After hearing from friends that SoulCycle’s very first studio was different from other cycling studios, Whelan decided to give it a try. One visit was all it took for her to appreciate the full sensory experience, the charismatic instructor, and the passion of the client community. A few years later she joined the company, which today operates 74 studios.
SoulCycle doesn’t view itself as a fitness company—it’s a “player in the broader experiential economy.” That’s why it takes a different approach to recruiting and training instructors, with the aim of making them inspirational coaches who empower riders in their lives as well as on their bikes. It doesn’t charge monthly fees, but each class costs $30 to $35, and riders must book bikes in advance, on the theory that the pay-per-class model elicits greater energy and commitment. Choosing the location for a new studio involves a year of research to understand the lifestyle of future customers. Amenities such as iPhone chargers in the lockers have improved studio design. Next-generation bikes are coming in 2017, and the company’s apparel line is expanding. Because SoulCycle has friendships and community at its core, Whelan writes, the brand will endure.
