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Echelon Exercise Bikes: The Full Range Compared
Echelon is the main subscription-based rival to Peloton in the UK, and its indoor bikes run from a £359 entry cycle to a £2,999 commercial flagship with a 24-inch touchscreen. Here is the full Echelon bike range, scored with FitRank and grouped by whether you bring your own screen or the bike has one built in.
Echelon is one of the biggest names in connected indoor cycling. Every bike pairs manual magnetic resistance with the Echelon Fit app, which streams live and on-demand classes led by instructors, and each one ships with a 45-day free trial of Echelon Premier Membership. The range splits into two clear camps. On the more affordable bikes you bring your own screen, clipping a tablet or phone to a holder to run the app. On the premium bikes a large HD touchscreen is built in, so everything happens on the bike itself. In the UK the range sells through Sweatband, and every model carries a 2-year warranty.
All six bikes share the same core: 32 levels of magnetic resistance, Bluetooth, and syncing with Strava, Apple Health and Fitbit through the Echelon Fit app. What changes as you move up the range is the flywheel weight, the screen, the frame and the warranty class. We have scored each one with FitRank and grouped them below.
Bring your own screen
You mount a tablet or phone to run the Echelon Fit app. The cheaper, more flexible way onto the platform.
Echelon EX-30 RCX
Echelon’s entry cycle and, right now, its biggest bargain: half price, then £359.20 with code EXTRA20. A 7kg flywheel and 32 magnetic levels, you supply the tablet. The cheapest way onto the Echelon platform.
Echelon GT
A step up from the EX-30 with the same 7kg flywheel and 32 levels, plus SPD-compatible pedals and a slip-resistant multi-grip bar. You supply the screen via the arm mount.
Echelon EX-5
The pick if you want a proper ride without paying for a built-in screen. A heavier 13kg flywheel, SPD pedals and a competition-style seat, with your own tablet running the classes.
Built-in HD touchscreen
A large rotating screen is part of the bike, so the classes, metrics and off-bike workouts all run on board.
Echelon EX-5S
The value sweet spot of the touchscreen range. A 22-inch rotating HD screen and a 13kg flywheel for around £1,099, most of the EX7s experience for several hundred pounds less.
Echelon EX7s
A premium connected bike with a 22-inch rotating HD touchscreen, quiet belt drive and a heavy-duty frame rated for light-commercial use. Built for immersion.
Echelon EX-Pro
The commercial flagship: a 24-inch HD touchscreen that flips 180 degrees, fast-reacting EMS indexing resistance, aero bars and a 159kg user limit. Studio-grade, priced to match.
Echelon exercise bikes compared
| Model | Flywheel | Screen | Pedals | Max user | Price | FitRank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX-30 RCX | 7kg | None (bring your own) | Toe cage | 136kg | £449 (£359.20 with EXTRA20) | 4.2 |
| GT | 7kg | None (bring your own) | SPD + toe cage | 136kg | £499 | 4.1 |
| EX-5 | 13kg | None (bring your own) | SPD + toe cage | 136kg | £799 | 4.3 |
| EX-5S | 13kg | 22″ rotating HD | SPD + cage | 136kg | £1,099 | 4.5 |
| EX7s | Magnetic, belt drive | 22″ rotating HD | SPD + cage | 136kg | £1,999 | 4.4 |
| EX-Pro | EMS indexing, belt drive | 24″ rotating HD | SPD + cage | 159kg | £2,999 | 4.5 |
All six share 32 levels of magnetic resistance, Bluetooth, a 2-year warranty and the Echelon Fit app, which syncs with Strava, Apple Health and Fitbit. The EX7s and EX-Pro are rated for commercial use.
The Echelon subscription, explained
Echelon’s bikes are built around Echelon Premier Membership, the paid subscription that unlocks the live and on-demand classes, the leaderboard and the scenic rides through the Echelon Fit app. Every bike includes a 45-day free trial, after which the membership renews monthly unless you cancel. Echelon updates its pricing from time to time, so check the current monthly cost on Echelon’s site before you commit, because over a few years the membership can add up to more than the bike itself.
The important thing to know is that an Echelon bike is not bricked without a subscription. You can still ride it as a manual magnetic bike, adjust the 32 resistance levels yourself, and track your sessions through Strava, Apple Health or Fitbit. What you lose without the membership is the classes, which are the main reason to buy an Echelon in the first place. So when you are weighing an Echelon against a subscription-free bike like a JTX, you are really deciding whether the instructor-led classes are worth the ongoing fee to you.
