If you’re looking for an exercise bike that can burn some serious calories, there’s no better choice than a quality air bike.
And when it comes to quality air bikes, the Rogue Echo and the Assault Bike Classic are 2 of the best around.
Both bikes are heavy-duty, impressive models that have been time tested by serious athletes.
Both bikes also come from popular brands with excellent reputations.
In other words, it’s not going to be easy to declare a clear-cut winner between these 2 air bikes… but that’s not gonna stop me from trying.
In this head-to-head review, I’ll compare Rogue’s Echo Bike against the Assault Bike Classic to determine once and for all which is the better model.
In order to do this, I’ll be comparing both bikes on the same criteria to see how they stack up against each other- we’re talking all the key specs, as well as warranty and price.
After reading, you’ll know which bike is best suited for your home.
Let’s get to it!
| Rogue Echo Bike | Assault Bike Classic | |
|---|---|---|
| Resistance | 27" fan Belt drive | 27" fan Chain drive |
| Frame | 126 lb 350 lb weight capacity | 96 lb 300 lb weight capacity |
| Warranty | 2 year frame/parts | 5 year frame 2 year parts |
| Features | Simple LCD console 7 workout options Chest strap compatible | Simple LCD console 7 workout options Chest strap compatible |
| Price | ~$745 | ~$699 |
The Rogue Echo Bike vs The Assault Bike Classic
Above image courtesy of Rogue Fitness
Bef
I promised myself when I started this site that I’d never end one of these reviews with a tie, because I think that’s rather lame- which means one of these bikes will have to lose.
And that’s especially tough in this circumstance, because the Rogue Echo and the Assault Bike Classic are both so impressive.
The Echo is the only cardio machine Rogue currently offers, although the brand is known as being one of the premiere providers of strength training equipment for both home and commercial use.
Think squat racks, rigs, and all the gear you need to use ’em.
Assault Fitness only offers a handful of products to choose from, but they’re all highly-esteemed for their high-level of quality.
They offer 3 varieties of their popular Assault Bike, as well as a couple of manual treadmills and a rower.
When it comes to overall quality, it’s hard to think of 2 brands that are more evenly matched than these two.
This one should be interesting.
Resistance
The Echo and the Assault Bike Classic are both air bikes, meaning they both use rotating fans cutting through the air to create the resistance you work against.
The biggest advantage to this type of system is that the resistance you feel is directly proportional to how fast/hard you pedal- the harder you push, the more resistance you get.
This makes these types of bikes great for HIIT style workouts because you can breathless in no time (as well as burn a ton of calories).
Since both of these bikes utilize the same resistance type and since there are no resistance levels or weighted flywheels to speak about, there isn’t a lot to say in this category.
But I do want to bring up a couple of points.
When looking at any air bike, consider how large the fan is.
Theoretically, having a larger fan would allow an air bike to provide more overall resistance because there’s more air coming into contact with the rotating blades.
In the case of the Echo and the Assault Bike, both models come with a 27″ fan (which is really big), so there’s no immediate advantage either way.
We do see a difference when we look at the drive trains for each bike.
The Assault Bike uses a chain drive like you’d find on any traditional road bike. Chains work fine, but they create a little more noise and require a little bit of maintenance here and there (mostly lubing).
The Echo Bike uses a belt drive, which is a little quieter than a chain and which doesn’t require any regular maintenance.
The difference between a traditional chain drive and belt drive is fairly small in my book, but belt drives are superior for the reasons just mentioned.
For this reason, the Rogue Echo wins when it comes to the resistance systems.
Frame
One of the biggest tell-tale signs of an inferior bike is a lightweight, flimsy frame.
I’m sure you know what I’m talking about here- you sit on one of these things and you aren’t entirely sure it’s gonna hold your weight for the duration of the workout.
Luckily, this isn’t the case for either of the bikes we’re comparing here, but it’s still a good idea to compare a few key specs to get an idea as to how “heavy-duty” these bikes are.
When talking frame integrity, I like to look at the assembled weight and the weight capacity- these specs tell ya a lot about how durable and stable a bike is going to feel.
And heavier is better in both cases.
The Assault Bike Classic comes with an assembled weight of about 96 lb and a max weight limit of 300 lb.
These numbers aren’t bad, but there’s an obvious difference when we check out the Echo’s stats, which include an assembled weight of 127 lb and a weight limit of 350 lb.
The Echo weighs a good 30 lb more than the Assault Bike.
The Echo is significantly larger and heavier-duty than the Assault and it’s able to safely hold significantly larger folks.
