Simply Cycle Astoria

Michelle kicked my butt last night in sculpt… Note to self next time tighten the seat fully to ensure better form
Took a class last night with amanda for rhythm class it was great. Although the room was freezing i think they need to kill the AC we couldnt even sweat

I’m a big fan of Simply Cycle Astoria! I love the instructors, especially Fran! Monica– the person who operates the front desk– happens to be one of the nicest, friendliest and most helpful people. This truly makes the experience a pleasant one as I always look forward to her welcoming and cheerful attitude. I love that they offer spin shoes and towels for free. The place is very well kept in my opinion. It is not difficult for me to reserve a class last minute, which I also appreciate.

I purchased the groupon for 10 classes. Fell In love with the cycling class the first day. Molly is such a great instructor. She also makes sure that you’re okay and comfortable. She also takes time to tell you if your posture is good during the class. Michelle is also such a great instructor! Both of their sculpt classes are my favorite because not only are you working out your legs, we work with weights to tone our arms. Michelle is helpful as well with adjusting your bike, and during the class to see if your doing ok. Both of their music during their classes are so upbeat it makes you want to push harder. I would definitely recommend going to their classes.

The classes are challenging, the instructors motivate you, the staff is super helpful and, most importantly, it is clean. The exposed brick is a great touch. I highly recommend Simply Cycle!

Really enjoy coming here. All the instructors are great except Michelle, she is the only one that doesn’t actually do any of the work but makes you struggle. I do not feel motivated when the instructor doesn’t do anything but walk around. I would go more often if she wasn’t always there at night (which is the only time I can go)
Emily is my favorite as well as Fran!
Definitely a great place for a great workout!

This place is great– good instructors, great bikes, nice and clean, good music– all the things you need to make your painful gym time as smooth as possible. I am glad I get to go to these classes via class pass.

Helpful and accommodating staff! Just really sweet employees. Went for Sunday class and it was half empty which was perfect. Terra the instructor had so much positive energy with good music, I can’t wait to go back to her class again.

Had my first class last night and have to say it was a pretty great experience. I took the core class and it generally kicked my ass in the best way. Staff was lovely upon entrance, and for $ 20 you get a towel, locker, and spin shoes to rent. I used to Spin at my old gym but after moving jobs I left it and haven’t been Spinning in a month or so, and god did I miss it.
Looking forward to checking out more classes soon. Considering this is RIGHT around the corner from where I live in Astoria (greatest neighborhood in the city) I will be sure to return. Only thing to note is there is no formal locker room, just a bathroom to change in if needed, so come prepared.

I love this place. I started off with a Groupon deal, and now I’m hooked. I go 2 – 3 times a week. The facility is clean, good class schedule, staff super friendly, they provide free shoe rentals, and towels.
As for instructors:
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Terra. She is so motivational, have great music, good transitions, and really is more focused on you pushing yourself, rather hitting an RPM. I would try to go to all her classes if I could.
Mick is such a cool guy and alway has such a postive attitude. I wish he had more classes. He always makes the ride fun with his music selection and energy.
Don’t waste your time going to a spin class offered in NYSC or any other Astoria gym. The instructors here are legit spin instructors.

Terra is my favorite!
She makes sure your posture is correct while making sure you push yourself as much as you can.
I really love her energy and way she speaks to us during class. Her playlist is always energetic and easy to go with the beat.
I only go to her class because she’s very consistent and I get good vibes from her.
I truly enjoy all her classes and recommend!

I’ve been coming to SImply Cycle for just about a year and I have been spinning for several years now and I have to say it is one of my favorite studios I have ever been to.
The owner and instructors are wonderful, the classes are fun yet challenging, the music is great and the facility is always clean.
There is a great range of times offered and each instructor brings something different to the table (or bike!).
I most recently took class with Terra and holy crap was that one of the most challenging spin classes I have ever taken. Though her 10am slot will only work for me once in a blue moon I will keep an eye out for her subbing because the workout and energy was fantastic.
Do yourself a favor and try out Simply Cycle, I don’t think it’s possible to be disappointed.

