If they won't come to your studio, why not bring your Indoor Cycling Studio to them?
That's the idea of San Francisco Bay Area Outburst Mobile Fitnessâ„¢ which launched a few weeks ago. From their press release that describes the problem they're trying to solve:
Kathryn Filley Brown, Founder and CEO of OUTBURST MOBILE FITNESSâ„¢ was an executive for a large corporation with a demanding schedule that required frequent traveling. She conceived of Outburst Mobile Fitness as a way to more easily incorporate a workout into your day by bringing the workout to you.
“We want to do for exercise what the mobile food truck revolution did for bringing gourmet food right to the people. Our goal is to make exercise fun, easy and accessible for everyone no matter how busy they might be. People want to exercise, but they have very demanding schedules. Outburst Mobile Fitness solves this problem by parking right outside your office front entrance to offer you a burst of energy.” says Kathryn Filley Brown, Founder and CEO of Outburst Mobile Fitness. “Research is showing that companies can increase worker productivity 15% when employees incorporate exercise into their day”
I'm really curious about their business plan. Specifically; who is the customer here who pays the $$$? I'm going to guess they're selling this as a corporate perk for employees and not charging the actual participants. And why not bring the bikes outdoors? It has to get hot inside that trailer and riding for an hour in a double paceline is fine outside... but not so much in a class when you're trying to watch a video.
I've reached out to them to be a guest on the Podcast and you can listen to my interview with Kat Filly Brown who's the owner of Outburst Mobile Fitness and learn more about this interesting concept of an Indoor Cycling Studio on wheels.
I'm really surprised that an Indoor Cycle manufacture hasn't done something like this to promote a new model of IC. A few years ago I remember talking with Gene Nacey about doing something similar. His idea was to pack a semi with a sponsor's bikes and travel to selected locations as a sort of traveling road show. His crew* would set up in the parking lot, hang a big screen on the side of the trailer and conduct virtual ride classes featuring his Global Ride videos.
*In a past life I was required to have a commercial driver's license (CDL) so I could drive the company's semi to deliver construction equipment - that I still maintain. So if you're thinking this would be a good idea to promote your latest IC product, and need a driver/demonstrator/Instructor, let me know. A road trip could be fun 🙂
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.
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- ICI Podcast 303 – A fun conversation with Chris Hawthorne AKA Chrispins - September 6, 2024
Hey John, I do remember those conversations – still think it could work – or at least it would be fun anyway 🙂
It’s amazing to see all the flavors of Indoor Cycling hitting the streets these days. I suspect you have an article or podcast brewing about the new Kickstarter project where they have taken all of the technology we use at Cycling Fusion (computers, power meters, video, live broadcasts, on-demand classes) and literally built thier own bike and custom computer to go with it – talk about taking technology to the next level!
The variations on a theme are simply endless. Our ship has been sailing these waters for 5 years now – trying to create a video/technology wave since there weren’t any to catch. Maybe now with all of these new boats in the waters of Indoor Cycling, we could at least ride the wakes of some of this new energy and attention.
One thing is for sure – the status quo is being decimated brick by brick.
Gene I wasn’t aware of them – I’ll check them out.