Loading
The national craze of indoor cycling gyms, with high-tech theater-like spaces for stationary rides, has pedaled into the Gulf Coast in a big way.
The source is CycleBar, a Boston-based franchise operation that opened its first Florida location in east Manatee County in March. The CycleBar Sarasota UTC is one of what the area franchisees project will be 10-15 locations along the Tampa-Orlando Interstate 4 corridor by the end of 2017. A pair of Sarasota area investors, under the name Ciclo Management, leads the regional franchise entity. (The word “ciclo” translates to cycling in Italian.)
“We see a significant opportunity,” Ciclo Vice President of Operations and Marketing Annie Bernstein tells Coffee Talk. “The trends on health and wellness are tremendous.”
CycleBar's founders, Bill Pryor and his sister Alex Klemmer, sought three elements when they opened their first cycle studio in 2004. The trio: great instructors, great music and a great environment.
The Sarasota UTC CycleBar, in a 2,500-square-foot studio in a shopping center with Kohl's and The Fresh Market, follows that mission. On instructors, there are seven cycle stars who lead classes through a 50-minute high-energy ride while playing DJ up front. Classes take place in the CycleBar theater, where there's widescreen graphics and state-of-the-art audio. The custom-made bikes include a bar riders lift during the class.
While the class is high-energy, Bernstein says the goal is to make CycleBar approachable and non-intimidating. Age ranges at other locations go from high school students to people in their 70s. The model is pay-per-class, with no membership necessary. Says Bernstein: “Anyone can do this at any fitness level.”
Your free article limit has been reached this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited digital access to our award-winning business news.
Join thousands of executives who rely on us for insights spanning Tampa Bay to Naples.