Love spinning with Fran. I need group fitness like this to push me and her class leaves me feeling like I gave it my all. Her playlists are super creative and will leave you smiling and pumping your pedals hard.

Only one acceptable instructor, Mick who is amazing. The rest are flat, almost quiet and uninspiring. Music ranges from flat anonymous beats to blasting electronic. Most importantly, only Mick engages with the class and I’ve taken classes with all but maybe one of their instructors… for the others it’s more like they are just there starring at you.
On another note, service is mediocre at best. They do not answer phones, but may respond to an email. I’m writing now in all honestt, as I was mad at their policy on classes/​packages. Despite being a very loyal customer for many months and even having brought them new repeat clients, they would not let me book a class on what they call «expired» classes BY ONE DAY. I had 2 classes remaining and they expired that day and the email back to me was — nope! Not only is the concept of a package of classes expiring after 6 months (20 classes) or 1 class (30 days) absurd and highly questionable, to not let me even spin that day or the next is a joke. The same happened for my partner so we are out like $ 160 in all.
Will never come here again and can’t recommend it. Things that I could get over before like the dirty bathroom with a lock that does not work and a toilet that barely, sometimes, flushes and the junky bikes… now seem really important.
Too bad as there is nothing else local… so ripe for competition to come in.

I’ve been coming to Simply Cycle about once a week for 5 months, and this is one of my favorite studios in NYC! Right up there with Flywheel and Peloton.
CLASS:
The intensity and type of workout you get always varies by instructor, and I have yet to have a bad one. I always leave dripping from the workout. The bikes are traditional spin with monitors, and the room is light enough that you can see them without having to keep turning on the backlight. It’s 45 minutes of pure spin– most instructors do the full 45, then lead about 5 minutes of cool down and stretching after. The bikes have sneaker cages and clips, and the studio has free cycling shoes, which make a 100% difference in your workout! This is one of my favorite perks of Simply Cycle.
INSTRUCTORS:
Fran: this lady will kick your butt, and you’ll love her for it. She is one of my favorites in the entire city, and her class is always a ton of fun. Fran is real: you can tell she’s getting an intense workout too, and you can keep pace with her. Her routines are realistic– she knows when the crank the resistance, when to sprint, and balances it all beautifully. You’ll spend proportionate times in & out of the saddle, and she seriously has the best taste in music to spin to. Fran’s background is in dance, and you can tell in her class– you’ll feel the connection to the rhythm and beat of the music, and she has great posture& will correct yours in a way that’s not embarrassing in front of the class. Just make sure you’re watching her!
Mick: this guy is awesome! He will leave you dripping in sweat. His music is non-​traditional for spinning (think: Green Day, rock, etc.) but it all works great, and you get really into it!
Molly: she is seriously amazing! She is in killer shape, really pushes you and communicates what her plan is. She’ll let you know when you’re approaching a hill, near the top, about to sprint and more. She also has amazing music! You will always be riding on the beat, and it will be very difficult, but not impossible.
FACILITIES:
The studio is beautiful! It looks more like a gorgeous apartment than a traditional spin studio. The windows look west to Manhattan, which is really inspiring on sunset rides at night. They offer free cycling shoes and towels, which is amazing. There are lockers with provided locks– you carry the key with you on a bracelet, which can go right on your handle bar. There is only one bathroom and no real locker room area, so you’ll want to give yourself enough time if you need to change.

First I have to say I’ve been spinning/​cycling since the 90’s at just about everywhere. I love that when I don’t have an opportunity to go while at work the option to workout near my home is available.
I will not comment on each instructor as others have done (I believe this is an individuals taste). Like all other studios you will have your favorite.
What I do like about Simply Cycle Astoria is their top notch customer service. I’ve reached out twice with questions and received a prompt and courteous response.
I also love that it’s local Female owned business.

