cycology

CYC Fitness: An unlikely place to party in West Campus with an inspirationalleader

CYC Creative Director Keoni Hudoba.
A class at CYC feels less like work, and more like a party on a bike
cycologists

There's a new place to party in West Campus. No, it's not a skunky smelling frat house or an apartment mega-complex — it's a gym. And no, it's not a meathead muscle gym, it's CYC Fitness, a music-driven high-energy spinning studio that offers an experience deemed "a party on a bike."

CYC studios exist only in Austin and Madison, Wisconson. Interestingly, the founding team is headquartered in New York City, a place that's already steeped with slick urban gyms. Instead of opening there, founding Manhattanites Stephen Nitkin and Kenny Dichter made a bold move to go after active (and large) college markets.

To create the CYC method, Nitkin and Dichter tapped Keoni Hudoba — an award winning personal trainer to the likes of Kim Kardashian — as CYC's creative director to develop an engaging full body workout that would lift spirits as much as it would heart rate.

Hudoba's CYC program incorporates swimming motions, boxing and crunches atop the bike, set to music that you're more likely to hear on a Saturday night out on the town than in your average workout class.

Currently, the team flies a constant route between New York, Austin and Madison, teaching classes, hiring instructors (called "cycologists") and building community awareness. Hudoba has so quickly become a star in Austin that his classes fill up within minutes and devotees have fashioned themselves into true fans, honoring him at events and flooding his social media accounts with thanks.

We asked sat down with the inspiring leader to ask him a few questions regarding the unique workout, his future and his surprising past.

CultureMap: How were you tapped to be the creative director for CYC? How is it different than other spin programs?

Keoni Hudoba: When I was approached by CYC, I was teaching everywhere, traveling with my sponsor Under Armour and constantly creating — my first method being DRENCHED [in New York City]. I was ready for a new challenge and CYC was it.

The CYC method is different from other spin programs because it utilizes weights and combines different muscle groups in each song to give you a head to toe transformation.

Our "cycologists" are entertainers they give you a calorie burning 45 minute state of the art show.

"Not only do our cycologists take you into their world, their show, but they let you be free." - Keoni Hudoba

CM: How does the time spent on CYC balance out with your other projects?

KH: I feel like to be a successful entrepreneur you have to be able to balance many projects at once, which, over the last eight months I've accomplished. Still keeping my relevance in NYC, as well as delivering an unprecedented product, CYC.

CM: Do you have a personal training philosophy or mantra that translates into all of the work that you do?

KH: Given my own personal body transformation in 2003, from 327 pounds to now 180, which you can view on Keoni Kinetics, I live by "nothing is impossible." The word itself says I'm possible!

CM: As an athlete, I've been told while training for various triathlons to keep my upper body still as can be while on the bike. Can you explain the theory behind the upper body movements in CYC? I assume it's safe because the bike is stationary?

KH: That theory is true for triathlons. However, I created the CYC method to be a "party on a bike." The upper body movements are new for many riders and touch those muscle groups that get neglected in the gym setting.

It's all about going out of your comfort zone, being who ever you want to be in the dark studio and taking the 45 minutes to remove yourself from your daily life.

CM: I've been to many different workout classes, but there has been no other workout that left me with such an elevated mood as CYC did. Can you speak a bit to the mental wellness aspect of the program?

KH: I wanted to create an atmosphere that was similar to a club, a theatre, a place where you can clear your mind, be greedy for 45 mins, and to really feel a part of a social community.

Not only do our cycologists take you into their world, their show, but they let you be free. The constant postive affirmations and knowing that you are traveling as a unit for this roadtrip, leave you energized, euphoric and all around a better you.

The endorphins that I experience after a CYC roadtrip are unlike any other. The best healthy addiction.

CM: You quickly amassed a following, will you return to Austin throughout the year?

KH: I love Austin! I will be back as often as my schedule will allow, so keep an eye out. I'm always updating where I am on social media.

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Follow Keoni on Twitter and check CYC's schedule here.

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High Score

Austin named the nation's pickleball capital in industry report

Photo by Henry Selis Photo

Other Racquet Social Club is back after city woes.

