Spin classes are something I have done in the past, but only sporadically and at a normal gym in a group fitness setting. When looking around at new things to try, both TurboSpin and Cyclebar were definitely on the list! Both of these studios have excellent reputations locally here in Knoxville, so I am really excited to get to share my experience after taking a couple of classes. I have always wondered if the two were different, or if they were basically the same thing with different branding. Follow along to get my review after trying both TurboSpin and Cyclebar!
The Locations
These two spin studios are located literally less than a mile from each other. That certainly has to breed competition, so I was excited to see how each studio was set up. TurboSpin is set up in a very popular, higher end outdoor shopping mall next to a CleanEatz and right off of a main road. Cyclebar is just a little further down that main road (Kingston Pike if you’re local to the area) and in another high end, smaller shopping center close to a Lululemon. Both are very easy to get to with plenty of parking, which is always nice!
The Studios
TurboSpin’s entryway includes a front desk with a few apparel items hanging, along with places to sit to change your shoes. There are also cubbies to place your belongings and racks of hand weights for you to grab on your way into the cycling studio. Cyclebar’s entryway is mainly their front desk with a nice sitting area, and then you walk around a corner to find plenty of lockers, a coffee/tea/water station, and the entry into the studio. The square footage of the Cyclebar studio is surprising, and it was certainly bigger than TurboSpin. Bigger is not always better, though, and I really do not prefer one over the other.
The actual cycling studios turned out to be much different, which surprised me. TurboSpin’s studio is smaller, and set up in a semicircle facing the instructor. There are mirrors on the walls and fans hung to keep the room cool. The room is kept very dark, and there is a rope light around the instructor’s station that gives a nice glow. I was on the right-hand side of the studio, and enjoyed my set up for class! The Cyclebar studio is enormous. The bikes are set up all directly facing a wall of mirrors and the instructor. There are 3 levels of bikes that stairstep up, and I ended up on the back row which was great! They also keep the studio dark, with red glowing lights to keep on theme with Cyclebar’s branding.
The Class Setup
These classes are set up similarly, and I would be pressed to try to share any major differences. The one difference I can tell you is the equipment used for the arms portion of class. At TurboSpin, there are hand weights used. At Cyclebar, there are weighted bars used for the arm portion. I thought the weighted bars would be weird, but they worked great for what we were doing! Both classes were in dark rooms with fun, glowing lights and loud, exciting music playing the entire time. They are both set up to be 45 minutes long, giving you a high calorie burn in an efficient amount of time. It is honestly an experience that’s hard to explain. You might think it’s impossible to have so much fun cycling and sweating like a pig at 5:30 or 6 am, but these two studios make it happen!
The Instructors
Listen, the instructors that I met and had the privilege to take class from at these studios made the entire experience. Being a fitness instructor myself, sometimes it’s easy to lose sight of how much of an impact you can make on someone’s experience. These two ladies reminded me how important being attentive, energetic, and helpful is for a new client to enjoy their class. They are both extremely motivational, passionate, and strong. I have clients say they have no idea how I talk and do a barre class at the same time. I empathize now, and honestly cannot fathom having to talk and do these cycling classes the way these women do. They are amazing and deserve all the credit in the world!
Pricing
With pricing, both TurboSpin and Cyclebar are pretty comprable depending on which package you choose. After TurboSpin, the instructor let me know my first month as a new client would be $100. I talked with a coworker later who used to do TurboSpin who said we might get a corporate discount that would bring the monthly rate to $90. If that is still the case, it would be a great deal for unlimited classes! Cyclebar’s pricing is based off of how long of a commitment you want to make. If you choose to make a 6 month commitment, you can get an unlimited membership for $99/month. The ladies also let me know that if I signed up soon, I could get the first month of that commitment for $5 instead of $99! There is also a 3 month commitment package for $129/month and a month to month option for $159/month.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, if you’re looking to really get what you pay for I would highly recommend getting involved in these studios. The atmosphere, instructors, equipment, and work outs themselves are above and beyond! There’s no way you ever leave one of these classes thinking, “That could have been harder.” I also can’t imagine ever getting bored with the awesome music and challenging rides that I know both studios offer. Which one you like best is going to be on an individual basis, and might depend on class times offered. I went to the earliest class both studios offered, and Cyclebar ended up having a 5:30 am class while TurboSpin’s earliest class is at 6 am. The earlier the better for me, and those 30 minutes can sometimes be make or break.
Both TurboSpin and Cyclebar offer your first ride for free, and I can’t say it enough how much fun I had at both studios! Visit their websites, http://www.turbospincycling.com/ and https://www.cyclebar.com/location/bearden, to book your first class!