Welcome to Pennsylvania, home of MultiSport Fitness and RealRyder® super-cyclists! Owners Matt and Jennifer Fleischer just celebrated the one-year anniversary of their Mt. Bethel location (their second location in Bethlehem is edging up on its one-year mark). We recently spoke with Jennifer about her experiences as an owner, as an instructor and as a Ryder. The indoor cycling business is jammin’ but there is one more aspect that is incredibly important to the MultiSport Fitness owners: the community that is being built among her instructors and customers. In December of 2010, Jennifer asked her instructors to take a moment and record the successes and goals people were meeting using RealRyder bikes. The results of weight loss – 20, 30, 60 and even 80 pounds – flooded in, as well as accounts of increased energy and decreased stress. Success? We think so!

Spring and summer brought a new set of success benchmarks as the indoor training began translating to outdoor events and races. The fun and dynamic riding experience of the RealRyder bike keeps people engaged and working hard, no matter how cold or hot the weather – even rain (we don’t recommend putting your bike in the rain, we think the dedication in this videois pretty inspiring!). Pennsylvania, much like the rest of the Northeast, has winters that keep even the most avid outdoor cyclist off the road. Jennifer recounted people using snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles to arrive to class over the winter months. The hard work has paid has paid off for the RealRyders at MultiSport Fitness. Find out how Bev, a RealRyder Indoor Cycling Certified instructor and yoga instructor, and Stephen, an operating room anesthetist and runner, have broken their PRs – personal records – with RealRyder training.

BEV – Yogi & RealRyder:

My name is Bev Fatebene. From April to October you will find me several days a week climbing the most vigorous hills I can find. I absolutely love to cycle!!  Jenn Fleischer has known me from the area and as a yoga instructor.  She spotted me on a warm sunny day, peddling one of the most challenging climbs  in our area.  As I came over the top with a huge smile on my face, Jenn said at that moment she knew in her heart she wanted me [as an instructor].  Jenn asked me to join the MultiSport Fitness team at her 2nd RealRyder gym in Bethlehem, PA.  I’m an outdoor cyclist, and have never been a fan of indoor gyms.  I began RealRyder in December 2010 as an instructor and student.  I was amazed how challenging the bikes were and how sweaty I got. And it was fun!! Impressed, my thoughts were, ‘this was a great way to stay in shape and ‘beat’ the winter blues.

Than the weather warmed up and I took my first ride for the season.  When I ride, my routes include a serious climb.  Cycling to me is like a Yoga practice.  My mind and body connect into a rhythm and I escape into the wilderness, and quietness of the outdoors.  I rarely watch my times or speeds, as I ride pretty much the same routes and know the approximate time I get back home.  As I peddled that evening, I noticed my legs were really strong.  My heart was strong.  I attacked the last 300 feet to the top of my most difficult climb.  Smiling from ear to ear, almost chuckling of how good I felt, and I had more to give.  In my head, I related to my RealRyder class; my butt over the saddle, feeling the power in my legs and knowing my heart could handle pushing my threshold.  We practice pushing your threshold in class and at certified training.  Amazing!! I arrived home 45 minutes earlier than usual!

My confidence is boosted, and I am planning some crazy mutli-climb routes.  I can’t thank Jenn Fleischer enough for asking me to join the MultiSport Fitness team.  Every trainer is fantastic!  We have no egos, just a sense to support one another, have a good time, and get a great workout in.  Adam Reid and Douglas Brooks modelled the same behavior at  the RealRyder Indoor Cycling Certified Instructor training.  I am truly grateful for RealRyder and the MultiSport Fitness team! Thank you!!!

STEPHEN – Runner & RealRyder:

I’m 57 years old and work as an anesthetist in a busy operating room. My work days are frequently long, but I work hard and play hard. I got back into running road racing in 2007 after being away from running for over 10 years. Since taking RealRyder classes this past winter, I was confident I was going to have a good racing season but I didn’t know it would be this good. I PR’d 5 times this year: two on half-marathons in May, two 10 mile races in March and April and one five-miler in February. I also placed in my age group in a 5K. Walking to the podium for a medal at any age feels great but at 57 it feels awesome.When friends of mine came to cheer me on during the Odyssey half marathon in Philadelphia, the first thing they shouted was “Steve, you don’t have your knee support on”! Since  2007, I had to wear an elastic knee support and after about 7 RealRyder classes, my knee no longer hurt when running. It seems that my patella is “tracking” much better with the improved quad strength I achieved from RealRyder classes.

