A stationary exercise bike in front of a wall with lights.

Indoor Cycling Studios in Europe

Passion Projects  5 April 2024
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4 minutes

In the autumn of 2023, I stumbled upon an indoor cycling studio in my hometown. In the months and years before, I occasionally encountered the ‘new cycling movement’ through following the Instagram account of the ‘cycling’ guy, also known as Akin Akman. When I stood in front of the indoor cycling studio, the first thought that went through my head was: “I want to go. I need to try this.” And so I did.

Cycling completely transformed my workout routine

As a born and raised Dutchie, cycling was part of my upbringing and is ingrained in the country’s culture. We have more bicycle lanes than roads for cars, so I believe that says something. Nonetheless, I never particularly liked cycling. So, as I got older, I always chose public transport or, more recently, made use of scooter-sharing initiatives across the city. However, when I joined my first indoor cycling ride at the Rocycle studio in Rotterdam, I was hooked from day one. As someone who used to lace up their running shoes to go for a run, I made the switch to clipping in on my bike to go for a ride. There’s something about the rhythm of the music and the full-body aspect of the workout that enables me to clear my mind and connect with my body. And I love it. Crave it, even.

A girl taking a picture in the mirror of the changing room at the Rocycle studio in Rotterdam.

Indoor cycling also acted as a catalyst for the rest of my workout routine. Although I was hooked after my first ride, I have to admit it was a disaster, but in a very motivating way. After just 10 minutes on the bike, I was already at my limit and wondered how everyone around me could keep standing on their pedals. I wanted to be able to do that too. So, I went more often, kept at it, and also incorporated other types of workouts into my routine, such as pilates and boxing. Fit girling all the way.

Indoor cycling combined with traveling

But then, I faced a challenge. Besides spending time in my hometown, I also spend a fair amount of time across other countries. While the Netherlands has many indoor cycling studios, other places offer fewer options. Or… is it that I’m simply not aware of them? So, I decided to turn my challenge into a mission and to do my best to search for all the indoor cycling studios that Europe has to offer.

So far, I have been pretty unsuccessful in finding indoor cycling studios in the places where I spend my time, but… hopefully, those places will catch up soon. Fingers crossed. The good thing is that as part of my search, I now have a list of indoor cycling studios in Europe. And I can’t wait to visit some of them!

Hopefully, this list also helps other people find a nice indoor cycling studio because indoor cycling isn’t just about the workout—it’s also about the connections we make. And I do believe that the best connections are made in places where you can be yourself and where you share the same mindset. So, whenever you are traveling through Europe and are in search of an indoor cycling studio, be sure to check out one of these studios. Who knows, you might just find your new favorite spot to spin!

Overview of Indoor Cycling Studios in Europe

Austria

Belgium

Germany

France

Ireland

Netherlands

Portugal

Scotland

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

And the list continues—hopefully! 😉

Remember: this is just the initial lineup, with hopefully more additions soon. So, if you’re aware of any other indoor cycling studios or have any personal recommendations or experiences, feel free to share them in the comments below.

P.s. The studios I’ve visited myself are marked with: ✨

Let’s work together to grow this list and ride our way through Europe!