SoulCycle Loop

I’m a spin addict and attend a local Boston chain which I absolutely love. I was in Chicago for work and decided to give SoulCycle a try to see if they live up to the spin hype. Not only did I not enjoy Kellen’s teaching style (too much time out of the saddle which made my back hurt) but I felt like he was picking on a newbie that had the misfortune of getting a front row bike. Standing right in front of the newbie’s bike, Kellen kept saying how important it is to stay together that he was practically chanting it. The newbie was clearly struggling and I felt very bad for him. Kellen may have thought he was helping the guy but I thought it was very disrespectful and it was uncomfortable to watch. He ruined the SoulCycle experience for me and I won’t be returning.

Best workout ever! Fave teachers are Aya and Brent!

Our first soul cycle experience did not disappoint. The staff was so welcoming and the instructor was wonderful. It does get pretty packed In the locker room but come prepared and early and you’ll be fine. I do wish it wasn’t quite as expensive but I would love to go back when I am visiting any city with a studio nearby.

I can’t believe it has taken me 3 months to write this review.
I expected SC to be a bunch of snooty skinny b’s and I am so glad I took a chance. I was traveling for work and came here with my fellow coworkers.
Pros
— Clean, modern studio w/​all the fixings (hair ties, deodorant, combs, plastic bags for your wet post spin clothes, etc…)
— Inviting front desk
— Upbeat, motivational instructor
— Candlelight studio, yes!
— Sweaty workout (but was it because the room was too hot?)
Cons
— $ 35 price tag
— Asked for help to get set up on the bike and it was done quickly. I changed my seat height because it was too high and hurting my girl parts.
— Music… the instructor played a lot of EDM and house. It sounded like one long song
— We just went fast the entire time because it was the same beat
— The studio was too hot, turn on the fans SC!
— You are spinning on top of each other, other people’s sweat spraying on you. Gross.
Overall the experience was more like 3.5 stars. I’ll be back when I’m in town again. It was a good workout. Maybe I’ll bring my personal clip-​on fan the next time.

The high energy is contagious and I love that I can jam out right after work on a business trip. Great class schedule times too for Chicago!

Sorry, Soulcycle — I gave you a fair chance but you’re just not the spinning studio for me. While the instrutors are excellent (particularly Ryan, Aya and Jaclyn), I prefer other spinning classes where I can see my results (like Flywheel and Studio Three) instead of just «feeling it». I get that Soul goes for the team atmosphere/​experience but I don’t feel like I get as good of a workout. However, that’s just my preference.
What I really don’t like is the price (ends up being over $ 35/​class once you include shoes & water) and the lack of space both in the locker area and the actual spin room. If I wanted to be smashed into other sweaty, smelly bodies, I would just go to a River North club on a Saturday night.

I like the workout. It’s fun and the energy is great. I just wouldn’t give this place 5 stars because I don’t find the studio particularly inviting. I feel cramped and rushed. The lobby lockers are tight and crowded, and I feel like if I don’t get to the space early I’ll have a headache before I even get on the bike, lol. Good workout, but get there early if you like a little breathing time before class starts.

I never really liked spin classes until I tried Soul Cycle! I am now hooked! Really love the loop location very clean and great staff! Hallie’s motivation during class keeps me going, she is a great instructor!

I have been wanting to try this out for a while and the Wacker Drive studio looks awesome from the outside. Inside the studio is obsessively clean and sterile. Music is incredibly loud during classes. They actually give out ear plugs at the front which is kind of funny. I like super loud music so it’s fine by me. The experience in class was a bit cult-​like but I guess that might help some get motivated. Instructor was cut and very into sexual references which I found a little.distracting.

My girlfriend and I loved the Soul Survivor class this morning ’ the studio –was very clean, music on point and the AMAZING KICK ASS instructor. Honest check! Staff is attentive. It was our first class and the guide took care of us by helping us with our bike. Note this– My girlfriend bought socks and they where $ 12 (don’t forget to bring socks) attention.
Oh and I forgot to grab my hat and glasses after class and when I realized we where three blocks down — well when I returned the hat and the glasses where are the front desk. Thumbs up!
Giving it a five start for aver all!

