Spinning®, the world’s number one indoor cycling brand, is a carefully crafted experience, creating a strong following and sense of community.  This community engagement extends far beyond the ride, with both programming and Spinner® bikes playing an important part in helping facilities bring enthusiasts and regular exercisers together.

Development workshops for instructors, charity fundraising, distance challenges and classes aimed at specific groups all work together to keep members coming back for more. 

Cat Booker, industry expert and owner of Cat Booker Fitness, comments: “It’s all about making sure the exerciser is engaged and feels part of the community whatever level they are at – expectations and standards are high!”

Bookers multi-purpose studio has a fifty/fifty floor split between Spinning® featuring 15 Precor Spinner® bikes and small group functional training. 

“Personalisation is important. I want every member to be able to test their power level threshold using SPINPower®, so we can give them an individual fitness programme, no matter what classes they take,” she said.

“Once people try a Spinning® class they’re hooked. Then it’s all about creating mini communities within the business.  Sometimes these happen naturally with enthusiasts becoming friends and meeting up outside of the studio. Twice a year we hold a social to bring everyone together, as well as holding workshops on topics such as nutrition, anti-inflammatory diets, detoxing etc.

“Social media plays a big part in helping members feel part of the wider Spinning® community.  They love it when our instructors go to events and can update them with the latest information. Some of our members have even travelled with me to the Blackpool Fitness Fiestas, and as far away as Ride the Nile in Egypt in 2018.”

According to Booker, it’s the whole experience; the instructor, class, atmosphere, friends they make, bikes, the ride, SPINPower®, and their personalised growth that keeps them coming back for more.

Stuart Glover, Sports Development and Facilities Manager at Salt Ayre, agrees community involvement is key to member retention.  The leisure centre uses Precor Spin® bikes to support charity fundraising initiatives, actively placing them in public areas where footfall is high from customers, young and old, who use all the centre’s facilities, not just gym goers, and encouraging staff across the whole of the council, to engage in a distance challenge.

Challenges usually involve travelling a specific distance e.g. Lands End to John O Groats, and an average of 30-50 participants compete, tracking miles and monitoring progress, on the Precor Spin® bikes. If the destination is reached earlier than anticipated a return journey is added to ensure the centre maximises fundraising time.

Stuart’s background in Sports Development has brokered excellent working relationships with community groups, such as Clinical Population, Women Only and Victims of Domestic Abuse, who are invited to use the facilities, as well as participate in weekly timetabled exclusive sessions.

Darwen Leisure Centre, a long-time Spinning® supporter, has invested in 21 Spinner Chrono’s, along with two Spinner® Ride bikes specifically for the gym floor, to give exercisers a choice if they want a simple jump on and ride session.

Richard Brown, Leisure, Health and Wellbeing Manager at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council comments: “Indoor cycling remains a mainstay group fitness exercise option for customers throughout the Borough, so ensuring the experience is consistently positive is important. Having the latest technology, mixed with great instructor delivery, is a great combination and one our customers love; always coming back for more.  It was easy to choose the Precor Spinner® Chrono’s, as they represent a big step forward in terms of design, feel and quality.”

With a strong Spinning® fan base, the centre holds regular ‘Big Ride’ community events.  Brown explains: “These are always popular and often over-subscribed. The focus of our most recent one was ‘Endurance Spinning®, with participants undertaking a 90-minute Spin ride of intense climbs and challenging flats. To really challenge riders, we set parameters, such as keeping the heart rate between 72-95% and RPM’s of 60-110.

“The events create excitement in the centre, along with challenges and the community spirit Spinning® undoubtedly encourages, providing customers with a positive Spinning® experience. 

“To achieve this the bike’s need to feel great to ride and be genuinely enjoyable to use.  The drive system on the Precor Spinner® Chrono encouraged lots of positive feedback from customers and even more from our instructors, who can really tell the difference.  The feedback has been so positive we’ve bought 19 more bikes for Blackburn Sports and Leisure Centre.”

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