words by Nick Reid

Like many people, I have taken up cycling following the great success in recent years of Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and the other Team GB cyclists. Their performances have inspired a generation to take to the roads on two wheels, to don the lycra and to hit the hills. But during this particularly cold, wet and snowy winter/spring that we are having

here in the UK, going outside on our bikes requires serious dedication and, to be frank, is often too risky. So where to then, when like me, you have some gruelling sportives in your diary that are now fast approaching? There is a new answer to this question: Cyclebeat. Cyclebeat is a new fitness studio focused on providing the best spin class experience for everyone from the serious cyclist to those without a bike. I recently visited Cyclebeat to experience a class for myself. Now, like most cyclists, spinning is my go-to answer when the roads are slippery and the wind is biting. I went into the class expecting the normal drill – 45 mins of spin with the odd change in resistance and position. Cyclebeat, however, is anything but your standard spin class.

Located in the City of London at 8 Lombard Court, London EC3V 9BJ, the Cyclebeat studio is a positive reincarnation of an old pub. What was once a dreary pub is now a super cool, club-like spin studio with high quality speaker systems, light machines and state of the art spinning bikes. The changing rooms are well maintained and the fresh paint job and design features give the whole studio a clean cut stylish ambiance.

After pirchasing a coco water and energy drink from reception, I went into the studio for the start of my class, which was to be taken by Delvin Clarke, one of the leading spin/fitness instructors in the country. Co-Founders, Justin Crewe and Greg Allon, gave a brief introduction to the background and concept of cyclebeat and, most importantly, explained the “Beatboard”. The Beatboard was my favourite thing about cyclebeat and the thing that really sets it apart from any other spin set-up – basically it is a scoreboard displaying certain information about your ride to the whole class. As the class starts the data from our bikes (35 in the room being used) is projected up in front of us on the Beatboard (which is actually two giant flat screens). The race is on! Speed, power and energy data is displayed in a scoreboard format to introduce a sense of competition to the class. When the warm-up is finished, Delvin pumps up the tunes and the lights start flashing to the beat. Delvin is no ordinary spin instructor and within a matter of minutes, he has the class bouncing, turning, leaning and sprinting to the beat, in sync. The effect is awesome, the whole studio is moving, working hard to the music and, most importantly having fun. The serious cyclists are having their own race putting in the extra effort to stay at the top of the board while the rest of the class is having a good all body workout on a spin bike. The class runs for 45 minutes but it feels like 20. Most importantly, I want more at the end of the class and of course that means I want to work out again soon – which is great for maintaining a fitness routine. Following the session, we are informed that all the data from our bikes will be emailed to us after the class automatically, a very cool feature and helpful to those keeping a training log.

The Cyclebeat team have been very clever to achieve what they have. The flexible membership structure and use of technology and online interaction services make this a great option for those looking for a new aspect to their training or for those who are looking to put in some miles in the saddle (just be prepared to spend as much time out of the saddle, bouncing to the beats). Overall, a great positive addition to the fitness world – the trouble will be making sure you can get a seat given how popular the classes have been. Of course, Cyclebeat have thought of that too with their online booking system!

For more information please visit www.cyclebeat.co.uk. Introductory offers start at just £30 for 30 days.