features
Indoor cycling: Breaking the cycle
It’s time to get creative to make your cycling offering stand out. Kate Cracknell takes a look around the world for inspiration
TAKE YOUR TIME
Circadian Trust, UK
Circadian Trust has launched two new long-format cycling classes. The first is a four-hour cycling rave, which will take place annually – over 100 participants paid £25 each to take part in the inaugural rave in November 2015, with many also raising money for the British Heart Foundation. Meanwhile, 2.5-hour sessions that replicate being outside for a long ride – complete with a screen showing footage of the great outdoors – will form part of the ongoing class timetable at selected centres.
IN HOT PURSUIT
Equinox, US
The Pursuit by Equinox is an immersive experience that uses in-studio gaming and data visualisation to drive competition in the class. Each Schwinn bike is linked to a leaderboard, with the data used as the basis for games and challenges. There are solo and team tasks; participants work together in some cases and try to beat each other in others.
MAKING A SPLASH
Aqua, New York City, US
Aqua offers underwater cycling classes. The Hydrorider bikes are immersed in a pool and you
pedal against the water resistance, with water up to
the waist. Mainly targeting women, with sessions including candlelit classes, there are also
slots on the timetable for men only.
TRI IT OUT
BOOM Cycle / Lululemon
Launched last month, London-based UrbanTRI is a co-operative venture between BOOM Cycle and Lululemon. Participants begin at Lululemon on the Kings Road for a 45-minute vinyasa flow yoga session, before taking to the streets of London for a 10k run. The last stop is cycling boutique BOOM Cycle, for a 45-minute party on the bike followed by healthy eats and treats.
DRESSING UP
International Fitness Showcase, Blackpool, UK
The IFS in Blackpool regularly features a number of themed classes – including fancy dress Spinning classes. Previous fancy dress themes have included Hunger Games and Harry Potter, with Star Wars soon to come. But as 2016 is Rio Olympics year, this year’s IFS will have a carnival-themed 90-minute Spinning class as a finale. Instructors will learn how to create a storyline alongside the music for higher levels of engagement.
HIT YOUR RHYTHM
Studio RYT, California, US
Studio RYT Exhale is run by a husband and wife team – Tracy and Sylvi Martins – whereby Tracy runs the cycling offering (RYT) and Sylvi the holistic Exhale side of the business. To add a bit of spice to his sessions, Tracy – a former professional drummer – incorporates live drumming into his Ride X classes. The RealRyder bikes allow exercisers to pivot and lean as they would on real bikes, so they can really move with the beat.
HOME FROM HOME
Peloton, New York, US
Peloton brings the energy of a group class direct to your home. Users must buy a Peloton bike (US$1,995) and pay a monthly subscription of US$39. This then gives them on-demand access to a raft of classes that are streamed live from Peloton’s New York studio.
FLYING HIGH
OTE Sports, Leeds, UK
For those who really want to push themselves and boost cardiovascular fitness, the OTE Performance Centre and Altitude Chamber features Wattbikes in a commercial hypoxic altitude chamber – so you can do a cycling class at a simulated altitude of 3,000m in the heart of Leeds.
ON A TRIP
Pure Fitness, Asia
Pure Fitness in Asia was one of the first operators to adopt Les Mills’ The Trip – an immersive cycling experience that uses a three-walled room onto which video content is streamed throughout the class. It’s like being inside a computer game – a complete virtual reality that changes with each song, from climbing a vast mountain to being an avatar in the Tron computer game.
MIX IT UP
Wattcycle studios, north of England, UK
With a background in CrossFit, the team at Wattcycle incorporate power and strength exercises into their workouts. The timetable consists of Just Cycle, CrossCycle, Performance Cycle and Seasonal Cycle. CrossCycle gets members on and off the Wattbike to execute functional movements taken from a CrossFit workout, while still keeping the bike as an integral part of the workout.
HOLLYWOOD STYLE
Kings College London, UK
The new WorldRide system – which has already been installed at a number of sites including Kings College London – has pushed the boundaries of its virtual classes by working with a Hollywood grip company to develop a way of putting a high-end camera amid a peloton group of cyclists. The rides are choreographed before filming and the single take – the footage isn’t edited – means the experience is very real and immersive.
SMASH YOUR GOALS
David Lloyd Leisure, UK
DLL is an early adopter of the latest cycling programme from Les Mills International: Sprint, a HIIT-based workout on a bike. Delivered in just 30 minutes, the class pushes you through bursts of high intensity where you work as hard as possible, interspersed with short rest periods.
FITNESS FUSION
Flow Athletic, Sydney, Australia
Owned by Ben Lucas, Flow Athletic offers customers a number of hybrid classes. Bike Asana comprises 30 minutes on the bike, followed by 30 minutes’ yoga, while Strike is 30 minutes’ cycling followed by 30 minutes’ strength. The two halves of the workout take place in different studios, but are fully integrated.
MUMS’ ME TIME
Places for People Leisure, UK
Places for People’s Fleming Park Leisure Centre launched Mum and Baby Cycling classes in January 2015, in a bid to help new mothers get into, or return to, exercise. The initiative was launched with the help of Sportivate funding from Sport Hampshire & Isle of Wight, and has now won a Sportivate award. The music, lights and room layout are modified so mums can bring their babies along in buggies or car seats, meaning no need to find childcare. Initially targeting young mums aged 16–25, due to the high rate of teenage pregnancy in the local area, the project now delivers three classes a week.