My love for spinning started in Montréal at a place that is modeled after SoulCycle. Once I moved back to the US I couldn’t wait to go to SoulCycle! Lucky me, this location is a 10 minute walk from my place. It doesn’t disappoint. Great workout, high energy instructors, great music and a friendly environment.
The studio is bright and clean, nice dressing rooms and showers. Shoe rental for $ 3 or you can bring your own. I will be a regular here for sure.

I took my first ever SoulCycle class while in town for a wedding. I’m a huge fan of spinning but sadly, Philadelphia does not have SoulCycle (yet– hopefully — fingers crossed — please come to Philly ASAP!). I took Hallie’s 7AM Saturday class and it was AMAZING.
The studio is absolutely beautiful. The employees at the front desk were warm and welcoming. I had accidentally paid for more than one class online. After explaining that I’m in from out of town, they quickly deleted the extra classes from my account and refunded me. They showed me around the studio and where my bike in class would be. I really loved how clean it was!
Hallie was extremely up-​beat, motivating and fun! I didn’t want the class to end. I loved all of her music (especially the remixes). I felt more zen in that class than I usually do after a yoga class. I also appreciated how nice the other riders in class were. A few came up to me after to tell me that I had a great first class– how nice!
After class I stopped at the front desk to let them know about my ride. They gave me a welcome package with a free voucher for my next class! Woo!
I’ll be back next time in Chicago. Until then, SoulCycle HQ if you are reading this, please come to Philadelphia!

fun workout to partake in to change it up every once in a while. If you have never been I can tell you… do not come here if you are seriously training for something… like a triathlon… you wont like it. It’s more fun than anything else.
plus/​minus. plus– the location is clean. gorgeous. nice staff. lots of lockers, validated parking (HUGE PLUS), online resos, love the soul cycle survivor class (1hr)…get your money’s worth people.
minus– cant find an instructor that I consistently like their music, a lot of the bikes need to be fixed, the music is soooo loud as a physician I’m concerned about my hearing… seriously…but they do offer ear plugs.

Visiting from California and I ride in the Pasadena location. This Chicago Loop location is pretty impressive. Front counter staff always helpful and kind! I rode with Naz and her playlist was pretty insane (in a good way). A good balance of hip hop and edm. I am glad I got to try it out before I go back to So Cal. Was pretty sad that they didn’t have any Chicago gear in stock though.
Definitely returning to this studio when I come back to Chi town.

Maybe it was bc I doubled down on NyQuil last night, or perhaps it was bc I was still in a butternut/​cranberry haze, but I just could not get into feeling my beat this AM — the standard stark white interior, which usually feels hygienic and modern at other Soul studios I’ve hit, felt cold and almost abrasive in its simplicity — not the warm hug I needed on this spitty, grey day to get me ready to ride.
Our instructor, whose pep and pizazz was undeniably impressive, started us off by explaining that SC is really more like a dance party on a bike — and to those who have seen this body rock, you get be like, ruh-​oh, this sounds dangerous, but oddly once I click into a stationary bike, I just magically know what to do, and this booty is unstoppable — that said, this kind of explains why classes can be confusing — you’re doing arm pumps, side humpy movement things to work obliques I guess I have, and trying to stay on the groove of whatever EDM remix is blaring — unlike Flywheel, seating isn’t stadium style, so unless you can see the instructor, it can be easy to get lost as class moves as a pretty quick kip. I rec sitting in the first two rows unless you’re a pro and don’t need the guidance.
Classes are usually 45min — you’ll def sweat — but, idk — I like Flywheel’s militant devotion to torq and rpms — SC is more like «we ride as a pack, love your body» — and I’m more of the variety that needs someone to tell me to get my ass in gear — there are places in the world for both, for sure — single classes are $ 30, five for $ 145, thirty for $ 780, fifty for $ 3500. It’s a solid workout, a bit too corporate faux-​namaste for me, but such is my struggle.