I was invited to work as part of a volunteer  medical team in Haiti in 2010 and wound up having a schedule conflict with the Marine Corps Marathon which I was already signed up. The Marine Corps Marathon granted me a one time deferment to run it this year. The surprising thing is that I now find that I’m in for running the New York Marathon…..they’re one week apart!!! The answer is YES, I’m running both now that I developed the strength to run pain free. Thanks RealRyder, my racing season keeps getting better and I don’t miss that elastic knee support.

I’m particularly grateful to  the outstanding instructors from Multisport Fitness. While all the instructors are outstanding, Jennifer stands out  as one instructor/coach who will help her students “dig deep” to accomplish their best performance. Jennifer will modestly acknowledge that she competed in the “Iron Man Triathalon“. She is an amazing athlete whose high energy spirit  is transferred to her students.

Our cycling community spans across 43 countries and with that comes a powerful group constantly striving to reach their peak potential. Sure, we love selling bikes, but nothing moves us more than the stories of personal triumph told by the real people peddling away on our indoor bike.

We recently spoke with John Petrick, an avid cyclist and RealRyder® devotee from California, whose story nearly stopped us in our tracks. John inherited a frightening kidney disorder, known as polycystic kidney disease, which afflicted his great grandmother, grandfather and his mother. The dominant family gene had a fifty percent chance of affecting his life, and unfortunately, both John and his sister were eventually diagnosed.

The prognosis for polycystic kidney disease can be unpredictable and for some, the risk for mortality is high. In order to stay alive, patients must either bear a lifetime of dialysis or undergo a kidney transplant. The latter is no easy feat, as the demand for kidneys far outweighs the supply. However, John’s business partner stepped up and offered to make a donation that would give John a new lease on life.

John told us, “Poor kidney function causes the red blood cell count to go down. Slowly over time, I lost energy as well as the ability to maintain my body temperature. Even in the summertime, I was cold.” Recalling the days when completing life’s most common tasks felt like a battle, John remembered losing the ability to ride his bike, swim or simply work a full day.

However, John’s life took a dramatic turn for the better on August 17, 2004 when John underwent a kidney transplant at UCLA Medical Center. When someone tells you they had a kidney transplant, the last thing you’re expecting to hear next is that they’re completing century rides, triathlons or competing in bike events in Death Valley, where it’s 104˚ degrees! But unlike other baby boomers who tend to slow down, John is driven by an incredible responsibility to his donor – that is, to live his life to the fullest degree possible.

Since his transplant, John continues to support and stay closely connected with other transplant patients worldwide. In fact, every two years, thousands of patients compete in the U.S. Transplant Olympics or the World Transplant Games, in events like cycling, swimming, bowling, and track and field events. Here, John competes with other inspiring individuals who’ve undergone successful transplants of the kidney, heart, liver, bone marrow and more.

When he’s not competing for medals, you can find John training hard on his RealRyder® bike in his home gym. John says, “I find traditional stationary bikes to be really boring. On the RealRyder bike, I’m able to get a better workout in the same amount of time because I’m using my core muscles to balance the bike. This is how I ride outdoors. You just don’t get that on other indoor bikes.”

On June 13th, John will travel to Sweden to compete in the 2011 World Transplant Games, where 1,500 athletes representing an estimated 69 countries will compete at a high level in an atmosphere of fun and friendship.

A special thanks to John for sharing his story with us and for exemplifying a life of great courage. You’re an inspiration to all of us, John!

RealRyder® was featured this week on the American Council on Exercise’s (ACE) Certified News. ACE is the largest nonprofit fitness certification, education and training organization in the world with nearly 50,000 certified professionals who hold more than 55,000 ACE certifications. ACE is among the most respected fitness organizations in the industry and a resource consumers have come to trust for health and fitness education.

RealRyder’s Indoor Cycling Certified Instructor Training Program became recognized by ACE as an approved continuing education provider. We were VERY excited to have our education program, led by Douglas Brooks, M.S. (Exercise Physiologist & ACE-certified), recognized by such an incredible organization. Below are a few excerpts from the ACE article, RealRyder: Taking the Training Wheels Off Indoor Cycling.

It has been more than 20 years since Johnny G introduced Spinning® and transformed the stationary bike from a solo piece of cardio equipment into a new group-fitness phenomenon called indoor cycling. The Spinning bike’s design, with the heavy flywheel, chain drive and friction resistance, offered a pedaling experience that mimicked that of an actual road bike. “It was a brilliant design that created the ability to get on top of the gear and keep it rolling,” says Colin Irving, creator of the RealRyder® bike and co-founder of RealRyder® International. Douglas Brooks adds, “Since Johnny G introduced the Spinning bike, there has really been nothing new about the riding experience, until now.”