If you check out the foot print of each bike, you’ll see the Echo is a little longer too.
If you’re a larger individual or an elite athlete who plans on giving your air bike a real beating day in and day out, the heavier-duty frame on the Echo could be beneficial.
Average mortals should do just fine with the Assault Bike.
But in terms of frame strength and robustness, there’s no denying that the Echo easily beats out the Assault Bike.
Warranty
Rogue backs their Echo Bike with the following warranty:
- 2 year frame/parts
Assault Fitness backs their Assault Bike Classic with the following warranty:
- 5 year frame
- 2 year parts (non-wear)
It’s pretty easy to pick the better guarantee here.
I’m actually really surprised at how short Rogue’s warranty on this bike is, considering they’re known for offering great guarantees on their strength training equipment.
Not to mention how well-built the Echo is (I don’t think most people could harm this bike if they tried).
Neither bike offers the lifetime frame guarantee I’d like to see from bikes in this price range, but 5 years is obviously better than 2, so Assault takes this one.
By the way, I think 2 years on parts is pretty fair for both bikes.
Features
Ok. We’ve gone over the performance side of things, so let’s change pace and check out how the consoles compare to each other.
Both bikes come with fairly simple LCD consoles, although the screen on the Echo is a bit wider.
The Assault Bike comes with 7 workout programs to choose from, including 3 interval workouts (including a custom interval), as well as time, distance, and calorie goal oriented workouts.
There’s also a target heart rate option.
The Assault Bike is compatible with Polar heart rate monitors, but one isn’t included with purchase.
The Echo comes with basically the same workout options as the Assault- the same interval options and the same goal oriented workout programs.
The Echo is also compatible with chest strap monitors and Rogue doesn’t include one with purchase either.
Both consoles measure the same metrics, including watt output.
Neither console is bluetooth compatible (although Assault’s other models come with this feature).
Otherwise, there really aren’t many other features to speak of- air bikes are really simple machines when you think about it.
Both bikes come with fully adjustable seats and both bikes come with standard pedals that are to be used with sneakers (although you could easily swap ’em out for clip-ins if you wanted).
Both bikes also come with built-in transport wheels and levelers.
Since these 2 bikes come with such similar consoles, I’m not giving this category to either.
Price
Alrighty, let’s talk numbers.
Since price can vary depending on where ya buy, I think the fairest way to compare is to look at the full retail price each bike goes for.
Doing this, we see that the Assault Bike Classic costs $699 and the Rogue Echo costs $745 (please keep in mind these are the prices at the time of writing this- prices do change over time, so forgive me if these numbers aren’t still accurate).
So, the Assault Bike is about $50 cheaper than the Echo.
But these 2 bikes are still well within the same price range, which I would consider the mid-range price category.
And I would say both of these bikes are very well priced considering how high-end they both are.
But, even though it’s a close call, the Assault Bike wins when it comes to the more affordable option.
Other Considerations
I save this category for any extra nuggets of wisdom I might want to include regarding either bike.
I don’t have much else to say regarding these 2 air bikes, although I would like to point out that the Assault Bike has historically been used in a lot of the CrossFit competitions.
This means the fittest athletes in the world are punishing these Assault Bikes on a regular basis and if they were breaking down, I can’t imagine the CrossFitters would keep using them.
I heard a rumor that CrossFit might switch over to using the Echo, but I’m not sure if that’s happened or not.
Final Thoughts
Ok, it’s about time to wrap this competition up.
If you’ve been keeping score along the way, you’ll know that we’ve got a real nail biter on our hands here.
According to my count, it looks like the final tally was 2-2 (with neither bike getting a point for console features).
The Echo has the advantage when it comes to the belt drive and heavier-duty frame, but the warranty is much better on the Assault, as is the price.
Ugh, tough call…
Well, I promised no ties and I’m going to stay true to my word.
When it comes to the Rogue Echo vs the Assault Bike Classic, the winner is…
The Rogue Echo Bike
I’m going with the Rogue because of the belt drive and the fact that it’s so much heavier-duty than the Assault.
That said, most folks don’t need a bike this heavy-duty and will do just fine with the more affordable Assault.
But if I’m going strictly by the specs, I think the heavier frame is worth the extra $50.
And when it comes to the warranty, I don’t think you have to worry about the Echo falling apart- this thing is as rock-solid as they come.
If you actively want a lighter bike because it’ll be a little easier to move around, it makes sense to go with the Assault Bike Classic.
But in a no holds barred, head-to-head competition between the Echo and the Assault Bike Classic, I’m going with the Echo.
