I’d first reviewed Psycle about 18 months ago, when it opened in a blaze of publicity near Oxford Street. I was (and still am) of the opinion that an indoor cycling class should leave you dripping with sweat and like you’ve just been spat out of a nightclub. For me, that initial experience at Psycle had been a bit… too pretty. A bit too clean. A bit too nice. It was a luxurious studio and I loved the surroundings, but I didn’t think they’d worked us hard enough, and the class was a bit too gimmicky.

When the Be:Fit week of free classes offered the chance to try Psycle in Canary Wharf, I decided to give it another go.

All I can say is- FORGET EVERYTHING I’VE PREVIOUSLY TOLD YOU ABOUT PSYCLE.

Canary Wharf itself is a soul destroying place to navigate around, and I was almost late because I got so lost, so if you’ve never been before, leave a little time to swear at google maps and walk angrily round in circles.

When you find it though- it’s everything you’d expect. White, glossy, gleaming and clean, the place is beautiful. Lockers (electronic), towels, free cleats (shoes that clip on the bike), beautiful staff… I dashed in and took my seat.

Our instructor Reynold was a delight. Within seconds of arriving in the studio, he took command of the room, pointing out those who needed assistance to his colleague while kitting up. He was just so sassy. “We aren’t going to sit down for 45 minutes, ok?” he yelled in a terrifying yet majestic manner. My eyes bulged out of my head. WHAT? I know I thought the last class was pretty easy, but no need to take it to the other extreme, Reynold…

Music was on and it didn’t hold back. We were up off our saddles and in time to the music. “Here, we cycle to the beat” Reynold told us. Something I hear at every indoor studio, true. But here, you could actually catch the beat, unlike other experiences I’ve had where I simply can’t keep to the beat because my legs don’t move that fast.

This class moved away from the crazy too-fast-to-keep-up music without losing the fact it was funky and pumping. The beat offered us the chance to get synchronised as a studio. It looked and felt pretty electric with the lights low and all of us bobbing up and down in time to the music- made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up!

The 45 minute standing up thing- he wasn’t lying. We got the chance to sit down if we really needed, but he was quick to call us up on it if we were languishing on the saddle for too long. Similarly, if we were going faster than the beat, then we’d be instructed to put the resistance up “no cheating!” we were told as he  stalked the studio, making sure we were all trying our very best. I liked the way he did it, too- he didn’t embarrass or make a spectacle of people, it was done in a personable, cheeky way, bus still one that said “c’mon now, get on with it or why bother being here?!”

By the end of the class, I was in a state of shock. I’m not exaggerating. It was probably the most challenging, sweaty indoor cycling class I’ve ever attended. I was so SO impressed. I think it was down to several factors:

Our instructor’s faultless command of the class- he was like a carnival dancer at the front, absolutely on point, and incredibly motivating. The music- fast, furious, but with a beat you could maintain for 45 mins… which was a key factor in my final favourite bit- the fact we were all in sync for the whole class. It made a massive difference to the energy in the room, and how hard I pushed myself.

At the end of class, I swooned off my bike and wobbled towards the door, ready for a sweaty high five with our tourturer/instructor, Reynold.

Psycle, you’ve always been a dreamy studio, and I can now also say your classes KICK COMPLETE STANDING-OUT-OF-THE-SADDLE ASS too.

Intro offer: £20 for 2 classes, and then £20 per drop in class. Buying credit packs (5, 10, 20) means each class works out cheaper.