At CRU, putting a different spin on cycling

Singapore

WHEN the Ding siblings - Valerie, Calvin, and Bebe - wanted to open a studio for indoor rhythmic cycling (otherwise known as "spin") back in 2014, they were met with plenty of resistance - including from their own family.

"At the time, not many in the fitness community knew what was spinning because it was so new. It's an indoor cycling class in the dark," said 34-year-old Valerie Ding, the eldest of the trio.

"Our parents, too, preferred that we join the family business (of property investments and commodities), and they thought this idea of ours to go into fitness was just on a whim, or a fad that wouldn't last. But we knew this had so much potential to be successful," she said in an interview with The Business Times.

Fast forward 8 years later, and CRU - the name of the company they founded - is fast making its mark on Singapore's fitness scene. "Cru" is a French word that means growth.

Their first studio along Duxton Road opened in 2014 and offers spin and boxing classes.

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A second branch - a 5,500-square-foot facility at Orchard Road - opened last September and offers yoga and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes, in addition to the popular indoor cycling sessions.

Bebe is one of the instructors, while Calvin is in charge of operations and Valerie oversees marketing and brand development, among other roles.

It was in Los Angeles in the US - the Dings were all born there - where they experienced the Californian lifestyle, with exercise and wellness becoming a big part of their lives growing up.

In their college days in the City of Angels, the siblings would go for all kinds of fitness classes, including high-intensity indoor cycling.

"It was fun and upbeat, we went with our friends and we could hang out with them, exert all these endorphins and feel great thereafter," said Ding.

As CruCycle in Singapore gained a regular following over the years, the siblings expanded the business to include an apparel line, dog treats (the studios are pet-friendly), and a CRU TV app that was launched in 2020 in the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The trio also developed a CRU TV Bike, a sleek spin bike that's equipped with a large touchscreen where a complete menu of different workouts are available at the press of a finger. The screen can also be rotated 180 degrees for users to do floor-based workouts.

In a way, Ding feels the pandemic has given the business a much-needed boost, as people had more time on their hands and started to take greater charge of their physical and mental well-being.

"Cycling, especially, was one of the biggest trends of the pandemic. And at spinning, you also get that adrenaline rush; it's addictive and I think it's a great stress-reliever," she said.

CRU is also one of the key partners of this year's OCBC Cycle, Singapore's largest mass cycling event that begins in May.

Participants who have signed up for the Spin Ride category need to complete 3 spin sessions at CRU over a 4-week period, from May 7 to Jun 6, to receive an event medal. All the slots have already been taken up.

"(OCBC) reached out to us, and we felt that it would be a good partnership. In this 'pandemic boom' of spin studios and indoor cycling, I think it's the best time to have this partnership and grow the awareness of both road and indoor cycling," said Ding.

For more information on OCBC Cycle and the different categories that are still open for registration, visit ocbccycle.com.