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
   

Sweat & Sip: Burncycle and Pink Rose

Welcome to our new series: Sweat & Sip! It's basically where we go to a fitness class and then drink and eat all the calories we just burned off. Yay for balance!

Seriously though, Kel and I like to eat and drink what we want and we realize that necessitates some exercise here and there. We both run, but now that dance is over for me and Kel's achilles is giving her a hard time, we decided to check out some other fitness options around the city. First up: Burncycle!

What: Burncycle 
Where: 910 NW 10th Ave
Honeys Heart: The friendly and supportive environment

Located in the Pearl right across from Jameson Park, Burncycle is a "whole body cycling" studio. That means that while you're pedaling your little heart out to the latest dance hits, you're also doing various movements with the top half of your body to strengthen your core and your arms (and some other stuff too, I'm sure).

Burncycle's mission is to leave you feeling well-cared for, sweaty, and empowered, and Kel and I definitely felt all those things.

We were in the waiting area for all of two minutes before the owner, Jessi, came over to introduce herself and walk us through the process. She was super sweet and reassured us that beginners have nothing to worry about. She also helped us clip our shoes into the bikes and made sure we had water. Thanks, Jessi!

As far as sweatiness, you burn 500-800 calories per 45-minute class, so yeah, you're gonna be real sweaty. Luckily, Burncyle is kind enough to stock their bathroom with all the necessarily toiletries so Kel and I weren't too disgusting when we showed up at Pink Rose after our class.

But the truly unique thing about Burncyle is their focus on creating "a non-competitive, pressure-free cardio sanctuary." To achieve this, the studio is lit with candles, making it much more difficult to compare yourself to your fellow cyclers. Our instructor was also very positive and while he pushed us to continue challenging ourselves, I never felt like he was judging me for being way behind the cycling pace he was suggesting.

Overall, we had a great experience with Burncycle and I'm almost disappointed that it's our first class of this series because I don't want to try other things now- I just want to cycle!

Two things to keep in mind about Burncyle:

• You must register for classes ahead of time online. Burncycle is super popular and there's usually a wait list for classes, so don't dilly dally about signing up. 
• Bring water! Kelly and I forgot and if Jessi hadn't set us up with water bottles, it would not have been pretty.

What: Pink Rose
Where: 1300 NW Lovejoy
When: Happy Hour 4-7pm Mon-Sat & All Day Tuesday
Honeys Heart: The patio

After our class, Kel and I were more than ready for a drink and some food. We decided to check out Pink Rose since they offer happy hour all night on Tuesdays and have a nice little patio.

Let me just get this out of the way and say the service was atrocious. Some of the worst we've had in quite awhile. But that's the price you pay for sitting on the patio I guess?

Also, there was no rosé on the menu aside from a sparkling moscato. Kel and I are of the belief that if you're going to call yourself Pink Rose, you should probably have a rosé available, just for the sake of honoring your own name. I mean, that makes sense, doesn't it?

Anyway, we started things off with the Boedecker Pinot Blanc ($6) and the Bacon Wrapped Dates ($4), both from the happy hour menu. 

We also shared the Happy Rose Burger ($8) which is topped with swiss cheese, fried onions, and dijon aioli. Pretty tasty!

Overall, it's clear that Pink Rose's draw is the cheap happy hour food and the patio, so stay away if you're expecting something a little more refined service-wise. And don't be afraid to bring your check up to the hostess stand when you're ready to pay. We noticed several other customers doing it too, and it seems the most efficient way to get out of there when you're ready to be done.