Peloton vs Echelon Comparison Review: Which Cardio Bike Is Better?
Category: Exercise Bike Reviews
For all the talk about the Peloton bike out there, would you be surprised learn that there is an alternative to the Pelon bike available at a relatively cheaper price? Enter Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bikes. This article gives you an in depth Peloton vs Echelon bike comparison review outlining their key features, similarities, differences, costs etc. May be you might want to take a second look before you jump unto the Peloton bandwagon.
QUICK OVERVIEW
Many people who are serious about getting high quality cardio workouts choose spin bikes as their favorite piece of exercise equipment. Today smart fitness bikes take cardio workouts to the next level and give you all the advantages of attending a quality spin class without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home.
It seems only natural when talking about smart fitness bikes to compare the Peloton vs Echelon Smart Bike when looking for the best bike to give you the kind of cardio fitness workout that you are looking for.
What Exactly Is A Smart Bike?
In order to fully determine whether the Peloton vs. Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike is better for cardio fitness you need to know what makes an exercise bike a ‘smart bike‘. The main thing that makes a bike a smart bike is the fact that you need to purchase a monthly subscription to use with the bike. This adds to the overall expense of a bike that all ready has a hefty price tag.
Many smart bikes have large interactive tablets that can only be used to access live spin classes with certified instructors that your subscription gives you access too.
How Do Smart Bikes Differ From Regular Fitness Bikes?
Regular fitness bikes may come with a lot of bells and whistles like water bottle holders, screens that track your speed, calories burned and other information. You can even get smart trainers for a price to attach to your regular fitness bike that allows you to feel like you are taking classes or going on scenic rides.
Smart fitness bikes on the other hand either have a built in screen or allow you to attach your tablet to your bike. You then pay for a subscription that gives you access to tons of live classes taught by some of the best spin instructors in the business as well as on demand videos. However, you do need to pay a monthly fee in order to gain access to these classes.
Another difference is the cost of smart bikes compared to the cost of regular fitness bikes with smart bikes costing a good deal more than the traditional fitness bike.
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Peloton vs Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike
If you are reading this Peloton vs. Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike review to determine which of these two bikes are better for cardio fitness you really need to know the features of both of these fitness bikes.
So let’s take a look at the features of each.
Features of the Peloton Bike:
Let us start the battle of the Peloton vs. Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike by looking at the features of the Peloton bike.
When the Peloton bike was first introduced to the public it was touted as the bike to have to anyone who was serious about fitness.
This bike is still the gold standard that other fitness bikes are compared to:
- This bike comes with a large 22-inch touch screen that uses a custom version of Android. (You can only view live classes or on demand videos on the screen)
- You do need to buy a subscription to get access to live classes and videos.
- You do need to buy cleats (sold separately in order to ride this bike)
- Handlebars move up and down, but not forward and backward
- Has space for 2 water bottles
- Uses magnetic controlled resistance
- Doesn’t take up a great deal of space with its 48 inch by 24 inch footprint
- The bike weighs 135 pound, but delivery and set up is free
- Has a maximum users weight of 305 pounds.
- Steel frame
- Wight holders behind the seat
- Hefty price tag
Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike EX5 Features:
There are 4 different models of the Echelon EX5 Smart Connect..., so for purposes of the Peloton vs Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bikes we will focus on the EX 5:
- The Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike EX5 does not come with a built in screen, but it does have a holder so you can use your own tablet.
- You need to buy a subscription in order to get access to the live classes and the on demand videos.
- 32 Magnetic Resistance levels
- Bluetooth capability
- The Echelon does not require a lot of floor space with a footprint of 52 inches by 20 inches
- It has a 2.4 volt advanced charging USB port
- You get free set with a yearly subscription otherwise you pay $150.00 for set up
- The Echelon weighs 105 pounds
- The Echelon also has a maximum user weight of 150
- This bike has stabilization handles and seat post
- Weight holders behind the seat
- Steel frame
- Fits heights from 5’1” to 6’2” with everything being fully adjustable
- Pedals with toe cage (Doesn’t require special shoes)
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Peloton vs Echelon Comparison: How Do They Differ?
Now that you know the features of the Peloton vs Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bikes, let’s take a closer look at the difference between the two brands of bikes.
For starters, the Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike is a more stripped down than the Peloton that prides itself on all the bells the whistles it has to offer.
However, those bells and whistles come at a high price since the Peloton costs about 3 times as much as the Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike EX5 .
Here is a closer look at specific differences:
- The Peloton bike is priced at over $2,000 dollars, however delivery and set up is included in the price. The Echelon too gets free delivery and set up if you purchase a full year’s subscription plan. If you choose a monthly plan you will need to pay $150.00 for delivery and set up.
- The Peloton has a larger footprint that the Echelon since the Peloton is 6 inches longer and 2 inches wider that Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bikes. The size difference may become an issue if you have limited space in which to set up your fitness equipment.
- The Peloton is also is 30 pounds heavier (135 pounds) that the Echelon (105) which may be really noticeable if you have to move the bike when changing location.
- The Peloton can also hold a slightly heavier user than the Echelon can, but the difference is only 5 pounds, with the Peloton having a maximum user weight to the Echelon’s maximum user weight of 300 pounds.
- The Peloton has magnetic controlled resistance while the resistance on the Echelon is manually controlled.
- The Peloton comes with a 22-inch touch screen and the Echelon doesn’t come with a screen at all, however you can connect your own tablet computer to the bike to access the live classes and videos. The large touch screen is one of the reasons (though not the only reason) for the Peloton’s significantly higher cost.
- While you can’t do much adjustment to the Peloton bike, the Echelon is highly adjustable allowing you to fully adjust the handlebars and the seat making this bike more comfortable to ride for a larger segment of the population.
Final take – Peloton vs Echelon: Which Smart Bike is Better?
When it comes to actually getting a good cardio workout both the Peloton and Echelon Smart Fitness Bikes will get the job done since they both allow you access to real live spin classes taught by some of the best spin instructors out there. You can also get on demand videos which will allow you to exercise anytime you choose while having the experience of working out in a real class atmosphere.
The Echelon has a slightly smaller footprint, which may be something to consider if you have limited space available. Another plus in favor of the Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike is that this bike can easier be adjusted to accommodate different height people, whereas the ability the to adjust the Peloton bike is pretty limited which could make the Peloton bike a bit more uncomfortable to ride for some people.
However, when it comes to choosing between the Peloton and Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike the choice may really come down to price since the price of the Peloton combined with the monthly subscription cost and the fact that you have to buy special cleated bike shoes may put the Peloton well out of reach for most people.
In the end, the real selling factor for both of these bikes is the fact that that the live spin classes taught by real live instructors can keep you motivate and interested in achieving your cardio fitness goals. Which bike wins in the battle of Peloton vs Echelon all comes down to your own personal taste and the budget you have for a fitness bike.
The good news is that both the Peloton and the Echelon will give you a great cardio workout without ever having to leave your home or paying for a gym membership that may be inconvenient to use. When it comes to the Peloton vs Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bike we find that both these fitness bikes are winners.
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