SoulCycle

I’m traveling in Northern California and I love to cycle so SoulCycle it is. (In Southern California, you’ll find me at GRIT Cycle
)
Friday night’s class with Lindy was great. She combined all the things that are good about SC with none of the attitude that you can find at some of them. She was super fit, rode with us and played some cool tunes.
The standout was today’s class with Molli S. She was GREAT. I’ve taken a ton of SC classes, a ton of cycling in other studios and I used to be an instructor… she was easily in the top 5 instructors that I have ever taken a cycle class from. She hit that class on all cylinders. She appealed to everyone, her music wasn’t too heavy in any genre, she wasn’t preachy, her words were authentic, she rode hard with us, she bounced around the room to motivate those who needed it and it was just hard enough to push the more experienced rider without killing a newbie. She was upbeat and positive. Seriously, top five. Look for her on the schedule.
This studio has a nice amount of space in the locker area. Studio was clean and the bikes seemed weel-​maintained.

Visited SF and had a class with Lauren. Great class with lots of energy and shout-​outs for the visitors! She even took photos with us after the class. She lives what they preach-​SOUL.

The instructors are amazing (keeps it interesting). The lights are low (hides the tears over my lost youth). The music is loud (drowns out my cries as I hear tap it back one more time… if you don’t go, you don’t know). The best part of every class however may possibly be the smiling faces of all the folks who work tirelessly in front of and behind the scenes. From the reception desk to the facility attendants to the management team. Soma SoulCycle Crew– you’re the best!

Quick Review: I have heard a lot of hype around this class from many colleagues. There were things that I liked and didn’t like but when it comes down to it, I can’t justify spending $ 30+ per class.
PROS
Ambiance:
–Beautiful studio w/​showers (shampoo, conditioner, body wash), spa like amenities (q tips, facial wash, hair ties, blow dryer)
–State of the art equipment
Class:
–Weights
–Heated at certain points, really sweat
CONS
–The instructor was a little too zen for my liking
–Song selection and just really loud music in general
–It’s $ 35 per 45 minute class…

I love riding with MK but all the instructors here are great! The staff is welcoming and friendly, so no worries if you are a novice, the staff will provide all the support you need to make your first ride comfortable and fun. Soulcycle is a positive and uplifting experience, appropriate for all fitness levels.
Such a joy coming here! It is so much fun one may forget they are actually working out. It’s like going to a nightclub and dancing all night to your favorite music. Walk out feeling energized, positive and ready to bring your full shine into the world.

If you really want to know how I feel about SoulCycle as a whole, see my review for the Union Street location.
Things that keep me coming back to the SOMA location:
— Larger studio, doesn’t feel so cramped
— Great showers and changing rooms, stocked to the brim with toiletries
— Amazing location, just a short walk from anywhere in Downtown or the Financial District

I’ve been coming here for four consistent months and have no regrets. While I wish the ventilation in the studio were better, I figure it’s of little consequence. The classes are high-​energy, enhanced by loud music (if you hate Top 40, sorry), and energetic trainers. If you’re wondering how this differs from other spin classes, I’d say that the culture at SoulCycle is more cohesive and distinctive. Classes leave you, not just energized, but with a positive mindset. That being said, the classes do not lean too hard on gushy positivity — the focus is on challenging yourself.
Riders with less experience/​cardiovascular fitness occupy the back two rows where you can feel free to break form and do your own thing. Riders in the front two rows are encouraged to keep up with the workout more consistently. I know some riders have complained that the bikes are packed too close together, but that serves a purpose: SoulCycle is all about the energy of the group and synchronization, so being close together encourages that.
Yes, the charge for shoes and bottled water, but nothing is stopping patrons from bringing a reusable bottle and filling it up at a fountain for free.
Also, access to all classes are purchased in series and packs, with no series available. when you purchase these, think of it as a credit used to book the actual sessions — you can only book actual classes at Monday at noon for the week. I find that this and the scheduling guidelines make me way less likely to blow a class off than a monthly membership.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would spin again.

