Turnstyle Cycle Kendall Square is the original Turnstyle location. This quirky Cambridge neighborhood spot oozes intimacy and provides exactly what Turnstyle Cycle is known for: basic spin without any added frills. The Turnstyle experience varies widely between all three locations, Turnstyle Cycle Kendall Square is a serious step up from the Back Bay basement but don’t go expecting the sleek modern look of the South End studio. Turnstyle Cycle Kendall is a mix of big glass windows and winding hallways leading you to a rather small spin studio. Pro tip hit up the 6am class to avoid riding on top of your neighbor as the bikes are squeezed in.
In typical Turnstyle fashion, this class had a music theme: David Guetta, Daft Punk and Bob Sinclair. Full disclosure: We had to resort to Google to find the commonality, which turns out to be their French House music style, if you’re wondering. Class started with a solid warm up to get us going, which we definitely needed at 6am. From there the class steadily built, increasing in both speed and strength along the way. We rode to the beat of the music, pushing ourselves up then sprinting down the metaphorical mountains that spin classes all know and love. Resistance increases were realistic; the instructor never demanded endless “quarter turns” just for the sake of sounding intense. The choreography was simple yet effective; we’re there to ride and that’s just what we did. For the arms section of class, we had our choice between two- and three-pound dumbbells. Naturally we went for the three, because we’re bad ass and why not push it? After arms there was just one song left with two longish sprints, where we busted butt before calling it a day–or a morning.
Katrina is the definition of a morning person. She was so pleasant, we almost forgot how early it was. Before class started she asked everyone’s names, trying to get to know her 6am crazy ladies better. It’s always a definite plus when instructors take the time to get to know their regulars. Katrina worked her butt off right along with us, making every resistance turn and taking every sprint she called. We loved her for her positive motivational techniques. If you’re new to spin class, she’s a great instructor to break you in.
Out of the three Turnstyle locations this space ranks second. It’s a garden level studio; however the large windows in the lobby area offset the potential for a cave-like feel. Well, that is until you make your way back to the spin studio, which has a solid basement vibe (and not in a cool man-cave way). But let’s be real, you’re there to sweat so we can get past the actual studio appearance. One downside of the room applies to the taller ladies: If you’ve got height, avoid sitting under the beam, as you run the risk of your top knot grazing the ceiling in second position.
The studio has two showers and changing rooms equipped with the necessities: towels, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair dryer and plastic bags for sweaty clothes–bonus! The limited number of showers wasn’t a big deal for a 6am class but if you’re rushing straight to the office post workout this setup just might not fly. The Kendall Square locale does not have the square footage of the other Turnstyle Cycle locations so pro tip: Hit up the 6am class to avoid riding on top of your neighbor as the bikes are squeezed in tight.
1 Kendall Square, B3002, Cambridge, MA 02139 Cambridge Spin $
Turnstyle Cycle Kendall Square
Cambridge Spin $
1 Kendall Square, B3002, Cambridge, MA 02139
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Turnstyle CycleSpin
Katrina is the definition of a morning person. She was so pleasant, we almost forgot how early it was. Before class started she asked everyone’s names, trying to get to know her 6am crazy ladies better. It’s always a definite plus when instructors take the time to get to know their regulars. Katrina worked her butt off right along with us, making every resistance turn and taking every sprint she called. We loved her for her positive motivational techniques. If you’re new to spin class, she’s a great instructor to break you in.
Turnstyle CycleSpin
Sunday mornings are perfect for a little R&R. Instead of rest and relaxation, we most often lean in favor of a rejuvenating & restorative workout. While you typically wouldn’t think a Rhianna/R3hab themed spin class would fit that criteria, we found that Lauren Reed’s class did just that.
Showcasing her versatility, Lauren quickly transitioned from teaching a TRX Bootcamp, right into the 45-minute ride. She offered a pleasant change of pace from some of the more competitive, high-intensity options in town. If you’re not a fan of chasing others on a leaderboard, this is the class for you. Lauren’s routines were well-synced and provided a good variety of jumps, tap backs and dip-crunch combos, but we felt the degree of challenge was lacking. Like most instructors, Lauren fed off the energy of our class; which had us wondering if she was holding out on us a bit, because admittedly, we could’ve given off a little more energy ourselves.
Turnstyle CycleSpin
Straight off his Academy Award winning performance in “Be a Marketer” Matt delivered a class just as we imagine cycling classes to be back in 2002. You know, before the influx of expensive studios, snobby clientele and excessive choreography. Matt’s class was simple but straight up tough. This might have possibly been one of the toughest spin classes we’ve taken to date. There was a solid mix of heavy (HEAVY) hills and all out sprints. He hit us with isolations – both in second and third – and then we peeled the resistance back, hit the saddle and SPRIIIIINTed. Our legs were absolutely demolished. We repeated this multiple times throughout the class. By the end of class, we were absolute toast.
Turnstyle CycleSpin
Lovable, hilarious and approachable are a few things that come to mind when we think of Meg C. Being a newb in her class means nothing because she will make you feel like you’ve known her for years as you set up your bike and get your legs warm and rolling. Her infectious energy got us amped to take on the hills, sprints and jumps this lady sprung on us. You will absolutely sweat yourself soaked in her class, and that’s including arms… Static holds are her best friend. She’ll get in some “YEPS” and “LET’S GO’S” getting you to crank out a few more seconds of heavy resistance hills, while constantly reminding you to pull your hips back and press through your whole foot rather than your toes.
