The Handle Bar Indoor Cycling Studio

I actually really like this studio. It’s not as pretentious as flywheel, the instructors are upbeat, and the desk attendants are helpful. Although the music is loud, I don’t leave class feeling like my ears are bleeding.
The bikes are kind of close packed, they provide towels and shoes, two bathrooms. Very tight space also in the hall. No lockers, so don’t bring any valuables to the studio.
Overall, a great convenient little spinning studio.

I absolutely love coming to this spin studio! The instructors are phenomenal, the workout is always challenging, and the music selection is the BEST. There are free shoes available for classes which is great if you do not have spinning shoes. Some studios in Boston are not welcoming, however, I always find the staff at The Handle Bar in Fenway to be inviting and friendly. I will definitely keep chasing the beat at this studio!

Took a Saturday morning class with my girlfriends and my BF. We were able to book our seats late Friday night online and it was quick and easy. FIRST CLASS for first timers is only $ 10. After your 1^st visit, each class is $ 24; with a student ID is $ 15 per class.
FENWAY location is small and does NOT have a shower.
They have small cubbies when you enter. They also have free hair ties and free ear plugs!
(Oh Yes! please and thank you)
Since My BF and I were trying indoor cycling at Handle Bar for the first time, we decided to come to class 10 – 15 min. early. (I ADVISE NEWBIES TO DO SO AS WELL!)
Our instructor was Allie and she was amazing. She was really sweet and gave my BF and I the inside scoop on how are class is run and how she keeps everything to the «beat of the music.»
She even helped us lock in our shoes, adjust our bikes, and get used to bike we were on.
She was great at keep us all motivated and her music choice was ON POINT. I felt great after the workout, even though I had to leave a couple of min. early.
The only CON is that unlike the other locations, Fenway does not have showers… Trust me after a cycling class the first thing you want to do is shower.
Things to expect (for first timers):
* High energy & intense workout
* Loud, club-​like, EDM, music to PUMP you up
* Black lighting for an added effect
They do provide
* Cycling Shoes for FREE!!!
* Small Towel (free)
* Water for $ 1 (so bring your own h2o bottle & refill it as necessary)
* Wear tighter fitting clothes

The class was very fun. The instructor was energetic and kept me motivated to power through. Th entire staff was really friendly and helpful. I hope to take a class again when I am in the Boston area.

I’m not one for group fitness, but HB is the exception. Their instructors are fierce, jams bumpin, and rides leave me a sweaty mess. Take advantage of their summer share deal or Black Friday discounts to make it a little more wallet-​friendly. Also, their snapchat/​Twitter game can be fierce. Dig their whole vibe!

I’ve been meaning to go to the Handle Bar for a while, but what finally got me in the door was their free week for medical professionals (genius idea). And they have a $ 15 drop in rate for medical professionals too, which will absolutely bring me back frequently!
My first class was with Matt L, and I have taken a lot of spin classes and this was definitely one of the best! He had great energy, music, and variety in the ride. I like the bar for arms, interesting twist but still gets those arms burning. The entire studio is very clean and the staff very nice, the lack of lockers is my only concern-​not a full on complaint but lockers would be nice.
My other suggestion for the Handle Bar, especially the Fenway location since it is so close to Longwood where many 12 hour shifts start at 7am, is a 5:30am class. I’ve been on the hunt for a convenient, good early morning workout and this would be the perfect spot!

