First time visitors to GrooveRyde, a fitness studio in Woodmere Village, enter the central room to find a young and energetic vibe.

To the left is a wall covered with colorful apparel; to the right is a chalkboard wall illustrated with notes, quotes and info; straight ahead is the front desk, designed to look like a boombox.

This setting reflects the lively community created by the GrooveRyde staff.

The GrooveRyde facility brings together three different fitness options including Eastside Row: Row + Yoga, Pure Mvmnt, or my personal favorite, Groove Indoor Cycling, so there is always something new to try. This type of fitness studio is unique on the east side of Cleveland, and is definitely more fun and worthwhile than a normal gym.

For the past four years, I have gone to a typical gym on a fairly regular basis. While using the elliptical, running on the treadmill and doing crunches, I would constantly get bored and feel as though I didn’t use my time to the fullest.

At GrooveRyde, not only do I push myself to the limit in every class, but I also feel like I am part of something larger. The team of instructors all live by GrooveRyde’s core values, posted on their web site, including community, mindfulness, non-judgement, integrity and growth, and they motivate everyone around them to do the same.

GrooveRyde’s atmosphere is unlike anything that could be found at a chain gym like Lifetime or 24 Hour Fitness. The instructors and managers know everyone, and visitors become a part of that community from the moment they walk through the doors.

The signature class is Groove Cycle, an hour of spinning to the beat of the upbeat music. The time flies as I pedal to fun songs and remixes. Riding to the beat is what makes GrooveRyde unique and fun; I not only push myself to stay with the beat, but I am also motivated knowing that everyone in the “pack” is riding along with me. The instructors are there to support and empower riders of all levels and to radiate the class with a positive energy.

There are no mirrors in the room, so instead of worrying about physical appearance, riders face a wall with inspiring quotes such as “Nobody said it was easy.”

Additionally, the classes are structured with the purpose of helping individuals better themselves. During the cycling classes, the room is dimly lit and the instructor is illuminated on a raised platform.

This atmosphere gives riders the chance to truly focus on themselves without distractions.

The second to last song of every class is always played with the lights off and the participants have one full song to themselves without the instructor telling them what to do.

The staff at GrooveRyde make it very clear that every class is “your own,” and it is important to push yourself and try everything but also know your limits.

This unique vibe didn’t just develop randomly; it was all in the vision of co-founders Zosimo and Anjua Maximo. According to Zosimo, the process of picking instructors was centered around character.

“More than half of our cycle teachers had never taught cycling before,” he said. “We knew that we could teach them the technique of being an instructor, but you can’t necessarily teach someone to be a good person.”

This is one of the main reasons why GrooveRyde is such a special place; rather than simply picking instructors based on their popularity and following, the co-founders searched for the people who they knew would best represent the core values and become a family.

In the future, GrooveRyde is planning on focusing on the life coaching aspect of their brand; the experience involves more than just the physical benefits of exercise.

“We want to take you to the mountains,” Zosimo said. “People come off the bikes and say ‘wow, that was such a high’. We want to really create that high, and you can’t if you’re only focusing on the physical part of it.”

After living in New York City and Los Angeles, Zosimo believes Cleveland is the best place for startups to happen. He believes that the unique ideas get swallowed up in the big cities, and the opportunities those ideas have in Cleveland are what give the city flavor.
“Would you rather say that you have a GrooveRyde and a cool coffee shop in your neighborhood, or say you live next to a Starbucks and 24 Hour Fitness?” Zosimo asked. “People need to support local.”