Spinning on the Square

Since the 2006 opening of its first location on Manhattan's Upper West Side, SoulCycle has gained an impressive following obsessed with its high-intensity, full-body bike workout. Cofounders Elizabeth Butler and Julie Rice have built their company at an equally energetic rate over the past five years with two more NYC openings, outposts in Bridgehampton and Scarsdale and a pop-up location at the Mondrian hotel in Miami. SoulCycle's seventh location—a two-story, 60-bike studio with full-service locker rooms and a sleek in-house boutique carrying private labels and SoulCycle's own clothing line—opened in Union Square in early February. Its signature 45-minute candlelit SoulCycle workout, which combines spinning, hand weights and a mentally challenging course, and the much-raved-about Bands class, a 60-minute ride that tones the upper body and the core using resistance bands suspended from the ceiling, are both on offer. At 12 E. 18th St.; 212-208-1300; soul-cycle.com.

Photo courtesy SoulCycle

MUST-HAVE iPAD SPEAKERS

Speakers made expressly for iPad docking are starting to roll out, and so far the best is the new iD9 portable system from iHome. Running on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, it also serves as a stand and a charger, and its SRS TruBass circuitry (providing extra bass) and Reson8 high-end drivers deliver a full, non-tinny sound. The iD9 also works in tandem with iHome+Sleep (a free app that functions as a clock radio and a weather report) and iHome+Radio, which gives the user access to 10,000 Internet radio stations. Apple devotees can use it with their iPhones and iPods as well. At $100, it's an inexpensive yet sleek little package. ihomeaudio.com.

Photo Courtesy iHome

INOA AMMONIA-FREE HAIR COLOR

As women who regularly color their hair know all too well, beauty is pain. The hours-long process often leaves the scalp red and burnt. And then of course there are the potent chemical fumes the dye releases. L'Oréal Professionnel has changed all that with INOA, an odorless, ammonia-free solution that actually moisturizes and thickens hair. The secret behind INOA (Innovation, No Ammonia) is its Oil Delivery System, a new technology that uses an alkaline called monoethanolamine to impart the color, eliminating the ammonia—and, as a result, the noxious smell—from the mix. "With INOA, you have to do an extra shampoo because the oil is so rich. It's like giving your hair an olive-oil treatment," says Kathleen Flynn Hui, senior colorist at Manhattan's Salon AKS, which was the first U.S. salon to introduce the product. (When INOA launched in Paris last year, it was so popular that the company didn't have enough inventory to send to the States.) Until recently, salons may not have believed an ammonia-free product could provide the desired coverage. But the response in Europe has proven otherwise, and the trend is growing stateside. "I do eighteen clients a day, all with INOA," says Hui. "You should treat your hair like you do your face. You have to protect it." From $110 at Salon AKS. At 689 Fifth Ave.; 212-888-0707; salonaks.com. For other salons with INOA, go to inoa-us.com.

Photo Courtesy L'Oreal Professionnel

SPACE-AGE SPACE BARS

Despite their sleek lines and modern looks, most computers lack character: They all look more or less the same. Not those designed by Southern California-based technical artist Richard "Doc" Nagy, who builds custom monitors, laptops and accessories from materials like brass, marble, copper and wood. The two latest additions to his four-year-old line are both keyboards: The Silver Marquis, made from polished aluminum with chaise-longue curves and engraved silver acrylic keys, and the New Yorker, a brass-and-aluminum style inspired by the Art Deco look of the Chrysler building, with the owner's initials engraved on the space bar. Available for Macs or PCs, both models are made to order and take two to four weeks to construct. Nagy's next project, due out in May, is the Clacker, a full setup complete with keyboard, LCD screen, speakers, table and matching chair, all done in high Victorian style. Other quirky-cool gadgets available now include a Scrabble keyboard made from real game tiles. Silver Marquis, from $1,500; New Yorker, from $2,800. For more information, email datamancer@datamancer.net.

Photo Richard Nagy of Datamancer.net

AUDI HARDWOOD BICYCLES

Audi of America has teamed up with Renovo Hardwood Bicycles to introduce a manpowered, two-wheeled version of its Quattro: a bicycle they've dubbed the duo. Introduced on April 2 and handmade in Renovo's Portland, Oregon studio, it features a monocoque frame made of hardwood, noted for its ability to absorb shock while remaining both durable and lightweight (the weight per cubic inch of wood is about one-fourth that of aluminum). The duo takes its design cues from Audi, with woods that match, for example, the cars' interiors and the use of LED lights. The three models come in two colors: espresso brown and serrando red. First, there's the City ($6,530), an 8-speed leisure bike with an upright position and a rack over the rear tire. The 11-speed Sport model ($7,350) is better for fitness and long-distance riding with its drop handlebars, grease-free Gates CenterTrack belt drive, and medium-width tires, which make for less rolling resistance. For the century club rider or racer, there is the duo Road ($7,460) with narrow tires, no fenders and a compact 20-speed gear train. On top of all this sleek design and sophisticated technology, the duo is also biodegradable and one hundred percent recyclable. To order, visit audi-collection.com/duo.

