What's Up With The Orange Bikes in Westchase?

If you've noticed brightly painted orange bicycles popping up around Westchase, don't be alarmed.

You're not hallucinating. And no, there isn't some secret orange bike coup d'etat about to take over the neighborhood.

The orange bikes are a colorful marketing strategy for Orange Theory Fitness, a new fitness concept coming to the neighborhood.

The new fitness studio, which specializes in personalized circuit training, is set to open in August. It will be located at 11721 W. Hillsborough Ave. in the Super Target shopping center.

"It's meant to create a buzz about the product," said owner Frank Lugo about the orange bikes around Westchase on a recent day over coffee at Starbucks in West Park Village.

The Westchase Orange Theory Fitness will mark the franchise's fifth location the Tampa Bay area. Other locations areas include South Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Martha Lugo, Frank's wife and co-owner of the gym, began working out at the South Tampa location last year. She liked the intensity and approach of the workout.

Orange Theory Fitness works like this: Each workout session is one hour and is done in a group setting. However, each person's heart rate and caloric burn is tracked and shown on monitors throughout the gym. A personal trainer works the room giving each person attention while maintaining the tempo of the group. Workouts include a mix of circuit training and aerobics.

"You know where you're driving to and so does your instructor," Frank Lugo said about the concept. "It's making personal training affordable."

"You're sharing that cost and getting the same workout as a personal trainer," he said.

The Lugos both have business backgrounds, and always wanted to open their own business and thought Orange Fitness would be a good fit.

"The reward of doing this type of business is not only financial, but it gets us healthier," Frank said.

The Lugos, who live in Countryway, decided to keep their business local.

"We have the advantage of living six minutes from our business," Martha Lugo said.

The gym is currently selling pre-sale memberships at the Hillsborough Avenue location. They plan to open in August. Until then, expect to see those bright orange bikes around town.

For more information about Orange Theory Fitness, visit their website at www.orangetheoryfitness.com or call 813-852-8009.

Have you seen the orange bikes? What did you think about them?