FITNESS IN SPORT
Members at the London club are 50 per cent cyclists, 50 per cent triathletes, who want to complement their outdoor training
period. Alternatively, drop-in classes can be attended for £30. “Our customers and members are about 50 per cent cyclists and 50 per cent triathletes at the London club so far,” says Flynn. “We’re not targeting fitness customers,
but rather sports performance. Many cyclists look for fitness alternatives during the off-season, and for a convenient sub- stitute during the working week. Group cycling on flywheel 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 beneficial 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 fine 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 Athlete Lab team is already starting to
think about its next club, with an eye out for sites in prestigious areas such as the West End and Kensington. “We’re looking forward to building the social aspect in London’s cycling community,” says Flynn. “We have real rides where you can take on the challenges of famous cycling routes and race nights where members can race everyone else in the room, or against riders at other clubs. As soon as we have more clubs, we can host more challenges to make it an even more enjoyable training experience.” l
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
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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. 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 fitness 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 office all week. The two riders next to me are prime examples
of Athlete Lab’s target market – City boys with money to spend and a keen 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 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 is the perfect place to train. If you’re after a good workout that happens to be on a bike, consider the nearest Spin studio.
sportsmanagement.co.uk issue 4 2014 © Cybertrek 2014
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