Echelon · Indoor Cycle Review
Echelon EX7s Review 2026
The EX7s is Echelon’s premium connected bike, built to a light-commercial standard with a 22-inch rotating HD touchscreen, a quiet belt drive and bullhorn handlebars. It is made for riders who want immersion and a frame that will take years of hard use.
Echelon EX7s
Premium connected indoor cycle
Price and any code applied at checkout via Sweatband
The verdict
Everything about the EX7s is geared towards a studio-style experience at home. The 22-inch HD touchscreen rotates 180 degrees for off-bike classes, the belt drive keeps things quiet and low-maintenance, and the elevated bullhorn handlebars with an elbow rest give you an aggressive, aero riding position the cheaper bikes do not. The frame is rated for light-commercial use, so it is comfortable in a shared household or a small studio.
The honest question is value. At £1,999 the EX7s costs nearly double the EX-5S, and the two share the same 22-inch screen and the same app. What you are paying the premium for is the belt drive, the bullhorn bars, the wired connectivity options and the heavier-duty commercial-grade frame. If those things matter to you, it is a lovely bike. If they do not, the EX-5S gives you the core experience for a lot less, which is the comparison most buyers should make.
Strengths
- 22-inch rotating HD touchscreen
- Quiet, low-maintenance belt drive
- Light-commercial frame
- Bullhorn bars with elbow rest
- Wired or wireless connectivity
Watch-outs
- Nearly double the price of the EX-5S for a similar experience
- Heavy and large
- Membership needed for the classes
Ride feel and real-world experience
The EX7s is the most refined ride in the range. Its belt drive, a ribbed Poly-V design, runs whisper-quiet and needs virtually no maintenance, and reviewers consistently describe the resistance, adjusted through 32 indexed levels on a responsive knob, as smooth and progressive. The heavier flywheel and frame give a planted, seamless feel that the lighter bikes cannot match.
The standout at the contact points is the elevated bullhorn handlebar with built-in elbow rests, which gives more hand positions and a more aggressive, aero posture than the rest of the range, though some reviewers would still prefer true drop bars. The competition-style seat is supportive but, like most performance saddles, firm on long rides. Quad-adjustable bars and seat fit riders from roughly 4 foot 5 to 6 foot 8, and the 22-inch screen pivots 180 degrees for off-bike work. As on the other screen bikes, expect a touch of screen movement during all-out efforts. Front-facing speakers and a clear, responsive touchscreen round out the immersive feel, and an integrated tablet holder and dual bottle holders keep everything within easy reach mid-session.
Assembly, size and setup
At 53kg with a tall frame and a large screen, the EX7s is firmly a two-person assembly and install. The build itself is straightforward with the supplied tools and takes around an hour, and once in place the transport wheels allow small repositioning. It is a big bike, so measure your space, including room for the screen to rotate, before it arrives.
Living with it: noise, footprint and storage
The EX7s is a large, heavy bike at 53kg with a tall frame, so it commands a proper space rather than a spare corner. It does not fold, and you need clearance for the 22-inch screen to rotate. The belt drive and magnetic resistance make it one of the quietest bikes in the range, which is welcome in a flat or shared home, and the build feels made to stay put: once installed, you will move it only rarely, on its transport wheels, for cleaning or the occasional reshuffle.
The Echelon app and subscription
Everything runs on the built-in 22-inch screen, with the 45-day Premier Membership trial included and the classes requiring the ongoing subscription and an internet connection afterwards. The EX7s also offers wired connectivity through a CAT6 port as well as wireless, which is a nice touch if your home network is patchy where the bike lives. A point worth knowing for power users: the community QZ app can bridge an Echelon bike to other platforms and add automatic resistance, though that is a third-party workaround rather than an official feature. Manual riding and third-party syncing work without a membership.
Is the subscription worth it?
As a premium touchscreen bike, the EX7s leans on the subscription as much as the EX-5S does, since the on-board screen is built around the Echelon classes. The harder value question here is not the membership but the hardware: you are paying nearly twice the EX-5S for the same screen and app, so the subscription maths are identical and the extra outlay buys frame and finish rather than a better class experience. If you want the classes and a light-commercial build, the membership is part of the deal; if you only want the classes, the cheaper EX-5S reaches the same library.
How it compares
At £1,999 the EX7s competes with premium connected bikes like the Peloton Bike Plus and the NordicTrack S22i, but the closest question is simpler and closer to home: why not the EX-5S? The two share the same 22-inch screen and app, and the EX-5S costs several hundred pounds less, so the EX7s only makes sense if you specifically want its belt drive, bullhorn bars, wired networking and light-commercial frame. If you would rather avoid a subscription altogether, the JTX Studio Pro delivers a heavier flywheel and Zwift for £799, albeit without a screen or classes.
Who it is for
Buy the EX7s if you want a premium, light-commercial bike and the aero bullhorn riding position. Most people who simply want the screen will find the EX-5S gives the core experience for far less. If you want a full commercial machine, the EX-Pro is the flagship.
Specifications
| Drive | Magnetic, belt drive |
|---|---|
| Resistance | 32 levels |
| Screen | 22-inch rotating HD touchscreen (180-degree flip) |
| Handlebars | Elevated bullhorn with elbow rest |
| Pedals | SPD plus cage |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, wired or wireless (CAT6), Echelon Fit, syncs Strava, Apple Health, Fitbit |
| Maximum user weight | 136kg |
| Machine weight | 53kg |
| Warranty | 2 years parts and labour, commercial-rated frame |
Warranty and after-sales
The EX7s steps up to a commercial-rated frame, and Echelon backs it with a 2-year parts and labour warranty. The commercial rating means the frame is built and certified for heavier, shared use, such as a small studio or a busy household, rather than single-user home duty, which is reassuring at this price. Cover runs for two years on both parts and labour, it is sold through Sweatband in the UK, and you should register it and keep your receipt.
FitRank breakdown
Performance 4.5
A smooth, quiet belt drive and an aggressive bullhorn position make for an immersive, studio-style ride.
Build quality 4.6
A light-commercial frame rated for heavy, shared use, with wired connectivity options. Built to last.
Value 4.0
The weak spot. At nearly twice the EX-5S for a similar screen and app, you pay a real premium for the frame and finish.
Features 4.7
A 22-inch rotating screen, belt drive, bullhorn bars and wired networking add up to a premium feature set.
Frequently asked questions
Is the EX7s worth it over the EX-5S?
Is the EX7s quiet?
Does the EX7s need a tablet?
Can it be used in a small studio?
Does the EX7s fold away?
Does the EX7s screen need a subscription?
Does the EX7s work with other apps like Peloton or Zwift?
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.
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