Exhale Battery Wharf Cycle

One of our favorite studios, Exhale, recently hopped on the indoor cycling saddle. The Battery Wharf location now offers a cycling class in addition to the other “core” classes that they are known for. Cycle is a great compliment to barre and yoga, providing a full body workout. But don’t expect Cycle to be like your favorite boutique spin studio. No spin shoes, choreography or bumpin’ beats here.

RUNDOWN

WORKOUT

Cycle is similar to FlyWheel, in that they use an RPM barometer to track effort. These types of spin classes are usually pretty light on the choreo, and Cycle was no exception. The class structure was a mix of rolling hills and sprints – simple. But yikes. After our fourth sprint song, our legs were toast. There were only two songs with choreography and it was relatively basic (tap backs and isolations). We recommend this class for newbies to the spin world. You won’t be overwhelmed by fast choreography, but you will still get a killer aerobic workout.

INSTRUCTOR

We love Caitlin. We’ve taken (and reviewed) her Core Fusion Barre class previously and she was equally as fabulous during Cycle. Before class began, she walked around the room to help people with bike set-up and chat with some familiar faces. Her instruction style was straight-forward and challenging. She also did a great job guiding the class through the different RPM and resistance numbers. Each song required a different level of effort, and Caitlin directed us like a pro.

SPACE

Ok…VERY important to note – spin shoes are not available!* So come prepared with sneakers or your own spin shoes. And this leads us to our next point….who still spins in sneakers? The studio and bikes are brand new and gorgeous.  But it doesn’t make up for the fact that you need to put your sneaks in those foot cages. Also important to note that the Cycle studio is actually across the street from the Battery Wharf location. It’s like a separate mini studio equipped with its own front desk, bathrooms and cubbies. However, if you want to shower and utilize the awesome amenities, you’ll need to cross the street to the main building.

* NOTE: Exhale now provides a limited offering of shoes for riders. For the time being it will be first come, first serve. The cost is complimentary for members and $2 for non-members to rent.