Good Friday on a Spinamajig
For the first time in a long time all four founding Wheelers were in the same place at the same time. To celebrate the occasion we decided to sweat, early and a lot.
Our Brazilian, normally abroad, had returned for some much-needed home leave. She’s now a US Citizen and other than immediately moving to Barcelona, has embraced her new nation wholeheartedly.
I returned North early for Easter weekend in the hopes I could meet up with the gang. Travels were not easy. I was stuck in construction traffic several places Thursday night. My Garmin added 20 minutes to my commute every five minutes or so. Seems I’d never get closer than two hours away. Having left at 6:30 PM, and my ETA advancing to 1AM, the Garmin lady said, “Screw this. Take the next exit”
The next exit was Bowling Green. I ended up on 301 and entered Maryland over the Nice Bridge. I eventually came back in to Virginia from the North over the Wilson Bridge. I arrived at 11:30.
I tuned in to WTOP traffic when I could and they were flabbergasted at the 95 North traffic. No small feat to flabbergast a DC traffic reporter. Apparently, a significant portion on 95 North was down to one lane to accommodate a mobile pothole repair crew.
I won’t say anything more on the subject because this isn’t a traffic blog, it’s all about health. But, know that this caused me a late bedtime and I planned to be up at 4:30AM to be at the class I’d already signed up for at 5:45AM.
The gang had chosen Cyclebar on Columbia Pike in Arlington. It’s easy to find, even with bleary eyes. It’s in one of the newer buildings in that area. I remember that part of Arlington growing up and it was mostly fast food and car shops. The building now looks like all the new places that have been built from Rosslyn to Balston and beyond. Almost an art deco feel. Charming and functional but nondescript, since they’re everywhere.
This was my first trip to this, or any Cyclebar. Signing up n line was easy enough for my free class. I did have trouble signing up for the specific class using my free pass, but Marina, the woman who emailed me when I requested the pass, was helpful in getting it applied.
The interface is intuitive enough and it’s easy to see what bikes are available.
Once in the bar, I was directed to a bank of iPads with the ubiquitous waivers, etc. It was easy to find my name on the list and do what needed to be done as well as see what bike I had selected. Good information because the shoes they provided (for free) were in a small cubby with the same number.
The locker area is small but it wasn’t crowded. I met Lisa and P there and that’s where the guide who had taken me there left me, assuming I was in capable hands. John was already biking up.
We stowed our stuff and went in to our bikes. Easy enough to find. I struggled getting my shoes clipped in but I’m proud to say I figured it out. Line up the clip and act as though you’re trying to shove your toes down a vertical hole.
Our Meg was chipper and able to pay individual attention to us since it was so empty due to the holiday. Some people get Good Friday off, apparently. I was in the absolute back and she saw me taking my pulse at one point and teased me about it.
At present, I am the absolute heaviest I have ever been. This is due to a number of things such as my illness that required months of Prednisone, and my Testosterone replacement. And no, my eating habits haven’t changed. I’m still under 2000 calories a day. But the doctors assure me it will work out. In the meantime, I look like a fitness beginner. The only saving grace for me is the overhead lights in the class highlighted some of my shoulder definition. I had some concern about completing an extreme cardio class, nonetheless.
The class is 45 minutes and starts with the usual warm-up. These bikes have monitors on them to display your speed and watts generated as well as what level of knob tension you’re at. I suppose most have these now, and it’s handy, especially the tension thing. There is an option to broadcast your data and heart-rate on the screens in the front of the class. I didn’t hear more about that, possibly because I was more or less winging it.
The music wasn’t as overwhelming as some spin classes. I could hear Meg perfectly and it wasn’t hard to match the rhythm. It’s a smaller space, and being so light on people I could see the mirror in the front, which helped me with some of the other movements.
The movements themselves were less ambitious than some classes I’ve taken. Fairly easy arm motions and hip movements. Not the sort of thing that might throw out a shoulder or break a sternum.
The push times were clever and the length was just right. She knew I was new, and I almost think she worried about me keeling over. As it happened, the longer we got in to it the easier it felt.
She had a few pushes where she wanted the average wattage group to beat the previous level. Seeing the numbers on the screen was inspiring and even I pushed harder than I expected. We did well each time.
The weight exercises used two five-pound short bars. I feel like the bars are easier to handle than the dumbbells, but hand position was harder to adjust. Overall, I like the bars. I think they’re more versatile.
The class is 45 minutes total, and that’s just right. The elapsed time is shown on the display, so I found myself watching the clock a few times.
Meg admitted the stretch time was a bit abbreviated because we got carried away and suggested we do more on our own. We didn’t, but only because we’re idiots.
After toweling off we wandered up the Pike to Bob and Edith’s for a breakfast no one with a sedentary lifestyle should eat.
I felt like I normally feel in the group workouts with friends. I start by doubting my ability to finish, and end up feeling great and pleased that I kept up as well as I did. I think it pays to have a group who share each other’s energy so well.
Cyclebar isn’t cheap, like most spin studios. They are in several locations including one in Hilltop in Virginia Beach. I think they are all independent franchises so I may try to hit up the one closest to me for a free class. After the class you get offers for bundles of classes at a newbie discount, but they are only valid at that gym.
If you’re looking for a good spin workout that’s not psychotic, and not geriatric, Cyclebar is a good way to go.
