Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Echelon Fitness. All opinions are 100% mine.
Review: The Stride Treadmill
The Echelon Stride is compact, quiet, and quite frankly, my favorite of any treadmill I’ve ever owned.
Set Up
Let’s start with the delivery and set up. I got a text message to schedule the delivery, and it was dropped off that same week. The guys arrived on time (despite an April snowstorm!) and brought the box inside the house.
When my husband came home, we were able to get the treadmill set up in less than 10 minutes. While you could set it up solo, it was helpful to have an extra set of hands just to move the cardboard and styrofoam out of the way.
It’s really simple, though. The treadmill comes almost fully set up in the box. All you have to do is tilt it up, remove the packaging, lay it back down, and flip up the handles and console. Here’s a quick video showing you exactly how easy it is to set up:
Features and Specs
Moving on to the specs – the treadmill goes from 0.5 mph to 12 mph and offers a range of 12 different incline levels (which max out at a 10% grade). The weight limit for the treadmill is 300 pounds, which is a bit higher than some of the other compact treadmills on the market.
The Stride has a 55×20 inch running surface, and a 1.75 Continuous (2.5 peak) horsepower motor.
While I know some have questioned if the motor is adequate for consistent running, it worked perfectly during my tests. Over the last month, I’ve walked and ran on it regularly, using the full range of inclines and testing sprints up to 7 mph. I’m also a curvier runner, and didn’t notice any belt lagging or any other issues – it’s a smooth experience!
(That said, I’m a slower runner averaging a little under 5mph, so I can’t attest to how it would feel running at the treadmill’s peak speeds).
The Echelon Stride has a console that displays the standard metrics like distance, pace, etc. You can do a “quick select” for three different incline and speed levels on that console, or you can use the buttons on the handlebars to move the speed and incline up or down.
There’s no screen built into the treadmill for the membership-based classes, so you’ll need to just grab a tablet to pop onto the holder for those (but it’s really simple to do so).
By far my favorite part about the Stride is how sleek, compact, and quiet it is! We set it up in our living room and planned to leave it there temporarily – but decided to just keep it there permanently. It doesn’t take up a ton of space, and it’s quiet enough that I can use it while my son is watching TV without him having to blast the volume.
While we don’t bother with folding it up, you can use the auto-fold feature if you need to fold and store it. It’s very simple – you just fold down the console portion, fold the handlebars, and then press the pedal lever which starts the auto-fold process. From there you lift one end up and wheel it along to wear you need to store it. (Keep in mind the treadmill itself does weigh 156 pounds, so you do need to be able to lift heavy equipment to lift the one end into an upward position).
Pricing
The current price for the Echelon Stride is $1338.98, which includes one month of the Echelon United membership (as described below). Or, you can purchase the treadmill along with a year of the Echelon membership for $1699.98, and they’ll also throw in free shipping (this would be my recommendation!).
Cost-wise, this puts it in a moderately affordable price range for most people looking to purchase a treadmill (especially one that is space-saving and quiet with the ability to connect to live classes).
Review: The App
To take advantage of all the Echelon Stride has to offer, you’ll want to grab a membership to their app. The app runs $39.99 per month, or you can buy a one-year membership for $399, or a two-year membership for $699.
The app offers several options for run and walk classes:
Live classes – The instructor is streaming live and everyone in the class is attending live along with them. Everyone in the class is competing against each other in the live leaderboard.
Encore classes – The class was previously recorded but is being featured again in the live lineup. Those who join in the class at that time will all be competing against each other in the live leaderboard.
On demand classes – These are previously recorded classes that can be taken at any time. They include instructor led classes as well as scenic rides. There is no live leaderboard.
Each day, there are currently about 4 to 8 treadmill classes offered on the live schedule (which is a mix both live and encore classes). And then there are tons of on-demand classes you can take as well.
Within these, you can find several different types of walk/run workouts, including (but not limited to):
Walk – Low impact class where you build endurance walking at different inclines.
Endurance run – Longer run intervals to build aerobic endurance.
Rhythm run – A mixture of different types of running, including steady state, hills, sprints – kind of an “instructor’s choice” session that is set to different types of music. This is my favorite!
Intervals – Intermediate intensity run intervals followed by active recovery.
