CycleBar owners John Ryan and Marina Alfaro-Ryan
Arlington has a new destination for a high-energy, calorie-torching workout.
CycleBar Columbia Pike opened in November of 2016 and is already an attraction for Arlington area residents who are seeking a fun way to get fit. CycleBar offers more than just physical exercise, however. The franchise seeks to foster a sense of community among its clientele.
The owners, husband and wife team John Ryan and Marina Alfaro-Ryan, opened the franchise with the hopes of having a successful business while also doing good for the community.
When Alfaro-Ryan discovered the CycleBar franchise, she knew immediately that it was the right opportunity for them. “We wanted to do something that was both fun for us and positive,” said Alfaro-Ryan. “We fell in love. It’s just so much fun. It’s addicting actually.”
CycleBar offers cycling-based fitness classes. With inspiring instructors, energizing music, and motivating statistics, each class is designed to push riders through an intense cardiovascular workout
Natalie Kottke, one of the CycleBar Columbia Pike instructors, said she and the other instructors were carefully recruited for both their physical abilities and charisma. They then went through an intensive training by a CycleBar master instructor “to get us in shape, to master the technique, the CycleBar formula.”
Instructors are also trained to create compelling playlists. Each class has a distinctive series of songs specially formulated to keep riders pushing and peddling.
“You’ll hear a little bit of everything in each class,” Kottke said. “Everything that we do, we ride to the music. Everything is to the beat, so we make sure that there is a good variation of tempos throughout the class.”
During a class, the instructor encourages everyone to keep in rhythm with the music by calling out the number of rotations per minute (RPMs) that correlate to the beat of the music. The instructor also suggests a resistance level that is appropriate for that speed, so higher-energy songs have lower resistance while slower songs have more resistance.
The classes work on more than just the lower body. Instructors model movements that can be done while riding that focus on the core and arms. There is a weighted bar (the “bar” in CycleBar) fitted on each bike which is used periodically throughout the workout to strengthen the upper body.
The owners emphasized that anyone can take a CycleBar class. The difficulty can be adjusted to meet any fitness level. “Only you know how much resistance you put on your bike,” Ryan said.
Area residents have begun to fill up the bikes at CycleBar Columbia Pike.
“It’s in the neighborhood, so it’s easy to get to,” said Jill Flack after a sweaty Sunday morning session. “We come in the morning to get our ‘spinner’s high.’”
Adela Lacopo, who attended the same class, finds that the time she spends at CycleBar is a good way to stay fit and recharge. She sometimes even attends two classes back-to-back to fully decompress.
“This is my therapy and I love pushing myself,” Lacopo said. “I have a two and a half year old daughter and this helps keep me in shape so I can keep up with her.”
While most classes have a similar structure, there are some specialized classes. The “concert series” classes offer a playlist featuring one particular musician, while Sunday “brunch” and “Wine Down Wednesday” allow customers to mingle and enjoy everything from fruit platters to a touch of chardonnay after the class is over.
These special classes are one way that CycleBar emphasizes community involvement. While the studio is being used for CycleBar classes in the morning and evening, the studio space can be rented out by local businesses and organizations. Businesses can host classes to improve team-building and promote wellness initiatives.
CycleBar also offers community members a chance to raise money for good causes through a program called CycleGiving. Organizations can rent out the space for a flat rate and host classes, charging participants a set price for each seat reservation. The proceeds can then be put towards fundraising or philanthropy goals.
If cathartic cardio workouts and community involvement aren’t enough incentives to bring potential riders through the doors, CycleBar also provides its clientele with competitive pricing and luxury amenities.
“Our prices are better [than other cycling studios], much better,” Alfaro-Ryan said. “We offer a better value. We offer free water, free [rental] shoes, free fruit.”
Warren Chen, who has been attending classes at CycleBar since they first opened, appreciates the special promotions that the studio offers.
“They had a 10 for 10 pack where if you buy 10 and use them in three weeks you get a free 10 classes,” Chen said. He added that he will “definitely buy some more passes and come back” when the promotion expires. Chen also enjoys the fact that the studio doesn’t require any membership commitments or charge any additional fees.
“It’s fun to see people come out [of a class],” said Ryan. “It’s amazing to see how happy they are.”
CycleBar Columbia Pike is located at 3400 Columbia Pike Suite A, Arlington, at the intersection of Columbia Pike and S Glebe Road. Find out out more columbiapike.cyclebar.com. Contact CycleBar via email at columbiapike@cyclebar.com.