Body Cycle Studio

Category:  Cardio

Target Zone:  Legs, Butt, Core Location:  Rittenhouse

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Good vibe. Body Cycle Studio is one of those studios where you walk in and feel right at home. At 19^th and Chestnut, above Breakaway Bikes, this studio is a no frills, fun vibe, inclusive, good energy, great music, kind of place. Challenging classes. Cool instructors. You’ll want to work hard and leave with a good sweat. It is definitely one of the studios with an extremely loyal following of riders. This cult-like group walks around Rittenhouse with their “Team Body Cycle” shirts (kidding) and really help make BCS what it is --a home away from home.

The scene. Check in at the top of the steps with a friendly employee before entering the studio. There’s not really a locker room or changing room, just a few benches and cubbies to store your things. The actual spin studio is separated by a divider from the waiting/changing area so there is very little separation from the actual class and the riders waiting for the next class. Not the biggest deal, but it can be an issue when the next class is filing into the waiting room as your class is finishing up. 

bodycyclestudio.com

The studio. The studio is pretty bare bones. While they have made some recent upgrades (new fans, more bikes, new sound system), it’s not a high tech studio with a lot of technology and fancy facilities. The bathroom has one shower and it’s not the greatest. Bottom line, it’s fine for going to class and a quick change afterwards, but I wouldn’t want to shower or hang out there any longer than needed. All of the bikes have monitors on them showing resistance and RPM-- the instructors will coach you through the class and tell you where you should be, which holds you personably accountable. The only problem is that you cannot see where you stand compared to the rest of the class. I’m crazy competitive and I love the rush of competing with other riders, so that’s definitely something missing during my spin experience at BCS.

Great variety of challenging classes. One of the great things about BC is the variety of different classes they offer. There are classes ranging from 45 to 90 minutes on the schedule—90 minutes, seriously? YES! Try it, you will feel like a rockstar afterwards (and you can eat anything you want J) . There are also theme rides, charity rides, and clinics offered—most recently, a Superbowl theme ride, a Madonna theme ride, Lactate Threshold Clinic, etc. Body Cycle Studio also throws a few parties throughout the year, which are a great chance to meet other riders and the instructors in a social setting.

phillymag.com

Russell Carter. The owner. He’s amazing and is one of the main reasons I love this place. He is at the studio regularly and is always introducing himself to people and asking for feedback on BCS. He is also really flexible, as far as membership packages go. Recently, I couldn’t use my classes before they expired and he extended the package I purchased no questions asked.

Pricing/ Packages. First ride is FREE. New to spinning? There is a 20-minute intro class every Sunday at 12:30pm to teach the basics and get you acclimated to a general spinning class. After that, they offer 10 rides for $152 and 20 rides for $278 with even lower prices for student packages—wowzas! Their prices are insanely affordable and totally worth committing to a larger package.