I have ups (mostly) and some downs with this studio over the past three months. I bought a voucher on groupon (20 classes for $ 100) and it was definetely a good investment. Here is a break down of the instructors for the times I took them.
Lori: She is definetely a true spin instructor. I probably enjoyed her classes the most because she constantly reminded the group to keep the right form, proper back alignment, pedaling techniques, etc. She also had awesome playlists.
Mick: Tied for my favorite with Lori, Mick definitely brought the best energy. Not only would he do the rides along with us 100%, but somehow managed to keep the most upbeat energy which kept me going longer and harder than I thought I could. I especially enjoyed how he themed his playlists.
Fran: My God. This lady is just so much fun. You can also tell by looking at her shoulders and arms she trains hard in her free hours. (Yes, that is the sound of a jealous 26 year old). Great playlists too and challenging classes that go by quick.
Christina: Super friendly. I took a few rides with her. Her style definitively resembled the most on-​road experience of anyone. Not a style I really enjoy but definitely great if that’s how you like to roll (or spin.)
Alexa: Spent a few 7am sessions with Alexa. Her classes straddled the line between Spinning and Cycling. She sends out a very positive vibe for such an early hour but the classes weren’t particularly intense. Great classes for someone who is interested in indoor biking but don’t really want to fatigue their legs into oblivion (like me).
Elena: This was probably the class I enjoyed the least because it was, in my opinion, a cycling class beginning to end instead of spin. Class focuses on exceeding the monitors RPM over and over and push ups on bars. Don’t mistake this for me saying I didn’t like the class because it was totally awesome, just not what I expected when I walked in for a spin class.

I have done spinning at my mother’s gym when I go to her house for holidays. I always left feeling like I had an amazing workout, but neither Planet nor Blink Fitness offer spin classes so I decided to outsource for my spinning fix back in NYC.
I bought the 10 class Groupon. If you want to sign up for classes, you need to make an account which overlapped with my pre-​existing account to Mind Body that I use for a salon. Sorting this out took about a week because most times, nobody answers the phone. I finally looked online and physically took the 45 minute trip to Simply Cycle to speak with a human who created a new account for me but I still could not register. After an exchange of emails and screenshots from my phone of my groupon purchase, they deleted the account that the receptionist first made and I finally was able to register for a class.
The weekend morning class I attended was at 100% capacity, so I took that as a good sign. There was only one tiny bathroom for the 20 or so people, so it was a good thing I showed up dressed and ready to go. Unfortunately, this means I wouldn’t be able to come on my way home from work.
The shoes were free (some other reviewers said they were not) and amazingly comfortable and clean. I’ve never spun with actual shoes, and I will never go back. It was also very convenient for the studio to provide lockers WITH LOCKS. The receptionist was very friendly and patient in answering my first-​timer questions.
THE BIKE
I took a bike in the front as I did not want to wear my glasses for the workout and it was my first time taking this class (I don’t remember who the instructor was). She helped me to set up my bike for the first time. During the ride, my bike jiggled around whenever I tried to cycle fast. I was sitting practically RIGHT IN FRONT of the instructor, and she did not intervene or come over to check my bike. I looked around, and nobody else’s bike seemed to do this. I felt like I was going to fall over. I’ve lived in 6 NYC apartments and am quite familiar with uneven floors/​poor floor craftmanship. The studio looks like it was cheaply renovated, and I believe that my bike was sitting on uneven flooring.
THE WORKOUT
The combination of music choice and lack of enthusiasm from the instructor didn’t do much for me. Since I wasn’t able to cycle fast, I didn’t leave feeling like I had much of a workout.
CONCLUSION
I will give the studio one more try. Hopefully, I will get a different bike on a different area on the floor and not experience this problem ever again and update this review.

