FIRST RIDE: SPOKE Cycle & Strength – Grand Rapids, MI

What did you do for SPRING BREAK ’25?

I (finally) checked out SPOKE Cycle & Strength, one of the top studios in town since May 2021!

I was able to grab bike #21 for a Wednesday 6:15pm Cycle 45 ride with Rachel (pictured below – right, center row)! Prior to joining the other rock star instructors at TEAM SPOKE, Rachel helped open the CycleBar studio in SE Grand Rapids / Cascade back in 2022.

Spring Break week is a bit slower than usual, but the 30-bike studio was more than 75% booked. Simply put…GREAT CLASS! Rachel offers so much, including rarely seen off-bike coaching, fun and motivational tunes, and a good kick-in-the-ass ride profile. CYCLE 45 is a 45-minute beat-based, full-body experience from warm-up to cool-down. The studio provides hand weights for an arms track. What’s missing is technology and performance metrics…no monitors on the bikes that provide details like RPMs, gear/resistance, or power/WATTS data. No large flat screen monitors are mounted on the walls either. No worries though, my own Apple Watch confirmed it was a BURNER!

SPOKE has much to offer in and outside of THE HOUSE (aka the cycle studio). I didn’t see the upstairs space, THE LEVEL, which is dedicated to group strength training and yoga. Back on the main floor…you’ll find a two full bathrooms with showers, one half bath, lockers, ample changing space to socialize before and after class, a merchandise wall…and the welcome / reception desk at the front door.

From talking with a few members of this SPOKE community, and following on social media there’s a great social vibe inside this space. I heard about “my fitness family” from one person after Rachel’s class.

Great work by Stacey Maas, owner/instructor (“Speaker of the House”) and the entire team at SPOKE…thanks for an awesome visit and First Ride!