Freebie Fitness Friday...at Flywheel

You won't want to use this gearing at Flywheel. Credit

Try saying the first three words of this post's title five times fast. Freebie fitness Friday. Freebie fitness Friday. Then add one more word to the tongue twister, Flywheel, and see if it gets even harder to spit out of your mouth. The words might trip you up but it's worth it for free fitness on Friday at Flywheel Sports. That is, if you live or work in Chicago and can get yourself to the River North indoor cycling studio before 12:30 p.m. on Fridays.

The journalist in me knows that I should be sharing this news, but the cyclist in me is apprehensive about hitting publish. I love the word free when it's tacked onto a workout (that's how I found Flywheel in the first place). I love the 45-minute adrenaline-inducing, cardio-blasting workout that leaves my legs feeling limp and my arms turning to Jell-O with exercises that shouldn't feel as tough as they do. I love the loud music that drowns out the pain and makes my legs spin faster, perfect for this gal who always needs to work on her quick cadence. I love searching for my name on the torque board and pushing to get a higher power number to raise my ranking. I love that Flywheel is only a quick bike ride or short walk for me, and I can get there regardless of the weather Mother Nature throws at us.

But...sharing this somewhat secret workout--I can only assume that not every Flywheel fan knows about this deal--could ruin my chances of attending. The Friday 12:30 p.m. class at Flywheel Sports is first come, first serve. Being that I'm usually the one who shows up five minutes before class starts--maybe 10 if I'm really lucky, and fake my brain into thinking the class starts earlier than it actually does--and grabs whatever space is left, I could easily get shut out if this freebie catches on and cyclists start playing hooky, or skipping lunch, to spin.

There's something about fitness facilities in the River North and Gold Coast neighborhoods, or at least the five I attend on a somewhat regular basis: They're always crowded. Not packing them in, necessarily, unless you're trying yoga sculpt on Monday night or a Saturday afternoon, but enough to leave you doubting the availability in a free class. And with Flywheel's New York reputation finally catching on in the Windy City, it's making me think that an early, when-the-doors-open arrival is required if I want a lunchtime sweat session. No complaints from me if it means I can return to my desk with a racing heart, more energy (exercise fuels me) and a couple of pounds lighter (even if it is only a water deficit that'll be corrected in minutes).


Photo grabbed from Leshaines123 at flickr.