After an exhausting but exhilarating week of grand opening festivities, I”™m thrilled to unveil the new Spinning® studio at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN.
Transforming a basketball gym into an indoor cycling studio was challenging, but with the help of a passionate Student Activities Staff and talented Theater Department, the facility unfolded on schedule, came in under budget, and the final result was simply breathtaking. Students and faculty members were thrilled to return to campus to discover indoor cycling had arrived!
Kick off week included team teaching with five classes daily, self-guided scenic rides projected on a large movie screen, interviews with local newspapers, and best of all - athletic coaches began their spring training in the new Spinning® studio!
If you”™d like to spice up your health club”™s indoor cycling studio and create a wave of fresh excitement, try a few of these simple design elements I implemented at Lipscomb University.
OVERHEAD CEILING LIGHT GELS
Overhead light panels were covered in gel wraps www.stagespot.com to provide visual interest and ambiance.
AUDIO CONTROLS MOUNTED INTO INSTRUCTOR BIKE
A cable controlling the sound system”™s master volume control was threaded through the bottom of the NXT instructor”™s bike and a volume dial mounted underneath the water bottle holder on the handlebars. Perfection of sound was easily controlled by a simple dial without ever leaving the bike!
RED LED ROPE LIGHTS were mounted around the perimeter of the room and provided a brilliant atmosphere with little cost.
WALL PHOTOS OF DOWNTOWN NASHVILLE
Photographs of Nashville”™s night scene were enlarged to 7”™ x 12”™ and mounted on foam board for visual interest and acoustic dampening.
CONDOMS TO THE RESCUE!
Here”™s a nifty trick I learned from the Theater Director: slide your microphone battery pack into a Trojan to protect it from sweat and water, as moisture can corrode batteries and short out wireless equipment. It”™s inexpensive and highly effective! Now, teaching a class and keeping a straight face is another story!
What”™s next for me?
Lots of surprises coming for 2010, but too soon to tell, so stay tuned !
Skilled at interpreting the needs of each client, a variety of consulting services can be tailored to meet your vision, budget and timeline.Whether spicing up a corporate franchise or launching an upscale boutique, Barbara and her team of experts will ensure your studio is the most popular ride in town.
Unlike traditional architects or interior designers, Barbara directs a successful
60-bike program and combines over a decade of teaching experience with cutting-edge design skills to create safe, versatile studios that accommodate a variety of ride styles.With an eye for details and cost-saving opportunities, her consulting services more than pay for themselves.
As a columnist and presenter for REX Roundtables for Executives, World Spinning and Sports Conference, MindBody, Club Industry Magazine, Mad Dogg Athletics and Indoor Cycle Instructor Pro, Barbara is regarded as a trusted leader in the industry.In addition to studio design, she offers class building workshops, grand opening rides and special event fundraisers.
Clients include:
■ Miramont Lifestyle Fitness, Fort Collins, CO
■ Gold’s Gym, Atlanta, GA
■ Lipscomb University, Nashville, TN
■ Grit Cycle, Costa Mesa, CA
■ Mad Dogg Athletics, Venice Beach, CA
■ KOR180, Austin, TX
■ U.S. Army, El Paso, TX
■ Body Boutique, Lawrence, KS
■ Velo Vite, Montreal
■ Pedal Studio, UK
■ Paul Venning Fitness, UK
■ BodyCycle, Philadelphia, PA
■ Surge Cycling, St. Louis Park, MN
■ Half Moon Resort, Jamaica
■ U.S. President Jimmy Carter
■ Special Olympics, Vermont and Georgia
■ Cancer Coalition of Georgia
Contact Information
Email: Barbara@indoorcycledesign.com
Web: www.indoorcycledesign.com
Social: LinkedIn / Facebook
- All about the balance in your class. - September 12, 2023
- SIMPLE WAYS TO MAKE YOUR SPINNING STUDENTS FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU - December 20, 2021
- Amp up your Indoor Cycling class with time management - March 29, 2021
That looks amazing, Barbara. I plan to look into the gel wraps for our horrid overhead lights. We have the rope lights in place, but they are white. The red is a great idea.
Looks great. Do you have a link to the volume control add on?
Thanks
Hi Stephen,
We used a device from Rapco/horizon called an LTIblox which converts an 1/8″ headphone output into a microphone signal. Along with that we cable tied the mic line along the frame of the bike and constructed a small pouch out of the soft side of velcro by the handlebars to catch the instructor’s iPod. I’ll try to send a photo of the application.
Colleen,
The BEST place for LED rope lights is http://www.1000bulbs.com Ask for Steve Perry, as he does most of my work. You’ll want to also order the clear plastic mounting track to keep the lights perfectly straight. I’ve used incandescent,but they burn out quickly and produce heat. The LED’s are simple. Just unroll, mount, cut, cap off and plug in!
Condoms! What will they think of next?
So where do you store the condoms so instructors have access to them for each class? If they’re left out lying around an uninformed person might get a little weirded out that the room has another function after the club is closed!! 😮
I am beyond jealous of this University sponsorship! I’m a student at Arizona State University. Though there are hundreds of other aerobic programs and classes geared towards exercise that can be taken for credit, there is nothing for spinners.
I love the idea for the light gels, very cool. I’ve taken spin classes at gyms before that do nothing with their lights. The atmosphere of a spin class directly influences the excitement level; lights and music are key–and you seem to have it under wraps! If those for some reason don’t work out or you want to switch it up, I’ve always loved cycling under black lights.
I love Jennifer’s comment-very true! haha. I’d like to meet the instructor who thought of covering his or her mic with a condom. Classic.
I’ve used plastic sandwich bags to protect my cell phone and wallet when riding outside and actually considered it for the mic pack. A CONDOM? What was I thinking? That’s brilliant 🙂
BTW Barbara, when can come over as a guest rider at this beautiful facility?
Charles, you’d be an honored guest at the University and we’d love to have you ride (or even teach!!) Feel free to contact Emily Harris, Director of Student Activities, Lipscomb University. harrisee@lipscomb.edu
I would love to make the trip to Nashville (all the way from Chattanooga) to be a part of this. Is it ok to reference you when I contact her? We are old friends right? 😉 Thanks Barbara!