SoulCycle Comes to Canada

SoulCycle comes to Toronto! Find out what a SoulCycle Toronto class is really like and how it is different from your regular spin class.

SoulCycle spin bikesPhoto credit: Phil Crozier

This news sent our hearts a spinning! SoulCycle just launched a cycling studio in Toronto, with doors open to the public March 2, 2017. And we got a preview of a SoulCycle Toronto class, and here is what you can expect from your first class.

What not to expect:

• It’s not an extreme class. You won’t get yelled at by your instructor about burning calories from overeating on a Friday night. The spin class is taught in the dark and the music is loud, but it’s a pretty sweet class that even a beginner/intermediate spinner can enjoy. Our SoulCycle Toronto instructor Adam was really encouraging, telling us things like, “You are stronger now than you were when you started this class,” and “You should appreciate that you love your body enough to take this class.”
• Despite the NYC prices of spinning costing as much as, if not more than, a blowout, a SoulCycle Toronto class is about the price of a movie and snacks: $28 per class. There are packages to bump that price down to as low as $20. And the first class rate is $20, actually.
• It’s a total body workout, not just a cardio class. While your legs will be moving the entire time, there is a strength component for the upper body with one, two and three pound weights.

What you can expect:

• The pedals are clip-in, so your regular ol’ running shoes won’t work. You can bring your own, or wear a SoulCycle branded pair for $2 per class. For free, though, you can have a pair of ear plugs, grab a piece of gum or snag a hair elastic if you forget your own.
• No phones in the spin studio. And to help encourage this digital-detox behaviour, some lockers have USB charge plugs. (Go early and find one for yourself, as not all lockers are equipped with a plug.) We love this detail and wish more gyms would have this!
• Even if you are an avid spinner, the seat will hurt your tush. Thankfully, we found the padded seat covers in a bin near the instructor’s bike. You don’t have to rent that. You just grab one before class and return it to the bin after.

You can register for a SoulCycle Toronto class at SoulCycleKingSt.com. If you take the SoulCycle Toronto class, or any other new fitness class, let us know what you think on our besthealthmag.ca Facebook page.