Sweat & Sip (but no Sip): YAS Yoga and Spinning

12/3/15 UPDATE: Both our instructor and the owner of YAS reached out to us following this post to let us know that our experience with our instructor was not the norm and to invite us to give YAS another try. We definitely appreciate that kind of dedication to customer satisfaction! We'd like to point out that one of the main reasons we're forgoing another visit to YAS is because we prefer free wheel bikes. If fixed gear is more your style, YAS might be a better fit for you than it was for us. 

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The beauty of ClassPass is that there are a ton of studio options for similar types of workouts, so while Kel and I are devoted Revocyclists, we decided to check out another spinning studio to allow for some compare and contrast.

YAS (which stands for Yoga and Spinning) is located right next to Firebrand Sports and offers- you guessed it- yoga classes, spinning classes, and yoga AND spinning classes.

Kel and I used our ClassPass membership to sign up for a 9am spin class on a Saturday morning.The spin studio has a giant garage door that looks out onto 13th Street which seems cool and urban at first, but once you get going, you realize you're facing away from the door and God knows who's staring at your butt from the street. It's a little weird for those of us who aren't into exhibitionism.

There was also a much different, less-welcoming vibe in YAS's spin studio than at Revocycle (or even at Burncycle, if we're being fair in our spin studio comparisons.) Kel and I were obviously new to the studio as evidenced by the fact that we had to walk up to ask the instructor how to adjust our bikes. She did not offer to come over and help us, just gave us a curt response and turned away. Kel and I know our Revocycle numbers, but YAS's bikes are fixed gear as opposed to Revo's free wheel and adjust differently. It would have been much appreciated for our instructor to offer to help us make sure we were positioned properly.

And then the class itself. Ugh. Maybe we are too used to Revocycle's rhythmic style, but the songs we were cycling to did not match our pedaling speed and it was driving me nuts. We also did the most jumps, which are my least favorite cycling thing in the world. No thanks!

In the end, we got a workout, but my knees hurt (probably from so many jumps on a poorly-adjusted bike) and there was nothing enjoyable about the experience. At Revocycle you work hard, but it's fun and somehow calming. At YAS, I just couldn't wait for my butt to get off that bike (and off display).

So, while I'm glad we branched out and tried a new cycling studio, we will not be back.

Sweat & Sip:

• Portland Rock Gym & Uno Mas

• Burncycle & Pink Rose

• Vega Dance Lab, Water Ave Coffee, & Canteen

• YoYoYogi's Boot(y) Camp & Coopers Hall  

• Revocycle & Sisters Coffee Co. 

• Booty Bar at Aspire Total Fitness & Sip
• Firebrand Sports & Highland Whiskey Kitchen (Sponsored by ClassPass)

Sweat & Sip: Revocycle & Sisters Coffee Company

What: Revocycle
Where: 1218 NW Marshall St.
Honeys Heart: Challenging, but somehow peaceful cycling

This morning marked a Sweat & Sip first: Kel and I returned for a second round of a class we had already taken. I know, it's a pretty big deal. I mean, we did have a card that gave us five classes for free... so that helped. But also, we really like Revocycle!

What is Revocycle? Well, I would think of it as the complete opposite of Burncycle. In fact, when we told Revocycle owner Michael that we had done Burncycle before, his eyes just about bugged out. The two are based on very different methods of cycling. You'll remember that Burncycle is all about whole body cycling, so you're bopping around to the music, doing pushups on the bike, using hand weights, that sort of thing.

Those type of movements are a big no-no for the Revocycle crowd who believe that it's very dangerous to be doing those things on a unstable base. In Revocycle, you are either sitting down cycling or standing "climbing". That's it.

Revocycle also takes a more yoga or pilates-esque tone as far as instructing. While similar to Burncycle in that the goal is to pedal to the music, at Revocycle, the instructors use a calm voice, often reminding riders to close their eyes and relax their shoulders.

Another unique thing about Revocycle is the kind of bikes that are used. In Burncyle, we used fixed gear bikes, meaning that all you have to do to get the pedals to move around is to make a downward stomping motion and the wheel will help propel your foot around. Revocycle uses freewheel bikes. To get the pedals around on those, you must push the pedal around the entire cycle, which gives you a more full-leg workout.

Since I have a bad back and iffy knees and Kel is fighting a bum achilles, I really like that Revocycle is very mindful about working out in a safe way. And while Kel and I didn't feel as exhausted and sweaty after our Revocycle classes as we did after Burncycle, you are definitely getting a good workout. We both noticed that we felt more energized throughout the day after getting our blood pumping so much in the morning. (Did I mention we've been going to the 6am class? Yeah it's surprising even to us.)

What: Sisters Coffee Company
Where: 1235 NW Marshall St. 
Honeys Heart: Iced Americanos

Sisters Coffee is directly across the street from Revocycle which makes it very convenient to stop by for iced Americanos after class. The coffee is great and I feel like I have the slightest personal connection to the shop after interviewing Sisters Coffee interior designer team Jeff and Jenny Guggenheim and for an About Face profile last year.

Sweat & Sip:

• Burncycle & Pink Rose
• Vega Dance Lab, Water Ave Coffee, & Canteen
• YoYoYogi's Boot(y) Camp & Coopers Hall