TL;DR
Get workout gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
The documentary ‘Spin Wars’ will be released on Amazon and Apple TV on Dec. 22, bringing renewed attention to SoulCycle co-founder Ruth Zukerman’s account of being pushed out of the company. The film also covers the growth of indoor cycling and features Peloton co-founder Marion Roaman; accounts of Zukerman’s departure remain her account, not a publicly resolved dispute.
‘Spin Wars,’ a documentary about the rise of SoulCycle, Flywheel and Peloton, is scheduled to arrive on Amazon and Apple TV on Dec. 22, bringing renewed attention to SoulCycle co-founder Ruth Zukerman’s account of being removed as a partner. Greenwich Entertainment acquired North American rights to the film, which also features Peloton co-founder Marion Roaman and is directed by Philip Byron.
The film revisits the early growth of indoor cycling and the conflict at SoulCycle through Zukerman’s account. She says in the documentary that fellow co-founders Elizabeth Cutler and Julie Rice told her in a meeting that she was no longer a partner. Zukerman has also said she signed an agreement after leaving, but described its wording as “a bit loose,” according to reporting by Page Six.
At a Hamptons International Film Festival screening, Zukerman discussed why she decided to speak publicly. “I’m 68. I literally had a thought at one point two years ago … ‘Why am I not talking about this?’” she said, according to Page Six. She also called telling the story “very cathartic.” Those remarks explain her decision to revisit the split; they do not independently establish the terms or circumstances of her departure.
‘Spin Wars’ premiered at the Tribeca Festival in June and later screened in the Hamptons. Greenwich Entertainment describes it as a “high-energy documentary” about indoor cycling’s rise and the “dark side” of its culture. SoulCycle, now owned by Equinox, did not immediately respond to a request for comment cited in the original report.
A Founder Dispute Returns to View
The release gives a wider audience access to Zukerman’s version of an early dispute at a fitness brand whose identity was closely tied to its founders. Her account raises questions about how the original partnership was structured and what was agreed when she left. The documentary’s release may renew interest in those questions, but it is not itself a finding about who was right or what the parties’ legal arrangements required.
The story also lands as SoulCycle faces changes to its business. The company’s website lists 52 U.S. studios and one in London, while the brand has reported studio closures and leadership change. The film therefore revisits a formative chapter as the company’s current footprint and direction are also in focus.
Spin Wars documentary DVD or digital movie
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Partnership to Public Account
Zukerman has spoken about her exit before. In her 2018 memoir, Riding High: How I Kissed SoulCycle Goodbye, Co-Founded Flywheel, and Built the Life I Always Wanted, she wrote about leaving the company. In a 2023 essay for HCM, she said the three founders never signed a partnership agreement despite her repeated requests. She wrote that Cutler and Rice later decided they no longer needed her as a partner, but suggested she remain as an instructor. These are Zukerman’s descriptions of events.
She also discussed the split in a March episode of The JWE’s Inspired to Lead podcast, titled “The Real Story Behind SoulCycle: Ruth Zukerman & the $90 Million Lesson.” The documentary appears to add another, more detailed public account. Cutler and Rice left SoulCycle in 2016 and later launched Peoplehood; WeightWatchers acquired that business and named Rice its first chief experience officer.
SoulCycle’s broader business history provides additional context. Front Office Sports reported that the company lost $350 million in 2020 amid pandemic shutdowns, and that it closed nearly 25% of its locations in 2022. CEO Evelyn Webster announced in June that she would leave after nearly six years to lead Audiochuck. SoulCycle has not publicly named a new CEO, according to the source report.
““It’s been very cathartic, obviously, to finally tell the story.””
— Ruth Zukerman, speaking at the Hamptons screening, according to Page Six
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The Partnership Terms Remain Unsettled
The original report does not include a response from Cutler or Rice about Zukerman’s account, and SoulCycle did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The details of the agreement Zukerman says she signed after leaving are not provided, including its full wording or how the parties interpreted it. The available material does not establish whether a formal partnership agreement existed beyond Zukerman’s statement that the founders never signed one.
It is also unclear how much of the film is devoted to the founders’ dispute compared with the wider history of SoulCycle, Flywheel and Peloton. The announced release date and platforms are reported, but the source material does not provide further distribution details or confirm whether the film will receive other releases.
indoor cycling shoes for spin class
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
The December Release and Response
‘Spin Wars’ is scheduled to be released on Amazon and Apple TV on Dec. 22. Viewers will be able to see how the documentary presents Zukerman’s account alongside its broader story of indoor cycling. The source material does not say whether Cutler, Rice or SoulCycle will respond before the release, or whether they appear in the film.
Further details about the documentary’s availability and any public responses from the people involved may clarify how the story is received. SoulCycle’s leadership situation is also unresolved in the cited reporting: Webster announced her departure, but the company had not publicly named a successor.
home exercise bike for indoor cycling
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
When will ‘Spin Wars’ be released?
The documentary is scheduled to arrive on Amazon and Apple TV on Dec. 22.
What is ‘Spin Wars’ about?
The film covers the rise of SoulCycle, Flywheel and Peloton, including SoulCycle co-founder Ruth Zukerman’s account of leaving the company.
What has Zukerman said about leaving SoulCycle?
Zukerman has said Cutler and Rice told her she was no longer a partner. She has also written that the founders never signed a partnership agreement despite her requests. Those statements are her account; the source material does not provide a response from Cutler or Rice.
Has Zukerman discussed the split before the documentary?
Yes. She wrote about leaving in her 2018 memoir, published a related essay in 2023 and discussed the subject on a podcast in March.
Has SoulCycle commented on the documentary or Zukerman’s account?
The original report said SoulCycle did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The available material does not include a response from Cutler or Rice.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
