If you temporarily have to cancel your Echelon bike membership, will the bike work at all? Can you use Echelon bike without membership?
Like Peloton Bikes, Echelon bikes are known for their digital features. The bikes let you interact with instructors and classmates. However, you need a paid subscription to use an Echelon bike.
While you can use an Echelon bike without a membership, it is limited. If you cancel your subscription, you can still ride your bike, but there are no live classes and no leaderboard. Your bike will still track information such as your speed, but you will lose the exciting online features.
If you temporarily need to cut costs and have to cancel your subscription, the bike will thankfully still work. You can still get exercise after canceling your subscription - the bike certainly won't lock up and prevent you from using it.
A while ago, I had to cancel my Echelon subscription because money was tight. I continued to use my bike without the live classes. Sometimes, I could train at the same intensity, but other times, I lost the motivation.
How the Subscription Works
All Echelon bikes use the Echelon Fit app, which includes all of the live classes that Echelon offers. You have to pay a monthly fee of about $30 for the Echelon Fit app.
Can You Use an Echelon Bike Without a Membership?
When your paid subscription runs out, your bike will still turn on and will still work. However, you will only be able to use the freestyle rides mode. The freestyle rides mode is pretty limited, especially if you want to compete with other people.
What is Freestyle Rides Mode?
Freestyle rides mode is the only mode you can use without a subscription. Freestyle rides mode will let you ride your bike and track your information. However, you cannot save any of your stats or take any online classes without a subscription.
The Subscription Makes Your Echelon Bike Worth It
Competitive cyclists should pay for the subscription because the online features are the main point of having an Echelon bike. The mechanical parts are excellent, but if you don't want the online features, you should get a regular exercise bike with sensors instead.
Even recreational cyclists are better off with the online subscription because it doesn't make sense to purchase an Echelon bike and then not use the subscriber-only features. The features are worth it, even for recreational cyclists, and the subscription is cheap relative to the cost of the bike.
Are Exercise Bikes Worth It?
Yes, exercise bikes are worth it in my experience. They don't cost very little, but they improve your life. I am in far better shape than I was a few years ago because I bought an Echelon bike.
If you are busy and have a lot of things to worry about, you can easily get out of the habit of going to the gym. However, if you have an exercise bike at home, you can reach your fitness goals while having a lot of other responsibilities.
Echelon bikes are certainly worth it. Getting fit has to be somewhat difficult, there's no very low-effort way to do it, but it should be fun also. The online element makes it more fun and inspires you to train harder.
Classes and Workouts
The best thing about an Echelon bike is the live classes anyone who has a subscription can take. Experts guide you through the best way to do endurance or sprint cycling. You can also interact with other people in your classes, who are near your skill level.
Taking live classes makes you feel competitive. When some people in your classes get faster and move on to more advanced classes, you want to advance along with them. I would never have improved my fitness so much if it were not for these live classes.
Some of the different types of classes you can take are:
- Beginner classes. If you are just starting out, I highly recommend these. They will teach you how to cycle properly. Even if you start out at a reasonably high fitness level, you still need beginner classes unless you are an experienced cyclist.
- Warmup and cooldown classes. You can boost your performance and reduce the risk of injury if you get ready for a session properly. Doing a cooldown is underrated and helps you recover better.
- Endurance rides. These are more advanced classes where you build up your strength and balance until you can handle a long ride. The rides alternate back and forth between easy and hard pedaling to simulate real outdoor conditions.
- Power rides. These are somewhat difficult rides where the speed often switches during the workout. It is great for your metabolic health to do workouts where the speed often changes dramatically.
- Many other options - scenic, hill, speed, all out, fusion, boot camp, and more.
There Are No Live Instructors Without a Subscription
Some people perform better without live instructors than others. In the short run, I was able to keep pedaling without instruction, especially as I had already learned everything I needed to know. However, I eventually found myself skipping many days in a row.
The live instructors are definitely worth the money. If you have a coach encouraging you to train, it is easier to train harder. Even experienced cyclists benefit from classmates to compete with and motivational coaches.
Live classes are even more important for beginner cyclists. Live classes teach you how to cycle properly. You won't do as well without this initial instruction.
The Subscription Also Offers Non-Cycling Classes
An Echelon subscription also gives you access to non-cycling classes. For example, if you do strength workouts as well as cycling workouts, you can do them with the instructors Echelon provides. Some of their non-cycling classes are:
- Yoga
- Boxing
- Stretching
- Zumba
- Cardio
- Strength
- Pilates
If you cancel your subscription, you also lose access to these classes. If you have already learned these exercises, you can continue to do them, but it is much easier with live instructors.
What Are Echelon Bike Stations?
Echelon bike stations are a way to ride an Echelon bike without a subscription, or even without owning an Echelon. Your city may have several Echelon bike stations where you can ride an Echelon bike without owning one. All of the online features are available at Echelon bike stations.
Usually, it costs about $5 per hour or $30 per day to rent an Echelon bike. You can reserve a bike online, and have to create an Echelon account first.
This service allows you to "try before you buy". If you aren't sure whether you want an Echelon bike, you can go to an Echelon bike station and try one out first.
Cycling Indoors VS Cycling Outdoors
Sometimes, cycling outdoors is the best - you get fresh air and sunlight that way. However, it is easier to work out at home than to leave your house to do it. If you have to leave home to go to the gym or go for a ride, it is too easy to make excuses.
Cycling indoors is also safer - many cyclists are killed or seriously injured every year riding around. You might also not live in a good area for cycling. Some people both have an indoor Echelon Bike and an outdoor bike.
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