Home exercise equipment brand Echelon has just released a new Echelon Connect Sports Bike, the Connect EX-7s. It's purpose built for fans of indoor cycling, and could well be the best exercise bike to take your indoor training to the next level. The Echelon Connect EX-7s is described by the brand as its 'most heavy-duty bike yet', making it the perfect choice if you want an ultra-durable, gym-quality indoor cycling machine for cardio and endurance training.
The arrival of the new Echelon Connect EX-7s marks a bumper year of home gym product releases from the brand, but it doesn't come cheap. In fact, with an eye-watering starting price of $2,039.98, the Echelon Connect Bike EX-7s is the brand's most expensive fitness bike, putting it more in line with the price of a Peloton bike, arguably one of Echelon's biggest competitors. However, there's a lot going on with the Connect EX-7s, with a ton of features, high build quality, and a gorgeous 21.5-inch rotating screen to enhance on and off the bike workouts (think yoga, boxing).
The Echelon Connect EX-7s combines many of the features from the much-loved EX5 and Smart Connect EX3 Max models, with competition level cranks and a fully adjustable seat for a superb fit. It tracks your effort throughout multiple workouts, and syncs with Strava, Apple Health, ZSwift, and Fitbit, the world's best fitness tracker brand.
Echelon Connect Bike EX-7s: Price, release date, spec
- Release date: Available for pre-order now
- Price: $2039.98 (pay later plans starting at $52/month)
- Weight: 124 lbs (56kg)
- Max user weight: 325lbs (147kg)
- User height range: 4' 5" to 6' 8" (134 cm to 203 cm)
- Size: 54 x 20-inch (127 cm × 51 cm) footprint
- Trial period: 30-days
- Display: 21.5-inch HD touchscreen with 180-degree rotation
- Power: 110V or 240V power ports front and rear
- Drive system: Kevlar PolyV power drive belt
- Resistance levels: 32
- Handlebars: Multi-adjustable aero bars
- Seat: Gel comfort, competition-style
- Connectivity: WiFi or Ethernet port at base
- Pedals: Dual-sided SPD compatible; Toe cage pedals
- Safety break: Simple brake lever
- Mounted bottle holder: Coated metal
Echelon Connect Bike EX-7s: Design and features
The Echelon Connect Bike EX-7s is primarily designed for people who want huge variety from their home cycling workouts, and who are looking for a gym-quality bike that's built to last and that puts comfort first. As such, the EX-7s is designed with a competition-style gel seat that can be adjusted to provide a more comfortable, custom feel.
Because you can make precision adjustments to other areas on this bike too, you can get a near-perfect fit for your height and weight. The ergonomic handlebars are fully adjustable too, as are the SPD compatible pedals with adjustable toe cages.
The Connect Bike EX-7s also boasts a 21.5-inch HD touchscreen that can be rotated a full 180-degrees. This means you can use the giant screen to exercise along with off-bike workout classes, such as yoga, boxing, and core strength training.
How come? Echelon Fit, the brand's own online fitness program that gives you access to a huge selection of live and on demand workouts to pick from, including energizing spin classes and cycling endurance workouts from dozens of certified indoor cycling instructors. Classes last anywhere from 10 to 45 minutes. There are also regularly updated prerecorded rides through various landscapes and famous cycling routes, so you can ride across the globe without leaving home.
The Echelon Fit app is an added expensive on top of the cost of the Connect Bike EX-7s, but there are various subscription packages on offer. These start from $11.99 a month for the Monthly FitPass Classes Unlimited Access, which enables you to access to all off the machine content, plus Core strength training, Yoga, Boxing, Meditation, Upper and Lower body, flexibility workouts, and more.
How could the Echelon Connect Bike EX-7s boost your fitness?
With endless training options, the versatile EX-7s enables you to workout your body in new and different ways. Great for boosting fitness and endurance, the EX-7s provides a low-impact workout that will still get your heart pumping. For an affordable way to keep tabs on your heart rate, see our roundup of the best Amazon Prime Day Fitbit deals.
A stationary bike is an efficient and effective way to burn calories while strengthening your heart and lungs. The pedaling action is also brilliant for your lower body, strengthening and toning your calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps, while also working the muscles in your core and glutes.
The Echelon Connect Bike EX-7s provides lots of great interval training options too, which let you alternate between short bursts of intense exercise mixed with longer intervals of less intense activity - great for getting your heart rate up.
With built-in sensors in the handlebars, you can keep an eye on your heart rate, and your stats will also be updated and displayed on the the 21.5-inch - a leaderboard will show you where you are in the class, motivating you to work harder.
When you’ve had enough cardio, you can mix up your workout and switch over to one of the many yoga and pilates classes to help you strengthen and tone your body. There is also a range of meditation classes to choose from, so you can make sure both your physical and mental fitness is taken care of.
Want more health and fitness content? Then check out our guides to the best treadmills and best elliptical machines or turn your road or mountain bike into an indoor fitness bike with the best bike trainers.
