Spinning to Fitness at Flywheel Sports, New York

Written by Carol Cain on 19 September 2010

Kids are all in school now. No excuses to not get out and exercise. Lucky for me, I had the opportunity to check out Flywheel Sports, the latest in spinning.

When I received the invite to review the class, I thought of other few times I have attended a spinning class. They have been great, and I have enjoyed them, but I never could have expected what was to come.

I took my first Flywheel class at the Jewish Community Center on the Upper West Side with my friend Sandy of It’s Always an Adventure. The studio is clean, small, and organized with tons of bikes, all numbered and prepped for use. Each bike features a proprietary mini-computer that displays and monitors your performance across various metrics – rpm/cadence, resistance, energy. Our instructor, Ruth Zukerman is an example of strength and fitness, but then again so were pretty much all the women and men in the class. It was clear right away that if fitness was my goal, I was in the right place. I got a bit nervous when I was asked to sign a waiver – not sure if it was because I was there as press or if it was because there was a clear chance I could die – but I signed it anyway. At least Sandy was with me, and if I did die, she would tell my children I did so in battle.

Ruth started us gently, calling out what our rpm goal was and pushing us to reach it. By mid-class my t-shirt was completely drenched and the endorphins had me on a high that pushed me to be more competitive (with myself anyway) then I would have ever aimed to be otherwise. Ruth would occasionally pull up a list on a t.v. monitor hung up on both sides of the room where we could see where we stood in comparison to another spinner. The list went from 1 being the highest to 10 being the lowest. I was never on the list, nor was there a chance I would be (I was consistently between 13 to 15). I also loved that the class was dark with the focus on the instructor…well, until she yelled, “Go Carol! Go!!”

Ruth Zukerman at Flywheel

It was by far the best spin class I have ever participated in, and the hardest. I thought Ruth was a wonderful instructor, and her music selection was killer! If she’s not enough to get you pumped – and she is – her music will get you going for sure!

Rates vary from single classes (45 minutes) for $30 to monthly memberships for $185 at the JCC. Clip-in are available for each class, as well as complimentary water bottles and towels. You can also reserve your class online and check trainer schedules and locations.

For more information about Flywheel Sports locations, to make a reservation and see schedules, please check their website at http://www.flywheelsports.com/.

Photos courtesy of Flywheel Sports.

Disclaimer: Complimentary class was provided courtesy of Flywheel Sports. The views and opinions expressed here are strictly my own. For more information please refer to the disclosure page.