Why do I keep paying $ 30? MK’s Class at 10:45am on Saturdays.
One of my BFFs took me here on a Saturday morning last year and I became hooked.
Your first class is either $ 20 or free (depending if there are doing a promotion). There’s a $ 3 shoe rental as well. If you want a smart water, it costs extra too.
However, l’ve never regretted going to a SoulCycle class. You spend about a 37 minutes working your butt off.
I remember when I saw people leaving the class before mine drenched in sweat — I knew I was in for a workout.
If you look at my class history, 80% of them are MK’s class. She plays great music and is motivational without being too preach-​y.
I also recommend Bea!
The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable. If you’re first time, make sure you tell them so they can help you get set-​up on your bike properly.
The bathrooms are well maintained as well. For the ladies, there’s 7 showers (I think) with shampoo, conditioner, face wash and body wash. They also have blow dryers.
Highly recommend!!!

As a Flywheel member, I found my first experience at Soul Cycle to be fun and enjoyable. However, given the choice between the two, Flywheel is definitely the studio for me. In my opinion, the main difference is that Soul Cycle is a bit more move at your own pace while Flywheel provides more of a challenge and even some competition if you choose.
I missed my tech pack in Soul Cycle because I had no idea if I was challenging myself enough. At the same time, I was patting myself on the back just for making it to a 6am Monday class, a feat never before accomplished. Despite not being sure if my resistance or RPMs were where they should be, I was sweating bullets. Interestingly, I was also sore in the days that followed, I think because you spend a lot more time out of the saddle in a Soul Cycle class than in a Flywheel class. We hardly ever sat down in Soul Cycle which was a feat in itself.
The instructor was spunky and friendly and exactly the type of person who should be teaching an early morning session. The facility was clean. The class was only about half full, a good thing since the bikes are practically touching front to back. It’s a little too close for comfort. Nonetheless, I’m glad I tried it and would consider going again if Flywheel was not an option.

Although I live in LA, I’ve been staffed on a project in SF for a couple months now and have been going to SoulCycle SoMa about 2x a week for one reason: TODD. I can’t say enough good things about his class!
Living in LA, I have access to a million cycling studios, including my favorite, Cycle House. When I first got to SF, I was going to Wheel House across from my hotel… but found the place extremely underwhelming and way too easy. As an indoor cycling fanatic, I don’t trust studios that have Spinning (the brand) bikes or have cages for non-​spin shoes. Thank goodness I found Todd at SoulCycle! His class is NOT EASY and he will absolutely kick your butt. On top of this, he changes his playlist pretty frequently and I don’t find myself getting bored with the music, which is always on point with great beats. His choreography also has a purpose and isn’t awkwardly all over the place like some SoulCycle instructors I’ve had. Expect push ups, obliques, and tapbacks (center and wide) while jogging in third or in the saddle. Also expect a lot of third position sprints and a killer upper body weight section… 3 pound weights have never felt so heavy!
Price: Obviously, at $ 30 a class, this place isn’t cheap. I personally justify it by thinking of it as entertainment on top of an amazing workout and also bring my own shoes and water.
PS — on top of SoulCycle and Todd being amazing, this location shares a shopping center with Tender Greens and Pressed Juicery. Heaven does exist and it’s Fifty Fremont.

