New business attached to Cold Spring Coffee Pantry on Route 9
By Alison Rooney
There was always a game plan. The now six-month-old Cold Spring Coffee Pantry was to have a partner in crime: an indoor cycling studio. There wasn’t originally going to be a half-year gap in between getting them both up and running, but it was important for owner Samantha Lutzer to get just the right model bikes, and she decided to wait until they became available rather than open with other equipment.
Arrived they finally did, and now 18 of the Spinner Blade Ion bikes are up and spinning in the new space located just a door away from the Coffee Pantry on Route 9 next to Vera’s. What’s critical about these bikes, according to Lutzer, is that they come equipped with an in-built computer, which has the ability to measure “cadence,” watts and heart rate.
The Spinner Blade Ion cycle used at On The Fly.
For the uninitiated, cadence is the speed at which pedals are moved, categorized by rpm, revolutions per minute. Therefore, a cadence of 60 rpm means that one pedal makes a complete revolution 60 times in one minute. The cadence is then matched up with adjustable levels of resistance, and spinning sessions mix it up, adding in what would be outdoor conditions: steep inclines versus flat, all using a baseline appropriate to the rider, to work on more than speed.
“It’s an intense cardio experience,” says Lutzer. “It has a running element, an outside element.” The construction of the bikes, with their moveable parts and flywheels, allows the rider to assume different positions, including standing, which mix up the workout allowing emphasis on calf muscles, core and/or cardio.
So, in a single session, there can be an emphasis on what would be, externally, a hill climb, followed by a cool down, followed again by a sprint. The difference from the more stationary or “recumbent” bikes found in many a basement or garage, is the ability to change positions and resistance in various combinations. The pedals also spin more quickly.
A set-back entryway immediately south of the Coffee Pantry leads to a reception space. There is a changing room and cubbies for storage of personal items. Towels can be rented for a small fee. There are no shower facilities. The cycling room is separate, with dimmed lighting and blasting music, an important accompaniment to the spinning.
“Each song has its own choreographed ride, which helps you focus,” explains Lutzer. They are interval rides, getting the heartbeat up and down, and the beat and timings of the songs (playlists are chosen carefully by Lutzer) help riders with their own rhythms on the equipment.
On The Fly offers two different rides to include instructor-based sessions of either 45 minutes or an hour and 15 minutes, with stretching time. The instructor, who rides along, calls out the different positions and checks on the cyclists. Some of these sessions are designated for beginners, with more explanation of the equipment, while others suit more advanced riders, but even those are fine for beginners, says Lutzer, as “the lights are dim, you ride at your own pace and with your own resistance, so no one is measuring your skill level. You can also change your position, for instance if you feel you can’t do the jumps you can sit in the saddle and flush out your legs.”
There are also Open Rides, where there is supervision only — the instructor doesn’t ride along — and people can also wear headsets and play their own music. Open classes are geared more toward beginner riders who then work on building endurance needed to join advanced classes.
The welcome area to the spinning studio; the door is set back just to the left of the Cold Spring Coffee Pantry. Photo by A. Rooney
Different session times, beginning at 7:30 a.m. some days and extending through early evening on others, suit people with different working hours. All rides need to be pre-booked, via the website, where the class schedule is located. Reserved bikes may be cancelled eight hours before the scheduled ride for class credit. Packages of 10 or five rides can be booked, or you can pay for a single ride. Current rates are $12 for the open ride, $16 for a 45-minute instructor ride and $18 for the hour and 15-minute instructor ride, with lower prices for packages.
On The Fly allows anyone who is 13 years old, 4’10” and 100 pounds minimum, to participate in classes with instructors. Parental consent is required for anyone under the age of 18. Those under the age of 18 are not permitted to attend an open class.
The concept for the business was “always an indoor cycling studio with an artisan coffee pantry and juice bar,” Lutzer said. “We have an appreciation for people’s time. Here you can work out, get coffee, get veggies at Vera’s next door and still spend the entire day with your family.” Lutzer began spinning “five or six years ago. When we moved up here [from Brooklyn] it was all I wanted to do at the gym, and I wasn’t finding the ‘boutique’ spinning experience of the city. I love it up here and now we’ve brought some of the amenities we loved so much in the city: artisan coffee and a cycling studio — plus we now have a fresh juice bar, too, and we get all our produce from Vera’s.
For more information visit ontheflycyclingstudio.com or phone 845-265-2830.
