My Peloton Bike Dupe: How to Use an Echelon Bike with the Peloton App

Hi, friends! If you've been following me for long, you know working out is a HUGE passion of mine. It is a major part of my life and something I truly enjoy. I'm a CrossFitter first and foremost and cardio/endurance has always been something I struggle with, but I love the results I see in my body when I combine cardio and cross training. I HATE running, but I've grown to really enjoy spinning, so I recently purchased an Echelon Connect Sport indoor cycling bike (basically the Walmart version of a Peloton) and it has been such a game changer for my overall endurance and my fitness routine. I'm sharing the details on how to use the Echelon bike with Peloton cycle classes below! 

The Echelon bike costs $500 from Walmart (a fraction of the $2k Peloton). It looks and feels the EXACT same, minus the screen, the strap in pedals and the lack of dumbbell holders. My mother in law has a Peloton, so I am speaking from first hand experience. I subscribe to the Peloton app digital membership ($13/month, with a free trial), put my iPad on the handlebar holder, and get all the benefits of Peloton classes for a fraction of the cost. WIN!! The Echelon does come with its own app (with classes and a free six month subscription), but I prefer the Peloton classes. The Peloton app also comes with a ton of other classes, too, like strength, yoga, HIIT, bootcamp, stretching, etc. that you can do off the bike.

Though the price difference is a MAJOR upside, there are some downsides to using a dupe:

1. The Peloton app doesn't show you your resistance or cadence because it can't connect to the bike
2. You can't join the Peloton leaderboard
3. You can't track your stats in the Peloton app (although it does tell you which classes you've taken and how many classes you've done) 
4. The Echelon resistance is WAY different than the Peloton resistance 

Personally I don't mind not being on the leaderboard or tracking my stats, but it was very difficult not knowing my cadence or resistance. It made the classes downright difficult to be in sync with.... hints the reason I'm writing this blog post! I jerry rigged my Echelon to be able to track my cadence and resistance using the Echelon app while taking a Peloton class.

How to Use an Echelon Bike for Peloton Classes

1. Open the Echelon app on your phone and connect to your bike via bluetooth
2. Hit "more" on the bottom menu and choose "Freestyle Ride" - it will show you your cadence, resistance and output along with all your ride stats 
3. Mount your phone on your bike. I just use a gorilla pod underneath my iPad, but there are probably better phone mounts available! 
4. Open the Peloton app on your iPad and choose your class 
5. Use the conversion chart below to convert the Peloton resistance numbers to Echelon resistance numbers. I taped my chart to the bike for easy access. 

Note: Another option is to use a Wahoo Cadence Meter (it attaches to the pedal) instead of the Echelon Freestyle Ride. The Wahoo meter will connect to the Peloton app via bluetooth and show your cadence on the screen, BUT it seemed to disconnect a lot, it didn't keep up with my cadence when I went over 100rpm, and you are still stuck without knowing your resistance number. I didn't like to have to guess the resistance I was at. I prefer using two devices / two screens because it is more fool proof. 

Print this conversion chart at 2"x3"and it will fit on the handlebar base perfectly!

And there you have it! It may be a little jerry rigged, but it works. In my opinion, the extra effort more then makes up for the money saved. I definitely recommend the Echelon, I've had it for a while now and I really love it. It is super sturdy, smooth to ride and feels and looks high quality (literally just like my mother-in-law's Peloton). I find myself looking forward to cardio days and even adding in a 15 or 20 minute ride before/after CrossFit classes! 

If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments or send me a DM on Instagram. If you want to follow me in the Peloton app, my username is @amandamart15. Let's be friends! Also, if you decide to purchase an Echelon, I'd be tickled pink for you to click through my link at the top of this post (or in the widget below) at the time of purchase. If you shop through my links, I get a little commission and that helps keep my blog and Instagram up and running. It's always appreciated! 

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