Flywheel Sports – Gold Coast

Love the classes at flywheel! I am a huge fan, and am on my 3^rd pack of 10 classes. This is one of the few workout studios I actually look forward to going to (Especially Candy’s 1 hours class!). The facility is mostly clean, but I wish they had a second studio to alternate uses. Right after one class finishes, they take about 5 minutes to clean, and then you go in for the next class. This usually leaves a sweaty smell/​feeling when you enter the room. With that being said, after a few minutes you don’t even notice and will soon be drenched in sweat as well!

Yo SoulCycle, I’m really happy for you, Imma let you finish but FlyWheel became my favorite spin studio of all time…
But really. LOVE. I have been going to SC for 2 years now on and off, and although I enjoy the classes, they have ceased to become that great of a workout for me. They’re fun, but if I am in the mood to shed some calories and really feel like I want to die after a class, Flywheel is my new go to! The amenities are pretty much the same for both studios, but the real difference for me comes with the bikes. Having the instructors consistently telling you actual numbers of what you need to be turning your bike up to really gives you a concrete goal to work towards as opposed to «turn one spin to the right». I went with a group so I somehow missed actually being able to sign up for my name on the board (*tear*) through our registration process, but still was monitoring and comparing my performance to those up there. For those who the public scoreboard is not your thing– know that you do not have to opt in! Additionally, I liked the weight workout with the bars better than SC (again, my arms were dying afterwards) and I loved that the bikes weren’t AS close to eachother so you are not on top of everyone. It’s also not as hot in the room (my biggest pet peeve of SC).
Last plus– Flywheel is on ClassPass. That alone makes me want to sign up for CP.

Good sweat! The classes here are as intense as you want. The instructor encourages you to go to your limit but you can take your own pace and still have a great work out. The hole experience there is fantastic. People at the front desk receives you super kindly and walk you through the process of its your first time. Recommendable place!

Forgive me Father, for despite the fact that my current rotation is maxxxxx vacay, I have fallen woefully behind on my Unilocal.Plentiful are my sins — but, what better a way to repent for these transgressions is to recount the revelatory experience that is a sweat-​soaked romp at Gold Coast’s Flywheel?
If you’ve been living under a non-​bougie rock for five or ten, FW is the 2015 version of spin class — for 45−60min, you’ll be locked onto a stationary bike, moving btwn seated, standing, and some position I have no name for other than «athletically hunched over the handlebars, booty swaying side to side», as the instructor firmly, but lovingly, encouraged to turn up the resistance on the wheel of the bike until you sweat from pores you previously were unaware existed, all the while jamming out to mash ups of Ice Ice Baby, My Pony, and TSwizzle, surrounded by plenty of chicks with blonde ponies wearing intentionally garish spandex.
If you’ve been to one FW, you’ve been to them all — the studios are clean, shoes included with the reservation of your bike (from which I have yet to contract any flavor of fungal infxn, so I think it’s fine to use theirs rather than schlep your own), lockers large enough to fit winter clothes, and limited, though nice, showers should you need to rinse your sweat-​soaked bod. Not just a vanity class for those who have nothing more on the schedule today than FW, bottomless mimosa brunches, and getting sups namaste at an afternoon vinyasa flow class — you’ll actually work out — a mix of body types seen and the community of regulars seems fairly friendly — though full disclosure, I think I came out of the womb spinning, so I generally feel comfortable in all situations involving skin tight closing and trashy music, so I may not be the best judge of this. Staff is warm, happily assisting riders get situated on the bikes for first timers — perhaps more importantly, they keep the gratis bowl of apples and nanas stocked, which is probably my favorite added bonus that separates FW from SoulCycle.
A single ride is $ 28, 10 rides is $ 250, I think 20 rides is $ 480 — and if you want to really go for it, they have unlimited memberships, ranging from $ 195 – 595, depending on how long you’re willing to sell them your soul or if you want to include access to FlyBarre classes as well, which I will happily admit are killer work outs, just not my cup of tea.
Overall, whether you’re looking for a community to join (plenty of regulars, judging by the small cult surrounding the instructor, fawning) or just dropping in for a class, FW will be sure to be agro enough to release a bounty of endorphins that will have you
ascending to new heights if you’re also someone who loves having an authority figure to push you to work out and has a streak of masochism.

