My CycleBar Review: 7 Reasons It’s Worth Trying (200+ Rides Later)

For anyone looking for an effective cardio workout, my CycleBar review comes after nearly 200 rides—and honestly, it completely transformed my fitness.

Whether as your main workout or a complement to strength training, CycleBar delivers results through high-energy classes, an incredible community, and that addictive feeling of pushing yourself harder than you ever would alone.

Starting CycleBar in my late 30s, I got into the best cardiovascular shape of my life—hitting milestones I never imagined possible and riding through my third trimester.

There were uncomfortable moments (literally—those seats!) and unexpected friendships, but ultimately CycleBar became part of my identity.

Here’s what you should know before you clip in for the first time.

1. Your Butt Will Adjust To the Seats (Yes, Really!)

Let’s get real about one of the biggest fears with indoor cycling: are CycleBar seats uncomfortable?

Here’s the honest truth—yes, they can be pretty uncomfortable at first, especially if you’re new to cycling. I remember my first few rides left me sore in places I didn’t know existed! This is actually a common reason people quit after their first class or two, and I completely understand why.

But here’s what makes CycleBar different: you’re not sitting for most of the class. The majority of the ride is spent standing and moving to the rhythm, so you’re actually out of the saddle more than you’re in it. The discomfort is real during those seated intervals, but it’s not constant.

After training for a 100-mile ride called Pelotonia (a community fundraiser to support cancer research) a few years prior, my body had already adapted. But even if you’re starting from scratch, your body adjusts faster than you think.

Push through those first 5-6 rides, and the soreness fades as your body conditions itself to the saddle. It’s almost surreal how it goes from incredibly painful to nothing at all.

It’s like a rite of passage in cycling—the initial discomfort is temporary, but many people don’t realize that and give up too soon. Stick with it, and you’ll wonder why it ever bothered you in the first place.

2. Getting Lost in the Music, But the Music is Loud!

The music at CycleBar was something else! It was loud, energizing, and exactly what you need to get through a tough ride.

More than once, I found myself getting completely lost in the beat, pedaling for the sheer joy of it and forgetting that I was even working out. There’s something powerful about riding to the rhythm of the music—it turns a grueling cardio session into something almost meditative.

One of my favorite parts? The themed classes. An all-Britney Spears ride or an early 2000s rap playlist? I was absolutely booking a bike for that class.

These themed rides became another reason to show up—similar to choosing a dance class for the choreography you love. You’re constantly moving on the bike, standing and sitting to the rhythm, with most of the class spent out of the saddle. It felt less like traditional cycling and more like dancing at a club, just clipped into a bike.

You’d leave just as sweaty but with an incredible endorphin high. And when the volume was right, I absolutely loved this aspect of CycleBar.

However, over time, the music volume started to bother me more. My Apple Watch would even register it as too loud during classes—so it wasn’t just me! Eventually, it became harder to tolerate, and I ended up wearing earplugs to every class.

If you’re sensitive to noise, be aware. CycleBar does provide earplugs, which definitely help, but for me, using them meant sacrificing just a bit of that magical connection to the music that made the rides so special. It’s a trade-off—protect your hearing or fully immerse yourself in the energy.

If you’re not sensitive to loud environments, you’ll probably love the music and the themed playlists as much as I did. Just know the option for earplugs is there if you need it.

3. The App, Inclusivity, and Competitions Kept Me Motivated

One of the best parts about CycleBar was the app, which offered monthly competitions that motivated me to ride more. It shifted my mindset about exercise—I stopped thinking I could only work out every other day for fear of exhaustion.

Instead, I began to see cycling as an outlet, something I could sign up for last-minute during lunch or as an evening stress-relief ride. When you go that frequently, your whole mindset changes. It stops being about “getting your workouts in” and becomes more like choosing to move for 45 minutes because it’s fun. Feeling sleepy around lunchtime? A quick CycleBar session was the perfect mid-day energy boost. And with unlimited rides, why not?

It took all the pressure off—cycling became something I wanted to do, not something I had to do. Like choosing to play a game with movement rather than forcing myself to exercise.

Friday rides often ended with a celebratory toast or a glow-in-the-dark session, one month I received a water bottle, another a tank top; perks and events that made it even more fun to attend.

The community-focused atmosphere combined with the challenges kept me excited to push myself, and I hit milestones I never thought I would reach… over 200 Rides!

3. CycleBar Cost: Is the Membership Worth It?

A CycleBar membership can be expensive, especially if not you’re going regularly.

At the time, I had an unlimited CycleBar membership for about $140 a month. But here’s the thing: if you go consistently, it’s actually a great value. I aimed to go at least 8 times a month (twice a week), which brought my per-class cost down to about $17.50. Often I went even more, especially during monthly competitions when it was fun to rack up rides!

