Fitness Review: London Spin Classes

You wont catch me zooming around London Town on a bike – no way Jose! As an anxious girl who lacks spacial awareness, it is not safe for me to be let loose on the streets. I can however, handle a stationary bike, and I find great joy in taking advantage of all the spin classes London has to offer. I have tried and tested many over the years and have come to appreciate the many different factors that make a spin class stand out in this city – here are my thoughts on some of the popular studios and classes:

Most of the classes / studios below I have experienced using ClassPass. An excellent way to sample what London has to offer, and then you can always hone in on a specific studio membership once you’ve found what you’re looking for.

Digme Fitness

Locations: Moorgate and Richmond

Spin Class Name: Cycle Ride and Cycle Rhythm

Pricing: 1 x class credit is £23 and the unlimited membership is £117

The Review:

• 6/10 – Nice bikes + facilities but classes can be boring
• The unlimited membership is reasonable compared to other studios
• Not many locations left, but Moorgate is well connected for those of us looking for a workout pre or post work.
• Cleats & towels and toiletries provided

SoulCycle

Locations: Soho and Notting Hill

Spin Class Name: SoulCycle + lots of themed rides

Pricing: 1 x class credit is £26. They don’t have an unlimited membership option, but a 16 class membership will set you back £312.

The Review:

Great bikes, loud and fun music and every class i’ve been to has been filled with joy! Not to mention an excellent and sweaty workout. Shout out to Manon who is an incredible London trainer. They have candles too which I find a nice lil extra for the vibes. Speaking of vibes, the shouty culty nature is euphoric and whilst i’ve never ‘whooped’ or bought into that, I love that for the people there to have a good time! I’ve never had a bad class and if I was to rate SoulCycle on the class alone, it would score very well. Unfortunately for me, the whole experience is ruined by the facilities.

I’d heard rumours that FOH are aloof, and I definitely found this. But the real issue for me is the changing facilities. It is like the hunger games in there. Civility is lost on the post spin crowd as everyone fights for a space in the changing room and to get to the shower queue. I am a pre-work spinner and queueing 40 minutes for a shower meant I was late for work. 40 MINUTES! I still go on the weekends when I literally have nowhere important to be afterwards, but SoulCycle need to up their game when it comes to the morning rush, especially considering one class costs £26.

Verdict:

• 6.5/10 – rating for the class itself would be way higher, but the experience is undermined by how stupid the facilities are.
• Good bikes, great music, uplifting atmosphere and very friendly and inspiring trainers.
• The cult vibes are real, so if people shouting and sometimes appearing like they need an exorcism because they are freakishly smiley isn’t your thing, SoulCycle may not be your vibe. But even though it is sometimes a bit intimidating, the enthusiasm is infectious.
• Expensive, even for London.
• Good central locations.
• Cleats, towels and toiletries provided (that’s if you have the time to use them lol).

Gymbox

Locations: Victoria, Elephant & Castle, Farringdon, Holborn, Bank, Stratford, Old Street, Westfield (White City)

Spin Class Name: Bike & Beats

Pricing: 11 – 16 Credits on Class Pass. You cant buy spin packages at Gymbox, but if you were to get a gym membership for roughly £120 a month that includes a whole host of classes (not just spin) + gym access all over the city.

The Review:

Not as slick as a purpose built spin studio, but don’t let that fool you, Gymbox spin classes are excellent. What they lack in provided cleats, they make up for with loud music, good lighting, a variety of locations and excellent trainers (shout out to Florin – his classes kill me, but in a good way). The bikes are a little rough around the edges, perhaps not as well maintained as spin studio specific bikes, but they are still really good and high spec. Each bike has their own screen and the metrics in these classes are not displayed publicly, but help with the structure of the classes. As mentioned above, cleats are not provided, which is annoying, but if you chat to the FOH at any studio they can tell you what cleats the bikes use and you can bring your own. Note that not all the studios use the same cleats, so double check! But once you know you can get your own shoes, like the cleats I use.

Verdict:

• 7.5/10 – Excellent spin classes, lots of locations, but not as slick as a purpose built spin studio (but that’s to be expected).
• If you want to supplement your spin classes with an excellent gym membership then Gymbox is the place for you. At £120 per month it works out as the most cost affective option for unlimited classes with extras!
• Towels and toiletries provided, but sadly no cleats.. instead you wear trainers in those weird foot cages.

Psycle

Locations: Victoria, Oxford Circus, Notting Hill, Shoreditch and Clapham

Spin Class Name: Ride 45 + longer classes such as Ride 60 etc as well as themed rides

Pricing: 1 x class credit is £26 and the unlimited membership is a whopping £325 per month (includes all classes Psycle has to offer).

The Review:

I love Psycle! I want to be a member of their cult. The studios are slick, the clientele inspiring, the staff are lovely and their classes are the best of the best! I’ve never had a bad trainer – they are consistently amazing. Even as a seasoned spinner, there are moments in each class where I feel out of my depth, but in a positive and challenging way! The music, the lights, the bikes – everything is top tier! They have delicious shakes and a ‘shake of the week’ feature which brings the price down to £5. Locations are fab and I am a big fan of their Mortimer Street studio. The facilities are luxurious and each visit feels like a treat, whilst also a hot and sweaty endorphin high! If ever I win the lottery or start to make the big bucks, one of the first things i’ll do is commit to their monthly membership… but for now, the cost is something that relegates me to an occasional user.

Verdict:

• 9/10 – Best spin class in London (IMO) – the whole experience is superior to other studios
• £325 unlimited membership is no joke, and one that I sadly can’t afford (that’s the only thing that brings it down from a 10/10)
• Cleats, towels and toiletries provided

1Rebel

Locations: High Street Ken, St John’s Wood, Victoria, St Mary’s Axe and South Bank

Spin Class Name: Ride + a whole host of themed rides.

Pricing: 1 x class credit is £25 and the unlimited membership is £189 (includes all other 1Rebel classes)

The Review:

1Rebel – my pièce de résistance! The club that I left ClassPass for. Shout out to Marieca, Sonia and Tiago – the most wonderful instructors, as well as whoever designed the multi-level, disco ball adorned, studio that is 1Rebel Victoria. I love 1Rebel, and whilst their classes are not consistently as amazing and challenging as Psycle, they are pretty darn good! The bikes are high spec, the studio atmosphere is electric and the light shows and vapour ‘smoke’ make you feel like you’re in a club (but in a good way). The facilities are slick and fantastic, the FOH lovely and the shakes (whilst v spenny) are delicious – especially the Biscoffy one. Going here before work is a breeze as everything runs so well. Whilst £189 per month is still a lot, it is half the price of the higher tier memberships at SoulCycle and Psycle and totally worth it. I’ve been going to 1Rebel since 2018 and I plan to keep going back!

Verdict:

• 8.5/10 – Overall best spin experience in London!
• Membership includes other classes.
• Cleats, towels and toiletries provided.

The End.

So there you have it, my review of some of the spin studios / classes that London has to offer. I hope the info above helps even one of you decide to pick somewhere new to try, and if anyone has any excellent spin recs please pass them on as I am always keen to try new things!