“Never Coast” is the motto of the revolutionary cycling activity called Flywheel. This indoor cycling class focuses on heavy climbs and descents, while also working your upper body through weighted bars. Its unique app and Torqboard allows you to compete against yourself, but also fellow Flywheelers in the class. The target torq changes as you ride to make your climb harder.  Although you have targets, you ultimately get to decide how hard you want to push yourself.

I experienced Flywheel for the first time a few weeks ago. When I got to the studio, I was given biking shoes and my bike number. All the seating was stadium seating, so every seat was a good seat. As the ride began, riders were told the appropriate torque and RPM’s based on things like the music speed and resistance required for each segment of the ride.

As soon as the class began, the room became pitch black and music pulsated throughout. The music was synced to your target RPM’s so you could ride to the beat. Several times throughout the class, the Torqboard shows the whole class how each member is performing. If you are competitive, the Torqboard allows you to compete with everybody in the class. It pushes you to ride harder and feeds your competitive drive. If you are not the competitive type, you can opt out of the torqboard and your ride will be recorded on an app that you can access using your phone or on their website. It measures your ride in max torq, average torq, max RPM’s, max torq, average speed, power, and estimated calories burned. This allows you to see your progress over time. While the class lasted only an hour, the time flew by and riders got a great workout.

From the minute you start your ride to the first climb, to your final descent to the last stretch, you feel as if you accomplished more than you ever thought you could.

So if you are looking for a new workout, Flywheel is definitely something you should try. It could become your new fitness addiction.