For some, this might be a splurge, but I made it worth my while by attending enough classes to get my money’s worth. (Fun fact: my current barre3 membership is $160/month, so in hindsight, CycleBar was actually a pretty solid value!)

Is CycleBar worth the price? If you’re on the fence, try to grab a founding membership rate or a special promotion to lower the monthly cost. For me, it was a significant financial commitment, but it became a part of my routine, and I loved it enough to justify the expense.

Having a workout partner at the time also made it more feasible to attend classes consistently, which helped a lot. The key to making a CycleBar membership worth it is going frequently enough to bring your per-class cost down.

4. My CycleBar Before and After: Peak Fitness Transformation

During my CycleBar years, I got into some of the best shape of my life. My heart was in phenomenal condition, and pairing CycleBar with my personal training sessions, which focused primarily on strength, gave me a well-rounded fitness routine.

Before CycleBar: While I was active with strength training, I was missing that crucial cardiovascular component. I thought I could only work out every other day for fear of exhaustion, and my cardio endurance had room for major improvement.

After 200 CycleBar rides: For nearly 2 years, between 36-38 years old, I felt fitter than I had in years. My cardiovascular system was in phenomenal condition, and I had the energy and stamina to work out daily when I wanted to. The transformation wasn’t just physical—I felt stronger, more energetic, and capable of pushing myself harder than ever before.

The interval-based workouts at CycleBar were an excellent complement to my weightlifting sessions. While my personal training focused on building muscle, the cycling workouts helped me torch calories and improve my cardiovascular endurance. Together, they created a balanced fitness regimen that left me feeling stronger and more energetic.

I even continued cycling through my third trimester of pregnancy, something I never imagined achieving when I first started—a testament to the conditioning and fitness level I’d built.

Bonus, hit a 6:00 a.m. workout and when you finish, you leave as the sun rises, grab your coffee and fuel up post-workout with breakfast and you’re on your way to one heck of a start to the day!

6. The CycleBar Community: More Than Just a Workout Class

One of the unexpected joys of my CycleBar experience was the community aspect. I absolutely loved the people I met who consistently showed up for rides.

Looking back, I believe being in peak physical condition from CycleBar contributed to having a relatively easy pregnancy. My strength and cardiovascular fitness made such a difference. I even got pregnant on my first try, which I partly attribute to being in the best shape of my life.

We formed a tight-knit group, and I found myself looking forward to seeing familiar faces every time I went to class. It wasn’t just about the workout; it was about being part of something bigger.

My local CycleBar even recognized us on their social media channels, which added a fun social element to the experience.

The instructors were truly incredible—and I mean that in every sense of the word. They weren’t just leading from the front; they were riding alongside you, pushing themselves just as hard.

But what made them so special went far beyond their fitness or teaching ability. These were genuinely good people with inspiring life stories and real accomplishments outside the studio. You’d get to know them personally, learn about their journeys, and feel connected to them as humans, not just instructors.

During rides, they’d say things that hit differently—the kind of motivation that stuck with you long after you unclipped from the bike. Their passion and authenticity were contagious, and it elevated every single class.

The community genuinely invested in each other’s lives. When I was pregnant, they threw me a mini post-ride baby shower—complete with gifts and celebration after class.

Those kinds of moments made CycleBar feel like more than just a workout—it was a real community.

7. You’ll Know It Was Worth It When You Miss It

One of the clearest signs that CycleBar was truly transformative? How hard it was to let it go.

CycleBar had become a part of my identity during those pre-baby years.

By the time I was ready to get back into my routine, my closest CycleBar studio had closed. I was genuinely disappointed and sad to say goodbye to that chapter.

While I won’t be going back regularly anytime soon, I was able to replace my cardio workouts at home with my Peloton. But I still miss those Friday glow rides and seeing familiar faces.

Here’s the thing: when you find something so valuable that losing access to it feels like a genuine loss, you know it was worth every penny and every early morning.

That’s how I feel about my CycleBar years. I look back with nothing but fondness and gratitude for the fitness foundation and community it gave me.

My CycleBar Review & Recommendation: Is It Worth It?

In a word, yes!

If you’re looking for an effective cardio workout—whether as your main fitness routine or to complement strength training—CycleBar delivers.

The classes are fun, the instructors are great and genuinely inspiring, and the environment is inclusive and supportive.

The themed music rides, the accountability of booking your bike, the competitions that keep you motivated—it all adds up to an experience that’s hard to replicate anywhere else.

And if you go consistently (aim for at least 8 rides a month), the value is absolutely there.

Is it perfect? No. The music can be too loud, the seats take getting used to, and the price requires commitment.

But those are minor compared to what you gain: incredible cardiovascular fitness, a shift in how you think about exercise, and a community that genuinely cares.

So if you’re considering trying CycleBar, I say go for it! Who knows? You might just find your new favorite workout—and a community that becomes more meaningful than you ever expected.