Hill intervals – Intermediate intensity run intervals on hills (using the incline on the treadmill) with active recovery.
Sprints – Short bursts of high intensity intervals followed by recovery periods.
During these classes, the instructors give you suggested ranges for incline and speed. The higher your incline and speed, the more output you’ve got, and the higher you’ll rise up on the leaderboard.
However, a quick tip for all my newbie runners – don’t worry too much about that leaderboard, and choose whatever speed and incline you can manage! For some of the sprints, I had to lower the speed to a level that worked for me, and that’s completely fine.
As mentioned above, my favorite classes were the rhythm runs. Since I’m training for a 6-hour ultra right now, much of my running is long, steady-state workouts. Adding the rhythm runs to my routine was fun because the class had so much variety, challenging my speed, encouraging me to run at an incline, and getting my heart beating. Plus, the music was the best! You could choose from classes like throwback hip hop, 90’s mixtape, rock mixtape, and more.
In addition to the treadmill classes, you can also access FitPass classes as part of your membership. These pilates, barre, strength, kickboxing, yoga….anything you can imagine! I did quite a few stretching and yoga classes the last few weeks which was a great supplement to my running classes.
All of the instructors are super positive, engaging, and motivating. You can easily use the app along with the Stride as an alternative to a gym membership thanks to the variety of treadmill classes along with the FitPass classes.
And if you decide to also purchase a bike from Echelon Fitness, then you’d also have access to the cycling classes too. There are a ton of live cycling classes everyday! I’m honestly THIS CLOSE to taking the plunge and buying a bike to go along with my treadmill.
I do have one wish list item for the app, and that’s to add closed captioning to the workouts (at least the on-demand workouts). This would help those with hearing impairments to be able to read the instructor’s cues. (Quick tip – while it’s not yet built into the Echelon app, you may be able to access live captioning on some newer Android tablets as a workaround.)
Review: The Community
Perhaps one of my favorite aspects was the overwhelming support from the Echelon Community. They offer this Facebook group for members to connect with each other – sharing workouts, asking questions, and celebrating wins.
When I posted a pic of my excitement the day my Stride arrived, I was welcomed with open arms. Some fitness communities and groups can feel a bit cliquish, but this was the complete opposite.
As you hang around the group more, you can build friendships and connect with people. Many people set up times to take classes together. Whether for accountability or fun, it’s nice to see a familiar username on the leaderboard!
FAQ
Here are some common questions that may come up as you consider purchasing your Echelon Stride:
Does the Echelon Stride ship throughout the US? Currently, Echelon ships the stride to all states except Hawaii and Alaska.
Is there a warranty? Yes, Echelon offers a 12-month limited parts and labor warranty. There is also a full 30-day return policy if for some reason you were unsatisfied.
Can you use the treadmill without the Echelon app? Yes. If you’d like to just do a walk or run on your own without any class, you can certainly use it just like you would any other standalone treadmill.
Can you set the treadmill up on carpet? Do not set it directly on carpet, as you a) want it on a solid surface, and b) you want to keep the bottom clear from carpet fibers. Instead, get a treadmill mat or heavy-duty interlocking flooring (foam or rubber) that you can place on top of thin carpet, and then place your treadmill on top of that.
Can multiple people use the Echelon United membership? Yes. You can create up to 5 profiles on your app subscription, so other members in your household can also use it and take live classes. This allows each person to separately track their own workout history and leaderboard performance.
The Final Review + Promo Code!
The Echelon Stride treadmill is a compact and quiet treadmill that comes in at a reasonable price for this type of equipment. The live and on-demand classes as part of the app membership are engaging and challenging, and the Facebook community offers a welcoming group of fellow Echelon fans to help motivate you along your journey. I highly recommend it!
And don’t forget – if you want to grab an Echelon Stride treadmill (and/or any Echelon bike, rower, or reflect mirror) – you can save 15% off your order using code Chrissy15! I can’t wait to see you on the leaderboard alongside me.
Share: Did this Echelon Stride review help you? Are you thinking about buying one? If you already have one, do you love it?
PS – Feel free to pin this post to share with others!
The post Echelon Stride Review (Why You’ll Love This Treadmill) appeared first on Snacking in Sneakers.
#Fitness,Run&Tri #Running