I love Flywheel. I started coming here in law school because my girlfriends said it was an awesome workout. Plus, they have a student rate — $ 18 per class — which was not terribly expensive for spin. Also, they have a free class every week, although the time often changes. You have to go in the studio or call to ask when the free class is. As a student, that was awesome for my wallet.
I quickly started feeling like I should just give all my moneys to Flywheel though, after I went to my first class. I discovered the wonder of spin. It’s an insane and awesome cardio workout — and you feel super motivated because of the music. The thing I like about Flywheel versus its competitor Soulcycle is that you can compete against each other on the Torqboard. That extra bit of competition is really motivating to me and makes me push harder. Not everyone likes that though… so it’s really up to what you prefer. Also, Flywheel has one of those little computer things on each bike where you can always see your RPM and your resistance, Soulcycle doesn’t have that. I personally love that, because I can always see how hard I’m working and I can follow the instructor better.
But honestly, in the Flywheel vs. Soulcycle competition, I’m solidly a Flywheel girl. I like the friendly competition and the fact that Flywheel offers monthly memberships and is cheaper than Soulcycle. Why would you pay more money for a crappier (in my opinion) workout?
My favorite instructors at this studio are Candy and Gaelyn, though I don’t know if Gaelyn is still here. Candy gives you an insane workout — I’ve never had another spinning instructor quite like her. Hold on to her, Flywheel! She is absolutely amazing, she also has like a sixteen pack. Man, Candy is so fit. Her music is awesome and she pushes you to your limit and past your limit, when you thought you reached your limit. I love Gaelyn because her music is always on point — she has the best rap/​hip hop spin playlists.
My review here is only 4 stars because the facilities here can get a little crowded — otherwise it would be 5 stars for sure. They expanded the facilities to add showers since I started coming, but the bathrooms can still have lines. So you have to make sure to come here early if you need to change, because once the previous class lets out — good luck getting changed! There’s no girl/​guy locker rooms so you can’t really do it out in the open.

I love this studio! People are friendly, instructors are awesome and upbeat (minus one or two). Try and take Everett’s calls, he is amazing! Only thing is I wish they would rotate out the shoes. After awhile they get gross and need to be tossed. It is expensive but worth the price.

If you really want to shred some weight this is the place to go! Candy is my favorite teacher. She super motivated and her music is awesome. Furthermore, they have a great student discount.
Challenge by way of torque!!!

I have been doing regular spin classes 5x a week for awhile now so I am very used to how most spin classes work. Someone mentioned flywheel and suggested I try it. The first class is free so why not.
Pros: you can sign up online way in advance. Not running to the gym to make sure to get a bike. They provide spin shoes. If u are an avid spinner and have never tried the shoes, it’s worth coming here just to try it. And obviously the workout is great. It was not as hard as I was hoping it would be, but for people who don’t spin as much as I do maybe it would be. Overall, great workout.
Cons: the price. Unsure if I could justify it. Also this place is cramped. Waiting for the class to come out and for the room to be ready, the hallway is extremely crowded. Also, they are severely lacking in changing rooms and showers. There is no way you could come here before work and shower without a super long wait.
Conclusion: it’s a nice alternative to regular spin. Will probably be something I do to treat myself every month or so.
Also I feel the need to say that people of all shapes and sizes (and ages) were in my class. No need to feel awkward if you are new, etc.

Great workout. My wife and I were in town for a quick vacation and this was our first experience with flywheel. The front staff was super nice with explaining how it works and creating an online account.
The class was awesome and really great workout. There was plenty of support staff and water/​towels on hand. Highly recommended

I love this whole line and the whole studio. I had the best teacher, he was hilarious! The music was perfect, the class went by so fast because we were having so much fun. I keep trying to book a class here again but it is so popular.

