If you’re like me, you’ve been meaning to try SoulCycle for some time now but just … haven’t. Sure, it seems like a party on a bike, what with all that pounding music in the dark, but there’s just something a teensy bit intimidating about it. Maybe it’s that secret weapon that separates SoulCycle from other cycling classes, that relies on things like rhythm and coordination and is called ~choreography~, meaning you’re literally dancing on a bike.
To help newbies correctly clip in and find their groove without falling off the bike, SoulCycle just rolled out its latest offering, SoulFundamentals, billed as “the class everyone wishes was their first.” According to Kathleen Kulikowski, a SoulCycle senior instructor who teaches SoulFundamentals in DC, the classes are beneficial because at SoulCycle, “We ride to the beat of the music, and if you don’t have a lot of practice finding the tempo, it can be a challenge to ride to the rhythm your first few classes.”
The 60-minute class is led by not one, but two, instructors who provide hands-on help for clipping in and out and maintaining proper form in order to feel more confident on the bike. Even longtime riders are encouraged to attend and brush up on the basics.
While not free for first-timers, Kulikowski suggests the First Time Pack, a buy one, get one free deal for $30.
Other tips for newbies:
- Plan on bringing your own cycling shoes or renting them at the studio for $3.
- Definitely bring water or a bottle to fill up there.
- Wear whatever is comfortable to sweat (a lot) in—each class burns 500-700 calories, on average.
- If you arrive hungry or finish starving, chow down on SoulFuel, a “power cookie” ($5) from Milk Bar that has nuts and quinoa for energy and turmeric and citrus for recovery. Purchase at the Georgetown and West End studios, or online.
- Classes open for booking each week on Mondays at noon.
- Arrive 15 minutes early and sign in at the front desk.
- Heading in before work? All DC locations have showers, plus lockers with keycodes.
There are five SoulCycle studios in the DC area: Georgetown, West End, Mount Vernon, 14th Street, and Bethesda.
Kim Olsen ([email protected]) is a freelance writer in Alexandria.
