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It’s easy for cyclists to have their beef with indoor studios. The bikes often don’t compare to what you find on the road, instructors can lack true experience with the sport, and crunches on a stationary bike can sometimes be enough to make even non-cyclists squirm.
Yet, with the advent of indoor trainers, high-tech software, and studios, more and more athletes are moving their workouts indoors.
Cyclists are not excluded: On snowy days, on a work trip, on vacation, or any time your real bike isn’t in sight, there are indoor studio classes that even cyclists favor. (Or, if you can’t make it to the studio, you can even take some of these classes in the comfort of your home). And you can get a great workout from them, too.
More From Bicycling
Dig enough and its possible to find classes taught by cyclists, computrainer studios with very accurate data, cycling performance centers cyclists flock to, and even big-box companies that have their cardiovascular and muscular perks.
We did some of the research for you. Many of the classes below are also popular with non-riders, but they offer a host of benefits that will make anyone want to sign up and give some indoor sweat a shot.
[Want to fly up hills? Climb! gives you the workouts and mental strategies to conquer your nearest peak.]
Peloton
Cyclists who choose Peloton can ride in either the comfort of their own homes or at Peloton’s New York City studio on 23rd Street. Regardless of where you ride, the classes are a solid pick for serious riders, says Hunter Allen, president and CEO of Peaks Coaching Group in Bedford, Virginia.
“There are good bikes, you can use your own pedals, and many instructors are cyclists themselves and teach from a cycling perspective.” Try Matt Wilpers, Christine D’Ercole, and Jennifer Jacobs who are cyclists themselves, and use power and wattage to give riders the experience cyclist want.
Computrainer Studios
Many riders favor computrainer studios, says Tara Parsons, a New York City-based cycling coach. “You use your own bike so you don’t have the discomfort of being on an ill-adjusted gym bike, and you have extremely accurate data.”
Some studios run a functional threshold power (FTP), testing the maximum power you can hold in watts, to ensure your workout is tailored for you.
“These classes are generally geared toward serious cyclists or triathletes, but are an excellent place to start for newer riders because you can train well without the difficulties of dealing with riding on roads with cars,” Parsons says. “It can also be a great gateway between a spin class enthusiast and a road cyclist or triathlete.”
You can find classes nationwide from New York’s Tailwind Endurance to studios in Vail, Colorado, and Santa Monica, California.
Cycling Performance Centers
Brand names aside, next time you’re traveling somewhere new, trying searching for indoor cycling classes at a cycling performance center nearby. Good ones will use solid bikes—look for options from companies like Stages Cycling or IC7 and IC8 bikes—and tech like a Wahoo KICKR. “You can find that in most big cities around the country,” says Allen.
Most websites will advertise the kinds of bikes they’re using or whether or not they use Wahoo KICKRs. Epic Ryde in Denver is a good option, as are EDGE and Vision Quest in Chicago.
FlyWheel
Competitive riders will want to opt into FlyWheel’s “Torqboard”—an optional leaderboard that periodically shows riders’ “power scores,” a figure based on speed and resistance.
Sign up for the newest class, Tempo, a tough interval style class for the best workout. While there are 42 locations in the US, if you love it, you can “fly” anywhere, too.
The Pursuit by Equinox
Equinox members all over the country can enjoy the luxury gym’s immersive, competitive cycling experience—a class that’s part game (with partner races throughout) part competition (with data visualizations broadcast on a screen in the room), attracting cyclist’s to hit peak performance in a collaborative group setting. Not a member? Some hotels, including the Ritz Carlton in Boston or the Four Seasons in San Francisco offer guests day passes with a night’s stay.
Four Great GPS Smart Watches for Cyclists
Onboard GPS Tracking
Fitbit Ionic
Record rides without carrying a phone.
$199.95 | Amazon
Run or Ride for Hours
Garmin Vivoactive
Track everything on this all-sport Garmin.
$275 | Amazon
Streamlined & Capable
Microsoft Band 2
All the functionality, with a limited battery.
$205 | Amazon
Underwater Cycling
For those seeking a little bit of on-the-bike cross-training (and a little bit of fun), studios such as AQUA in New York City—as well as various hotels nationwide and other studios—offer underwater cycling classes. One Canadian study found that working out this way was about equal to working out on dry land, plus it’s a lower impact method of movement, making it a ideal for a little recovery from the road.
SoulCycle
With a new addition to their portfolio of classes—SoulActivate, a class that incorporates high-intensity intervals throughout—SoulCycle is picking up more athletes. With no stat-tracking technology, classes are a good option for those seeking some simple cardio.
With 80+ studios in 15 areas across North America (of which seven feature SoulActivate classes), Soul also makes its way into summer communities such as Martha’s Vineyard and the Hamptons, meaning a workout is never far. You can find Soul studios in areas like Houston, Miami Beach, San Diego, Seattle, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Toronto, just to name a few.
Life Time
If part of getting a solid workout in comes down to convenience, Life Time—with 139 outposts across the U.S. and Canada—fits the bill. The mega-gym offers members three types of indoor cycling classes: AMP, EDG, and PWR.
If you’re a more advanced rider, PWR might be the class for you: It targets more competitive triathletes and cyclists, offering a 12-week progressive training program that begins and ends with an FTP test, too.
Athlete Lab
Traveling abroad? That’s no reason to have to skip your ride. Enter Athlete Lab, a cycling training center with locations in London, Singapore, and Australia.
You won’t find an instructor in front of the class at Athlete Lab, but rather a huge interactive screen and a room full of “adjustabikes” set with real road bike specifications.
The company was founded by amateur triathletes, and its classes are aimed at power-based training. Coaches are also on-hand for one-on-one training, strength and conditioning sessions, and bike maintenance.
All of your stats are sent to you post-class, too, and can be compared to any real ride. If you use Strava or Trainingpeaks, they are automatically uploaded to your account.
Psycle
If business or pleasure takes you to London, Psycle is a class you must check out. It offers everything SoulCyle promises in the U.S. plus some—the studio has expanded from indoor cycling to include barre, yoga, and strength training.
With a ride-to-the-beat style of class, Psycle is a good pick for the days you need a simple cardio hit—or a cool down with a little bit of “om.”
The studio also offers a variety of ride options from 35- to 90-minute sessions, making it a solid option for fickle schedules.
Technogym SKILLBIKE
Reserve a ride in a SKILLBIKE race class available via app and you’re pretty much the closest you’ll get to real road conditions while being indoors. This stationary bike (with a 7-inch touchscreen console for real-time stats) was created to improve cyclists’ road performances. It’s got something called “Real Gear Shift” technology that lets you switch gears—the first stationary bike that lets you do that—allowing you to mimic real road conditions and track true power and cadence, as well as other stats such as pedal symmetry.
NordicTrack S22i Studio Cycle
It’ll be hard to cheat in a live-streamed NordicTrack studio workout—trainers live-control bike aspects such as incline and decline and resistance during the session. Besides all of the specs you’d want in a stationary bike, you’ll get bang for your buck, too: You can create four profiles with one membership, so everyone can get a workout in.
Cassie Shortsleeve is a skilled freelance writer and editor with almost a decade of experience reporting on all things health, fitness, and travel. A former Shape and Men’s Health editor, her work has also been published in Women’s Health, SELF, Runner’s World, Men’s Journal, CNTraveler.com, and other national print and digital publications. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her drinking coffee or running around her hometown of Boston.