Torq down for what?
Thanks to Flywheel, I am hooked with living the sweaty life.
This spin studio is the real deal.
The Gold Coast location can’t be beat, as well as the wide range of class times!
What really makes the place worth it to me is the genuine staff and encouraging instructors.
All instructors are great, yet I want to give a special shout out to some of my favorite instructors who continue to motivate me and my boyfriend Alex to reach our fitness goals. Thank you Donna, Mallory, Kim, Tracey, Alicia, Will, and Everett!
Also thanking Taylor and Myra at the front I desk for always being so friendly!
My first class was almost a year ago and at that time I felt like I was going to pass out and die at the end of 45 minutes — really.
Fast forwarding to now, I feel stronger and more athletic then ever, and I can truly say I love coming to flywheel for me. The 45 minutes are MY time, where I can rewind and just ride in the darkness.
I think my favorite part of being a member of flywheel is that it doesn’t matter who you are, or what your fitness level is, the instructors are there to push you but not kill you. If you need to take the torq off and do your own thing, who cares? It’s your ride, and every day is different. No one is there to judge you. You showed up and that means something. Everyone has different goals and struggles but it just feels like when the lights go off you can just be yourself and do ya thang!
If you haven’t checked Flywheel out yet, I would highly recommend it!
The first class is free!

Great class. First time back at spin in 15 years… I took an hour class. Great energy & instructor.

I was just here last week for the first time in a while as part of class pass and I was pleasently surprised. This location has been totally renovated so there are now more lockers, more changing rooms and FOUR awesome showers. They provide Bliss products, blow dryers and full size towels if you’re going to shower there (hooray!). The instructors are fun, encouraging and PUSH you to try your hardest. I love that they tell you exactly what kind of resistance you should have and there is not guess work in how challenging the class should be. None of that two turns to the left, two turns to the right nonsense, at Flywheel they say «Make sure your torque is between 25−30» and you can do it because there is a digital read out! Also, I’m pretty competitive, so I love that there is a leaderboard throughout the class, so I can see how I compare to other folks in the class.
Long story short: If you haven’t been in a while, it’s time to come back to Flywheel.

After an undisputed reign as Chicago’s top cycling class, Flywheel comes face-​to-​face Soulcycle, New York’s original boutique spin studio.
How do the two compare? I’ve got you.
While Soulcycle instructors encourage riders to feed from the room’s energy, matching one another’s pedal strokes and moving your bodies as one, Flywheel takes a measured approach, tracking riders’ speed and resistance with a tech pack on the bike. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Flywheel emphasizes long-​form climbs with increasing resistance and exhausting sprints – done not in free fall but with discernible resistance on the bike. At the end of class, you can see your results online and monitor your performance over time.
While Flywheel, like Soulcycle, does include a five-​minute arms workout during one song, Soulcycle turns spin into a total-​body workout, with push-​ups and tap-​backs and side-​to-​sides out of the seat almost the entire time. Your arms will ache in the morning!
As a longtime Flywheel rider, I wasn’t ready to switch loyalties after one Soulcycle class – but I suspect I’d sing a different tune if I’d tried Soulcycle first. New riders should give ‘em both a spin!

Somehow I got suckered into working out. In 20 degree weather. On vacation. During a bachelorette party. Whaaa?
Regardless, I’m really glad we went to Flywheel because I’ve heard positive reviews and it was a great workout. The first ride is free and they probably hated our group because all 10 of us used the freebie pass. Registration was really easy and they ask your shoe size ahead of time and set them aside in your cubby matched up to your bike number. Water is also free– two big wins!
Our instructor Giddeon was very great and gave awesome instructions. I felt exactly how you should in a spin class– very motivated and like I’m about to kick some serious ass.
The only reason I gave Flywheel 4 stars is because I probably wouldn’t choose it over a place like SoulCycle or Cyc. Granted-​neither are in Chicago and I’m not from here so I don’t know what the competition is. The reason for this is because Flywheel is more focused on cardio, sprinting and adding resistance, where as the other two I mentioned focus on additional exercises like crunches, jumps, and more songs that incorporate arm workouts.
I really appreciate the fact that Flywheel monitors RPMs (Torques) and also allows you to compete with other people in the room. I became a little too obsessed with what place I was in the whole time, which definitely pushed me to do better.
As long as you stay with the correct RPM/​Torque your instructor gives you, you’ll get a great workout. I recommend this place to anyone who is interested in cycling.

