4 years ago
I recently moved to the area from Boston, and have...
I recently moved to the area from Boston, and have been desperately looking for a good spin studio- especially now that the weather is getting colder. As a frame of reference, I went to Turnstyle for years, but have tried every studio in the greater Boston area at one point or another.
UpBeat has so much potential, but it just misses the mark for me. None of the three classes I have been to have had more than 15 people in them, which seems odd since it is the only spin studio for miles.
Pros: It s a beautiful space. Honestly, it s one of the nicest studios I have been to, and there is plenty of parking nearby. The bikes are new and the spin room has a power/metrics board (though it is not used in the context of the class for races or competitions like at FlyWheel or Equinox). They also have a variety of different classes (spin, TRX, bootcamp and barre), and it appears as though they have packages you can share with family members. I also really like the split spin/weight training classes.
Kristen is great. I would be here every day if all of the instructors had Kristen s experience and energy. Her classes are well-planned, set to modern playlists and include perfectly timed choreography.
Cons: Other than Kristen, I have been underwhelmed by the instruction. Most of the classes are designed to simulate outdoor riding, which is not what I personally want or expect in a spin class. I can throw my road bike on a trainer at home and get that kind of workout. I am paying $20 plus for the experience of being in a room full of riders who are lost in the energy and pace of a class. I totally get that some people are looking for this type of real ride simulation class, but having more beat-based options with great playlists might be something for UpBeat to consider. I imagine those empty bikes might be filled by others like me who are looking for a more traditional beat-based spin experience.
Finally, there are no showers. This is a huge con for me, and I imagine many others who want to work out before heading to the office during the week. No showers means that my only option during the week is a 5:30AM class, and I don t always want to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to work out.
I will likely keep coming here once in a while to take a class with Kristen, but unfortunately I just don t see UpBeat becoming my new home spin studio.