Echelon Smart Connect Fitness Bikes

Excellent bike, had it for a year, the bike itself is very sturdy and professional, no different to a decent bike in a good gym, had some issues with the software but the online help phoned me back and was sorted easily.

Alternative to a gym membership as cycling is my go to fitness workout it was a no brainier, only had it 2 days and already clocked up 25 miles which i wouldn’t have done in this terrible weather we are currently having, very impressed so far

The bike lasted a couple of weeks before there was an issue with ball bearings coming loose. To their credit, Echelon have arranged a replacement bike, but this took a lot of back and forth, and in the meantime the bike is approaching being unusable. Which would be fine if I wasn’t paying for a subscription… fingers crossed the next one is trouble free! Update - the next one was not trouble free. This time the screen didn’t work. Have had to fight tooth and nail to get a refund. Wouldn’t touch this particular version with a barge pole.

I spent a LONG time researching what spin bike to get, and eventually decided to go with the EX-3. So far at least, I'm delighted that I did so. Positives: - Electronically-controlled magnetic resistance means that when you connect the bike to an external app on your mobile device such as Zwift or QZ, you can allow it to automatically change resistance levels. This is an incredibly powerful feature - watching yourself cycle "uphill" or "downhill" on a screen and having the resistance change as you go is a game-changer. - Owing to the above, you can "hack" Peloton on the cheap by connecting the EX-3 to the QZ app and then having that app connect to a second device running Peloton, Zwift, etc. and then cast that device onto a larger screen (if desired). This gives you, for example, Peloton classes for the cost of the "app-only" Peloton subscription and minus the huge outlay for the Peloton bike itself. - The EX-3 transmits a huge volume of metrics over Bluetooth that can be captured by the QZ app (and then relayed onto a third-party app). This was a key reason for choosing this bike over a Joroto or Pasyou or similar BT-enabled bike - they only currently transmit cadence, which will be very limiting when trying to use third-party apps that really need power, etc. transmitted as well. - Almost silent operation. I live in a flat and this in itself is so useful for not disturbing others :) - No display unit built-in so you supply your own device to install an app on to connect to the bike. Some people will regard this as a negative, however it frees up space on your handlebar area (because you’ll probably want a mobile device on your bike anyway) and the display and customisation possible by installing QZ on an IOS/Android device is just SO much nicer than staring at a pokey LCD display that runs off batteries. The bike also has an adjustable stand that adjusts to different angles and will fit most mobile devices such as an iPad. - Requires to be plugged in to work. This means that you don't need to faff about looking to replace batteries or worrying if this is why your BT connection has dropped out, etc. - You do not need to touch the (poorly reviewed) Echelon app at all and can instead go with a far more effective solution such as the QZ app for monitoring workouts. Huge numbers of people complain about the Echelon app, but I have not even downloaded it/used it once. The bike uses FTMS for its Bluetooth connection and QZ "saw" the bike straight away with no difficulty connecting. This also means that you don't have to worry about providing payment details to Echelon for subscription-purposes, or worry about firmware updates being installed on the EX-3 that cause problems (again this is something that people complain about online). - Good range of resistance (from 1-32). Some people have commented that the resistance is not really hard enough until you hit 26+ out of 32. All I can say is that as a (reasonably) fit 50-something man it is perfect for me - I don't generally go much beyond 22-23 without standing on the pedals. Be aware that Peloton uses a 1-100 scale, but an app like QZ will automatically calculate the conversion necessary when in a class :) Negatives: - Echelon (currently) has a poor reputation online for customer service. The bike itself seems really well-built, but there are SO many stories of individuals having something go wrong and then Echelon being poor at providing the necessary support. This was the biggest reason for me delaying my purchase, and is just something to keep in mind. - The bike box it is delivered in is very heavy and although I was able to build it up on my own without too much difficulty, to move the box into the required room would be a tough ask unless there are two pairs of hands (or you are "very nice" to the delivery team!). Other manufacturers are now able to offer the delivery of their bikes in two or three separate boxes to make the build-process more manageable. - If the bike loses power or the BT stops working then the “knob” that controls resistance manually will not work. - The seat is a "racing style" one and although it's not TOO uncomfortable/firm, you definitely want to workout using proper padded bike shorts to provide adequate cushioning. You can of course though just swap out the supplied seat to one of your personal preference if you really want to - the bike uses a standard fitting. Conclusion: An amazing, well-built and specified spin bike which is definitely worth buying, especially for the metrics that are transmitted over BT, and the electronically-controlled magnetic resistance. However if you decide you want it, don’t buy it directly from the Echelon website as if you do you have no choice but to subscribe to their ecosystem of online classes at the same time (they literally don’t let you buy the bike without this). You’ll also be completely beholden to them for customer support if something goes wrong. The only thing you lose by buying it via a third-party like Amazon is that you can get an extended warranty if you buy direct, but personally I just don’t think this is worth it.

if you’re in the UK dont buy this get a peleton. the physical bike is great but they havent sorted the music license for the UK you just get library music, and they just sacked all the UK instructors. they also forced through a fireware update removing access to third party apps which I suspect is in breach of consumer laws. check out facebook official group and reddit to get a fuller picture.

I was looking to buy this bike but have now looked at the Echelon app on the Google Play store, reviews make it look absolutely terrible. This has definitely put me off buying the bike as it seems a critical part to get the most from the bike.

A lot of play in the bike when assembled from new and everything is tight. Secondly, the screen is very buggy, takes ages to respond and when updating needs a cryptic cycle of download, unplug, re-download until Complete. Without this tango being complete the bike becomes locked. Lastly connecting of heart rate devices is shambolic. I’m into heart rate zone training at the minute so this is a HUGE deal for me. Had a garmin watch that worked for my first ride then would t connect at all afterwards, even when “forgetting device”, this just led to my watch being a total write off. Purchased an Apple Watch to use and it turns out that will only work with the phone app and not the bike. So now I have to use my phone with Apple Watch alongside the bike screen to do HR training. I would purchase a chest HR strap but I have no faith in the bike working with it and do not want to waste anymore money. Finally, the support for the bike is shocking. Cannot find any advice on the EX-5S that is useful and get ghosted by support. Just avoid and get a cheap as chips bike, because that’s all this is. Or splash a lot more on Peleton.