Photo Audi of America

Zico Introduces…Chocolate!

Where once the options for post-workout beverages were limited to water (boring), juice (sugary) or Gatorade (neon), now the thirsty have coconut water, which has taken over as the healthiest way to hydrate. Packed with potassium and rich in electrolytes, coconut water has found fans among competitive and recreational athletes alike, even taking hold among non-athletes as a nutritious, all-natural alternative to soda.

Of the many brands available, the Departures staff has long favored Zico for its modish design and clean, not-too-sweet taste. So we were excited to learn of the company's recent new version, chocolate. Its previous attempts at flavoring—mango, passion fruit, lima citron, pineapple, pomberry—have been appealing but expected variations on a theme. Chocolate coconut water, however, promises to be something altogether different, introducing a hint of indulgence into a product that has until now represented a certain degree of asceticism. Comfortingly, the ingredients remain all-natural: water harvested from green coconuts, a touch of coconut cream, cocoa and cane sugar.

The verdict? Delicious and still light, thought perhaps better as a reward for completing that spinning class than the drink to keep by your side throughout. For a special treat, try popping it in the freezer for a few minutes beforehand. You’ll never crave chocolate milk again. Zico is available at most major grocery stores and online at zico.com.

Whims: Spring Cycling on a Giant Defy Advanced 0

Certain professional racing pursuits like, say, Formula 1 racing don’t transfer well to everyday life. It’s unfortunately rather difficult to buy a supercharged racer and drive it down Park Avenue or out to the Hamptons (that is, unless you pony up $2.1 million for the completely street-legal Bugatti Veyron. Cycling is one exception: It’s relatively easy to purchase and customize a Tour de France-ready bike and take it around the neighborhood, pretending to be Lance Armstrong for the afternoon. Giant’s top-of-the-line road bike, the Defy Advanced 0 comes with all the latest “supercycle” accouterments, including a 10-speed Shimano Dura-Ace component group for the smoothest shifting imaginable. But most importantly, it has a wheelset made of lightweight carbon fiber. For avid cyclists, the quality of a bike is measured in grams: the lighter the bike, the faster and easier the ride. Especially on long-haul journeys—trips over 50 miles—those grams can make all the difference. $5,850; giant-bicycles.com

Whims: TwinLuxe - The Ultimate in Men's Skincare

Developed by identical twins and former Wall Streeters Anthony and Hubert Tsai, the TwinLuxe shaving collection aims, as the pair says, to “bring the barbershop experience into the 21st century.” The sleek razors and brushes were created by Marek Djordjevic, the exterior designer of the Rolls-Royce Phantom, and the product line, made from ingredients like pearl powder, white tea leaf extract and hydrolyzed rice protein, includes all of the necessities: a shaving cream, an exfoliating scrub and a series of cleansers and soothers, all paraben free. Products from $25; shaving kits from $790; twinluxe.com.

Online: FITiST Goes Live

A good fitness routine—especially one that has a streamlined schedule and is suited to one's own health goals—is hard to come by. Luckily for New Yorkers, FITiST has just launched online. First, guests choose from ten unique wellness programs ranging from one to three months in duration and addressing a specific goal. There are marathon and triathlon training plans, as well as weight loss, yoga and pre- and post-natal programs; there's even a rookie course for those who've had an extended absence from the gym. Then FITiST tailors an exercise regimen and gives clients access to an extensive online booking system, where trainees can make reservations for spinning, yoga, Pilates, boxing and boot camp classes in some of New York's most exclusive gyms. The website also offers add-ons like personal training sessions, nutrition counseling, acupuncture, sports massage therapy and post-workout beauty appointments. Membership is by invitation only, but Departures readers can click here to access the site. Wellness plans, from $150; fitist.com.

Photo Courtesy FITiST

France: LVMH's "Journées Particulières"

The luxury conglomerate LVMH, which includes fashion houses Christian Dior Couture, Louis Vuitton, Givenchy Couture and Emilio Pucci and lifestyle brands such as Guerlain, Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, just announced that on October 15 and 16 it will allow guests to enter 25 of its traditionally off-limits ateliers in Europe. (Most are in and around Paris, but there are also locations in Spain, Italy and the UK.) The two-day event, called "Les Journées Particulières," will grant visitors access to workshops, vineyards, private mansions, family homes and boutiques and will show glimpses of the extraordinary craftsmanship behind making a Dior gown, a Pucci scarf or a bottle of Krug. It's also an ode to architecture and history: The jewelry and watchmaker Chaumet will open its Grand Salon on Place Vendôme, whose 18^th–century, Neoclassical interior was designed by François-Joseph Bélanger and where the company's archive of sketches and ornaments will be on display. Most events will be open to the public, but some require advance reservations. lesjourneesparticulieres.com.

Photo Courtesy LVMH