Echelon discount codes and sales
Echelon and Sweatband run frequent promotions, and there are usually real savings to be had rather than paying full RRP. At the time of writing the EX-30 RCX is half price and drops to £359.20 with the code EXTRA20, the EX-5 has 20% off, and the EX-5S has 19% off. Codes and sale prices change, and the best Echelon deals in the UK tend to appear through Sweatband, so it is worth checking the current offer before buying. We flag the live discount on each bike in the cards above.
What about the EX3, Connect Sport and older Echelon bikes?
If you have been researching Echelon for a while you will have seen the EX3, the Connect Sport and the Sport Smart Connect bikes. These are earlier or differently badged models, and they are not part of the current UK line-up at Sweatband. If you read an Echelon EX3 review and liked the look of it, the closest current equivalents are the entry-level EX-30 RCX and the GT, both of which use the same bring-your-own-screen approach and a 7kg flywheel. Step up to the EX-5 or EX-5S and you get the heavier 13kg flywheel and, on the EX-5S, a built-in touchscreen.
How to choose an Echelon bike
Built-in screen, or bring your own?
This is the first decision, and it is mostly about money. The EX-30 RCX, GT and EX-5 have no screen, so you mount a tablet or phone and run the Echelon Fit app from that. It keeps the price down and many people already own a suitable tablet. The EX-5S, EX7s and EX-Pro have a large rotating HD touchscreen built in, which is more immersive and lets you flip the screen for off-bike classes like strength and yoga, but you pay several hundred pounds more for the convenience.
How heavy a flywheel?
The 7kg flywheel on the EX-30 RCX and GT is fine for class-led riding and steady cardio. If you want a weightier, more road-like feel, particularly for standing climbs and sprints, the 13kg flywheel on the EX-5 and EX-5S is the one to look for. The commercial EX7s and EX-Pro use heavier-duty magnetic systems again, with the EX-Pro’s fast-reacting indexing resistance aimed at studio-style class changes.
Which one for the money?
If you just want onto the platform as cheaply as possible, the discounted EX-30 RCX is unbeatable value right now. For the best ride without a screen, the EX-5. For the best all-in-one, the EX-5S is the value pick of the touchscreen bikes, with the EX7s and EX-Pro reserved for those who want a premium or light-commercial machine.
Is Echelon a good brand?
Echelon is one of the established names in connected fitness, and several of its bikes carry strong 4.8-star ratings on Sweatband. The appeal is a large class library, open syncing with Strava, Apple Health and Fitbit, and a hardware range that, unlike some rivals, lets you start cheaply by bringing your own screen. The catch is the same as with any subscription platform: the best of the experience sits behind the membership, so the ongoing cost matters as much as the up-front price. If you will use the classes, Echelon is a strong buy. If you only want a manual magnetic bike, you can spend less elsewhere.
Echelon versus Peloton
Echelon and Peloton are the two big subscription class platforms, and the comparison usually comes down to cost and flexibility. Echelon’s hardware is generally cheaper, its membership typically undercuts Peloton’s, and its bring-your-own-screen bikes let you start for a few hundred pounds rather than four figures. It also plays more openly with third-party apps such as Strava and Apple Health. Peloton’s counter is a slicker, more polished all-in-one ecosystem and a larger, more famous class community. For value and flexibility, Echelon makes the stronger case; for the most seamless out-of-the-box experience, Peloton still leads.
Echelon beyond exercise bikes
Echelon is not only a bike brand. It also makes rowing machines and the Stride line of treadmills, all running through the same Echelon Fit app and membership. If you are building a connected home gym around the platform, it is worth looking at the range as a whole. For treadmills specifically, our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk covers the category in depth.
Frequently asked questions
Do Echelon bikes need a subscription?
Which Echelon bike is the best value?
What is the difference between the EX-5 and the EX-5S?
Do all Echelon bikes have a screen?
Is there an Echelon discount code?
Can I use an Echelon bike with Zwift or Peloton?
What warranty do Echelon bikes come with?
For exercise bikes beyond Echelon, see our main best exercise bikes guide, and read how we score every product on the FitRank page.
Chris writes the home fitness reviews across our sites, including our sister site HomeTreadmill.co.uk. He compares every machine against its rivals on UK pricing and specs, and scores each one with FitRank.