A ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrated the opening of CycleBar, an indoor cycling franchise, on Thursday evening at the recently developed Waterside shopping center.
Members of the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce recognized CycleBar Waterside as part of the community.
CycleBar Waterside will officially hold its grand opening on Monday. The free introductory classes the company has been offering since Oct. 10 will transition to a pay-as-you-go plan, said the owners of the studio.
Owners Carly Weyand and TK Campbell are a daughter and mother-in-law duo with a partnership that flourishes from their complementary personalities.

“Carly’s very creative, and she was in digital marketing,” said Campbell. “And I am an accountant type…. Besides, she has my grandchildren so that really helps cement things.”
What they do hold in common is a love for cycling and community, which is why they chose to open a CycleBar studio in the first place.
“We want people to feel like they’re welcome, like they’re part of this team, and like this is a place where they can hang out and have brunch on the weekends or happy hour,” said Weyand.
CycleBar’s community environment is built by their nine instructors, whom Weyand and Campbell selected from 40 who auditioned followed by rigorous training.
One of those nine instructors is Glenn Simpson, 35, who lost 150 pounds in three years thanks to cycling.
He began cycling with the purchase of a $250 bike at Walmart and a mile-and-a-half long ride.

“It became a passion,” Simpson said. “It saved my life.”
Now at 180 pounds Simpson said he continues to push himself.
“Now I’m trying to figure out how to do 30 miles,” he said.
Simpson was an unusual choice for Weyand and Campbell because he had no prior training experience. But Weyand said the most important factor in choosing trainers was their personality, which helps bond the community of cyclists.
The community spirit extends beyond the studio to local charities with “CycleGiving” events, in which riders pay $25 for one 50-minute class–and all the proceeds go to local charities such as Goodwill, said Weyand.
“It’s going to be a really easy way for these charities to raise a significant amount of money in only 50 minutes,” Weyand said.
Weyand and Campbell are also seeking out local businesses such as coffee or juice vendors to partner with them and provide their riders with more amenities, Weyand said.
The CycleBar Waterside building is 2,800 square feet. It houses a small break room decorated with a red-and-white color scheme, a cycling studio with 48 Schwinn Carbon Blue bikes and locker rooms with showers.

The name CycleBar derives from combining cycling with upper-body exercises using a 4- or 6-pound bar that riders lift while cycling for a portion of the class, said Weyand.
Weyand describes a typical 50-minute class as a multisensory experience, with three elements tying it all together: “CycleTheater,” “CycleStats” and “CycleBeats.”
“CycleTheatre” describes the studio itself which features two big screen TVs that flash riders’ rankings in the class after every one to two songs.
Weyand said the “CycleStats” keep things competitive.
“The stats flash and people just go nuts when they see that,” Weyand said.
After the class, riders receive an email with their “CycleStats” showing their speed and calories burned. They also receive “CycleBeats,” the playlists instructors create for class.

Other free amenities include water bottles, shoe rentals, hair ties, deodorant and fresh fruit after class.
CycleBar Waterside is offering discounted classes and class packages during its grand opening on Monday, according to its website. CycleBar does not offer memberships, just a pay-as-you-go plan.
The first CycleBar studio originated with entrepreneurs Bill Pryor and his sister Alex Klemmer in their Boston, Massachusetts, neighborhood in 2004, according to the franchise’s website.