Not since East Coast versus West Coast has there been such a debate, Flywheel or SoulCyle.
I used to be a spin instructor, so I’m super picky when it comes to where I take spin classes. Like no joke I lose patience really quickly when its a wordless, 4% incline, super basic type of spin class. Yes, I know all the spin instructors out there are probably yelling about contraindication spin…blah blah I know, and sorry not sorry, I don’t like those classes.
For every person in my class at CBS, I’m finally ready to answer what the difference is…from a philosophy stand point. Because rather than get in to price comparison, locations, instructors, and all that jazz, I figured I’d tell you about what makes the style different.
Soul is an interesting beast. It is truly a cult that when you agree to drink the kool-aid, you are all in my friend. Its about the pack, the collective motivation of the group. Your position in the room matters in relationship to the pack. I personally like to lead the pack from the front row. Its the kind of experience where you go, turn off your brain, and surrender to the energy of the room and the instructor.
Flywheel, on the other hand, is where I go when I want to plug in and compete against myself. Flywheel isn’t about the pack, the music, the rhythm, or anyone else, it’s about you. Honestly, Fly is where I go when I want a slightly selfish experience, when I want to just focus on my ride. Your position in the room doesn’t matter, but if you are super competitive like me you take a spot and laser focus on the torq board (the leaderboard that runs during class showing you your position among the room). I have to forget trying to ride the beat of ever song, forget about catching the same cadence as my neighbor, its about how hard I push myself.
Both have their ups and downs, and I’ve ridden both. I have moments where I love spin and when I abhor it, but when I’m in the mood to spin I go for Soul or Fly. I honestly prefer Soul more because I worked so hard to get to the front of the pack, and I love any place that allows me to twerk on a spin bike. Thanks to some persistent classmates here at Columbia, I’ve started riding Flywheel. The extremely competitive person in me loves that I can see how I fair, and that I have actual stats to try and best for the next ride.
If you are ever walking around Manhattan and see a girl changing from a Soul top into a Fly one with a high bun, it’s probably me 🙂
XOXO,
MacKenzie