Cycle 360: The Ultimate Cycling Solution on the Isle of Man

Opened on the Isle of Man in October 2018 and inspired by London and New York cycling cafe culture, this hidden gem has it all: fitness facility, bikeshop, and cafe, all in one purpose-built sleek and stylish building. It’s the one-stop shop for any cycling, fitness, or food enthusiast visiting or living on the Isle of Man. The brainchild of Mark Horsthuis and Sacha Quine, Cycle 360’s customers can browse a range of bikes, clothing and cycle equipment in the bikeshop, join a fitness class on a fleet of Wattbike smart bikes, do their own thing in the state of the art gym, and relax with a coffee in the Cycle 360 cafe.

Mark Horsthuis, Managing Director of Cycle 360 comments:“the original idea was that we wanted to create a holistic offering not just for cyclists, but to create a fitness and wellness hub on the Isle of Man. There isn’t a site here that matches our scale which has a fitness facility, bikeshop and a cafe all under one roof. After doing a lot of research throughout Europe and America, it became clear that a space like this was needed so we decided to fully commit and just go for it.”

The uniqueness of the premises allows Cycle 360 to truly be a cycling hub on the Isle of Man. Located on the outskirts of Douglas with direct access to the countryside as well as catering for the local business park, the site offers lots of parking to allow local residents and businesses to use Cycle 360 as the prime spot to have meetings, take part in fitness classes, eat locally sourced food and drink perfected coffee.

Sacha Quine, Co-Director of Cycle 360 and Fitness Club Manager adds:“the unique premises allows anyone to rock up on their way home from work, or at any time during the day, and they can park their car or their bike safely. For our fitness facility, and for our cafe and bikeshop, the location is perfectly convenient, so we invested a huge amount of time and money to make sure it was perfect for the 360 holistic offering.”

The decision to go with Wattbike as the group cycling option came after a lot of research. Sacha and Mark visited a lot of different fitness facilities in the UK, Europe, and America, and found that Wattbike was a popular choice for other health and fitness hubs across the world.

Sacha comments:“knowing how popular Wattbike was around the UK, we knew it was something we definitely wanted to explore and bring to the Isle of Man. Not only is it one of the best tools for cyclists and athletes such as footballers, rugby players and netballers, but the Wattbike is also genuinely one of the best cardiovascular workouts for those keen to keep fit and healthy. The Wattbike concept has not really been done here before, and that’s what we were striving for from day one; we wanted to be different. We ultimately decided to go for Wattbike because it is different, and it is the best tool for indoor cycling.”

Wattbike delivered 22 bikes to Cycle 360 in 2018 and also supported the staff with Wattbike education via the Wattbike Master Trainer network. This made sure each Cycle 360 instructor was confident with the products and their numerous types of applications. Since launching this innovative concept, the feedback Mark and Sacha have received has been: “overwhelming. Everyone is absolutely loving the Wattbikes! People like that they can see their pedal stroke, PES score, leg balance, and that they can improve on their power in each class whilst having the app to do their own workouts in their spare time.”

A customer of Cycle 360 adds:“The best thing about the Wattbike classes at Cycle 360 is that they are different every time and each instructor has their own individual style of coaching. You can also push yourself as hard you want to, so if you aren’t a cyclist, it doesn’t matter as you’re breaking a sweat and getting your heart rate up!”.

Cycle 360have also taken advantage of the secondary spend options which Wattbikes provide, by allowing local cycling clubs to come in and use the bikes for fitness conditioning during off-peak hours. They are also planning to invite local rugby and netball clubs to use the facility, with the main aim of supporting local sports groups and the Isle of Mann fitness industry. In addition, Cycle 360 have taken part in well-being Wednesdays for a number of local businesses nearby, inviting them for classes to improve mental well-being and productivity in the workplace.

Cycle 360 are currently offering up to 3 Wattbike classes per day for fitness enthusiasts, cyclists, and anyone else keen to take on the Wattbike challenge. For more information check out theCycle 360 website, and to book the facility please contactfitness@cycle360.com.