Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro – The Right Recumbent For You?

05/01/201430/01/2017 FitnessEquipmentGuide nordic track, recumbent, under $1000

Note: This post may contain affiliate links. Click Here to read our full affiliate disclosure.

Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro Review

nordictrack commercial vr pro recumbent bike review — Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro Bike

The Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro recumbent bike is the top model in the Nordictrack recumbent series.

It gives you a lot of premium features you often find in luxury $1000+ bikes like the mesh-back seat, easy step-through design, side arm controls and heavier flywheel for a smoother ride.

So how does it measure up? Is it a good buy?

Here’s a rundown of the pros and cons to help you decide

Basics:

Price: $899 – Click Here For An Instant Discount

Resistance: 26 Levels

Built-In Workouts: 32

User Weight Capacity: 350 lbs

iPod Dock

Warranty: Lifetime Frame & Brake, 3 year parts, 1 year labor

Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro Review – Pros:

Resistance Controls on the Handrails

You can change your resistance from the side handrails (just above where the heart rate sensors are). This is super convenient because you don’t have to keep reaching up to the front console to change your resistance.

Padded Mesh-Back Style Seat For Cooler, More Comfortable Workouts

The seat on the VR Pro bike is made for extra comfort. It is molded with extra padding and offers lumbar support to support your lower back.

It’s a mesh-type back style which lets the air circulate in and around your back to keep you cooler when you’re working out.

Many people prefer a mesh back and you usually only get is with higher end bikes.

Plus, this is only a mesh-style, not fabric mesh, which is a plus. Why?

Because oftentimes, the mesh-fabric seats can get tight with use and eventually end up splitting (this was a problem for the Livestrong bikes for example).

Then you have to pay to replace the seat – which is a huge pain. However this seat is not made of fabric mesh but is all one piece, so chances are higher that you’re going to avoid that problem.

iFit LIVE

iFit is a one-of-a-kind fitness training feature that basically turns your bike into your own personal fitness entertainment studio. It gives you a lot of ways to reach new goals and fight exercise boredom.

iFit basically connects your bike to the Internet. From there you can plot out new paths to cycle using Googlemaps or ride pre-planned routes as well.

You can also download new weight-loss workouts from Jillian Michaels where she coaches you through your workout through the built-in speakers.

You can also track your fitness activity online to set new goals and see how far you’ve come. Basically there’s a lot you can do with iFit that you just can’t do with other bikes.

Free Wireless Heart Rate Monitor

The Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro comes with both a hand-grip heart rate sensor and a wireless heart rate monitor (included with the bike).

A lot of people prefer the wireless monitor because it’s more accurate and convenient (you don’t have to keep grasping the heart rate sensors).

And while many bikes today do come with the wireless tracking capability – they don’t include the wireless monitor itself – which you DO get with the Commercial VR Pro.

23 lb Flywheel For Super-Smooth Ride

Heavier flywheels tend to give you a smoother ride. And at this price point, this kind of flywheel is almost unheard of (most brands give you about 8 – 15 pound flywheels).

This helps to add to the smooth ride feel – especially when you are transitioning between resistance levels or slowing down. You don’t get that jump start-and-stop motion you sometimes get with cheaper bikes.

Plus the Commercial VR Pro is manufactured with a 3-piece crank system. This separates the spindle from the crank and creates a stronger, more durable bike that can take harder, longer workouts and hold up well in the long run

Extra-Large Backlit Console with Racetrack Display

This is one of the largest consoles at this price point. You can easily see your workout stats like speed, time, distance, resistance, pulse and calories burned without having to squint at a tiny console window.

Nordictrack has some of the most sophisticated consoles at this price point with graphics, racetrack displays and quick, intuitive buttons (you don’t need a manual to figure out how to use them).

Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro Review – Cons

So what are the drawbacks to this bike? Well frankly, there’s not a lot.

You should be aware that in order to use the iFit LIVE, you have to purchase the iFit LIVE module (around $99 as of this writing). You don’t need iFit to use the bike (there are 32 built-in workouts plus an iPod dock for entertainment).

But if you tend to get bored easily and want more challenges, you may want to try it out to see if you like it.

The other downside is that the fan – while it works fine – is not overly strong. So while it does cool you down, don’t expect a strong breeze.

Bottom Line?

If you’re looking for a top-of-the-line recumbent bike without the top-of-the-line price tag, you’ll probably love the Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro. Compared to other bikes at this price point it’s tough to beat because it just gives you so much.

It improves on a lot of the issues with other recumbent bikes out there – and gives you a very sleek “commercial” look to boot.

Bottom Line: One of the best new models this year.

How To Save

You can get the Nordictrack Commercial VR Pro by going direct through the Manufacturer and skipping the middleman. Plus they are also offering Free Shipping and you can get the iFit module all in one shot.