Exterior of Steel Wheels, set to open by the end of 2017 in Central West End. Photo courtesy of Steel Wheels
Bike through the streets of London to the tune of The Beatles, or ride along the Norwegian countryside—without leaving Central West End.
Steel Wheels, a new indoor-cycling concept, will feature a giant HD projection screen that will engage riders both visually and audibly. "The visuals can take any form, from beautiful roads and scenic footage, to music videos and amazing CGI (computer-generated imagery) effects," says Bob Koplar, founder of Steel Wheels. "The whole idea is to provide a little bit of entertainment, and a little bit of visual stimulation to keep people energized and engaged for the program."
Koplar's interest in indoor cycling began when he lived in New York. The St. Louis native noticed the concept of a high-end, premium indoor-cycling studio was gaining popularity, and decided to bring the workout home.
"St. Louis didn't really have a nice premium indoor-cycling concept, so I wanted to open something here," he says. "It was something that I felt like is a great workout—anybody can do it, so I think that's why it's really popular across the United States and growing the way it is."
Koplar realized that indoor cycling shouldn't be a snooze, and set out to improve the concept with exciting visuals and music.
"I'm the kind of guy that gets bored sitting in a dark room, and if you've done a spin class, sometimes you're sitting there watching the clock thinking, 'Oh my God, how many more songs? When is this going to be over?'" Koplar says.
At Steel Wheels, the immersive experience makes the workout fly by, Koplar says. The videos are organized around scene rides, including rides specific to a particular musical artist, as well as geographic-specific rides. The Beatles ride, for example, will feature all Beatles music on a ride through London, complete with Beatles-inspired imagery.
"We have a ride through Scandinavia, where you'll see Stockholm, and you'll go through the Norwegian countryside," Koplar says. "The Scandinavian ride is all Scandinavian music." The videos are footage taken from actual roads, as opposed to an animation.
The videos will allow instructors and cyclists alike to maintain a cycling focus, without the added "dance moves" many other indoor cycling studios adapt, Koplar says. "We're trying to stay true to cycling concepts that are meant to burn a lot of calories, build strength and cardio, and all of those great things," Koplar says.
Koplar says he wants Steel Wheels to be approachable for competitors and non-competitors alike. "If you're not used to spinning, we encourage you to come in and hop on a bike," he says, adding: "You can just come and enjoy the video, enjoy the scenery and music, and just kind of pedal along and you'll burn a ton of calories either way."
Steel Wheels' bikes—Koplar plans to have 40—will each have a power meter, allowing bikers to see exactly how much energy they are outputting at any point during the class. An email output after each class includes calories burned, energy output, and mileage. Optionally, you can compare your stats to other riders'. "If you go often enough, you'll certainly start to see the numbers increase, and that's really indicative of your fitness level increasing."
Koplar says biking indoors is advantageous because riders can get a more intense workout in a shorter period of time—without worrying about weaving through cars or getting honked at on the road. "Inside, you pretty much have full control of your environment, so you can go from a steep, uphill incline straight into a flat straightaway, and you can design the entire workout however you want it," he says. The video simulates riders' changes in speed, too.
Koplar says particularly enjoys a ride called 1989—featuring songs, commercials, and news clips from the year. "We try to transport people for a little bit and kind of forget about everyday life," he says. "We just just want people to come and have fun, make the workout go by faster, burn a bunch of calories, and feel good about yourself after."
