Vélo-City Introduces Its Dude-Friendly Indoor Cycling Concept

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• Photos by Melissa Ostrow, courtesy of Velo-City

You don't usually hear about a group of guys opening an indoor cycling studio, but four of them have done so this week in the Back Bay. Joe Pearce, Allen Potts, Thomas Resor and Nick Resor—all friends with varied athletic backgrounds in hockey, football, and even the Marines—are introducing their concept, Vélo-City (pronounced "vay-lo"), in hopes of expanding Boston's cycling-obsessed tribe. Riders must enter through a back alley doorway and down a mural-covered staircase, which boldly sets the tone for a no-nonsense workout.

The studio itself is built with a focus on the instructor rather than a TV screen. 40 Schwinn AC Sport bikes surround a pedestal occupied by one of more than 20 teachers on the schedule, while a custom bass-heavy sound system leads the workout. With green and blue coloring throughout, classes are actually lit with a blacklight—anything white or neon will really pop during class. Vélo differentiates its schedule by keeping each instructor's daily time slot static—should you fall in love with a particular teaching style, rest easy knowing you'll always find the same person at that time in front of class. Plus, the roster sources some of Boston's best experts in not just cycling, but yoga, TRX, and personal training, too.

Classes run at the competitive rate of $24 per session (which always includes a complimentary shoe rental), and because the Vélo team wants to introduce indoor spinning to the unititated, every first time rider can work out for just $10 a class and teachers, active duty military, cops, and firefighters all benefit from a regular discounted rate. The studio also plans to partner with local artists to outfit their basement space, including the aforementioned mural by Nick Z. Book your first ride online.
· Vélo-City [Official Site]