There is a new drug on the street and it’s called: SoulCycle. My old intern moved to SF and he’s addicted. My co-​workers rave about how phenomenal it is and that I must go there! Okay already, I get it! I’ve wanted to take a SoulCycle class for ages but have never been able to fit it into my work schedule until my most recent trip. Even thought I didn’t get to bed until 1am, I was determined to get there for a 6am class! I am on Hawaii time so that means 6am is 3am for me in real time.
The SOMA studio is a modern and clean facility and I found it was easy to check-​in. I had pre-​paid for my class over the phone because committing beforehand forced me to wake up at 5:30am to get to class. I can see why SoulCycle is addicting and why it’s a drug. At $ 20 for your first time and then $ 30 per class after that, it’s just as pricey as a leisure drug. At least this one gives you abs and a rockin’ booty, or at least that’s my hope. I was given my special cycling shoes by the desk attendant and put all my stuff in one of their digital lockers.
The workout room itself is fairly small and the bikes are packed together with the instructor on a stage at the front of the room. I had an insanely difficult time locking in my cycling shoes onto the pedals of the bike and for the life of me found myself shifting my weight in every possible position. Thankfully our instructor Molli was super helpful and eventually we got my shoes locked in. As a first timer it was really comforting to get the extra help and encouragement because no one wants to be the dork who couldn’t lock into their bike.
Our class got started and the best way to describe SoulCycle is that it’s like going to an EDM nightclub on a bike. The music is blaring, the room is dark and your instructor is essentially the DJ controlling the entire energy of the room. Molli was a phenomenal instructor and just looking at her sculpted body made me want to give up carbs forever! The class was an intense cardio workout and my butt kept screaming at me: «What the hell are we doing here?! We are going to hurt so much later on!» I worked through the intensity and by the end of our experience as Molli moved the candles throughout the room and set everyone’s intention on thinking about «what is the meaning of strength,» I was truly in my happy place.
I know everyone complains about how tightly packed together the bikes are but I’m a hot yoga addict and I know why. It’s so your energy is connected to one another, it’s so you’re accountable to others around you to bring your A-​game, it’s so you can feel suffering and joy and opening and heartbreak together. This life is about us being TOGETHER even when you don’t know who that sweaty person on the bike is next to you or behind you. In the end we’re all just a bunch of sweaty humans who want to let it all go. I’m glad I went, but not sure yet if it’s my kind of drug…

MK KILLED the Justin Bieber class!!! I live in San Mateo but drove up specifically for this class and the playlist was on point. She is one of my new favorite instructors. I also took the reSOULtion class with Todd and he was inspiring to watch instruct! Following that, I recently did 3 back to back classes (one of them a Soul Survivor class) and you’d think that would be dreadful, but honestly the time flew with the energy of the instructors and the playlists. I’ve tried so many other so called «spin studios» but nothing even comes close to Soul Cycle standards.

I love spinning and after being a Flywheel enthusiast for a long time, I moved to the Bay Area from Chicago — and was sad to discover that there aren’t really any Flywheel facilities out here (there’s only one in Walnut Creek and one in Sunnyvale). The Bay Area is dominated by SoulCycle, so it was only a matter of time before I tried out a SoulCycle class. Well, I tried it and while it was a decent spinning class — I probably won’t be back.
First, a review of the facilities here. The facilities are bomb. There’s a big shower area and changing area, so people don’t get into each other’s way as much. The bike room is also full of people (because everyone loves SoulCycle) and so the energy is ridiculous. The instructor I had was energetic, jacked, and very motivating.
The workout? The spinning workout is decent, but I’ve gotten better spinning workouts elsewhere. Maybe it’s because I was shoved in the back where I could barely see the instructor, but I think it was more because I felt like the workout was a lot of shouting and not as much intense focus as a Flywheel workout — where you’re competing against everyone on the board so you push yourself extra hard. It was not a walk in the park workout for sure, but not as tough as other places I’ve been to.
The thing that makes me give this place three stars is the price. $ 30 a class is absolutely ridiculous. I find it kind of upsetting that SoulCycle doesn’t even offer a monthly membership. Even if you buy it in a package, it’s still $ 26 a class. And the whole Super Soul thing really turns me off — $ 70 per class? I don’t really think ponying up $ 70 per class is justifiable, so I guess I will always be relegated to the back rows. Spinning is an awesome community workout, so why is it that people are being priced out of it? SoulCycle is definitely a luxury good.
By the way, if you do go here — you will probably will get addicted to spinning. I think it would be a funny thing for you to go to spin at Soulcycle and then watch that one episode of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt about spinning. Spin is a cult and you’ll have a whole new take on it after watching that episode. It’s an amazing cult though.
You want a similarly awesome/​intense experience at half the price? Go check out Jeremy’s class at Ride Oakland. Also, Revelry Fitness in San Mateo is pretty good too — their Revbody and Revbody Plus workouts. I’ve heard there’s a good studio in Embarcadero as well, and I might go try that one out too.

