YESOUL’s S3 is yet another super budget-friendly indoor cycle aiming to gain the attention of folks looking for a more affordable alternative to streaming workouts.
And I don’t mean to be too passive aggressive here, but there are a lot of bikes that fall into this category and after a while they all start to look the same.
But the YESOUL S3 doesn’t fall into this category.
There are several things that set this bike apart from the pack, including 100 levels of magnetic resistance, bluetooth compatibility with multiple apps, and an included heart rate band.
And the YESOUL even offers a free app with access to free instructor-led workouts/metric tracking…free.
This all sounds pretty awesome, but the S3 has plenty of downsides too – most notably its light flywheel and the fact that larger folks simply won’t be able to fit on it.
Overall, if you’re looking for an affordable streaming cycle, I think the S3 is one of the top options out there, but before you start buying you need to do your due diligence.
And my review is here to help.
In this article, I’ll go over everything the S3 does and doesn’t have going for it.
After reading, you’ll know whether or not it’s worth investing in.
The YESOUL S3 Indoor Exercise Bike
YESOUL looks to me like China’s answer to Echelon.
Like Echelon, YESOUL produces affordable indoor cycles that are designed to pair with a smart phone or tablet to work as the console.
And like Echelon, YESOUL also started offering more expensive models that come with their own touchscreen consoles too.
Hey, makes sense – Echelon has been a great success story, so why not try to replicate those results?
Well, it would appear YESOUL is well on its way to doing just that.
The brand’s only been around since about 2015, but they’re already becoming increasingly popular and releasing several new bikes.
As I’m writing this, you can only purchase their newer G1 lineup through YESOUL directly, but the S3 is still available through sites like Amazon.
Speaking of Amazon, the S3 is becoming one of their more popular bikes and is rocking an average user rating above 4/5.
Not bad YESOUL, not bad.
Pros
- 100 levels of magnetic resistance
- Belt drive
- Smooth, quiet operation
- Bluetooth compatible with fitness apps
- Access to free workouts through YESOUL app
- Fully adjustable seat
- Tablet holder
- Arm band heart rate monitor included
- Choice between white or black frame
- Great price
Cons
- Light flywheel
- Lightweight frame
- Larger users won’t fit
- Short warranty
Resistance
Let’s start this review off with a look at the S3’s resistance system.
When you think about it, indoor cycles are pretty simple devices – you’ve basically just got a frame with pedals attached to a flywheel.
With resistance being applied to that flywheel either mechanically (friction brake) or magnetically.
In this price range, we mostly see friction brake resistances, but there are a few, like the S3, that do come with a magnetic system.
And if you ask me, magnetic systems are the way to go because they tend to be a little smoother, quieter, and don’t require maintenance.
The S3 gets bonus points right of the get go for simply coming with a magnetic system, but it also comes with 100 resistance levels, which is kind of unheard at this price point.
Bowflex’s C6 is one of the most affordable cycles I know of to come with 100 magnetic resistance levels, but that bike’s easily got $200 on the S3.
There are other spin bikes in this price range that come with magnetic systems (like the JOROTO X2), but they all have micro-adjustable resistances that don’t register any resistance levels.
And by that, I mean you can’t tell which level you’re on, you have to simply adjust the resistance based on feel alone.
Anyway, the S3 comes with 100 levels and you can see which level you’re on through the YESOUL app.
This is all great, but what isn’t great is the fact that the flywheel on this cycle only weighs about 16.5 lb – which is very light for a spin bike, regardless of price range.
Most indoor cycles these days are packing flywheels in the 30 – 40 lb range and all that extra weight usually makes for a smoother pedaling feel.
That said, users don’t seem to complain much about the feel of the S3, most are happy with how smooth the pedaling action feels.
The S3 also comes with a belt drive, which is nice and definitely helps when it comes to being smooth and quiet.
Although I should say, even though the S3’s flywheel is small, it’s still a bit larger than the Echelon EX-15‘s flywheel, which only weighs in at around 15 lb.
Overall, the S3 comes with a light flywheel, but it scores very highly with its 100 levels of magnetic resistance.
Frame
Ok, let’s take a look at this bike’s frame – more specifically, how heavy or not heavy-duty it is.
The term “heavy-duty” has been used so much by fitness bloggers that it’s basically lost all meaning whatsoever, and for this, I’d like to officially apologize for all my fellow bloggers.