Great workout! The location is centrally located in Fenway and the staff here is so nice. Shoe rentals are free at Handle Bar which is a plus, most places will charge you extra to rent cycling shoes. Even though rentals are free, if you spin often I would recommend buying yourself a pair with Delta Look clips (for this location). I have been to their South End location and the bikes there are primarily SPD clips. Comparing the two locations, I like the class set up at Fenway significantly better. At the South End location, the bikes are really close together and are awkwardly placed in my opinion.
I have purchased the monthly unlimited pass twice now and i have accumulated about 50 classes (comes out to roughly $ 7 a class for me GREAT DEAL!). The studio is very clean and well supplied. Once you get there, you initial next to your name and then place your things in the cubbies. If you need help with your bike set up, they are more than willing to help you out, but once you go more you will figure out how to set your bike up yourself. All you need to truly bring to class is a bottle of water and a positive attitude; clean towels are included.
Recommended instructors:
–Matthew LaPierre: He’s my favorite! He has so much energy and his music/​choreo is on point. Not only will you feel satisfied with the great workout, but it will have you leaving class with more energy than at the start of class. My favorite rides are his 60 minute sessions on Sundays.
–Lena Rakijan: Literally an arm workout! Of all the instructors at the Fenway HB location, she has the toughest arm song/​section of them all. Her endurance on the bike is also amazing and she will make you work with 110% effort. I love her music choice, but I recommend being more of an experienced/​high endurance rider to keep up with her in her classes.
–Cara Tramontozzi: She is too cute! I love the way she runs class. She has you leaving class energized and satisfied.
These three instructor’s night classes fill up so I recommend reserving a bike at least a day or two ahead of the scheduled time. I find that that closer you ride to the instructor, the more motivating the atmosphere is, so I prefer to ride usually in the middle section of class. But regardless of where you ride, with a positive and motivated attitude you will get a fun and productive workout. Most of the instructors will get to know you if they notice you ride with them often or you can introduce yourself first! They are all really down to earth people and make you feel very welcome. I would highly recommend people HB for a great workout!
Student walk ins– $ 15/​class
Transportation: Green D line (Fenway stop) Parking is mostly street parking. There is an OVERPRICED parking structure across the street too.

Unfortunately, I happen to live in the building that houses this business. Hopefully, it will begin to show some mutual respect for community living and start abiding by city noise guidelines. I wouldn’t recommend this business because the owner does not quite understand what it means to be a good neighbor. Thus, why would anyone give her their hard-​earned money? Or, maybe those who do would like her in your building?

I have been riding at The Handle Bar for over a year now and I have nothing but positive things to say about my experiences there. This cycling studio provides an escape for their riders and really is a dance party on a bike! The staff is always so accommodating, friendly, and overall happy to be at work. Every instructor has their own touch on classes and I can honestly say I’ve never taken a bad class. I highly recommend The Handle Bar to people at all experience levels of spin. You wont be disappointed.

As a ClassPasser and cycling junkie currently trying to work through all the studios in the city it was time to give Handle Bar a try. The reception area and studio is very nice as were all the employees, they were all very friendly and welcoming. My problem was mainly with the class itself as the bikes did not have gauges for RPM etc which is something I use in any spinning class to judge my performance and resistance. Compared to Flywheel where I get readouts of my stats and the instructor clearly gives cues for resistance levels and speed levels this class felt extremely bare bones. My other issue with the class was the amount of choreographed moves on the bike. I know some people prefer this but I absolutely hate it because it seems the moves are more for the sake of choreography rather than actual physiological function. My ideal cycling class is focused on resistance, speed, proper form and pushing yourself to the limit (think Ike’s class at Flywheel or Cyclebar) where this class felt more about bouncing around on the bike to certain cues where I don’t work up as much of a sweat and lose sight on proper pedaling and form (took a class at Velocity w/​Matt that was also heavy on this and didn’t enjoy it-​must be a trend). Unfortunately doing push ups off the bike handles doesn’t do anything to tone since its the wrong form and it actually increases chance for injury so I refrained from that. If Handle Bar introduced a class more focused on cycling with limited choreographed motions I would certainly go back to try it!

This review is coming from someone who is a frequent spinner and doesn’t need much assistance with bike setup. Basically, I couldn’t give you a review as a new spinner.
My first few classes at The Handle Bar were a little tough. I went right when they first opened in Fenway and I just couldn’t get into the groove here. Several months later I needed to find a workout right after work that was close by and The Handle Bar had a class that fit that need.
Folks, instructor and music are KEY to a good ride. I’ve now found my fave instructors (Cara, Lena and Ashley) and now The Handle Bar is a staple in my weekly workout routine. I LOVE THEM! These instructors teach with ease, have great music and really know how to motivate a room. I have to say that I don’t find that to be the case with EVERY instructor at this studio.
Clip-​in shoes are a must here. Bring your own or you can rent a pair for free.
There are no showers at this location, but they do have two bathrooms that you can use for changing.
They also don’t have lockers. I know that someone is at the front desk, but it just totally weirds me out to just have my goodies in a cubby. Tip: Don’t leave anything valuable in your bag here.
The Handle Bar is a great workout, a nice addition to the neighborhood and I’m so glad that I gave the studio another try!

