For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been attending a cycling class at the Ray Meyer Fitness Center on campus, and I have a few thoughts.
As SoulCycle is sweeping the nation, more and more college students are intrigued by cycling classes, but don’t want to pay $32 for a single session. Moreover, in addition to paying per class, you have to either rent or buy specific cycling shoes, sign up for classes that sell out faster than Kylie Cosmetics, and be in a room full of intense cyclists that probably attend daily. Yes, SoulCycle sounds fun and hip, but is it worth it?
I sought out to find a better alternative.
So far, I’ve attended three classes on Thursday nights at the Ray with an instructor named Jordan. The first time I went, I was nervous that I would be an outsider, and that the intensity would be too difficult for me. I was wrong! Most of the class encompassed students who never went to a cycling class before, but were super interested. I ended up making new friends because we bonded about not knowing how to adjust our seats. Jordan was nice and explained everything to us before every class, and she wanted us to push our limits while still having fun.
The cycling classes are actually fun, too! Popular music blasts throughout the small room and the fluorescent lighting makes clothing glow. Everyone claps and hoots when the workouts finish, and Jordan even makes us count down together as a group. I also learned that cycling is about focusing on your own pace and adjusting your speed as you see fit. If you want to push yourself, then you can, but if you are having a rough day, you don’t have to go hard. I think that’s awesome. After attending multiple classes, I actually noticed an improvement in my performance, and it became more enjoyable.
My final conclusion is that the Ray’s cycling classes are definitely worth it. As college students on a budget, this is the next best thing to attending SoulCycle. Plus, it’s easy to make the classes fit into your schedule because there are options all week long, and they almost never fill up all the way. You get to be in a fun environment, work out, go as much as you want, and never have to pay extra! There’s usually both beginners and advanced people in every class, which means you don’t have to feel embarrassed about being a newbie. So, whether you are new to cycling or a total expert, I hope you will try the classes at the Ray and experience it for yourself!