Flywheel Is Coming to Philly (and Soon, the Main Line)

Flywheel Sports‘s 21st studio will officially open in Center City on March 3rd at 1521 Locust Street. Yes, that’s right—the indoor cycling “experience” our New York friends have been raving about for two years is finally coming to Philly.

The studio’s biggest selling point is its curved, stadium-style layout, with bikes set on risers to give each rider an unobstructed view of the instructor. The Philly location will have 45 bikes, all of which display and monitor real-time performance so you can view and tweak your RPM, resistance and calorie burn. You can also get a little competitive by opting to have your data projected on a big screen in front of the class, where it’s ranked against other people in your class. Which means you’ll finally have proof that you are, in fact, working harder than that annoying blonde chick in the back (just me?).

Since music is a big deal in the indoor cycling world, it’s worth noting that Flywheel’s playlists are curated by actual DJs, so you won’t be subjected to your instructor’s same boring iPod playlist week to week. The Philly studio also has a showers (woo!) and hands out complimentary towels and cycling shoes that you can borrow.

Of course, all that snazzy technology and amenities come with a price: $25 a class (which, I should note, is $7 cheaper than Flywheel classes in New York, but $3 more than Lithe Method classes here in Philly, which is one of the pricer studios in the area). Classes at Body Cycle Studio down the street are $20 each, and at The Wall Cycling Studio in Manayunk, they’re just $15. Would you pay $25 for the Flywheel experience?

One other thing I should note: I don’t have many details yet, but I have confirmed with Flywheel Philly’s media rep that a Main Line studio is in the works and is slated to open sometime later this year. Let’s lobby guesses as to where—aaaand go.