There is nothing quite like waking up at the crack of dawn for an exercise session on a Saturday morning. But, dead on time one Saturday morning, I’m surrounded by at least 40 other women, kitted out in top notch sportswear, all clamouring to get into Boom Cycle, the popular indoor-cycling class. ‘Grab some water, fix your hair,’ an instructor says in between sessions, and for good reason. There is a lot of sweating involved but there’s no denying that everyone in the room feels good about themselves right now.
The Boom Cycle formula – which now has outposts in both Holborn and Shoreditch – is all about mixing high intensity cardio spinning with a motivational sayings and the type of music mixes you were probably ill-advisably dancing the night away too the night before.
‘Music is at the core of all we do here at Boom Cycle. We curate the classes in the same way a DJ would. It’s important to engage people, which means playing tracks people recognise and love,’ Boom Cycle co-founder Robert Rowland explains. ‘We want everyone to also feel part of a ‘team’ in the room and ride together and bask in the glow of endorphins together.’
The classes, which lasts around 45 minutes, cost around £16 each. They’re not cheap, but there nor are they particularly expensive compared to the other spin classes out there. Above all else, they’re worth it – you’ll struggle going back to the spinning class at your local wellness centre once you’ve tried it.
‘Hilary had been a long time fan of indoor cycling and as soon as I tried it, I loved the efficiency of the workout. That, combined with the stress relieving element meant it was a great lifestyle edition for time poor and hectic city living people,’ Robert adds. ‘The concept had been gaining ground in the US so we decided to go for it here and opened the first site in 2011.’
Some people put it down to SoulCycle fever; others believe it was the launch of Boris Bikes that did the trick but whatever way you look at it, cycling both on and off road is having a real moment right now. In fact, recent studies have shown that the mileage cycled in the UK is up 20% over the last 15 years from 4 billion kms in 1998 to 5.1 billion kms in 2013. Indeed nearly half (a whopping 43%) of the UK population now cycles.
If you’re part of the remaining 57 per cent who want to join the cycling brigade, you’ve come to the right place because we’ve asked Robert to break down some of the key things you need to know before jumping on a bike.
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What are the health benefits of cycling? First of all, it uses your biggest muscles – your legs – so it has not only a huge cardiovascular benefit, but also a huge metabolic response leading to great fat loss. Secondly, it’s very low impact so you can do it often without causing damage. One of the main worries we get from women is that it’ll make their thighs big but trust me, this will not happen. Women have much less testosterone than men so will find it harder to build muscle mass but also, you’d need to be squatting or dead-lifting serious weights to get big thighs. Have you seen Bradley Wiggins’ legs? They’re like twigs.
How important is it to have the right bike and where are the best places to go? I can’t tell you just how important it is to have the right bike. An ill-fitting bike will is simply uncomfortable, which will prevent you from enjoying the riding. But worse than that, it can lead to serious injuries. In terms of shopping for the right one, Cycle Surgery is great for the all-round biker. More specialised road bikes shops such as Sigma Sport have popped up all over the place too. For real addicts who are willing to splash out, Comtat Bespoke Racing Bikes on Scrutton Street in East London make beautifully crafted, hand-built carbon bikes, some of the best you can buy.
Is there a difference between the health benefits of cycling on the road compared to going to a spinning class? On the road you will end up using your arms a bit more for stability and if you’re out on a ride it wouldn’t be unusual to be out for two hours or even three but it’ll tend to be mainly at low intensity for the vast majority of it. In a class you get caught up in the moment and will end up pushing yourself harder, which is brilliant if you’re want high intensity training. Both are great but cycling on the road for me personally needs to be a social thing with friends. On my own I tend to turn home much quicker.
What general tips would you have for beginners wanting to take up cycling? Get the best bike you can afford, go to a good shop to get it fitted, and practice somewhere quiet before hitting the road. But mainly, just get out there and go for short rides and build slowly and steadily.
One of the things people criticise spinning for is that it doesn’t teach technique. What would you say to that and are there any specific techniques you can share that all beginner cyclists should know? Like most things in life there is no one size fits all. Some people are keen cyclists and want to learn technique; others don’t. Many people come to indoor cycling purely to get fitter and lead a healthy lifestyle. At Boom Cycle we are offering people an escape from the stresses and pressures of the outside world, which means we focus on providing pleasure and fun – people will get fitter no matter what but they’ll also enjoy themselves without worrying about anything else. As long as people have fun we’re doing our job! In terms of technique the most common mistake I see is people riding with their saddle the wrong height – it’s always too low. This not only will cause problems with your joints, but it also makes you lose power transfer through the pedals. When adjusting the saddle height you want your knee to have a slight bend in it when your foot is at the bottom of the pedal stroke – too high and your knee will lock out, you don’t want that.