Essentials

Echelon EX-8S bike: What you need to know about the new Peloton alternative

By Leah Groth

December 17, 2021 / 6:51 PM EST / Essentials

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Peloton dominates the high-end stationary bike market with the $2,496 Bike+. Echelon Fitness seems to have its eye on that prize, though. The company on Friday unveiled its latest stationary bike, the EX-83, offering some competition in the smart-exercise-machine market.

Available for pre-order now, the sleek-looking piece of workout equipment from the Orlando, Florida-based company boasts a number of features, including flywheels that light up in various colors and a curved touchscreen.

As for price, it retails for $2,399 -- just a little less than the Peloton. However, until Jan.15 it can be pre-ordered for $1,999, including shipping and white-glove delivery. Also, take 22% off select equipment on Echelon's website with the purchase of a yearly membership.

Should you invest in the Echelon EX-8S? Here is what you need to know about the soon-to-be released spin bike and a lowdown on some of the brand's other pieces of exercise equipment.

Echelon EX-8S

Exercise bikes usually feature a flat screen. One of the most innovative features of the EX-8S is a curved, immersive, 24-inch HD touchscreen display that flips 180 degrees for off-equipment workouts.

The bike was also designed with style and stability in mind, starting with a solid platform to prevent wobbling or shaking. Another cool feature? The dual fly-wheels, offering a smooth ride, light up in 15 LED colors, which can be selected by the rider or synched with workout metrics, changing color with pace or intensity.

Spinners might also appreciate that resistance can be adjusted via paddle buttons right under the screen, or a control knob.

Similar to other Echelon products, the bike requires an Echelon programming membership, $35 per month, which includes both live classes and a library of more than 15,000 on-demand workouts. The brand recently expanded its entertainment offerings to include Monday-night rides with former NFL stars; classes featuring Lady Gaga and Reba McEntire; and a Broadway series with rides inspired by musicals such as "Wicked," "Dear Evan Hansen" and more. The company also offers celebrity instructors, including singer Joey Fatone and actor/host Mario Lopez, and recently partnered with rapper Pitbull, now a stakeholder in the company.

Echelon EX-8S, $1,999 (reduced from $2399)

$1,999 at Echelon

Echelon Smart Connect

Echelon also offers beginner bikes for a fraction of the price of the EX-8S. An entry-level interactive bike, the Echelon Smart Connect provides a solid, stable ride with 32 levels of resistance. To access classes, it requires a tablet or smartphone, which is easily mountable via the included adjustable holder.

Echelon Smart Connect, $500

$500 at Amazon

Echelon Stride 5s

Echelon in 2021 released the Stride 5s, a more luxe version of the original Stride treadmill. This smart treadmill offers an interactive, rotating 24-inch touchscreen that controls speed and incline, in addition to integrated heart-rate sensors, an impact-absorbing running deck and oversize cooling fan. The less expensive and more compact Stride, retailing for nearly half the price, requires a tablet to access Echelon programming, but includes a console screen offering eight programmed workouts.

Echelon Stride 5s, $2,500

$2,500 at Echelon

Echelon Stride, $1,300

$1,300 at Amazon

Echelon Row 7s

Echelon offers two rowers, the entry-level Row 7 and the suped-up Row 7s, both offering 32 levels of resistance. The Row 7s boasts a rotating 21.5-inch HD touch screen with built-in speakers and Bluetooth audio, and the Row 7 features a device holder for a tablet.

Echelon Row 7s, $1600

$1,600 at Amazon

Echelon Row 7, $679 (reduced from $999)

$679 at Amazon

Echelon Reflect Touch

Echelon Reflect Touch, a 50-inch fitness mirror that can be used either alone with a base or mounted onto a wall, features an interactive touchscreen with access to all Echelon programming, including HIIT, core, yoga and Pilates workouts. The Reflect, half the price of the Touch, has a 40-inch screen and is controllable only via the Echelon Fit app.

Echelon Reflect Touch, $1,500

$1,500 at Amazon

Echelon Reflect, $750

$750 at Echelon