
By Robbie Ferri
Personal Trainer & Cycling Instructor
Robbie from “Riding with Robbie” is a Personal Trainer living in in Norfolk, UK. He has bikepacked all over the World, and also raced ultra distance at a top-level. He has worked closely with industry leaders such as Shimano.
So you’re in the market for a new spinning
Both the NordicTrack S22i and the Echelon EX5-S are incredible bikes, but a lot sets them apart. In this article, we’ll dive into each
EX5-S | S22i | |
---|---|---|
Footprint | 58L x 21.5L x 61H | 61L x 22W x 58H |
Weight | 124lbs | 202lbs |
Resistance Levels | 32 | 24 |
Incline Range | N/A | -10 to +20 |
Max Weight | 300lbs | 350lbs |
Height Range | 4ft 11” – 6ft 4” | 5ft 1” – 6ft 5” |
Connectivity | Wifi, Bluetooth | Wifi, Bluetooth |
Monitor | 22” HD Rotational | 22” HD Rotational |
Warranty | 1 Year | 10 Frame, 2 Parts, 1 Labor |
Price | $1500 – $1800 (Roughly) | $2000 – $2500 (Roughly) |
NordicTrack S22i Review
The bike itself is an incredible machine and has an incline and decline feature, which means when you ride, a motor will raise and drop the front of the bike. The screen is 22” HD and uses an application called iFit for all your live and pre-recorded classes.
The NordicTrack S22i is a leading
Then you have the screen. The reason they call this the S22i is because of its interactive 22” high definition screen, which has the ability to swivel. It’s linked with the iFit application, which gives you live and on-demand spinning classes and also includes off the
The
Pros
- Bike looks excellent
- iFit application is probably one of the best
- Incline Decline feature rocks
- Large 22” touch screen with swivel
- Magnetic resistance system with belt drive
- Google maps integration
- Weights included
Cons
- Quite heavy
- No pre-programmed workouts
- iFit does cost
- Price
Echelon EX5-S Review
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.
Echelon is a huge brand when it comes to indoor cycling and has been a big competitor of the Peloton and the other top brands for many years. The Echelon EX5-S is one of the best looking bikes on the market with its rear-facing flywheel and matt black finish with red detailing. Inside, you get a magnetic resistance system with a belt drive and 32 levels of resistance that will challenge any rider.
The screen, like the Nordictrack S22i, is a 21.5” high definition touch screen, and it’s on a swivel bracket so it can move around for those off the
The
Pros
- Bike looks amazing
- Echelon is a great app
- Echelon app can be used on phones too
- Large 22” touch screen with swivel
- Magnetic resistance system with belt drive
- Rear-facing flywheel
- Weights included
- Very lightweight and easy to move
Cons
- Not many special features
- No auto resistance

The Bigger Picture
Both these bikes are excellent and well worth every cent, but how do they compare up against each other? In the next section, we’re going to break them down and pitch them against each other.
Looks
Having a nice looking
Then you have the Echelon, and it’s got a rear-facing flywheel which not only looks very sporty but it keeps the sweat away from the main components. It’s got sleek matt black tubing, and the red detailing gives it a very edgy finish. We love it. Out of the two although it does come down to personal preference, in our opinion we think the Echelon does look the best.
Size and Weight
Both these bikes are full-sized spinning bikes. The NordicTrack is 61L x 22W x 58H and the Echelon is 58L x 21.5L x 61H. There’s very little difference in the size of these bikes. The Echelon does take up slightly less room, but it’s not a noticeable difference in our opinion.
One very large difference is the weight of these bikes though. The NordicTrack is 202lbs which, as far as spinning bikes go pretty heavy, and this is due to the special climbing feature. It may weigh a lot but does move around easily on the front wheels as most of the
Then we have the Echelon and coming in at only 124lbs, it is an incredibly lightweight
Resistance System
Both these bikes run a frictionless magnetic resistance system paired with a belt drive. This means you get silky smooth resistance with a wide range of gears from low for beginners to high for professionals. The Echelon has 32 resistance levels, and the NordicTrack has 24. You get a similar range of gears with just more options on the Echelon.
