Fly & Flex: New York's Hottest New Indoor Cycling Class

Last week That's Fit had the opportunity to try out the newest class from New York City's swanky, cycle-centric gym, Flywheel Sports.

The Fly & Flex class is a recent addition to the newly-opened studio's repertoire. After co-founding NYC's Soul Cycle back in 2007, Ruth Zukerman decided opened the door to indoor cycling studio Flywheel Sports this past February. But Ruth didn't go it alone -- she enlisted former New York Giants running back and cycling aficionado, Tiki Barber, as the studio's co-founder.

Learning about the expertise behind this new studio, I was anxious to find out for myself if the ride really lived up to the hype as one of the most difficult cycling classes in the city.

I love indoor cycling, and admittedly don't get to attend classes as often as I'd like to at gyms around the city. Despite my love of indoor cycling, I had never rode in a dedicated cycling studio before, yet even if I had, I suspect there was no way I could have been prepared for this high-tech cycling studio.

Each stationary Schwinn had its own digitized torque and RPM display -- a "TorqBoard" developed by Flywheel -- which lets riders track their own progress and gives them the option to compare their performance against the rest of the class in real time via two big screen TVs at the front of the room. During my session, the class-wide tracking wasn't turned on (phew!), but in theory, cyclists can engage in some friendly competition with others in the class (or your "team," according to my instructor). Speaking of instructors, I was amply impressed that after only briefly meeting us all, my instructor Kate was able to yell motivational words of encouragement to each of us throughout the session -- by name -- over the blood-pumping beats.

Another first during my Fly & Flex class? An introduction to cycling shoes. As my instructor Kate said as she helped me clip in, she told me that the indoor cycling shoes would change my life. And, I have to admit, they kind of did. While this is probably no big deal for veteran indoor cyclists, after years of relying on my cross trainers I felt that the dedicated shoes offered a better riding experience. While it's up for debate whether the shoes are really necessary, the very stiff sole is said to enable more powerful pedal strokes, working out the backs of your legs more effectively because you're clipped in and connected to the bike. Necessary or not, I certainly enjoyed not having to worry about slipping off of the petals during the third position pushes.

The 45-minute class involved many twists to the right, a few hills, and even some upper arm weight training at the end with bar weights stored on either side of each bike. The ride was intense -- every cyclist in the class was dripping with sweat by the end. And to ease the intense rides, the studio certainly spared no workout luxury. There were complimentary bottles of water, free lockers and cycling shoe loaners at no charge. Membership to Flywheel, though, comes at a price. Memberships range from $30 for a single ride to $325 per month for the unlimited "superfly" package.

So, was the Fly & Flex class ultimately the most difficult indoor cycling class in the city? Well, I tend to think that the measure of a good class is really a personal best, and depends how hard you push yourself -- and I was definitely pushing. While most of the moves (minus the arm exercises at the end) were similar to other indoor cycling classes, the overall experience was enhanced by the tracking tools and top-notch instructors. If you're a hardcore indoor cyclist in New York looking for a dedicated studio where you can pedal your heart out, you might want to give Flywheel a try.

Check out the capabilities of the RealRyder bike for your next ride.