The Ride of My Life

I’ve completed dozens of spin classes in my life, but I admit that I wasn’t fully prepared for “50 minutes of the best sweat".

I’ve completed dozens of spin classes in my life, but I admit that I wasn’t fully prepared for “50 minutes of the best sweat,” promised and delivered to me by CycleBar, the new indoor cycling studio now open at Fort Lee’s Hudson Lights complex.

This is a studio unlike any other I’ve visited. It’s modern and high-tech—guests are greeted by a row of iPads used to register and select a bike. (You can also use the tech to check any “spin stats” that you’ve racked up.) And if you don’t have your own cycle sneakers, you can sign up in advance online or in person to borrow a pair. Note to cycle gurus: The bikes are compatible with SPD or LOGIK shoes.

Further inside is the CycleTheatre, a dark room softly lit with LED lights and featuring 48 bikes arranged to create a half-moon. Each bike is designed to track its riders’ stats and comes equipped with a towel and an 8-pound weight bar. (More on that later!)

Now for the reason of my recent visit: the class. It’s a rigorous cardio workout led by executive lead instructor Marisa Kochnover, whose highly-motivational words kept me and the other cyclists going. Another motivator is seeing your spin stats—such as heart rate, calories burned and power—in real time on the overhead monitors. And that 8-pound weight? Kochnover weaves an upper-body strength-training session into cardio exercise. Whew!

“A CycleBar class isn’t just a good workout, it’s a mind, body and spiritual experience,” she told me. Drenched in sweat after the class and feeling good about myself, I fully agreed.