Adjustability and Height Range
One thing that often gets overlooked when it comes to spinning bikes is adjustability. With some bikes, you can move everything around. Others are fairly fixed to keeping you in certain positions. The Nordictrack S22i has a saddle that will go forward and back and handlebars that will only go up and down.
Then we have the Echelon EX5-S, this
Regarding height ranges, the NordicTrack is estimated at 5ft 1” – 6ft 5” and the Echelon at 4ft 11” – 6ft 4”, which is a decent range on both bikes, the Echelon being better suited to shorter riders and the NordicTrack for taller riders.
Screens
Technology has advanced heavily in recent years, bringing us excellent entertainment systems on spinning bikes. At the heart of those systems are the screens, and both the NordicTrack and the Echelon don’t disappoint. The NordicTrack has a 22” HD touch screen, and the Echelon has a 21.5” HD touch screen. Realistically there’s very little between them, and they work in a very similar fashion. They even both have the ability to swivel for those off the
Applications
Both bikes are locked to certain applications. The NordicTrack has iFit, and the Echelon has the Echelon application. iFit is an incredible application and is regarded as one of the best. It not only has live classes, a huge selection of on-demand classes, and great off the
Then we have the Echelon application. Echelon is known for excellent classes and motivational instructors. The application offers live and on-demand rides alongside many off the
Special Features
In modern times, the special features make the difference between the top bikes. We no longer have bikes that just work ok for classes. We have bikes that offer better experiences while in those classes.
The NordicTrack S22i is an incredible
Then you have the Echelon; unfortunately, this doesn’t come with any features like this. You get a great experience out of the
Price
Then we have a very important factor, the price of the
Which is for me, the S22i or the EX5-S?
What it comes down to really more than anything is how much do you value the extra features. The Echelon is cheaper, but it does offer less as far as features go. You need to ask yourself, are you happy to spend an extra $600 on an incline and decline feature and automatic resistance? Because that’s really the only big difference in our opinion. We personally think they are both excellent bikes, and whatever way you choose to go, you’re getting excellent value for money and will have a lot of fun keeping fit.
What about other bikes on the market?
We feel it’s vital to speak about other bikes on the market as there’s so much competition when it comes to spinning bikes. Here’s how the Echelon EX5-S and NordicTrack S22i compare.
Proform Studio Bike 22
The Proform Studio
Peloton Plus Bike
Then we have the mighty Peloton. Peloton offers two bikes, and we’re going to be speaking about the legendary Peloton
Bowflex C6 / Schwinn IC4
The IC4 and C6 are the same bikes, just branded differently. They come in for around $1000, and as a
Check also our S22i vs. Schwinn IC4 / Bowflex C6 article!
MYX II Bike
The MYX II bike comes in at a price of roughly $1400, it has a large touch screen, and the application cost is about half compared to applications such as Peloton and Echelon. It’s a great alternative. The only thing we didn’t like was the internals and the fact it runs a friction system making it a bit noisier than most other bikes on the market. You can also read our detailed MYX II vs. S22i comparison.
FAQs
What’s better, the original Peloton or Echelon?
Echelon is an excellent alternative to Peloton, being cheaper and offering a completely different style. We think that there’s very little difference between the original Peloton and the Echelon.
Does the S22i and EX5-S work without a subscription?
Yes, they both will work but will have very limited features. We don’t recommend getting these bikes if you don’t plan to use the subscriptions, as that adds the value.
Are the S22i and EX5-S quiet?
Yes, because of the frictionless magnetic resistance systems you get an incredibly quiet workout and they are ok to use even if you live in an apartment to house close to others.
Verdict
The Echelon EX5-S and the NordicTrack S22i are both great bikes. The Echelon is cheaper but has fewer features. The NordicTrack is more expensive but offers more features. It all comes down to how much you value the incline, decline, and auto resistance. Are they worth an extra $600 to you?