By Robbie Ferri, Cyclist, Personal Trainer, and Group Exercise Instructor.
Having your own spinning
Two bikes that seem to come up against each other often when it comes to comparison are the Echelon EX-5S and the Bowflex Velocore. They cost pretty much the same amount. They even share similar qualities in the way they look, but they are very different bikes, and knowing the right
Comparison Table
| Bowflex Velocore | Echelon EX-5S | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $2,199 | $2,100 | |
| Max Weight | 325lbs | 300lbs | |
| Bike Weight | 175lbs | 124lbs | |
| Resistance | Belt-Drive System | Belt-Drive System | |
| Display | 16” or 22” HD Screen | 21.5” HD Screen | |
| BlueTooth | Yes | Yes | |
| Special Features | Lean | ||
| Heart-Rate | Yes – Wireless | Yes – Wireless | |
| Resistance Levels | 100 | 32 |
The Bowflex Velocore
Bowflex VeloCore Bike Provides the rider with an incredibly realistic riding experience, closely simulating riding outside on roads or up and down your favorite mountain climb.
Specifications
- Size 60” x 55” x 24”
- Weight 175lbs
- User Height 4ft 6” to 6ft 6”
- User Weight Max 325lbs
- Magnetic Resistance
- Belt Drive
- 16”/22” HD Monitor
- Bluetooth Connectivity
- Lean Feature
The Bowflex Velocore is a personal favorite of mine when it comes to spinning bikes because it’s like they just decided to throw out the rule book and said let’s just make something different and see what happens. Well, it worked, and here you have a
The resistance system is a frictionless magnetic belt drive system that is excellent. It is quiet, smooth, and responsive when being used. The screen on the
The Echelon EX-5S
Echelon EX5-S New and improved stabilization handles and seat post adjustments including a competition seat with 6' lever-style adjustment, and a precision resistance motor are just a few of the exciting new features you only get with the EX5-S.
Specifications
- Size 54” x 59” x 20”
- Weight 124lbs
- User Height 4ft 11” to 6ft 4”
- User Weight Max 300lbs
- Magnetic Resistance
- Belt Drive
- 21.5” HD Monitor
- Bluetooth Connectivity
The Echelon EX-5S is one of the best smart bikes we have on the market currently, and I feel when it was released, it was slightly overshadowed by Peloton, and we missed the hype around this
The
How do the Bikes Compare?
Now you know a little bit about the bikes, it’s time to start comparing them against each other. The best way to do this is to break the bikes down and talk about where they differ. We are going to speak about the resistance system, the screen and connectivity, size and user capacity, and special features.
Resistance System
Both these bikes have a very good resistance system. They both use frictionless magnetic resistance. This means that the resistance is made by magnets repelling the flywheel and doesn’t require any friction. They both have a belt drive which means these bikes require very little maintenance as you don’t need to oil this, like traditional chain driven bikes. On the low end, they both can give very light resistance levels for beginners, and on the top end, enough to even challenge a pro cyclist. The Echelon has 32 levels of resistance, and the Bowflex Velocore has 100. Having more resistance levels doesn’t necessarily make the Bowflex better. It just means it has more options for resistance within a certain range.
Screen and Connectivity
The screens on these bikes are some of the best seen on spinning bikes. The Bowflex has a 22” HD screen, and the Echelon has a 21.5” HD Screen. The difference really is on the inside with these screens. The Bowflex is locked to JRNY, which is an application for classes on and off the
Then you have the Echelon, which is linked to the Echelon application. The Echelon application is very good, and they offer thousands of different classes, but it does cost $39 a month. The Echelon doesn’t work with other applications, so you are a bit limited there. They both have Bluetooth connectivity and can work with headphones and heart rate monitors, but as you can guess, companies often lock the screens as it’s in their best interest for you to use their application.
Size and User Capability
When it comes to size, both these bikes are fairly big, and you are going to need a good amount of space. The smaller of the two is the Echelon but only by a couple of inches. The Bowflex Velocore does require some space at the side, as with the lean feature, you tend to take up a little more room on your left and right while you are riding. One thing that is very different about these bikes is the weight limit. The Echelon has only 300lbs compared to Bowflex’s 325lbs. Also, when it comes to height restrictions, the Bowflex can work with shorter and taller people. Although the Bowflex has much more capacity for different users, it is nearly 50lbs heavier and harder to move around the room compared to the Echelon.
Special Features
When it comes to special features, the Bowflex does take the crown here because of the lean feature. It doesn’t have to be on, but when it is, it seems to give the
Which one is for me?
When it comes to picking a
Read Also:
1. Bowflex Velocore Detailed Review
2. Bowflex Velocore vs NordicTrack S22i New
3. Bowflex Velocore vs Bowflex C6 / Schwinn IC4
Conclusion
Both these bikes are excellent and have so much to offer you as far as your training goes. Whichever
Provides the rider with an incredibly realistic riding experience, closely simulating riding outside on roads or up and down your favorite mountain climb.
New and improved stabilization handles and seat post adjustments including a competition seat with 6' lever-style adjustment, and a precision resistance motor are just a few of the exciting new features you only get with the EX5-S.
