Julie has been a passionate rider for many years which was the force behind her opening Prime Cycle. The community is a direct reflection of the qualities that you would likely use to describe Julie; inclusive, dedicated and fun.

Julie is driven by happiness and is a firm believer that passion can drive success and joy in many forms. This is contagious and something that starts at the top of Prime Cycle with Julie as the owner. It is her goal to create a space where you feel challenged while having fun with zero judgement. She reminds her riders (in studio and on Stryde) that every wellness journey looks a little different and will ultimately be a lot more enjoyable when you feel yourself doing it. That is what Julie has cultivated, a space where you feel welcomed to show up as your authentic self. We are so grateful to share this with our riders.

We sat down with Julie to learn more about what it is like to be a leader in the fitness space, her motivations, what a class with her is like and so much more!

What does Women’s History Month mean to you?

For me, Women’s History Month is a time when the world can take a moment to honor the vast number of women in the world who dedicated their lives to cause change for the women of today and tomorrow. I also take it as a chance for me to think about what I can do with my life’s purpose to cause change.

What / who is your biggest inspiration?

I have two.  My Mom has always been my biggest inspiration. She raised four kids while working the entire time and always taught all of us the value of hard work and being fiercely independent.  She truly shaped who I am. And my 16 year old daughter Ella, who for the past 16 years has literally been my daily inspiration- both by watching how she navigates her life and then to be a role model she can respect.

What was your motivation behind opening Prime Cycle?

For most of my life, I saw exercise as a chore until I found cycling.  I truly remember the exact moment I realized there was a form of fitness that could be FUN and INSPIRING. I knew I had to bring what I felt in that moment to others. I knew my path was to create a space where it didn’t matter how fit you were, or how athletic or your age- you would be in a place that was filled with love, inspiration and a hell of a lot of fun.

How do you and the rest of your team take your in-person class energy and translate that virtually?

We talk about this so much amongst the team. Everyone is a little different. Many of us talk about the community on Facebook and Instagram.  When we read posts about our classes and each others classes and read about our rider’s daily journeys, we use all of that to connect with them when we are alone in the studio with only a camera.  We truly understand that we are speaking to people on the other side and the fact that we are inspiring so many, makes filming each class totally magical.

What can riders expect from your classes?

Four words. Party On A Bike. Fun first.  I play mostly pop music or songs that people know. Music  is a universal language and I know how important a good playlist is for a good workout so I try to mix in a little of everything in each playlist.  I am definitely high energy.  Sometimes too much maybe 😉 But most important, I try to be as real and vulnerable as possible. I want people to know, none of what we are all doing on that bike is easy…I want them to know I am there with them.  Oh, and I rarely go super fast- give me a hill any day of the week!

What is the most important thing you learned as a studio owner and fitness instructor?

Patience. Seems like such a simple word but there is a ton of work that goes into being patient.  It has taken years to build what we have at Prime Cycle and I need to be patient as we continue to grow.  As an instructor, I would add the most important thing I have learned and I still sometimes struggle with is accepting that everyone won’t love my classes (there is that vulnerability again!) and it is ok if they don’t – it doesn’t  make me less than what I know I am- it just means I am not the instructor that works for everyone- and with that I have also learned as long as riders (at Prime or at Stryde) find someone they love, I am happy.

Share a little bit more about your awesomeness outside of the Stryde platform.

Well I am pretty talkative about my other life being a TV producer – it is a lot of work but brings me such joy.  Stryde is my dream come true because I can combine my love of fitness with my love of production.  I don’t know if I embody much awesomeness but a few fun facts about me are I make incredible protein pancakes, I trained my rescue dog to sit in silence watching me while I eat, I take epsom salt baths for fun, I make a solid cappuccino and in the one thing I love the most in the entire world is being with my entire family- the more the better.  Give me a family wedding and I am in heaven.

Keep up with Julie on Instagram and ride with her on the Stryde app.