Having already tried the signature 45-minute “Ride” in the quaint North End studio, we were excited to come back for more and check out their “Iron Ride.” As we made our way down Hanover Street, we were already dreaming about getting a cannoli after class, but Mike’s or Modern? While this is a tough decision, one decision we didn’t have to make that night was between strength or cardio; Iron Ride indulged us with a little bit of both.
The 60-minute hybrid class entailed 30 minutes of spin and 30 minutes of strength and ab work off of the bike–the best of both worlds. For those that weren’t interested in the hybrid format, the class served as an “Express Ride” at which point riders could depart before the floor section began.
For reasons unknown, Iron Ride is only offered one or two times each week, which is surprising because we found it to be a great option, especially for a boutique studio. That being said, we signed up for the only time slot of the week: Friday post-work. Expecting the turnout to be lackluster given that it’s still technically summer, we were surprised to find plenty of people in attendance. Our hunch is that Owner and Instructor Melina DiPaola’s motivating persona and kickass attitude has people coming back for more.
With at least 50 percent retention for the Iron portion of class, we spread out around the room, each with a kettlebell and a 10- to 30-pound free weight. Burpees, kettlebell swings, sumo squats, planks and mountain climbers ensued, only to be capped off by one more minute of burpees to see if we could improve upon our first round. While it wasn’t the hardest strength session, Melina kept up motivated and focused the whole way through. It made for a fun, post-spin push that kept our muscles guessing.
The North End is lucky to have this gem–particularly DiPaola! In terms of a good sweat and challenge, Iron Ride hit the mark. So much so, in fact, that we decided to forgo the after-class cannoli…at least just this once.
Melina was very welcoming–eager to meet and help new riders get set up. As soon as the structure of class was explained and the playlist was queued, it became quite clear that Melina doesn’t mess around. We cranked the resistance up, took off up hill, and never turned (the resistance knob) back. With the majority of the ride being out of the saddle, our legs were actually relieved for the Tabata-style sprint finale.
What we loved most about Ride North End was the space. It literally felt like someone had gutted out their garage, rolled in 25 spin bikes, and set up shop. We dig intimacy in times of corporate IPOs. The studio isn’t rough or dirty so don’t think you are walking into a beat-up gym. This“garage” spin studio has nice detailing, a quality sound system, large bathrooms, and a yummy juice shop. Sorry though, no shower.
420 Commercial Street, Boston, MA 02109 North End Spin $$
Ride North End
North End Spin, HIIT $$
420 Commercial Street, Boston, MA 02109
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Ride North EndSpin, Strength
Having already tried the signature 45-minute “Ride” at the quaint North End studio, we were excited to come back for more and check out their “Iron Ride.” As we made our way down Hanover Street, we were already dreaming about getting a cannoli after class, but Mike’s or Modern? While this is a tough decision, one decision we didn’t have to make that night was between strength or cardio; Iron Ride indulged us with a little bit of both.
The 60-minute hybrid class entailed 30 minutes of spin and 30 minutes of strength and ab work off of the bike–the best of both worlds. For those that weren’t interested in the hybrid format, the class served as an “Express Ride” at which point riders could depart before the floor section began.
For reasons unknown, Iron Ride is only offered one or two times each week, which is surprising because we found it to be a great option, especially for a boutique studio. That being said, we signed up for the only time slot of the week: Friday post-work. Expecting the turnout to be lackluster given that it’s still technically summer, we were surprised to find plenty of people in attendance. Our hunch is that Owner and Instructor Melina DiPaola’s motivating persona and kickass attitude has people coming back for more.
With at least 50 percent retention for the Iron portion of class, we spread out around the room, each with a kettlebell and a 10- to 30-pound free weight. Burpees, kettlebell swings, sumo squats, planks and mountain climbers ensued, only to be capped off by one more minute of burpees to see if we could improve upon our first round. While it wasn’t the hardest strength session, Melina kept up motivated and focused the whole way through. It made for a fun, post-spin push that kept our muscles guessing.
The North End is lucky to have this gem–particularly DiPaola! In terms of a good sweat and challenge, Iron Ride hit the mark. So much so, in fact, that we decided to forgo the after-class cannoli…at least just this once.
Melina was very welcoming–eager to meet and help new riders get set up. As soon as the structure of class was explained and the playlist was queued, it became quite clear that Melina doesn’t mess around. We cranked the resistance up, took off up hill, and never turned (the resistance knob) back. With the majority of the ride being out of the saddle, our legs were actually relieved for the Tabata-style sprint finale.
Ride North EndSpin
Sometimes you have the pleasure of being pleasantly surprised when you least expect it. We aren’t going to lie to you and say we had high expectations for our class at Ride North End, because we didn’t. They were low at best. We had walked by the studio a dozen times before, seen the facade, and walked (ok run) to the next closest spin studio. In the sea of spin studios (especially in Boston) it is easy to get drowned out, but Ride North End has a good thing going. If you live in the North End, like to spin, and don’t mind missing out on the spinning “scene””, this place is for you.
The flow of class followed the typical spin model. One song to warm up and then we ramped it up a notch. Hills, sprints, tap backs, crunches, and push ups were all built into the meat of the class. We ended with a short weights segment and concluded with climb and then came back down. Pretty standard stuff, nothing ground breaking. Did the workout blow us away? No. Did we sweat? Yes. Could it have been harder? Probably, or maybe we should have taken another turn on the dial. Sometimes with spin you have to take some of the blame when you walk away not feeling like you got the most out of your 45 minutes.
Don’t let the glasses fool you (they fooled us). Alicia Romano brings great energy, an unintimidating presence, and spunky attitude. She had clearly done her homework as every good instructor should. The workout was well-balanced from first song to last. She could have afforded to push us a little harder, but not everyone likes to get yelled at before 7am. We’re weird like that.
What we loved most about this place was the space. It literally felt like someone had gutted out their garage, rolled in 25 spin bikes, and set up shop. We dig intimacy in times of corporate IPOs. The studio isn’t rough or dirty so don’t think you are walking into a beat-up gym. This“garage” spin studio has nice detailing, a quality sound system, large bathrooms, and a yummy juice shop. Sorry though, no shower. Again, think: neighborhood spot.
