By Sydney Janssen
The Colorado College student body is known to be active, and many students take advantage of the outdoor activities and fitness classes around campus. Near CC, there are many spinning studios that attract students, some of the most notable being Cycology and CycleBar.
Cycology is located about a mile from campus in downtown Colorado Springs. Their mission statement, found on their website, focuses on “the integration of good music, better people, and the best indoor cycling experience resulting in new mental and physical heights”.
This is true of Cycology — while you are getting a good workout in, the room is dark with many colorful strobe lights, and the instructors make sure to incorporate unique “dance” moves into their classes to make your time on the bike feel like a party as well. If you take a class at Cycology, you will be sure to leave afterward feeling happy and energized. Cycology is an easy walk from campus and the first class is free. So, be sure to check it out sometime soon!
CycleBar has a studio in Colorado Springs Northgate, which is about a 25-minute drive from campus. While CycleBar is similar to Cycology in many ways, these classes offer their own unique workout too. From personal experience, I have found that the classes at CycleBar are more difficult, but less of a “party” than Cycology classes.
CycleBar classes have a leaderboard that you can opt into, which can help make you push yourself more and have a better workout. The room is also dark and there are more lights on the instructor, but overall the room here does not transform into a vibrant color like it does at Cycology. You can also see your stats on a screen in front of you on your bike, which can be another motivating factor and can help to give you a better idea of where you should be work-load wise throughout the class.
After the class finishes, employees congratulate you with a cold, scented towel and you are later emailed your performance summary from the ride, which includes your average and max revolutions per minute, your average and max watt (or power), the amount of calories you burned as well as your class rank. CycleBar also offers a free first ride, so I would be sure to check out this studio as well!
While both Cycology and CycleBar offer great workouts, I would recommend CycleBar if you are looking for a more difficult workout, and Cycology if you want more of a dance party included in your ride. Both rides also include arm workouts toward the end of the ride, and for both classes you can always take it as easy as you want or make it as difficult as you would like. While the instructors give you a rough idea of where you should be, you can always adjust your workout based on your own preferences.
Biking is also a great form of exercise for many reasons. It has a low impact on the body and it will not hurt your joints or leave you aching afterward. It also improves strength by recruiting many different muscle groups in your legs, in addition to improving your cardiovascular health. Exercise is not only beneficial for your physical health but can help mental health too. So, as soon as you get the chance, I would highly recommend checking out both Cycology and CycleBar.