My new fitness ride-or-die: Cyclebar Winter Park!
One week ago today, I was shimmying myself into my sleekest lululemon Tight Stuff Tights (perfect for high repetition training!) and heading out to Winter Park, FL to experience my very first Cyclebar class!
Along with my friend Abby (IG @abbycorkins), I was invited to attend an awesome influencer event that Cyclebar hosted! To say I was excited would be an understatement.
THE ARRIVAL:
When we walked in, we were greeted by the most amazing team. Lauren, the owner welcomed us as if we were long time friends (but actually, we now have plans to go grab wine after class soon!). Leah, a bright and bubbly manager at Cyclebar, made sure that we felt super taken care of, setting up our lockers with Cyclebar tanks and water bottles to take home, and a pair of cycling shoes. They wrote each of our names on the outside of the lockers, too!
There were adorable balloons provided by Paris312, a company located in Chicago that even ships the super trendy mylar balloons to make any event instantly insta-worthy! Seriously, I want to order some of these for my b-day this summer!
The room buzzed with other female influencers from the Orlando area, and it was awesome to see each girl representing her own sense of style, flair and excitement for the event. Getting to meet some of these awesome girls was a total highlight.
ROCK YOUR RIDE
The moment we'd all been waiting for, the ride, finally arrived. The double doors swung open to reveal a room full of bikes on different levels, lit with red-hot lighting and an awesome sound system pumping high energy tunes.
We were welcomed by instructors Val and Alicia who were super friendly and helpful in getting our bikes set to the right height, clipping our shoes in (this is SO HARD for me every time, haha, but they gave me tips at THIS studio that actually helped me do it myself!).
Now, let me be frank. I am a fitness instructor myself. I moved from NYC where I practiced fitness at the top studios (I was a Physique57 instructor, a trainer at Mark Fisher Fitness, and I have taken cycling classes at Cyc, Fly Wheel, and Soul Cycle). I am not a stranger to hardcore, high-end fitness. In my previous experience, I have attended indoor cycling class with a bit of trepidation. I love the environment, the high energy, the music, but I never LOVED the workout...
UNTIL LAST SUNDAY.
I literally had the ride of my life.
I felt strong in the class, the amount of push was just right to make me feel uber challenged, but still alive. haha! The arms section was well placed, and a perfect amount of time. The instructors did a wonderful job of keeping the class invested with motivational cues, a touch of humor and smiles on their faces the whole time. I loved their music choices and appreciated the personal interaction, hopping off their bikes when it got really tough to give personal cues!
HEALTHY COMPETITION
The thing that stands out the most from other rides I've experienced were the competition boards at the front of the room. On TV screens, you can track your progress and how you line up with others. However, what I LOVED is that these weren't on the whole time. In fact, I can recall I think 3 distinct times they actually broadcasted our progress. Two of those moments were races between the three levels of bikes, which seriously made me push harder than I would have on my own! And the finally push to get our rankings.
AND NOW, CHAMPAGNE
After our ride, we walked out to the most beautiful brunch display. They had a mimosa bar (for hydration purposes, duh!), donut bites, fresh fruit, yogurt and more!
You could refill your brand new water bottle at a water bar station (I kid you not, this studio has thought of everything!), and freshen up with towelettes, etc.
Cyclebar Winter Park and their team go above and beyond to make sure your experience is flawless, from entrance to exit.
#SWAGBAGS
To top off our experience, we were each given beautiful swag bags as a thank you for attending, filled with amazing goodies from local vendors. Including more rides for Cyclebar (YAS!!), Bulla Gastrobar, Clean Juice, Just Blow It, TeleTies, The Glass Knife, lululemon Orlando Premium Outlet, aaaand...
...are you kidding me?! This STUNNING piece of jewelry from our friends over at Kendra Scott - Mall at Millenia in Orlando!
FINAL THOUGHTS
As a fitness professional myself, I was truly blown away by the incredible client experience that the Cyclebar team created for us. It makes such a difference in any business, but especially fitness, since walking into a new gym or studio can definitely be intimidating or scary to a lot of people. Lauren and her team are vibrant, welcoming and their passion for what they do is evident, from helping with bike adjustments to providing the small things like hair ties and a water bar.
I cannot wait to go back and ride again! Thank you Cyclebar Winter Park, my newest fitness obsession and ride-or-dies. <3
Orlando babes: To schedule your own ride, visit Cyclebar to reserve your bike!
Your first ride is on me!! Use code "E2018" at checkout!
xo
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