But when I use the term, I try to be as literal as possible.
When checking out a new bike, I like to assess the assembled weight spec because this tells us exactly how heavy the bike is.
And heavier bikes will usually feel more secure and stable during workouts.
With this in mind, the S3 comes with an assembled weight of roughly 68 lb, which is really light for an indoor cycle, even in this price range.
It’s true, affordable spin bikes are usually a bit lighter, but even so, most in this price range are still weighing somewhere between 70 – 80 lb.
And then there’s Sunny Health & Fitness’ SF-B1805 that weighs in at a whopping 126 lb, although this is certainly not the norm.
Personally, I think any cycle weighing at least 100 lb is pretty good, so the S3 falls quite a bit short here.
It also falls a bit short when we look at the weight capacity.
With a weight limit of only 265 lb, larger folks aren’t going to be able to use this one. Which is also evident when we consider that according to YESOUL, the S3 can only comfortably fit people between 4’9″ and 6’2″ tall.
The S3 is also a little smaller in terms of dimensions than most cycles, only taking up a footprint of roughly 40″ x 20″.
Overall, this bike comes with a small, lightweight frame that is best suited for smaller, lighter folks.
Warranty
YESOUL backs their S3 Indoor Bike with the following residential warranty:
- 12 month parts
Yeah, I know this is pretty darn short, but in the sake of fairness, all bikes in this price range more or less come with the same really short guarantee.
JOROTO, Cyclace, Yosuda… all offer a 1 year warranty.
Echelon also only offers a year warranty on their bikes (even the more expensive models).
Sunny Health & Fitness offers 3 year frame warranties, but only 6 month parts warranties.
Overall, the warranty on the S3 is really short, but it’s to be expected in this price range.
Features
The YESOUL S3 Indoor Bike comes with the following features:
Bluetooth- the S3 is bluetooth compatible with multiple fitness apps, including YESOUL’s own free fitness app, Zwift, and Kinomap. Through YESOUL’s app, you get access to instructor-led workouts and metric tracking. And did I mention that YESOUL’s app is free to use?!? No monthly streaming fee whatsoever. Honestly, it’s not the most sophisticated fitness app in the world, but hey, it’s free.
Tablet holder- since this bike doesn’t have a console and you have to use your phone/tablet as one, it’s necessary for this cycle to have a tablet holder. This one is large and conveniently located above the handlebars.
Fully adjustable seat- you can adjust the height and fore/aft position of the seat, making it easy to find a comfortable riding position.
Height adjustable handlebars- you can’t adjust the fore/aft position of the handlebars, but you can adjust the height.
Toe cage pedals- the S3 comes with pedals designed to be used with sneakers, so you don’t have to deal with purchasing the right kind of riding cleats (you can swap ’em out though if you do want to use cleats).
Arm band heart rate monitor- YESOUL includes a free bluetooth arm band heart rate monitor, which is a great touch (and pretty unheard of in this price range).
Price
Prices do vary, but at the time of writing this the S3 is selling for $499 on Amazon, making this a very affordable option as far as indoor cycles go.
Some of the biggest competitors in this price range include Echelon’s EX-15, the JOROTO X2, and the Yosuda Indoor Cycle.
The EX-15 is very similar all around, but only comes with 32 resistance levels and you have to pay for Echelon’s streaming platform.
The X2 is a little cheaper, also comes with magnetic resistance, and also comes with a heavier flywheel/heavier frame.
The Yosuda Cycle is also a bit cheaper, comes with a heavier flywheel, but uses a friction brake resistance system.
Overall, the S3 finds itself in an interesting position when compared to the other comps, offering a great combination of features.
Final Thoughts
The most interesting feature on the YESOUL S3 is it’s resistance system – I seriously can’t think of any other $500 cycle that comes with 100 magnetic levels.
And considering that most users agree this bike is surprisingly smooth acting, I think the magnetic resistance makes up for the fact that it’s packing such a light flywheel.
I also think it’s awesome that YESOUL’s app gives you free access to instructor-led workouts, which is quite refreshing considering how many paid streaming platforms are out there now.
I also like that you get an armband heart rate monitor with this bike, very cool.
The biggest downside I see to the S3 is how small and lightweight it is; larger folks won’t be able to use it.
But if you’re of smaller stature and looking for an affordable streaming bike, I think the S3 is one of the best options in this price range.
