Echelon · Indoor Cycle Review
Echelon EX-5S Review 2026
The EX-5S is the value pick of Echelon’s touchscreen bikes. Take the EX-5’s excellent 13kg ride, bolt on a 22-inch rotating HD screen, and you have a fully self-contained connected bike for around £1,099, several hundred less than the EX7s above it.
Echelon EX-5S
Connected indoor cycle with 22-inch touchscreen
Price and any code applied at checkout via Sweatband
The verdict
The ride is the EX-5’s, and that is a compliment: the 13kg flywheel gives real momentum, the SPD pedals let you clip in, and the vented performance seat adjusts to fit. What you add over the EX-5 is the 22-inch HD touchscreen, which rotates 180 degrees so you can step off the bike and follow strength, yoga or boxing classes on the same screen. Everything runs on board, with no tablet to mount or charge.
It is a heavier bike at 56kg, so it is less something you wheel around between sessions, but that mass is part of why it feels planted. With the current 19% off it lands close to four figures, which for a 22-inch connected bike with a heavy flywheel is strong value. Unless you specifically want the bullhorn bars and light-commercial frame of the EX7s, the EX-5S gives you most of the same experience for noticeably less.
Strengths
- 22-inch rotating HD touchscreen built in
- Heavy 13kg flywheel for a road-like ride
- Rotates for off-bike strength and yoga classes
- Strong value among the touchscreen bikes
- 19% off at the time of writing
Watch-outs
- Heavy at 56kg, not easy to move
- Membership needed for the classes
- Still a premium price next to the no-screen EX-5
Ride feel and real-world experience
The EX-5S takes the EX-5’s well-regarded 13kg ride and adds the screen, and reviewers consistently describe the result as sleek, stable and well made. The magnetic resistance is quiet through all 32 levels, the performance seat and aero handlebars adjust to fit a wide range of heights, and the grippy bars hold up even when a session gets sweaty. As with the EX-5, the Q-factor is wider than a Peloton’s, so the stance feels slightly broader if you are coming from a road bike.
The headline is the 22-inch HD touchscreen, which pivots a full 180 degrees so you can swing it round and follow strength, yoga or boxing classes off the bike. It is a genuinely useful feature. The one trade-off testers note on big-screen bikes like this is a little screen wobble during very hard out-of-the-saddle efforts, and at 56kg the EX-5S is a bike you place once rather than move often. It does not fold or store vertically, so it needs a permanent home.
Assembly, size and setup
Assembly follows the familiar spin-bike routine and takes around an hour with the tools provided, but at 56kg this is a two-person job: the screen and frame make it awkward for one. Once built, the transport wheels help with small adjustments to position, though you will not be wheeling it far. Allow space not just for the footprint but for the screen to rotate.
Living with it: noise, footprint and storage
At 56kg and with a 22-inch screen on board, the EX-5S is a bike you place once and leave. It does not fold or store vertically, so it needs a permanent home with enough clearance for the screen to swing through its full 180-degree rotation. The magnetic resistance keeps it quiet in use, which helps in a flat, but the size and weight mean two people for the initial install and only occasional nudges on the transport wheels thereafter. Factor the screen rotation into your room plan, not just the footprint.
The Echelon app and subscription
With the screen built in, the EX-5S runs everything on board: classes, metrics and the off-bike workouts all live on the 22-inch display. The 45-day Premier Membership trial is included, after which the classes need the ongoing subscription and an internet connection, and it is fair to say the touchscreen is far less useful without a membership than a bring-your-own-tablet bike would be. The class library is mature and well regarded, though the free-ride side of the platform, FitOS World, is still developing and is not yet a rival to the likes of Zwift. Manual riding and Strava, Apple Health and Fitbit syncing work without the subscription.
Is the subscription worth it?
On a touchscreen bike the subscription question changes shape. Unlike a bring-your-own-tablet bike, the EX-5S’s built-in screen is far less useful without a membership, so you are realistically committing to the ongoing fee to get the most from it. The flip side is that the classes are mature and well regarded, and at the current membership rates Echelon usually works out cheaper to run than Peloton. Use the 45-day trial to be sure the class style suits you, because the value of this bike specifically is tied to actually using the screen it is built around.
How it compares
Most reviewers place the EX-5S closest to the original Peloton Bike on price and features, and it makes a strong case as the cheaper, more flexible alternative, with the advantage that it syncs openly to Strava, Apple Health and Fitbit. Against the iFit-based NordicTrack bikes it trades their auto-adjusting incline for a lower price and a simpler ride. If you would rather skip the subscription model entirely, our top pick, the JTX Studio Pro, gives you a heavier flywheel and Zwift support for £799 and no monthly fee, though you lose the built-in screen and the classes. Within the Echelon range, the EX-5S is the value choice against the £1,999 EX7s, which it closely matches on screen and app for several hundred pounds less.
Who it is for
The EX-5S is the best all-in-one for most people who want the screen built in. If you already own a tablet and want to save, the EX-5 gives the same ride for less. If you want a light-commercial frame and bullhorn bars, the EX7s is the step up.
Specifications
| Flywheel | 13kg |
|---|---|
| Resistance | Magnetic, 32 levels |
| Screen | 22-inch rotating HD touchscreen (180-degree flip) |
| Pedals | SPD compatible plus cage |
| Seat | Vented performance, vertical and horizontal adjustment |
| Connectivity | Bluetooth, Echelon Fit, syncs Strava, Apple Health, Fitbit |
| Maximum user weight | 136kg |
| Machine weight | 56kg |
| Power | Mains |
| Warranty | 2 years parts and labour (home use) |
Warranty and after-sales
Echelon gives the EX-5S a 2-year parts and labour warranty, rated for home use. That covers both components and repair labour for two years, which is a fair level for a touchscreen bike in this class, and the screen and electronics are covered under the same terms as the frame and mechanicals. It is sold and supported in the UK through Sweatband, so register the bike on arrival and keep proof of purchase, which matters more on a bike with a screen to go wrong.
FitRank breakdown
Performance 4.5
The same strong 13kg ride as the EX-5, with SPD pedals and a performance seat. Excellent for class-led and free riding alike.
Build quality 4.5
A planted 56kg frame and a 136kg user limit. Solidly built, if heavy to move.
Value 4.4
The best-value touchscreen Echelon, especially with 19% off. Most of the EX7s for hundreds less.
Features 4.6
The 22-inch rotating screen, on-board classes and off-bike workouts make it genuinely self-contained.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the EX-5S and the EX7s?
How does the EX-5S compare with Peloton?
Does the screen wobble?
Does the Echelon EX-5S need a tablet?
Does the EX-5S fold?
Is the EX-5S screen useful without a subscription?
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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