POOLBIKING ULTRA: how to turn your pool into a meeting place for cyclists

In many clubs, the indoor cycling studio and the swimming pool operate as two separate worlds. Members book their bikes, train with their group and leave without considering what they might discover in the water. For the club, that separation creates an opportunity: to connect spaces, activities and people who are already part of its community.

POOLBIKING ULTRA, designed for cyclists and advanced athletes, can be the starting point. But introducing the equipment is only part of the decision. The other part is giving it a clear place in the programme and members a concrete reason to try it.

Start with a community, not just another class

Before adding a new time slot, listen to the people who might fill it. Does your club have a cycling group? Does it organise weekend rides? Are any members involved in triathlons? Are there indoor cycling instructors interested in working in the pool too?

These conversations help you design an activity that makes sense to its audience. Inviting a group to discover aquabiking for the first time is different from introducing an additional activity to regular cyclists.

The starting point can be simple: an introductory POOLBIKING ULTRA session for a small group, with advance booking and guidance from the coaching team. There is no need to promise extraordinary results. What matters is explaining what participants will do, who will guide them and how the activity fits into the club.

The first experience begins before anyone enters the water

Someone can feel confident on a bike and still have questions about using an aquatic bike. That is why the introduction deserves as much care as the session itself.

The booking confirmation should explain what to bring, where to meet and how the activity will run. At the pool, staff should explain how to enter, check the equipment installation and help with adjustments in line with the manufacturer’s instructions.

For members, these details make the difference between encountering a new machine and feeling supported in an experience prepared for them.

Connect the cycling instructor with the pool team

An ULTRA programme can benefit from collaboration between both teams. The cycling instructor knows the participants and how they train; the aquatics staff bring experience of the pool environment and how it operates.

Coordinating communication, bookings and the welcome process means members do not have to figure out the transition between activities on their own. It also helps reception staff explain the programme clearly, without reducing it to “a bike in the water”.

The aim is for POOLBIKING ULTRA to become part of the club’s sporting identity, not an isolated piece of equipment that few people know how to use.

Test the format before expanding the programme

A pilot programme lets you learn before committing more time slots or resources. For example, the club could run a four-week organisational trial, with limited places and a consistent schedule. This is not a prescribed training plan: qualified staff are responsible for the content of the sessions.

During that period, it is worth observing practical issues: whether the timing makes attendance easy, whether there is enough time to prepare the equipment and whether the activity works well alongside other uses of the pool.

At the end of each session, one short question can be more useful than a long survey: “What would you need to come back next week?” The answer may reveal a scheduling problem, something that still needs explaining or an opportunity to improve the experience.

Measure the interest that turns into participation

A fully booked introductory session is a good start, but it does not in itself show that the programme will last. To evaluate the pilot, record:

• Actual attendance: how many bookings turn into participation.
• Repeat participation: how many people return for another session.
• Pool use: whether members who did not previously use the pool take part.
• Resources required: staff time, preparation and equipment management.
• Ongoing interest: how many participants want to join a regular session.

These figures help you decide whether to keep, change or expand the format. Profitability will depend on each club’s costs, prices and demand; it should not be taken for granted simply because the equipment has been introduced.

One bike, a new connection within the club

The value of POOLBIKING ULTRA does not have to be communicated solely through its technical features. It can also lie in the experience the club builds around it: an instructor who offers guidance, a group that meets regularly and a pool that becomes part of new users’ routines.

If you want to introduce ULTRA at your facility, start with this question: which community do you want to invite into the water, and what experience can you offer them?

Talk to the POOLBIKING team about ULTRA and explore a programme suited to your pool, your members and your club’s schedule.