SUBSCRIBE

Every year, Denmark’s televised fundraiser – Knæk Cancer – raises funds for cancer research. And every year since 2014, cycling4cancer’s 24-hour event has been part of it, raising almost €1.5m to date. Creator and organiser Kim Guhle speaks to RIDE HIGH.

Reinventing indoor cycling

Music & programming

How can we attract new audiences to indoor cycling, broadening its appeal and boosting the usage of cycling studios? A new programme, SclptCycle, has been created with this exact goal in mind. We get the low-down.

Selling normality in Ukraine

In the Ukrainian city of Odessa, Formula Wellness & Spa has re-opened its doors to offer members and employees a sense of normality in the face of the ongoing war. General manager Mariia Brezytska speaks to Kate Cracknell.

Trending now

What’s hot in the world of indoor cycling? RIDE HIGH shares its top 10 trends for 2023

A Global Crisis?

The cost of living crisis is never far from the headlines these days. So, how is our sector faring in different parts of the world? We report on the challenges being faced and the strategies being deployed.

Tom Moos

The founder of Saints & Stars, Amsterdam’s eye-catching boutique fitness brand, gives Kate Cracknell the low-down on its exciting new launch: immersive group cycling concept Holy Ride

Shine Brunei

How many studios can say they have members who come every day, often more than once a day? Kate Cracknell talks to the team behind Shine Cycle and Shine X to discover the secrets of success at this community-focused studio

Recovery at work

Recovery has become something of a buzzword recently, but as an instructor, how do you strike that perfect balance between staying well and running all your scheduled classes? World-renowned endurance coach Hunter Allen explains the Training Stress Score.

Tour de Force

Cycling is a way of life in Denmark, but the Tour de France had never started this far north – until this year. The city of Nyborg hosted in style, with a special ‘yellow jersey’ group cycling event among the many celebrations. Kate Cracknell reports.

Future-proofed instructors

As indoor cycling evolves, how must education evolve with it to ensure we have the instructor workforce we need? Our expert panel share their thoughts.

Legend has it

How has indoor cycling evolved over the years, and what does the future hold? We caught up with industry legends Emma Barry and Steven Renata at BODY BIKE’s recent 25th birthday celebrations

Bebe Ding

In 2014, the Ding siblings – Bebe, Calvin and Valerie – set out to bring a US-style boutique cycling vibe to Singapore. Their CRU brand has since gone from strength to strength, spanning multiple disciplines and locations, a digital platform, a US presence and plans to expand across south-east Asia. CRU’s master trainer and co-founder speaks to Kate Cracknell.

United Fitness Brands

In 2021, Joe Cohen, Robert Rowland and Hilary Rowland co-founded United Fitness Brands (UFB), bringing together their respective businesses – KOBOX and Boom Cycle – as the first step in creating a new ‘supergroup’ of boutiques. They update Kate Cracknell on the story so far.

Align Your Stars

In an omnichannel world, every health club operation should be putting content at the heart of its user experience, says Wexer CEO Paul Bowman – and clubs’ in-house stars are the magic ingredient.

Reclaiming The Crown

In January 2022, a team of cycling enthusiasts from Australia reclaimed what they considered to be ‘their’ Guinness World Record – for Longest Static Cycling Class. Kevin Moultrie, the man behind the motion, talks to RIDE HIGH.

A New Cohort

In the aftermath of lockdown, there’s a whole new community of people who turned to indoor cycling as a way to stay fit while stuck at home. How do we now encourage these individuals to come and sample the in-person experience? We ask the experts.

Power Play

Heart rate, RPM, power zones… Which training method should your club or studio use in its indoor cycling classes, and why? For Peaks Coaching Group founder and CEO Hunter Allen, it’s all about power. He shares his thoughts with RIDE HIGH.

Simi Williams

Africa & MENA

Launching a new business is always a challenge, but add in a career change, relocation, economic downturn, COVID and first-time motherhood and many might have deemed it a challenge too far. Not so Simi Williams, the powerhouse behind Beyond Fitness, Lagos’s trailblazing new boutique. She speaks to Kate Cracknell.

Back in the saddle

The global health club sector is bouncing back post-COVID, and indoor cycling is right there at the forefront. Jak Phillips and Kate Cracknell review the findings of recent research from global group exercise powerhouse Les Mills.

Alejandro Ramos

Americas

Launched as a cycling studio in Mexico City in 2015, Síclo now has ambitions to become the world’s largest wellness community for the Spanish-speaking market. Its CEO and co-founder speaks to Kate Cracknell.

The making of a rockstar

What does it take to be a rockstar instructor? It’s one of those things, isn’t it: we all know when someone is one, but it’s hard to pin down exactly why – what the ingredients are that make up their ‘secret sauce’. Here, our panel of experts explain what they think it takes to be a group exercise superstar.

And breathe…

After 18+ months characterised by mask-wearing and recoiling from anyone who coughs even just once, we are – all of us – far more attentive to the quality and cleanliness of the air we’re breathing. Always an important consideration for small, enclosed spaces like cycling studios, air circulation has now become even more of a focal point. Because it isn’t just about smell or temperature any more. It’s about disease control – and members’ perception of the risk.

