My Ultimate Guide to RINSE CYCLE

Since 2018, RINSE CYCLE has been my favorite place to burn off nervous energy and get strong. Here are all of my tips for spin class greatness at RINSE CYCLE in Dayton.

Getting Started Basics

What to Wear and Bring

Workout clothes and a water bottle. RINSE provides towels. They have showers available, as well. There’s a lot of great info about all that here.

When to Arrive

First time? Make sure you’re there at least 10-15 minutes early. There are things to go over and you’ll need help setting up the bike for the first time. If it’s your first time at RINSE but not spin classes in general, you still might want to make sure to have a little help at first. The bikes at RINSE move side to side and I don’t think a lot of places have those. When you know your settings and all that, 5-10 minutes works well – plus you can get a few minutes of stretching or extra warm up!

The Bikes

In case you missed it above, the bikes move side to side, which is really different from your standard spin class. It really activates your core and mimics a real bike ride.

Weights

The light weights portion of the class is (typically) one song long so think 3-ish minutes of rapid movement. That’s why one-pound, two-pound, and three-pound weights are really all you want to use. If you’re someone who does more strength training outside of spin class, you can always try heavier (but be ok with potentially being humbled).

Hair

There’s a great quote I personally subscribe to when it comes to doing my hair for spin class, and it’s from the character Jack Donaughy on the show 30 Rock: “Hair movement is a sign of weakness.” I do my best to really lock it in a bun so it won’t come out and annoy me. However, other people keep their hair in a pony tail or long braid. If you have long hair in a pony tail, you will at one point inhale your own hair. It’s just physics.

Merch

RINSE sells the best merch – it’s fun to collect, too! They sell water bottles, tote bags, hats, shirts, sweatshirts, and more depending on the collection that’s out at the time. They do preorders on social and in person, usually. But every once in a while new merch will just show up at the studio, so keep an eye out!

Social & App

Follow RINSE on social media to keep up with ride themes, fun things coming up, and any unexpected changes to the schedule. Download the app to quickly schedule your classes or manage your class passes.

Class Types

RINSE offers classes in a few different lengths, but the classic ride is called CYCLE 50  because it’s a cycling class that is 50 minutes long. They offer a 30 and 40 usually for the midday rides. They also have a Bootcamp class.

Not Getting the Beat? Adjust Resistance

This took me a little while to learn: More resistance can help you catch the beat. If you’re having trouble matching the beat of the song, it might be that your resistance needs a little extra power.

Challenges

There are periodically fun challenges like the Back to Sweat challenge in September that can really motivate you. BTS involves a bingo board where you place a sticker over the rides you’ve taken or instructors you’ve taken them with. There are usually prizes for completing a row or the entire board.

The Vibes

Supportive. Energetic. Fun. The community is so positive – I find that if I have a great day, RINSE makes it even better. And when I have a bad day, RINSE really helps cheer me up. When things in my personal life are out of control, RINSE brings me back to the beat – 1, 2, 1, 2. Before I know it, I feel like myself again.

Is RINSE Cycle Right for You?

If you’re on the fence and not sure RINSE is for you, here are some of the people I think would really benefit from trying it.

You Have Decision Fatigue

Exercising at the gym can be just another set of decisions in a day full of decisions. At RINSE, they figure out the workout for you, you just have to keep up. It’s also a set time and place.

Plus, each song has a totally different choreography routine set to it so you can’t get bored and it can’t get repetitive. However, the class itself has a predictable formula (warm up, main workout, arm workout with light weights, freestyle jog out, sprints, stretch, go home). So, RINSE falls right into that perfect sweet spot of unpredictable and predictable that I need to stay focused.

Perfect for Ambiverts

If you think you might be about 50/50 introvert and extrovert, you likely get your energy from people being around but not necessary engaging with people directly. With a RINSE workout, you feel the energy of the people around you and it boosts your own energy but you can’t talk or hear anyone over the music, so you get all the great benefits of being around others without losing any energy talking/engaging.

You’re a Recovering Perfectionist

When you’re someone who has to be instantly good at something to enjoy it, trying something new can be really nerve-wracking. I wasn’t good at indoor cycling when I started, but I got better. And with the room being dark (and without my glasses) I can’t see anyone’s struggle or success so I have no one to compare myself to.

This led me to become much more self-competitive than I’ve ever been before and that really seems to have unlocked the drive I needed to be more athletic. And speaking of which…

You Don’t Think You’re Athletic

You might be! You just maybe haven’t found your thing yet. If you haven’t found your cardio activity yet, keep looking and trying new things. You might really surprise yourself! RINSE is a great place to start. It’s easier on your joints than other types of cardio and it’s a lot of fun.

I started RINSE in 2018 after really not being a workout person. I had a gym membership but people had to basically drag me along and then I always wanted to leave after about 30 minutes. One day at my second job at the time, there was this beat coming through the walls and I was intrigued. It sounded like everyone was having the best time and I wanted in. This was back when RINSE was on 3rd Street. I signed up for a class and it was hard but I somehow didn’t hate it. Then I went back and sort of liked it. I went a few more times and realized I was hooked!

Want to check it out? They have a New Rider pass!

Learn more about RINSE CYCLE’s history.