SPINNING, the trademarked indoor cycling program created 18 years ago, has obviously surpassed trend status. A staple at many gyms, the music-and-mantra-driven cardio cocktail is particularly appealing to New York cyclists because it provides a safe way to burn calories and ride with abandon without crashing into a U.P.S. truck. Entrepreneurs have taken note: sleek, user-friendly boutique cycling studios, featuring top-of-the-line equipment and instructors, are sprouting up to compete with larger gyms, where cycling classes are often pushed into the corner. All of them offer clip-in shoes, a wipe-down staff (with the job of clearing the area of sweat after each session) and online reservations. And in an effort to stand out from the pack, these chic studios are emphasizing hybrid classes, special technologies or unusual atmospheres. The cycling classes are traditional at the Studio, for instance, but as it’s on the second floor of a brownstone, the setting is an intimate, light-filled room with a chandelier. With a yoga space connected to its bike room, it is no longer strictly about cycling. Read on in the New York Times. Picture Chester Higgins, New York Times.