First time to attend a spinning class– SO glad it was with flywheel!!!
Easy process to sign up online (first class is free!). You can pick your bike location (each bike comes with own RPM and torq monitors and bar weights– 2lb and 3lb)
Very friendly staff. Upon arriving at the studio, you check in yourself at the laptops/​iPads. Then your free shoes are waiting in the cubbies below it (coordinates with your bike number).
Clean changing rooms and bathrooms available. Lockers with keypads, free towels, free water bottles. Great facility overall!
Highly recommend flywheel– Candy is a wonderful instructor. Motivating and encouraging, which is fantastic at a 7:30 am class.

Note: I was visiting Chicago.
My take? SoulCycle is FAR BETTER than Flywheel.
Don’t get me wrong, still a good workout but the bikes aren’t up to SoulCycle standards and I didn’t feel like I had as good of a workout.
There were positives — free water, easy check-​in process, etc but I would rather pay more for better quality!

I’ve been spinning with Flywheel for three years now, and I’m a very loyal and happy spinner. The environment is very friendly, and the positive energy makes you work hard. The people there are all very willing to help you out and make sure you have a good experience. I’ve seen kids, teenagers, and several elders spin alongside me, and I’ve gone many times with my whole family (parents included).
Flywheel supplies the clip on shoes and towels for free. Some locations do not include water, but Gold Coast does. Flywheel also has a feature called the «Torque Board,» which puts your nickname, bike #, and your total power on a TV for the rest of the participants to see. You can opt out of this feature. I like it, however, because it encourages me to work harder (everyone has a bit of a competitive side, let it work for you!)
The first time I went two years ago, I got a score of 78 and walked out after four songs (~15 minutes) because the workout almost killed me. However, the people were so encouraging and told me that spinning is always hard the first time. I went back, and I’ve been loyal since. Don’t be upset if you don’t break 200 the first few spins; it actually gets much «easier» to achieve higher scores as you spin more. I quote «easier» because the workouts are never easy, and it’s always challenging and exciting to achieve a higher total power.
The instructors are what kept me coming back. Donna and Tracy were definitely my favorites. Donna keeps you motivated and pushes you harder than you thought you could achieve; I achieved some of my best scores with her. Tracy mixes fun and hard work, and she keeps the rides exciting and different. Candy is an instructor I’ve spun with several times, and I’ve had some great rides with her. She’s absolutely hilarious and exciting, yet slightly intimidating; definitely try her out if you’re ready for an intense ride. The tech pad on each bike ensures you are in sync with the instructors, and they encourage you to go at your own pace if you’re new. Everyone I’ve taken to flywheel has enjoyed it and has gone back.
Great experience every time, and I’m always happy to try new instructors. I encourage everyone at any athletic level to try it.

I loved spinning before I discovered Flywheel but they have seriously just taken that love to the next level! I love the format of their classes in the dark room with the bumping music… definitely keeps me motivated throughout the class. Every instructor I’ve had has been awesome as well and highly motivating, pushing you to be the best you can be.
Flywheel is also different from other spinning classes because they use the torq board. Each bike is equipped with a torq pack that let’s you see exactly what your resistance and speed is at. You have the option to display your score on the flat screens in the front of the class for a little extra motivation, or you can just turn that option off and keep your score to yourself. They have a great iPhone app that let’s you see your total score for the class to keep track of your progress.
Love, love, love Flywheel — just can’t get enough!

One of my coworkers comes here often and on one of my trips to Chicago took me along with her for a workout.
Overall, Flywheel is nice for what it is but a bit too loud and cramped for me. I sort of felt like I was in a dark night club with cheesy techno music. The other thing that bothered me was the accuracy of their workout metrics. I got my bike up above 100 rpm several times (easy to remember eclipsing such a round number) but the post workout figures showed a max of only 96. Not a big deal but kinda made me wonder about the accuracy of the workout data.