London’s Shoreditch area has long been known as the trendy, party town area of the city. But there is an underground network of sports and fitness activities popping up with basement yoga studios, swanky gyms and my latest discovery – an underground spin studio. Tucked away discreetly down Scrutton Street, BOOM! cycle is the brain child of USA born and raised Hilary and her boyfriend, Robert. Determined to create a spin space that is both professional and fun and that met the levels of Hilary’s spin experiences in the US, BOOM! Cycle was born. Cool and colourful graffiti adorns the brick walls and the changing rooms are minimal, clean and spacious. There are no frills here, and because it caters for just one thing, the aim is to get in, get spinning, get showered and get out. Maximum efficiency, minimum faffing about. They even make sure there is a towel on each bike. And considering I could win awards in my faffing abilities this is a great thing for me.

The studio itself is dark and club-like as you would expect, and I soon learned that the trick is to nab a bike in the front row as this is where the fans are. With two spinning instructors up front they are also easy to see from every angle which is great and their instructions are clear and encouraging.

Classes range from 30 minutes express work-outs to two hour spin sessions – sounds long? It is but it doesn’t feel like it. It is remarkable just how quickly the time flies and the pumping music carries you through. In the class I tried the instructor kept reminding us that we were totally in control of our bike and it was up to us how hard we pushed ourselves, which I really liked. I am not good with instructors shouting at you to go harder and faster – it’s just plain scary – so I was thrilled that there was none of that here! This, of course, effects the amount of calories you burn but most people should be able to burn between 600-800 in an hour making it a great weight-loss workout.

If you are into spinning or looking to try it, we really couldn’t recommend this place highly enough. Visit www.boommybody.com for more info.

Top tips from the owners

What to eat before: If you are fat burning then try not to snack before your spin session but if you are starving and need some energy or not fat burning then snack on some dried fruit or normal fruit, the sugar will give you a boost and best to have natural sugar. Either that or an energy/sports bar which are usually a quick dose of carbs.

What to eat after: Protein after is always good if you hit it quite hard in the session otherwise some nuts as a snack before dinner with a good balance of protein and complex carbs.

Water: About 500ml – 750ml should get you through an hour session

What to wear: Not very much! You will sweat a lot so bring a change of clothes if you plan on doing something afterwards. No cotton as it won’t dry and make you feel cold – so stick to fast dry fabrics and proper sportswear if possible.