All SoulCycle studios are pretty much the same– clean, crisp, and a kick ass class. This one gets 5 stars for the following reasons though:
BIG locker room! Compared to the other ones I’ve gone to– this one has more showers (4 or 5?) and more space to get changed. Large space to do makeup/​blowdry your hair, etc.
Additionally– the lockers have CELL PHONE CHARGING PORTS. What more could you ask for? You had me at #charge!

I’ll be honest. I was extremely hesitant to try a SoulCycle class because I thought it would be a big, trendy joke. Fortunately, I’m very open-​minded when it comes to getting in a good workout so I dragged a friend along to try our first SoulCycle class. Sure, the girl I spoke with on the phone was kind of snotty when I called to register but no big deal.
The facility is large, clean, and well-​maintained. The staff were all super helpful at check-​in and with helping us to get set up. The instructor, Hallie, is really what made the class fun for me. She had a super cool energy, great music, and was very encouraging throughout the entire class. The workout really kicked my butt more than I thought it would and I would definitely come back. Unfortunately, the price is too steep for me to become a regular, which is my main complaint about this business.

Whoa. The staff is here awesome! I don’t really expect anything less than awesome, when I go to a new Soul studio, but I’m always prepared just incase.
The locker areas, the bathrooms and the studio are all huge! There was so much space, I didn’t know what to do with it. There are two back rows (both elevated) and there are two rows on each sidebar.
The front desk was super helpful. I told them I was visiting, and wanted a Chicago souvenir. One gal (I wish I could remember her name) went out of her way to check their back-​stock to help me find something. I took Brent’s 12:15p, Tuesday class, and he was great.
If I’m ever back in the Chicago area, I’ll definitely come back for a class.

Tip:
If you have to change clothes and are able to arrive 15 – 20 minutes before a class begins, do it. The lockers are outside the Men and Women dressing room/​showers. So unless you feel comfortable disrobing in front of all your Soul-​mates, you’ll have to head to the dressing area, change and then come back out to the lockers to store your stuff.
Are you new? If you have never tried a class, the front desk has a free class pass to share with your friends.
Instructors:
I have attended Ryan, Kellen, Devin, Sayre, Hallie, Bren and Aya’s classes. All were great instructors.
You pay «how much for 45 minutes!!!»
When I tell people how much classes are, most people’s eyes pop out and their mouths open in a gasp. Yes, $ 27-​$ 30 per class depending if you’re buying one at a time OR a set amount isn’t cheap. But I have taken cycling classes at normal gyms and the the workouts can’t even compare to Soul Cycle. Need to budget that soul. :)

The 2^nd best thing to SoulCycle opening a location in the North Shore (hint hint) has happened… they opened a location just blocks away from my Merchandise Mart office. I consider myself one of their biggest fans who’s been taking SC classes during my frequent travels to SF, NY, LA, DC and anywhere else I could experience my favorite dance party on a bike. So naturally I signed up for a class on opening day. When my nanny called in sick that day I was most bummed about missing my SC class, but (finally) made it to Hallie’s class today on day 5 in their new location.
I was so excited that I may have mentioned to at least 20 people that I was headed to SC after work. I got the same question over and over…“Is it that much better than flywheel and other spinning classes?” Yes, it is! I like spinning & I really like flywheel, but nothing compares to a SoulCycle class. While some are better than others, I’ve yet to have a bad instructor and the music is always good. Hallie (who recently moved from NY SC) didn’t disappoint with her high energy & fantastic tunes. In fact, I’ve already signed up for her class again next Monday. The only person who may have loved it more than me was the baby inside my belly that kicked throughout most of the 45 min class. Future spinner!
This location (locker area specifically) is also way more spacious than any other Soulcycle I’ve visited, which means there’s less of a chance of rubbing up against another sweaty body (gross) on your way in and out of class.