It's no secret that Austinites love pickleball. A new study proves just how much by ranking Austin the No. 1 city for pickleball in the whole country. Dallas and Houston also made the top 10 at Nos. 3 and 8, respectively.

The report was published by TeachMe.To, an online marketplace for learning sports (and sometimes music) from private instructors. It used data from its own platform, USA Pickleball, Places2Play, local pickleball associations, and more. It also referred to the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), which named pickleball the fastest-growing sport in America, with a growth rate of 223.5 percent over three years.

Similarly, TeachMe.To ranked Austin as the fastest-growing city for pickleball, and citing this as the main reason for the overall title of "the nation's pickleball capital."

It name-checked the Austin Metro Pickleball Association (AMPA) — with approximately 3,000-3,500 members — and the Austin Pickleball League (APL), estimating that overall, "15,000-20,000 people play pickleball at least occasionally in the greater Austin area." About half of those players — about 8,000-10,000 people — play at least twice a month.

The report did not include gender data on Austin, specifically, but it did note that not only are two-thirds of pickleball players female; women's involvement in the sport is also growing 50 percent faster than men's.

New courts everywhere
This probably isn't a surprise to people who have noticed the number of courts opened around Austin in recent years. By 2024, TeachMe.To's data shows 32 dedicated courts in Austin, and thanks to with a utility rate of 92 percent it doesn't look like that'll be slowing down.

In the summer of 2023, the online booking platform Swimply noticed how many pickleball courts there were in Austin compared to such great demand, and added courts to its service. In fall 2023 and summer 2024, at least two important developments expanded that availability: Other Racquet Social Club opened as a friendly, country club-like neighborhood option, and national chain The Picklr announced it's bringing five locations to Austin and Round Rock.

Perhaps because Austin is such a food-obsessed city, there seems to be some growing opportunity for food and beverage hospitality around pickleball, too. Other Racquet recently started hosting the Bill's Dips food truck, a spinoff of the popular downtown restaurant Bill's Oyster; and a pair of bars with pickleball courts, Drifters Social Coffee & Cocktails and The Pickle Pub, also opened in South Austin this year, with strong online ratings already.

The trend has even reached into real estate (see this cute house with its own pickleball court) and inspired athletes to introduce similar sports to the local market, as in the case of the padel club Paddle39. TeachMe.To's report also mentioned tech companies adding pickleball to their campuses.

Aside from growth, the study also considered lesson activity (including information about teacher availability and diversity of clinic offerings), infrastructure, community vitality, the tournament scene.

Austin had the highest concentration of all the cities of players under 40 (65 percent), as well as the highest share of national lesson bookings. At 16.90 percent, that means about one in six of the pickleball lessons contracted through this platform were in Austin. Lesson demand, the report says, is growing 125 percent year-over-year.

Elsewhere in Texas
Dallas was No. 3 thanks in part to its "central location" according to the report.

"The city's 45 dedicated courts and 85 [percent] public accessibility rate have fostered one of the most active competitive scenes in the country, with 8,500 registered league players," it says. "The combination of strong tournament presence, extensive infrastructure, and a 112% growth in lesson bookings solidifies Dallas as a powerhouse in the national pickleball landscape."

Houston made No. 8 with an emphasis on integrating pickleball with other sports.

"The city's 22 dedicated courts have seen a 92% increase in lesson bookings, driven by innovative programming that includes the nation's first corporate league system," it says. "Houston's success in integrating pickleball into existing sports infrastructure while maintaining 72% year-round utilization demonstrates a sustainable model for rapid growth."

Overall predictions
After laying out data about the top cities in pickleball, the report made some predictions. As the Austin newcomer mentioned above believes, the report also thinks padel is the next big thing. It also guesses more cities will act like Houston by focusing on hybrid facilities.

It also expects to see an expanded professional circuit and mainstream coverage, more technology used on the court, a rise in the prevalence of young players, and more opportunities in corporate wellness and real estate. "Dedicated pickleball facilities will become as common as swimming pools in luxury developments," it says. Texans will be the judge of that one.

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