SoulCycle Chestnut Hill: Class Review

Last month I was invited to a free wellness event at SoulCycle in Chestnut Hill in celebration of the limited edition Women’s Health July Birchbox. Unfortunately the Women’s Health box is no longer available, but you can still subscribe to Birchbox at this link. Tim gave me a 6 month subscription to Birchbox for Christmas, and while it was fun to see what came in each month’s delivery, it wasn’t totally for me. I’m not much into beauty products, but if you like trialing different body lotions, lip glosses, and other similar lifestyle samples, Birchbox would be more up your alley. I was hoping for more food and fitness focused products, but to each their own! One thing I did like about Birchbox was the ability to purchase full size items from their online store.

Anyways, SoulCycle.

This was my first experience at any SoulCycle class, nevermind at the new(ish) location in Chestnut Hill that opened in March. When I arrived, there was another class going on, but it got me pumped up and energized for class since I could hear the loud, upbeat music as I walked through the door. The registration staff was very friendly, explained the bike reservation system (specific bikes are reserved ahead of time), and pointed out where the lockers and changing rooms were. It didn’t seem like this studio had a ton of changing areas (only two bathrooms and two showers), but they had a massive amount of lockers down their hallway. As people swarmed in to take class, it got a little chaotic. I also awkwardly locked myself out of my locker and needed help getting back in to my belongings. Whoops!

I was glad I arrived early so I had time to put on my cycle shoes. First time riders get a free pair, but after that shoe rentals are $3. You cannot wear sneakers with these bikes. I also had a few extra minutes to poke through the little gift bag I was given during registration. Inside was a bottle of water, the latest issue of Women’s Health (also the issue my co-worker Jen is featured in!), and the July Birchbox products.

Once it was time for class, we headed into the studio. My bike was right up front, which is usually my preferred spot in a fitness class. It’s just the instructor side of me that hates being buried in the back. The SoulCycle staff helped all the newbies like me clip into their pedals. While I’ve taken countless spin/indoor cycling classes before, I had never needed to clip my shoes into the pedals, and I still don’t think I could do it myself. I will definitely need adult supervision with that for future cycling classes!

Our class was taught by one of the male instructors, Todd. I really enjoyed his music, and the class was taught to the beat. I didn’t think the class was CRAZY hard, but it was definitely challenging. My legs were already feeling like jello after taking a class at Studio Empower that morning, so I found it a tad difficult to keep up on some of the rotations and booty taps. Todd’s energy, having Sarah on the bike next to me, and all the motivational mantras displaying on the walls around the room kept me going. I also liked using hand weights at the end of class (definitely an indoor cycling trend!).

However, the real kicker of this class was Todd’s cooldown. I felt like he immediately morphed into somebody completely different than who he was during the rest of the class. Honestly, Sarah’s description of it in this post says it best: “Todd’s voice went from upbeat and motivating to soft core porn in a Saturday Night Live skit type of way.” SO TRUE. I couldn’t stop giggling during the cooldown, and at one point even whispered to Sarah, “is this real life?” It was cheesy and hilarious. Despite the funny end to class, I enjoyed my experience. I had fun seeing Boston blogger Nicole again and meeting Sarah in person for the first time.

If you are interested in trying SoulCycle, your first class is $20, and a single walk in after that is $30. The price is definitely up there, but it’s honestly comparable to other boutique indoor cycling studios in the city. If you get a ten pack, you can save $20. One last thing – I really enjoyed that this studio is located in Newton. Since I work outside of the city, it’s often hard for me to get into Boston to try new classes. The inconvenience of the morning or evening rush hour commutes often deters me, so I liked that this studio was a little closer to work and home for me.

Glad I tried it!

–Let’s chat–
Have you tried any SoulCycle indoor cycling classes before? What about at the Chestnut Hill location? Tell me about your experience. Did anyone find themselves giggling during the cooldown like I was?