From SoulCycle to Flywheel to Cyclebar and Peloton, spin culture and studio cycling has flourished in the last five years. The rise of the modern cycling movement has created its own spinning bubble at the College that has come and gone.
Hannah Falvey ‘20 began “CC Spin” in the fall and revived classes at the Athletic Center. Anna DiGravio ‘20 curates social media posts for Falvey, as well as any of the messaging and sign-ups which all occur via their Instagram page, @ccspin.
“I started spinning in college because I couldn’t run anymore. I had stress fractures in my legs and stuff from field hockey, so it was really hard to train with the amount of miles that field hockey puts on your legs,” Falvey said.
Falvey attended Cyclebar when she resided in D.C. for work in the summer: “It was super fun because I didn’t have any friends down there so I would go and see people normally and meet people. I’m a huge Cyclebar fan.” Falvey even now aspires to become Cyclebar trained.
When she didn’t find a studio here, she decided to start the class, initially starting with classes directed for her field hockey team, which Falvey says boosted her confidence to continue teaching the classes. Now Falvey has two classes a week.
“It’s 5:15-6:00 pm so that faculty can come, too. We haven’t had any faculty yet, but I’m hoping maybe soon,” Falvey said.
Having attended the class, it is clear that Falvey spends a great deal of time prepping for each session. She even stated that she’s inspired by different music when she’s with her friends, and will take that directly to a “hill” or sprints in class. Falvey writes each class out, curates a playlist, and then goes down to the athletic center to time out the session. She and DiGravio even recently added a disco ball, as most of the lights are off during the workout to create a more comfortable and focused setting.
Each class is 45 minutes long, including a warm-up and cool-down. With choreography, sprints, jumps, where you shift from sitting to standing, hills, a mixture of hills and sprints, each class varies and the interest by the Conn community is obvious. Falvey also always has an “arms song” in the middle of the ride with weights. Students will even show up 20 minutes early to ensure they get the bike that they prefer. With only 24 bikes available, students eagerly wait for the signups via Instagram. The waitlist has seen as many as seven people on its list.
Different themed classes have kept a crowd coming back. Before the fall semester ended, Falvey introduced a “Throwback” theme and has other themes in the works.
CC Spin recently announced that Cate Howe ‘21 will begin teaching classes on Mondays, starting on February 3rd, from 4:30-5:15 pm in addition to Falvey’s regular classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Falvey expressed the desire to collaborate with other instructors so that the classes continue next semester and expand the equipment available for the classes.
“It’s exciting. It’s fun. It’s a time for everyone to put their phones away… we’re working out, you’re focused on that, and it’s a great relief from our weeks… to debrief, it clears your mind, resets you, and makes you feel better. I look forward to that every time I teach,” Falvey concluded. •
Photos courtesy of Anna DiGravio.
