BOOM! cycle gym opens in Shoreditch

BOOM! founder Hilary Gilbert

We are thrilled to announce the official opening of BOOM! the cycle gym that has Shoreditch in a spin.

Planned to be the first in a chain of cycle gyms, BOOM! is the brainchild of model and indoor cycling fanatic Hilary Gilbert , who started indoor cycling classes back in 2002 to stay in shape for her modelling career. The classes she took in Miami, New York and Los Angeles became the inspiration for BOOM!.

Hilary said: “BOOM! was born out of a desire to create an indoor cycling gym that offered the expertise, fun and convenience that was evident in some specialised classes in the States but lacking here.”

BOOM! will bring indoor cycling, all day, every day to the capital. Offering busy city workers a convenient and efficient workout.

Each week, an array of classes, individually styled by BOOM!’s team of

trained instructors will guarantee an intensely satisfying cardiovascular workout, burning maximum calories (500-700 in 45minutes) in minimum time. Challenging, effective and fun, these cardio sessions will tone the lower body, blitz fat, strengthen the heart and lungs and decrease

stress.

In keeping with its East End location, BOOM!’s amazing interiors feature exposed brickwork, an industrial feel and street art flourishes courtesy of of Henry B, a leading artist, spray can expert and member of creative agency The Outside Collective. In short the epitome of Shoreditch cool.

Fully air-conditioned, the studio itself will house 39 top-of-the-range Schwinn AC

Sport bikes, each equipped with MPower Sport bike consoles that allow clients to

closely track and record their progress, be it calories burned, resistance or

revolutions per minute.

Street art courtesy of Henry B

BOOM! will offer clients the cost-saving - and flexibility - of pay-per-class rather than

monthly membership. The average cost of a class at BOOM! will be £12.50,

with great discounts given for block and group bookings. This price point will make BOOM! easily affordable as a supplement to or as a replacement for gym membership elsewhere.

New to the craze? It doesn’t take any special skills or ability to enjoy a class at

BOOM!, just a desire to try something different. But to break the ice, the gym offers

two classes per week for "first timers".

Japanese have it down to a tea at So Restaurant

Although we Brits are seen as the quintessential tea drinkers, the Japanese run rings around us. They’ve been drinking tea since the 9th century, suggesting we have much to learn about making a perfect brew!

Happily for us, some legendary masters of tea making have made the journey over to Europe. This week, Soho’s So Restaurant hosted a series of workshops from tea making legends, Ippodo’s Tea Masters.

Ippodo is one of the oldest and most respected tea houses in Japan. Located in the heart of Kyoto, it serves  teas cultivated in the fertile fields that surround the city.

If you missed out on one of the workshops, don’t despair. An exclusive range of Ippodo teas is available  at So Restaurant. You can chose from Matcha, a delicate and mild blend used in Japanese tea ceremonies; Genmaicha, a mix of green tea and roasted rice that has a rich, nutty flavour or Sencha, a crisp and refreshing tea made from ichiban cha.