SoulCycle, Peloton and Studio Three are the most popular indoor cycling studios across the country. Each ride and class appeals to a slightly different audience, yet they all have two things in common: Each workout takes place (mostly) on an indoor bike, and each of those bikes was designed by one man, Eric Villency. The self-described active individual was approached about eight years ago to design SoulCycle’s first proprietary bike, and since then has also created Peloton’s and most recently, Studio Three’s. The little details we’ve come to expect from an indoor cycling bike all started with one man.
“I’ve always been really into wellness and fitness, but focused primarily on the interior and prop design,” Villency says. “SoulCycle was a tenant in the boutique mall I built, and that was the entry into it. They were interested in product development and asked if I knew anyone. I said, ‘Well actually, we can do it.’ And that was the genesis of how that worked.” Once Villency had the in with SoulCycle, the brand trusted him. He was also a user at the time, so he understood what the brand was looking to design. After the SoulCycle design completed, word spread and more fitness studios wanted to work with Villency and his team on other ideas they had — including Peloton.
When Villency first started with Peloton, the brand was focused primarily on the tech side of things, and brought him in to focus on the hardware. “They didn’t even have a logo yet,” he recalls. “Our design team brings our own experience [to the table], we’re huge fans of fitness and live it,” Villency explains, which is why it was easy enough for the brand to produce another bike in an entirely different fashion than the first.
When you look at both the Peloton and SoulCycle bikes, you’re looking at two very different designs. “They’re all different, and we never want to repeat ourselves, which is the fun part of each project,” Villency says. But it goes beyond just the skin of the exterior. Especially with bikes, there are different handlebars, seats and sweat guards. “If you look at the SoulCycle bike that was originally out there, it was a great bike at the time, but it has manual resistance with brake pads, and now everyone does magnetic resistance. It was also the first bike to put the weights behind the seat and use an outdoor seat on an indoor bike.”
And as you might guess, both brands have expanded tremendously, taking their proprietary bikes and thrusting them into the spotlight. “We were always getting calls. ‘Hey, can I buy a Peloton or SoulCycle bike?’ [our answer was] ‘Well, no,’” Villency explains. “We make them for the brands.” Eventually, after all the phone calls, the team decided it was time to make a Villency-designed bike, sold by VDG. “We’d love to make a bike that is our design, and also can be customizable for brands.” Think of all the smaller studios that are happy with just one to two locations, but don’t want to have to deal with a stock bike for eternity.