Go the extra mile

Yoga and pilates are hugely beneficial for indoor cyclists, as complementary classes that can help cyclists avoid injury and pain, as well as boosting performance in the saddle. We talk to the experts.

Jon Brady

Americas

Will indoor cycling stop being about ‘rhythm vs power’ moving forward? Will studio design have to evolve to meet a new need? The president of Midtown Athletic Clubs shares some early thoughts with Kate Cracknell.

Inspired by COVID. Designed for the future.

Lockdown caused organisations across the fitness sector to pivot their business models to meet new and emerging needs – but in many cases, the changes are here to stay. We take a look at three initiatives, inspired by COVID but with long-term ambitions, that spotlight the opportunities our sector has seized from the jaws of the crisis.

Is recovery the new fitness?

Should we be building more recovery into and alongside our indoor cycling programming? Kate Cracknell speaks to the experts.

Activism at Virgin Active

With its clubs now re-open, Virgin Active UK is unveiling a series of signature group exercise concepts, including new cycle classes created by cycle ‘activist’ Sarah-Jane Aboboto. She gives us a sneak preview.

We have lift-off

This summer, Apollo Travel Group opened the doors to a new sports and fitness hotel in Greece, hosting the Swedish Winter Olympics team the moment Greek tourism re-opened for business. Apollo Sports’ Daniel Giray speaks to Kate Cracknell.

Nothing is impossible

‘The word impossible’ shouldn’t exist in the dictionary, says indoor cycling enthusiast Nuno Ribeiro. He tells Kate Cracknell why cerebral palsy wasn’t enough to stop him becoming an instructor.

Are you vocally fit?

Are you a group exercise instructor with a tired or strained voice, or an operator whose instructors are struggling to be heard in class? Susie Millen, founder of My Vocal Fitness, shares five invaluable tips.

Tim Graham

Music & programming

At Integrity Group Fitness Studios in Ballarat, Australia, AV technology is pushed to its limits – and beyond – in a quest to create the ultimate member experience. Its co-founder speaks to Kate Cracknell

Ben Karoonkornsakul

Rhythm cycling is experiencing huge growth in south-east Asia, spurring The Absolute Group to expand into an at-home model and a franchised, standalone virtual concept. Its founder and CEO Ben Karoonkornsakul speaks to Kate Cracknell.

Get the wheels turning again

Even as clubs and studios re-open, it is with significant restrictions on group exercise participation, as well as continued nervousness among many members. So, how can we maximise the number of people enjoying our indoor cycling offering? We ask the experts.

A State of Ride

As we continue our superstar instructor series, we speak to Matty Clarke, the co-founder and frontman of A STATE OF RIDE – a new programme, born in the fires of COVID, that’s eyeing up global growth both in and out of club.

Riding for Brain Health

A recent cycling event raised over £58,000 for newly formed charity Head for Change – but cycling isn’t just a way to raise money for Alix Popham, the former Welsh rugby international. It’s also part of a daily routine designed to slow his own cognitive decline. He speaks to Kate Cracknell

Artificial intelligence. Real results.

Pitch-perfect marketing, optimised class schedules, fine-tuned instructor line-ups… The opportunities presented by AI might seem too good to be true, but this is all achievable now, driving improved revenues and retention. AI expert Ian Mullane explains.

The Outside, Inside

Waiting for the technology to catch up, so fully immersive environments can transform all of our indoor workout experiences. Charles Pearce, founder of Immersive Gym, outlines his vision to Kate Cracknell

Jeff Veldhuizen

The future of indoor cycling is a convergence of fitness, equipment and the metaverses of the video gaming world, says the CEO of Expresso Fitness. He talks to Kate Cracknell.

Third Space

From signature concepts to pop-up outdoor venues to connectivity between gym floor, GX studio and the home, Chris Stanton and Susie Millen – performance master trainer and cycle master trainer for Third Space – give the low-down on the brand’s cycle programme.

The future of indoor cycling

What does the next year – and beyond – hold for the indoor cycling sector, both in and out of club? Our expert panel share their fascinating insights

Changing the world, one smile at a time

A global event in November saw cyclists around the world come together virtually to raise money for children’s charity Smile Train. We explore the story behind RIDE for Smile Train: Home Edition

The future of trade events

Forced by COVID-19 to abandon their usual in-person formats, the organisers of fitness conferences and trade shows quickly switched to an online model in 2020. Does this mark the beginning of the end for events and networking as we know it?

Puk Lyng Thomsen

A leading light in the Danish ladies’ golf team, Thomsen is currently fighting her way back into the game after major surgery – and indoor cycling is proving a great ally. She speaks to Kate Cracknell

The three arenas of ACTIC

With a new collection of concept classes, a new app and an evolution of its outdoor offering just three of its hot-off-the-press initiatives, the 177-club ACTIC Group is set to explode out of the blocks in 2021. Group training product manager Jessica Tito Martins speaks to Kate Cracknell

The word from New Zealand

With New Zealand a fair way ahead of many markets on the COVID recovery curve, we were keen to learn what might be coming down the line for the rest of us. We turned to Auckland-based Sam Aldred for his insights into the current NZ state of play.

Redefining fitness

Influencer, author, podcast host, cycling instructor, personal trainer – and passionate advocate of intuitive movement. The irrepressible Tally Rye speaks to Kate Cracknell

Setting the world on fire