Celebrating Community: Starcycle’s Approach to Fitness

Forget what you think you know about spin and group fitness classes. StarCycle, located in the heart of Denver, is taking a new approach to spin; making it fun, dynamic, and most importantly, welcoming.

“Everybody, Every Body” is spin studio StarCycle’s motto. No matter what you may think, feel or look like, there is a space for you in this studio. 

When you enter the space, you first see a children’s play area known as StarKids – a space where parents can sign up for quality childcare while they work out. “It removes any barriers they (parents) have to actually getting to work out, and some parents really need this,” Owner Traci Byrne said.

There are single parents who use the service and can feel at ease knowing that they can get a workout in without the anxiety of having to figure out childcare. Other parents use this as bonding time, checking in to workout and sharing something that prioritizes them, their relationship and health.

As you venture in, you are always greeted by smiling staff and enthusiastic members. Morning or evening, the StarCycle team is always welcoming, and they do their best to engage newcomers and make it a point to remember their names. Community is the emphasis at StarCycle, which sets them apart from other spaces.

We asked Byrne why? While obvious, why does community and creating a safe space matter? “Because everybody deserves it,” she said with gleaming sincerity behind every word.

To Byrne, working out for some people is not even a consideration because of everything going on in their lives or barriers to getting into spaces, so they wanted StarCycle to be the place that gets people in the door while providing safety and community. The team offers free LGBTQ + rides on the first Monday of every month and is offering a ride known as Juntos on the first Saturday of the month to bring in the Latinx community. “More and more, we have seen these rides grow, for us, it is about getting people in the door, that’s monumental for some,” said Byrne.

When you’ve gotten your shoes from the front desk or have brought your own, you head into the actual studio space, where you’re greeted by 30 bikes, a podium and two candles. Surprised?  Right, the rides are in the dark, only illuminated by the candles and at times, the room is pitch black.

“Remember,” StarCycle instructor Lauren said, “this is your ride.” We found this to be the beauty of StarCycle and another differentiator to other studios. Along with the fact that there are no screens in the room and no monitors to wear, just the rider and their bike.

“I found myself focusing on that,” Byrne continued, telling us how when she would go into these spaces with monitors, the workout would “become about working the monitor, it can be an obsession, it becomes a competition with the people around you.” This is not what StarCycle is built upon, but instead it is about “staying with the beat (of the music) and just feeling good about moving your body.”

The StarCycle team is made up of six instructors and will grow into eight in the coming months. Each instructor brings their own charm and, most importantly, their own music.

“Music is a universal thing for people,” Byrne added. However, rather than making it a competition of who has the best tunes, the instructors are constantly comparing and sharing with each other what they saw worked best with their riders. This collaboration makes it so that regardless of which class people decide to go to, they are always going to have fun and get a little bit of everything 80s, country, hip-hop, reggaeton, house, etc. The vibes are certified to be there. 

The classes are always “energizing but inspiring,” said Byrnes in describing the spin experience. StarCycle aims to leave riders feeling positive and confident.

Follow StarCycle on Instagram and book your first class for free at starcycleride.com/studios/denver/.

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