It takes a lot for a new fitness class to really blow our minds. When that Chalkboard life involves mini trampolines, beachside yoga, and a Pilates reformer on steroids, we’ve become pretty picky when it comes to new workouts that really wow us. So you can imagine our surprise when we walked out of Equinox’s newest indoor cycling class, The Pursuit, utterly speechless.

Lets’ break it down: The Pursuit by Equinox is an immersive, highly competitive indoor cycling class that combines in-class challenges with real-time data to create a fitness experience that’s kind of like gaming-gone-gym-rat. There are two different class types to choose from, The Pursuit: Burn and The Pursuit: Build. Burn focuses on maximizing performance and optimize how you burn calories, while Build focuses on improving endurance, increasing strength, and improving your ability to work harder for longer – in other words, build your power, strength, and focus strategically.

Each bike console (which displays your pace, power, distance, and calories burned right in front of you) is connected to a digital leaderboard at the front of class, and as your power builds, it shows up for the whole room to see. This means that with each challenge, each class, and each turn of the resistance knob, you know exactly how hard you’re working compared to the rest of the class.

If this sounds too cutthroat Jets-and-Sharks-on-bikes for you, you should know that The Pursuit is specifically crafted to foster community. Coaching is encouraging (to say the least), and instructors cheer you on along with the rest of the class right to the finish line (even if you come in last place on a challenge…not that we know from experience…). Besides solo challenges, there are tons of games you’ll play teamed up with the rider next to you, or even your entire side of the room.

Not only that, but you get a specific number that’s tied to your accomplishments for the day: so if you’re one of those goal-setting types (we are!), you can literally track your progress from class to class, setting and crushing smart goals that are specific to you, not just some general number or rumor you heard on the gym floor about what you should or shouldn’t be accomplishing. Note to selves: it’s about you own progress, not someone else’s version of perfection.

Why are we so head-over-heels-over-pedals for The Pursuit? Well, besides the goal-setting aspect and the fact that you get to revisit your early ’90s obsession with Nintendos and SEGAs, The Pursuit encourages you to focus on how much power you’re generating, not how fast you’re going. With cycling classes still topping fitness trend charts and new studios popping up on every block like coffee shops, sometimes the quality of work that you feel on the inside can get totally lost in the quantitative, external “show” of riding at lightning speed with little resistance (along those lines, read the truth about that “bulky legs” fit myth here). So whether you’re an avid devotee of The Pursuit or only pursue it every so often, you can be honest with yourself about your work and progress no matter what cycling class you take.

Try it!The Pursuit is slowly being rolled out in Equinox Fitness Clubs nationwide. Get in on the action and find the club nearest you by clicking over here!