Every month, Fast Company checks in on the businesses in our Most Innovative Companies community. From SoulCycle’s new bicycle to Walmart’s acquisition of quirky e-tailer ModCloth, here’s what some of the most exciting companies have been working on lately.
SoulCycle
In April, SoulCycle, the chain of boutique fitness studios with 78 locations in 15 markets, launched its first-ever brand campaign, featuring a two-minute spot starring actual sweaty, attractive class instructors. As the music swells, they explain that SoulCycle–and its cult following–is not about the bike but rather about the rider. With the company expecting to add another 15 studios this year, the ads target both newbies and veteran cyclists in the company’s biggest markets (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco), where there’s almost always a trendy new fitness option.
Despite the ad’s vociferous stance regarding soul versus cycle, the campaign debuted just a month before the company introduced a major redesign of its signature SoulBike. “Our riders are getting stronger, physically and mentally,” says CEO Melanie Whelan. “We want to continue to evolve the equipment and the workout for them.” In partnership with Colorado-based Stages Indoor Cycling, SoulCycle focused on making the bike more customizable, especially the handlebars, which had been thick and static. The new ones are thinner and can move forward and backward, which makes them easier to grip and adjustable for different body types and exercises. The bike’s new magnetic-resistance, carbon-fiber belt drive creates a smoother ride while requiring less testing, cutting 1,200 hours of weekly maintenance by a third. Meanwhile, small angle changes to the bars correct posture by adding wrist support. The new bikes rolled out in New York studios in May, with 6,000 bikes to be replaced this year. “We tested these at our New York headquarters,” Whelan says. “Even some of our master instructors were sore for days after.”
Milestones: SoulCycle just opened its first studio outside the U.S., in Toronto, with a Vancouver debut planned for the summer.
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