Loved this place! Great energy, awesome workout — highly recommend.

I had been hearing about The Handle Bar for a while from friends but never thought I could handle a spin class. However, I decided to give it a go at the beginning of the summer and I am hooked! The classes are motivating, not intimidating! All the instructors I’ve had have their own flavor, choreography, and music preferences which keeps it interesting. I always feel super pumped like I can take on the world at the end of one of their classes. Check it out, you won’t regret it!

This place is AMAZING! One class and you’re hooked to the energy and the friendly staff!!! Once I got my membership I was going every day sometimes twice a day!

Super clean, great class, and a great instructor! It is definitely pricey, which is a little bit of a turn off. But, that’s how most places are around here so it’s not something you can escape. I love how abs and arms were incorporated as well. The music selection is awesome and they spin to the beat of the music, which some studios don’t and I absolute hate spinning off beat. If you want a great work out, go here! I’m definitely going back.

Best workout in Boston! Instructors are so fun and the music is amazing. Definitely recommend checking this place out!

I’ve been to a number of spinning studios in Boston and this is not at the top of my list. You have to wear clip-​in shoes, and if you use class pass they charge you $ 2 to rent them. If you have to wear clip-​ins I think they should provide them for anyone taking a class without making them pay extra.
The instructor seemed pretty forced and scripted, and the room is really really dark. I like when studios turn down the lights but this was too much. I also didn’t really like the music.
Don’t get me wrong – it was a good workout, and the weighted bar adds a twist to the usual hand weights, but it didn’t have the personal feel that other studios have.

The Handle a Bar is a great addition to the neighborhood, and the owners have definitely made strong use of the space. Everything is clean and staff are friendly. Clientele is super welcoming and diverse. There are special themed rides, which are awesome and make exercise much more fun. I’ve been here three times and have the following feedback:
1) A pulse monitor would be helpful so that one can see how fast they’re going… especially relative to others
2) Turn up the lights a bit so that people can make necessary adjustments
3) Host a series of intro level classes for newbies to spin so that they’re not intimidated by the regular classes. It also increases the number of clients

While I commend The Handle Bar for trying to be a unique spin program, I don’t agree with their classes.
It is so dark in the studio that it’s difficult for in-​ride adjustments if necessary. There should be an electronic monitor attached to every bike to show the rider how fast they’re going, their wattage, time, etc in order for the rider to gauge how hard they’re working– a pulse monitor would be nice as well. Simply riding as fast as you can to the pace of the amped up instructor and dance musice does not help you achieve your workout goals.
I was very alarmed when the instructor wanted us to do crunches on the bike or lift weighted bars WHILE CYCLING. Every cycling instructor here and elsewhere seems to be «certified» by some program but I would be blown away if any of those programs were overseen by an orthopedic physician as I can’t imagine that doing other improper forms of exercise while engaged in pedaling would be without risk of injury.
Not once did the instructor go over efficient pedaling and muscle mechanics on up and down strokes to get the most out of each crank revolution. I found this perplexing as all of their bikes have clipless pedals and require you to use a pair of cycling shoes they provide (if you don’t have your own) — but I’m not a fan of using for indoor riding and I don’t want to wear shoes that hundreds of other people have sweat in. It just seemed weird that they would use technical pedals but not go over any of the mechanics of proper pedaling form.
The studio is clean and the staff are very nice, but it was disappointing to see that the class is inspired by a Zumba-​style program as so many other workout classes in the city seem to be following. I just wouldn’t go back there for a real spin workout.

Great spin class for a fundraiser. Super nice studio with a ridiculously energetic instructor. The class covered everything from abs, core, jumps and even an arm workout!