This place was super fun but hard! It is a solid workout. I went with my team from work as a little team outing/​challenge and we were all bright red and dripping sweat when we came out of there but it was fun and totally worth it. It is definitely loud but it keeps you pumped up. The only thing I would have loved is if I knew more of the music so I could be more into the that aspect but overall it was a great work out, a ton of fun and I would FOR SURE go back again.

I’m so happy this place exists! I can honestly say I’m addicted to soul cycle but it’s very healthy. this establishment is more spacious than Palo Alto’s and has more lockers and showers — shout out to the face scrub. I’ve never had to wait for a shower after class which is solid! Unfortunately there’s not much room to change clothes but everyone’s quick and efficient and always seem to be off to the next best thing in their lives. huge shoutout to whoever decided to put Pressed Juicery next door!
my go to is John. he’s the absolute best! his music choices are on point and he’s easy to talk to. everything he says in class is heart warming yet motivational and I’m always sweating and having fun! thanks John!!!
been doing soul for 3.5 months now and I’ve seen definite improvement in my physical strength abilities, all around better moods and clearer mind, and of course body! If you haven’t been in the loop, go sign up!

I’ve done spin before at other gyms, but SoulCycle is on another level and I’m addicted. I usually go Wednesday during lunch when Ginny is the instructor and she’s really great. The room is extremely hot and sometimes I just want to give up, but the energy in the room, the words of encouragement from the instructor, the music forces me to keep going. Yes, it’s $ 30 for 45 minutes, but you’ll walk away dripping in sweat and feeling rejuvenated.

Ugh Soul Cycle. The men of my life (brothers, boyfriend, father, uncles) think I’m ridiculous for paying $ 30 to «ride a bike.» But they don’t understand. The music, the candle lit ambiance, the inspirational words on the wall, the heat — it’s all worth it to me. It’s such a great class. You workout your full body and get to sweat ishh out. All pores open and you leave the class feeling refreshed! Also, the class spends about 10 minutes using weights (of your choice) to work out biceps/​triceps/​lats + various other upper body muscle groups.
Some physiology 101 — heat and sweat? ALWAYS a good idea.
Prices:
introductory class is $ 20 with free shoe rentals (usually $ 3) — call for bike reservation
socks are $ 15.23 post tax (or bring your own socks)
regular classes are $ 30
I’m trying to turn my logical «I can ride a bike outside and save $ 30» bf into a soul cycle lover. Let’s see if this works. :)

SoulCycle can be summed up in three simple rules.
1) No whining
2) No bullsh1t
3) No cell phones
Shout out to Alexa, the most valuable employee at SoMA Soul!

AWESOME WORKOUT PLACE is all I can say! Honestly I can’t think of any other argument but this one:
If you try this place out you are gonna get addicted because not only does it make you BUST YOUR ASS like crazy and burn a thousand calories, but it is also a soul-​cleansing energy-​dispensing feel-​good class that will make you feel powerful and soothed at the same time.
Go for Todd’s classes and I promise you won’t be disappointed!!! The sunday classes are a must.

I heart San Francisco’s newest SoulCycle for many reasons:
— It’s in my work hood (financial district). I can actually walk to and from the hotels I frequent rather than über it to the Marina at 5:30am. That’s 10 extra minutes of sleep & I’ll take all that I can get these days.
— The 6am classes don’t fill up within half a second like the Marina location. And the classes are just as good! I don’t know if it’s the newness of the studio or the location, but I’m hoping it stays that way.
— Molli’s 6am class. I’ve taken it twice & I love everything about it: the music, her energy & even how she’s mastered dancing on a bike.
A trip to SF isn’t complete without a visit here, but there’s a few things I could do without:
— The $ 30 spent on a 45 minute class.
— The heat in the room. Spinning is hard enough at a normal temp!
— The cramped locker area. No one wants to rub shoulders with a sweaty person. Gross.
But even all that won’t keep me from coming back to enjoy my fave workout.