Indoor cycling workouts are nothing new, but Flywheel takes it up a notch and incorporates performance-tracking technology to put an ultra-competitive spin on a conventional favourite.
The brainchild of New York-based fitness entrepreneur, Ruth Zukerman, the concept hit the UAE in late 2012 and has been steadily garnering fans at two Dubai locations ever since.
While a fast-paced soundtrack, motivation from the instructor and a guaranteed rush of endorphins come as standard, it’s the Flywheel tech-pack system that sets it apart from other indoor cycling sessions.
Each of the 45 bikes is equipped with display technology that allows riders to individually adjust and track their speed (RPM) and resistance (torq).
It also shows power output scores, both current and cumulative, and for those looking for the ultimate competitive ride, there’s the Torqboard. With two large-screen digital displays at the front of the room, the board periodically flashes up performance scores for the session’s top riders. Thankfully, it’s an opt-in function, rather than a “name and shame” tool.
James Holder, a Dubai resident, has been taking Flywheel classes for a little more than a year. “I used to do RPM, but it’s quite difficult to tell what level everyone, including the instructor, is working at, and that’s why I like the tech-pack,” he says.
“It has probably made me more competitive with my exercise because you can either compete against yourself for a personal best, or against the class.”
This may all sound incredibly daunting for a first-timer, but that’s where Flywheel’s other benefit comes into play – the entire session takes place in a darkened studio.
Guaranteed to save (red, sweaty) face when you realise that you are more of a Sunday cyclist than Bradley Wiggins, the rationale is actually to help riders get into the zone and focus on maximising personal performance.
Nour Mansour has been a Flywheel instructor for 18 months. “The thing I love most is the dark room and loud music; it’s always a very personal experience. I advise beginners to just go at their own pace, and even if you’re not on the Torqboard you have your online account as a reference, and so you can measure yourself each time and work on improving overall performance,” she says.
When you sign up for your first session, you also set up a private online account, which logs the stats for every ride. Post-session, riders can review the metrics, which include RPM, torq, speed, power, distance and estimated calories, making personal goal-setting and performance measurement a breeze.
Riders are also provided with a (mandatory) pair of clip-in cycling shoes, another way to boost performance during the gruelling 45-minute session, in which even the warm-up is guaranteed to leave you gasping for breath.
Mansour’s soundtrack for the class is upbeat all the way, and the playlist selection is also unique to Flywheel, as she explains: “In conventional RPM classes they usually repeat the same playlist, whereas here, the instructors vary it every day, so you never come and have the same music twice.”
Whereas RPM is all about turning the dial up or down, in Flywheel, the instructor shouts out target resistance levels and RPM numbers as you go, designed to keep you focused on achieving a personal best.
Your muscles also won’t know what’s hit them, with Flywheel employing a combination of one seated and two standing positions.
Midway through the class, the focus switches to upper body for one track, with a series of weighted bar exercises that rather than killing the momentum, provide a brief moment of respite.
Miraculously, the time does fly – although that could be delirium setting in – and there’s a definite sense of euphoria when you finally, shakily, unclip yourself from the bike. Even as a Flywheel newbie, you can expect to burn about 500 calories as an absolute minimum, and if you really go for it, you’re looking at more than a 1,000.
Classes cost Dh100 per session at Flywheel Sports at Burj Views, Downtown Dubai, 04 423 2544; and Gold & Diamond Park, Sheikh Zayed Road, 04 338 9409; www.flywheelsports.com. An Abu Dhabi location is scheduled to launch in the new year.