But beyond the joy factor, it is the quality of the ride that Brooks and other cyclists are referring to when they say that Colin Irving “got it right” when he developed the concept of the RealRyder bike more than 15 years ago. “As a competitive cyclist, I spent many hours training on rollers in the hallway (for balance) and thought how nice it would be to just turn,” explains Irving, describing how he came up with the concept for the RealRyder bike. This led to sketches on training logs, cardboard, paper or whatever was available. “I wanted to create a riding experience, not just pedaling,” he says.

How many times have you heard “I can’t do that” when it comes to trying a new fitness routine or piece of equipment? Okay lower your hands, we see you! One RealRyder studio owner and instructor is tackling the “can’t” and taking away the FEAR (yes, we said it!) many people have when it comes to indoor cycling. Posted on the walls of her studio: The only one who can tell you “you can’t” is you. And you don’t have to listen!

Lisa Flood Wisentaner opened Nantucket Cycling Studio in March of this year and is already being asked “When are you adding more classes?” and “When are you adding more bikes?” from her clients. Lisa’s approach is one of the many reasons her clients return and people continue to seek her out. She removes the element of fear from indoor cycling with her innovative 5-week Beginner series.

Many studios offer introductory classes, but Lisa wanted to take a slightly different approach, building a community for people trying indoor cycling or RealRyders for their first time.  Clients sign up for a 5-week program that breaks down the class, adding 5 minutes of class time each week, working together toward their first full length class.

The first and second classes focus on the basics – setting up the bike to their individual measurements, learning how to control resistance, finding balance on the bike and a few more concepts. The classes progress to the more abstract ideas that only an experienced, RealRyder® Certified Instructor, like Lisa, can provide: learning your rate of perceived exertion, how to build your relationship with the bike and progress into your “zone” during a workout session. Every class starts with a review of the previous class and builds progressively with each session. After their “graduation” from the beginner series, “fears” and “can’t” no longer exist in participant’s exercise lexicon.

There’s also the elements of camaraderie and the accountability created when people begin a program together. Lisa knows her customers from the beginning and they look forward to progressing their workouts with her. And for the Nantucket Cycling Studio Ryders, Lisa has placed an order for more RealRyder bikes and is adding a new instructor and classes to the schedule.

How do you remove the fear and take away the “can’t” for potential clients and students?

RealRyder is hard at work on its installments featuring studios across the United States that have taken their indoor cycling studios to the next level (see our first installment on Real Ryder Revolution in metro-Detroit Michigan). What is their secret to selling out cycling classes, creating waiting lines and leaving their customers hungry for more? Watch the second part of this installment, featuring Qi Ryders, to learn more about the secrets to their success!

“Every month has been better than the last.”
“In 5 months I’ve never had one class not sell out.”
“Customer retention has been easy. We just put them on the bike.”
“RealRyders provide 100% more benefit – to everything.”

Qi has an incredible story in terms of its business success, but the classes featuring RealRyder® ABF8 bikes have also changed the lives of their participants. Below we have the story of how RealRyder changed the life of one of Qi’s top trainers and their Boxing Director, Nick Spinosa.

Nick has been on his feet for most of his life, growing up working his family’s restaurant in Pennsylvania. As an avid athlete, Nick played many sports – baseball, football, basketball – and continued to play baseball at the collegiate level at Penn State. He also developed a love and passion for boxing, which runs in his family. Nick’s grandfather was  a professional boxer.

Nick’s love of sports and time spent on his feet caught up with him. During his collegiate years, while playing both baseball and boxing, Nick had to undergo surgery for damages to his feet, also dealing with arthritis pains from being on so many surfaces. Surgeons had to fuse the bones of his feet together in a series of surgeries. Three surgeries, in fact. Not an easy thing to swallow for an active person. And that wasn’t the end.

Following college, two additional surgeries (for a total of 5 surgeries on his feet!) the newly-minted kineseology grad headed out west to live with his brother in Denver, Colorado. Nick said he could barely walk or bend over when he arrived in Colorado in early 2010. It was time to get back in form. His brother proceeded to introduce him to Chris Lindley, one of the co-owners of Qi.

The two hit it off immediately, bonding over boxing and the Army-style workouts Chris provided at Qi. Enter the RealRyders at Qi. Nick was re-learning to walk when RealRyders arrived at Qi, and with the RealRyder® ABF8′s, he was able to accomplish his goals of walking again, becoming physically active and shedding weight gained over multiple surgeries. Nick is now 60 pounds lighter, teaching at least 13 filled or sold out classes a week and directs the Boxing programs at Qi. Nick’s personal triumph is one of the many stories we are proud to highlight and share. Qi continues to make an impact in the Denver community and on the lives of its participants and employees.

Do you have a story to share? We would love to feature your story on RealRyder’s blog!