It seems like a logical thing for a studio to offer; a variety of Indoor Cycling class formats, targeted at a wide demographic of people:
- Early AM classes that are full of purpose, for all those "A" types who get up before dawn.
- Fun/party/social class formats for the mid-morning crowd.
- Shortened (express) class for the lunch hour.
- High-energy classes in the evening (maybe with a DJ) to attract the youngsters.
- Combo/hybrid classes that feature cycling (cardio) and a strength/flexibility component.
- Endurance Sports Training.
- A beginner's class to recruit new participants who might be a little apprehensive to join your HIIT classes.
It's common to see many of these class formats offered - except the last one, a regularly scheduled beginner's class.
Exist Cycle in Sherwood Park Alberta CA offers them all - and it sounds like they're having great success!
Hi John,
We are finding that many people are intimidated by indoor cycling so the beginner class is a great way to introduce people to the cycling community. If people are new to cycling we always suggest our beginner class first but doesn't take long before they are riding in all our classes. Many clients love our 30 minute cycle and 30 minute HIIT class. It truly is a full body workout and 30 minutes of cardio.We have had many success stories with a lot of returning riders and we are always excited to see new people in the studio each week. We are in to our 4th week of a 8 week wellness challenge with 20 clients. One of our instructors is a holistic nutritionist so the challenge includes 2 cycle classes/week, a boot camp class and then weekly meal plans. So far all our challengers are down in weight and inches and many have told us they are starting to feel stronger and healthier in just 3 short weeks.Love reading your articles and visiting your website for a variety of great information!Sincerely,Shelly HemmerlingExist Cycle
Host of the Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast - the #1 Internet radio show for and about Spinning / Indoor Cycling Instructors and Cycling Studio owners.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
Latest posts by John (see all)
Brava Shelly, we’ve been preaching the need for beginners classes and their regular presence on the cycling schedule since we opened our doors in 2007 – it’s great to see that others are doing the same. In our case, about 80% said they attended one “spin” class and vowed to never come back, but this did indeed “bring them back”. Good luck with it!
Have these *beginners* classes proved to be successful? For sure, it’s very intimidating to have to walk into a cycle studio where everyone seems to know what they’re doing (on a bike that doesn’t fall over…..I’m with that!) My experience is that fok tend to come along to group ex. classes when they can…or want to. FWIW …intro to *SPIN* really hasn’t worked for me. It’s either been a class of a few peeps who wanted an extra 30 mins on their regular commitment … or no one showd up to the par-tay!
Vivienne I asked that question to Charla at Time Trial Cycle (Naples) yesterday and she said it’s their most popular class.
I have heard from studio owners that their beginner classes can have low attendance if the class is scheduled all by it’s self, better as you say to pair this class with another so regulars can create a long ride.