I have watched from outside the Cycling room while waiting for Zumba class to start and I always wondered what exactly they were doing in there. They turn off the lights and they play some sort of video on the big screen, but I was never really sure what. I thought it was time to find out.

I asked around about Cycling - it's like Spinning, but since that's a trademark they can't call it that unless they have certified instructors, etc. I heard all sorts of horror stories, as well as some advice:
get there early
take two towels
take lots of water
your butt will be killing you
you'll feel like puking
your legs will be rubber
be sure to set up the cycle correctly

So I was a little bit scared to go in and try it. Still, a lot of the people I heard from said that it was addictive and that they loved it, so I gave it a try.

Yes, you need two towels - that way you can put one on each side of the handlebar. You will sweat, so it's nice to have something to wipe up with.

Lots of water - yes, you will need it. I took two bottles but really didn't need to drink all of it. 1 1/2 would have been ok.

My butt was fine for the first 30 minutes. But then it did start to hurt a bit. I have padded shorts I could wear, but didn't this time. Maybe next time I will. The thing that surprised me was that my feet were hurting - I was starting to get toe cramps towards the end of the class.

In all, it was a fun class - not as fun as zumba, but a good workout and better than mindlessly riding on the cycles in the main cardio room. Lots of jumps, sprints, hills, etc. - it was good to have someone pushing me a bit. The instructor was quite nice, not at all a tyrant - but still able to inspire everyone to give it a little more than they might have otherwise.

So I may be back from time to time. I don't know that I'd make it my main workout, but it's a good one to throw into the mix. With Zumba only being twice a week, I may just add a cycle class once or twice a week.