and down hills. You also get automatic resistance which is controlled by the online instructor, a screen fan, google maps integration, and even buttons to change the resistance. It’s an incredible machine when it comes to indoor cycling. 

The IC4 / C6 is a little more basic. You don’t have automatic resistance, and as far as special features go, the Bluetooth connection is the best. That doesn’t make it a bad bike, it just makes it more basic, and that’s what many riders like. To be able to chuck a tablet on and take the workout in their desired direction. I personally am a big fan of this kind of bike.

Which Is For Me, The Nordictrack S22i Or The Schwinn Ic4 / Bowflex C6?

These bikes are incredibly different, and we believe they are designed for entirely different types of indoor cyclists or spinning enthusiasts. Let’s start by saying it comes down to who you are and what you want from a workout. 

If you have a big budget and want an all-singing and all-dancing entertainment system, the NordicTrack S22i is for you. You will be spending a lot of money, but you get a bike that comes with lots of workouts from iFit; it can change the resistance for you, blow cold air at you while you are training, and make you feel like you are climbing or descending a mountain.

It’s an incredible way to experience indoor cycling, but it isn’t a cheap way of doing it. The bike is $2400, and on top of that, for a family membership, it’s going to be over $400 a year. If you love spinning and get on the bike multiple times each week, then why not. The S22i is a supercar of spinning bikes.

Then we have the IC4, which is much more basic, but as we have said already, that’s not bad. For $900, you can get a spin bike, throw a tablet on with an application such as Zwift or Peloton, and you’re going to have a lot of fun. It’s going to cost much less, and it will still give you an amazing workout. 

It’s perfect if you enjoy a spin class and want to bring that experience home without spending a fortune. There’s no monthly membership, and you don’t have to feel guilty for it sitting there if you don’t use it for a month or two. 

FAQs 

Can you use iFit on the IC4 / C6?

Yes, they do a tablet version of iFit which can be used on the IC4 or the C6. It doesn’t do auto resistance, but it’s still a lot of fun. 

Is the NordicTrack S22i worth it?

It’s not cheap, and we understand that, but the experience it gives is amazing, and in our eyes, it’s totally worth it.

Is Bowflex or NordicTrack better?

They are both excellent brands that offer a wide variety of fitness equipment. We don’t feel one is better than the other.