Victoria was our Commander in Chief for 45 minutes inside the walls of B/SPOKE. From the minute she walked into the room through the end of the last song, she ruled us as her pack. Every single cue was clear and communicated in a way that not only made it easy to follow her lead but also get motivated when she pushed us further–two great qualities in a spin instructor. Victoria reminded us time and time again which foot should be catching the beat to assure all riders were riding as one, and we love her for that. No off beat riders here! Between her riding like a boss (perfect form, flat back, chest up, never wavering) and her envy-worthy long ponytail, we were almost hypnotized. But we quickly snapped out of it when we caught our right foot to the beat on the first song and we were off sprinting.

KTB is solid all-around. She won’t deliver anything fancy or crazy, which in this case isn’t a bad thing. We love that we can always come expecting 45 minutes of solid spin, and leave feeling like we put in a solid workout. Sprints, hills, choreo, it was all right there waiting for us just as expected from a spin class at B/SPOKE. One thing not to expect–coming in and taking your time to warm up. When the lights go down, the intensity turns up right along with the music. All of a sudden KTB had us tapping back and pressing right out of the gate. Good morning to us! Her playlist was filled with a lot of EDM that we didn’t know, but maybe we just aren’t cool enough–hold that against us, not her. We did leave wishing there was a little something extra to wow us and make us want more.

We’ll be honest with you we were a little scared of Kris before we took her class. The whole bad ass tattooed look she’s got going on on the website left us a little intimidated. But damn, we were happy we took that little birdy’s recommendation to take her lunchtime class. In our opinion, lunchtime classes are meant for getting in, getting your sweat on and getting out. No second guessing why you came. Limited talking and just straight up business. Kris delivered on exactly that. She got down to business right out of the gate with some serious climbs at a quick pace that had us holding on for dear life. But with Kris’ straightforward commands and no bullshit approach she pushed us past were we thought we could go. The rest of the class was crammed full of well timed choreography, sprints, jumps and resistance that were all executed with purpose and left our legs smoked (insert waddle to sweetgreen here). We don’t remember a single song from our ride but we’re not complaining. Maybe we blacked out for 45 minutes or most likely, knowing B/SPOKE and their dedication to being cooler than cool we’re just not cool enough to know.

You know that feeling you get when you walk into a sold out spin class, you look around and know that every single person in the room is ready to work and work damn hard? That was exactly what went down late on Wednesday night with Aly Raymer at B/SPOKE and not just this time, but every damn time we ride with her. We’ll say it once and hopefully not have to repeat ourselves…Don’t f*ck with Aly.  Don’t let the cute outfits and blonde hair fool you. Aly means business. She showed us why she is one of the best in Boston. Come ready to work, sweat and perhaps push yourself past where you thought you could go. Sign of a good teacher, right?

What we loved most about Aly, aside from her no bullshit attitude was that she put a major emphasis on actually having riders ride to the BEAT of the music…imagine that.  Throughout the 60 minute ride she continually cued us, “right, left, right, left”. This made sure we all had the right resistance on the wheel and that we rode as one.

You know those people that just have that “cool” vibe? The vibe you always wish you had but never did? Well, Kara has that vibe. From the moment she stepped onto the podium, rocking her snapback, a pair of trendy leggings, and sports bra fresh off the retail rack in the lobby, coolness seeped from her pores. It feels like every time we go back to B/SPOKE Studios, they are upping their game, and we love that about them. Kara delivered a class straight out of the B/SPOKE playbook. It was a perfect balance of hills, sprints and choreography that got us working hard. Her energy level was at a constant 10 and we’re pretty sure we heard her swear once or twice. No judgement here, we were swearing under our breath as she forced us to kick it into high gear out of the saddle. With sweat pouring off every inch of our body (ok, we sweat a lot but it was HOT in there) the final song started…was that Tiny Dancer? Wait, was that Notorious B.I.G? Yes. It. Was. Remember Girl Talk? The DJ from 10 years ago that mashed up every song you love. We’d forgotten about them too. Apparently they are cool again. Kara made them cool again.

We’ve got good news: Kelly sizzles just as much on the bike as she does in the red room (Barry’s fans, you know what we’re talking about). Don’t expect any crazy choreography in Kelly’s class as she’s committed to the strategic moves that’ll get your legs burning and your heart pounding in no time. We were particularly smitten with her playlist – she got us into a post-class-hour-long-internet-hole searching for that Jay-Z song she played. Kelly is an A+ addition to the B/SPOKE roster and we can’t wait to ride with her again.

The best way to describe Deja’s class is spinning meets Miami night club, and we are into it! We may have even picked up a few dance moves to try out this weekend. This was a Hip-Hop style class so the music still had that great mix of fast and slow paced songs but with a hip-hop vibe. Deja not only brought the party to her class through her choreography (body rolls and booty bumps) but her energy was just as spicy. Deja provided options for riders of varying degrees of experience, there were definitely loyal followers in the crowd and we can understand why. Between the music, the dancing, and Deja firing us up, the 45 minute class flew by. We think we just found our new Friday night hot spot.

Ali P might be tiny, but she is a badass on the bike. Ali’s dance background shines through with her killer playlist, unique choreography (have you ever “waltzed” on a bike?) and attention to form. We were seriously pouring sweat through Ali’s fast paced class…which she lead on the bike almost the entire time. How she wasn’t huffing and puffing, we’re not entirely sure–but hell, we’d like to get in that type of shape. She’s tough and she’s down to earth…take this girl’s class ASAP.

Becky is a Florida native who brings the Miami heat to the B/SPOKE bikes. We were jamming out from the warm up to our final sprint. If not for the workout, we would come back just to hear the playlist she put together. Oh, and she did the ENTIRE class along with us. This girl is in killer shape and totally motivated us to add one more turn of resistance when we thought we’d had enough. Becky is the perfect pick for a midday pick me up… no coffee necessary.

Christina, or “Mooch” as she’s sometimes known (can we call her that yet?) is a total powerhouse. Christina was recently named a finalist for America’s Most Inspiring Trainer, and for good reason. This lady is strong, motivating, and will make sure you’re not just coasting through spin class…we admit, it happens. She’s rhythmic, engaging, and had us wanting to dance right along with her. Do yourself a serious favor and catch a class with this gal.