At a Glance:

Website: http://ryde4.com
Address: 1233 Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Length: 60 minutes
Price: first class free, one class/$18, 10 classes/$150, month unlimited/$120
Sweat scale: high
Energy level: high

I didn’t like spinning before I moved to LA but ever since I tried Flywheel I became instantly obsessed with the intense cardio rush. I push myself harder in spin than I do in a lot of classes and walk out with an amazing wave of endorphins. When I heard about this outdoor class I knew I had to get myself over to Santa Monica asap.

Pre Sweat

Ryde4 is located on the rooftop of Burn Fitness, accessible through the alleyway outside of the 4^th Street public parking structure in between Wilshire and Arizona. After buzzing in, take the stairs all the way to the top. On most days the class takes place inside the studio on the roof, but on Sundays at 10:15, the bikes are moved outside to take advantage of the gorgeous view and beach breezes. You can borrow spin shoes ($2), bring your own (Look Delta or SPD), or use the cages with your tennis shoes if they don’t have your size available. Fill up your water in the gym on the second floor or buy one for $2.50.

Sweat

Although I love the darkness and mirrors in most spin classes, you can’t complain with a view of palm trees, mountains, and ocean, and it didn’t take away from the intensity of the class. Throughout the ride we climbed, sprinted, spent time in and out of the saddle, and worked our arms, abs, and booty. The music was really motivating and provided a great beat to spin to.

The bikes are equipped with a screen that shows your RPM (revolutions per minute) and the time. Mary (Ryde4 founder and previous Soul Cycle teacher) would occasionally give us an RPM goal to reach to make sure we were pushing ourselves. She also gave us directions by using zones. Zone 1 was warm up/recovery, 2 was a casual ride, 3 was increasing resistance while maintaining a fast pace, and 4 was pushing your hardest and going all out. At the most difficult points, she told us to close our eyes and picture what we were riding for. At the end we hopped off our bikes and moved to the shade for a long stretch.

Post Sweat

If you live in LA, this class is a good excuse to beat most of the traffic and get to the beach early. The gym has showers, towels, blow dryers etc, so you can either prepare for a day of shopping or throw on a bathing suit. Ryde4 is literally located on the Third Street Promenade, which has every shop you could imagine from Nordstrom and Bloomingdales to Brandy Melville and J Crew. If you love a good falafel I can highly recommend Hummus Bar Express. Don’t forget to venture a couple blocks down Santa Monica Blvd for a mint mojito iced coffee at Philz!! #trendy

Tricks of the Trade

• Parking is free for 90 min, $1 for the next hour, and then $1.50 for each additional 30 minutes with a max of $14.
• Is there a particular song that really motivates you? Request it before your ride and they’ll play it during class!
• Make sure to apply a lot of sunscreen. Depending on which way you face, you might want to wear sunglasses or a hat.
• Bring two water bottles, the colder the better. It was 90 degrees during our ride and hydration was important.