NEW OPENING
Members at the London club are 50 per cent cyclists, 50 per cent triathletes, who want to complement their outdoor training
season, and for a convenient substitute during the working week. Group cycling on fl ywheel bikes is great for cardio, but it doesn’t replicate the true pedal stroke of a real bike. “We offer all the convenience of a
group cycling studio, but with much more benefi cial training for cyclists – ours are real bikes, so you train just as you would on the road. Add to that our personalised cycle coaches, on-hand to fi ne tune your
performance, and I think Athlete Lab is way ahead of the pack.” He continues: “It’s been a bit of
a challenge coming into the London market though, as nearly everyone has a gym membership already. That’s very different from Singapore and Sydney.” Nevertheless, the team behind Athlete
Lab is already starting to think about its next club, with an eye out for sites in some of London’s most prestigious areas, such as the West End and Kensington.
FIRST PERSON EXPERIENCE – DAVID THOMPSON REPORTS... A
rrive at Athlete Lab and you could be
forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled into a Tour de France team’s
training centre. Everything is shiny and new: clean white lines and hi-spec finish in everything from the reception desk to the bar stools crafted from professional (read painful) looking bike saddles. After a warm but somewhat perfunctory greeting from the coaching team, I’m fitted out with some cycling cleats and taken through the large glass doors to the main studio. With 30 bikes set out in three
rows facing the huge screen, which takes up most of the front wall, the room still manages to feel spacious.
A full class with 30 riders must be a sight to behold, with all those gears whirring and legs spinning in unison, but in my class there were just four of us. The coach meticulously set up my bike position, making adjustments which I’m told they save and set up for members ahead of time when they’ve booked in for a ride – a nice touch. Then we get down to the serious
business of cycling. The characterless but energetic dance music plays, and my legs spin the pedals around, but similarities with other indoor cycling classes end there. This is not the place for supercharged fi tness instructors: it’s the place to get your training in because it’s hard to get out for a decent ride when you’re stuck in the offi ce all week. The two riders next to me are
prime examples of Athlete Lab’s target 48 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital
market – City boys with money to spend and a keen (perhaps bordering on obsessive) interest in cycling. They talk the talk, and as I can see from the data on the screen as we match our leg speed and power output to our targets, they walk the walk. The bikes are absolutely authentic
and a single-minded determination to keep turning the pedals is required to get you through – just like being out on the road. There are only three things I could have asked for: swapping out their saddle for my own, the wind in my hair and the sun on my back. If you’re married to your bike and
addicted to data, then Athlete Lab must be the perfect place to train. If you’re after a good workout that happens to be on a bike, you might be better off at the nearest Spin studio.
August 2014 © Cybertrek 2014 “We’re looking forward to building
the social aspect in London’s cycling community,” says Flynn. “We have real rides where you can follow all the challenges of famous cycling routes, and race nights where members can race everyone else in the room, or against riders from Singapore and Sydney. As soon as we have more London clubs, we can host more challenges to make it an even more enjoyable and effective training experience.” ●
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