I am a loyal rider. So when this place opened in the neighborhood, I was excited to give it a try. And with the groupon, it was an excellent deal.
With that, at the regular price they offer per class, there are other options that may work better.
1) this is the only cycle studio I’ve been to that doesn’t offer cycling shoes. The experience is incredibly different with proper cycling shoes, and charging $ 21/​class without this makes no sense. I mean, this is a CYCLING studio. It’s the only thing they do.
2) the bikes. They aren’t the best by any means, but surely get the job done if you don’t know any better. With that, they all have the odometer attached to measure cadence, speed and distance, and most instructors in this studio teach by using RPMs as a measure. I can’t tell you how frustrating it is when you’re midway into a 45-​min class and the speedometer runs out of battery. In 10 sessions, it’s happened to me at least 3 times. So, do you get off the bike and find a new one, set it up, and miss 5 mins of your workout, mid– class? Honestly, if this is how they’re going to teach, there is no room for error with this.
3) cleanliness. Everyone knows a spin class is good for a great sweat. Yet they don’t clean the bikes in between classes. They’ve recently asked the riders to spray them down, but honestly, if you attend anything other than the first evening class, your bike is likely smelly and covered in someone else’s sweat. For the price, they need to staff to clean bikes, as every other studio does.
4) sound system and instructor set up. Ideally the instructor is settled front and center. But at this studio, the cart with their sound system is, and the instructor is slightly to the side. It’s just awkward as the bikes are set perfectly to face the cart, full of windex bottles and iPads. The sound system could be better, as half the time the bass is up to high and the music sounds clouded.
Ok– now. The instructors.
Colleen– while she just moved, she is amazing and I hope to join her class when she comes to visit. Total body workout, motivating. Her transitions are smooth and it’s clear she’s choreographed each song very carefully.
Mick– totally and absolutely amazing. Great music, great vibe. By far the best instructor and ride in this studio. Tough intervals and excellent transitions.
Lori Fran and Christina– also great. I enjoy their classes, music, teaching style.
Elena– while her class is a great workout, her style is very aggressive and not what I look for in a spin class. Music is overly techy as if you’re in a House club, she gets off the bike and kind of dances in the class, while yelling «go faster stop cheating» and clapping so loud it breaks you from any cycling zone you’ve may have tapped in to. I did get a good workout, but will not be attending her class again.
So there you have it. It’s cool, it’s local, it shouldn’t be the same price as other studios that offer more. The instructors deserve 4.5 stars but with the studio obstacles, this place would get a solid 3.5 from me.

I took my first spinning class ever with Colleen this morning. I was a little intimidated before I came in but once I was there I was treated so nice. I was offered advice both Colleen and the person who signed me in (sorry didn’t remember her name) made me feel so comfortable
The workout was harder than I thought it would be but it pushed me which is what I was looking for. I did finish the whole class even though I had a lot of trouble with the standing parts. I did try to keep up with everything else
I will be back. Thanks
Mary

Spinning is relatively new to me, but I ride my bicycle everyday and I still get my ass kicked here.
I have been here 3 times now with 3 different teachers and they were all very different, and they were all great! Fran will really smack you around. She liked to make sure everyone was pushing it and giving each of us some short words of encouragement or tips throughout class. Her Tuesday night class features some old school house and hip-​hop. She will not disappoint! Michelle’s class is brutal. Maybe I wasn’t prepared yesterday, but I didn’t feel like I could keep up very well. Good thing she’s super cute! I don’t want to look like a little bitch in class! LOL
The place is very new right now and so is all of the equipment. They are keeping it pretty clean and I hope it stays this way through the nasty NYC summer. There are towels to use for free. The check-​in and registration process is super simple. You can register for all of the classes online and see who is teaching.
I bought a Groupon for 10 classes a few weeks ago and I’m so glad I did!
Equipment details:
Seat adjustable: vertical & horizontal
Handlebars: vertical (at somewhat of an angle)
Pedals: cages & clip-​ins
Bottle holders: 2
Console: RPM, Time (elapsed) or Miles