Industry experts share their advice on attracting members to indoor cycling classes and running a successful program.
Indoor cycling classes are a great way to encourage community in your club, but many gyms are still trying to get back to pre-pandemic levels of participants. Some aspects of indoor cycling program operations have changed, but many have stayed the same.
Most fitness clubs that offer indoor cycling classes emphasize the need for good instructors. At CycleBar, instructors are truly in control of their own classes. They can choose the music, intensity and environment of the studio. However, the most important part is making connections with participants.
“Our instructors are the rock stars of the brand and the leaders of the entire experience,” said Billy Grenham, the chief marketing officer at CycleBar. “The instructors are the coach, motivator, therapist and DJ to participants. Having an actual person holding you accountable to push yourself to the next level is a gamechanger.”
Making sure the person leading the class is personable, encouraging and entertaining is vital for creating regular participants. Plus, personal touches from class leaders combined with the versatility of the cycling studio creates an adrenaline-pumping experience.
“We adjust various elements of the room according to the ride and vibe,” explained Grenham. “The instructors are empowered to change lighting as it relates to their curated ride playlists. Our class formats have a formula that’s enhanced with different lighting and a big booming sound system. We’re rhythm-based, so we literally move to the beat. The music and sound system play a huge role in the overall programming.”
Another key to success in engaging members is ensuring there’s a variety in instructor style, equipment setup and theatrics. Doing so allows you to market your program to a wider audience.
As such, at Club Greenwood in Denver, Colorado, the choice to incorporate diverse offerings is prevalent. “The variety of our instructors’ styles and ride plans keeps our program fresh,” said Stephanie Simpson, the group fitness coordinator at Club Greenwood. “Our clients are presented with a new challenge every time they get on a bike.”
Variety is also present in their cycle studio setups with clients’ preferences being at the forefront of decision making.
“We use both Stages bicycles and the Stages Studio platform at our club,” said Simpson. “We feel our bikes and the accurate metrics clients can rely on in class play a large part in supporting them in their training. By providing a wide range of instructor styles as well as a varied offering of class times, our indoor cycling community is loyal and growing.”
For The Houstonian Club in Houston, Texas, finding the balance of change and variety is extremely important in the cycle studio. Elements like lights and sounds create a dynamic environment to keep riders engaged and entertained, but too much can be overwhelming.
“You have to keep the attention and interest of your participants by changing the environment a few times within the class with lighting or song choice,” said Melissa Shippy, the group exercise director at The Houstonian Club. “Too much is distracting, but dropping the lights for a slower climb to set the mood or changing the color of the lights for a high energy sprint can help participants feel in the moment. I also recommend playing a song that sounds different — slower, different genre, etc. — about halfway through class when participants are growing weary. It re-energizes the room.”
Shippy emphasized while theatrical elements make classes fun and interesting, don’t forget the essentials of good instructors and quality exercises.
“Our most highly attended classes are ones that stick to the basics of good content including a variety of speeds, tensions, and time in and out of the saddle,” explained Shippy. “I still see a strong interest in SoulCycle-type classes that include light weights but not a ton of crazy choreography. Just some basic presses to the beat.”
Another way to increase interest in your indoor cycling program is by incorporating general trends like playing music from popular artists or offering certain amenities.
At CycleBar, Grenham noted how their core consumer is younger than it was before the pandemic. This has led them to create more on-trend programming.
“We have themed rides called ‘CycleBeats’ that are strategically designed to intersect with pop culture,” said Grenham. “Rides that celebrate Beyonce’s birthday, the Taylor Swift Eras Tour or an out-of-this-world Glow Ride tap into an exciting element of fandom and leave riders with the ultimate in-person experience with friends and family they can’t duplicate at home.”
A trend within the fitness industry that Gainesville Health and Fitness (GHF) in Gainesville, Florida, is taking advantage of is incorporating real world visuals into the workout. With video projections, riders can explore and experience places from all around the world.
“We use MyRide virtual cycling software in many of our classes, delivering video footage from different locations around the world,” said Debbie Lee, the senior director of marketing at GHF. “The scenery moves with the pedaling speed, allowing riders to experience the terrain as they see it. We also added Les Mills THE TRIP, a fully immersive workout experience that combines a 40-minute multi-peak cycling workout with a journey through digitally-created worlds.”
Another way GHF ensures members are happy and the program continues to grow starts as soon as someone joins the club. Providing ample resources for new members or inexperienced riders who may feel uncomfortable fosters a strong connection between the club and its members.
“We start with offering 30-minute cycling classes which are more appealing to beginners because they believe it’s doable,” explained Lee. “Nobody wants to get trapped in a class they can’t finish. We ask beginners to come a few minutes early and the instructor goes over set up, how to use the bike and what to expect including how to modify. The goal? Get first-time participants to return.”
All in all, running a successful indoor cycling program involves managing a lot of moving parts. While these industry leaders shared that great instructors and an engaging environment are a necessity for success, remember different audiences and clientele will have a variety of expectations or needs.
Once you know what your members want, you’ll be well on your way to creating a great indoor cycling experience.
