Spin Your Way to Fitness at CycleLuv

Cycling instructor Iris Kotmel has a talent for packing the room with her energetic cycling classes, otherwise known as “spinning“. She's been doing it for years at gyms around Loudoun County. 

Now, she is taking that talent to a new level by opening her own cycling studio, called CycleLuv.

“I would fill up a class with 44 bikes regularly, even at 5:30 a.m.,” Kotmel said.  “People always said I should open my own studio.”

Kotmel, who formerly worked in IT, decided her cycling instructor hobby was much more motivating to her as a career than sitting in a cubicle all day. 

So she decided to take the plunge. Kotmel found a space in Leesburg that would work and began the process of setting it up. 

“This is my passion,” Kotmel said.  “I’ve given up corporate America and the cubicle experience”.

She scouted cycling studios around the Washington area, took courses to become an advanced spinning instructor and asked a lot of questions of people who are in the business.

CycleLuv will start out with 23 bikes and Kotmel has hired four instructors to run three to four classes a day. Kotmel will continue to teach about two classes a day. 

“We’ll add classes and bikes as we grow,” Kotmel said.

The first class is free, so anyone can come and try it out. 

”These are really fun workouts, different from any other kind of workout.  We joke, we laugh and burn a ton of calories.  Everyone in my classes becomes friends and we have an energy that is palpable,” Kotmel added.

Kotmel selects music that is motivating and energetic during workouts, she said. The lighting is often low with colorful sound activated lights. 

She said, “the classes are all safe for everyone. You have control of your own bike but you don’t have to feel like you are not able to keep up with the more experienced bikers, it is done individually.  It works well for everyone," she said.

CycleLuv is located at 26 Fairfax St, 2nd Floor, Leesburg.  Visit the website, www.cycleluv.com for class schedules and other information.