Tribe Cycle Opening at McHenry Row
Annapolis-based spin studio Tribe Cycle will be opening a second location at McHenry Row in Locust Point. Tribe will fill a space that was vacated by Rev Cycle Studio in September.
Tribe was launched by Jennifer Selby in 2018. She is a fitness enthusiast who was previously an instructor in Tae Kwon Do and Pure Barre, and who had taken spin classes at Rev. She thought Annapolis could use a cycle studio and looked into franchise opportunities before starting Tribe on her own.
She said it took some time for the Annapolis community to get familiar with spinning and the high-intensity dancing Selby teaches on a bike, but the business was doing well after two years. But, then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and she said “the bottom fell out.”
Selby said it’s been a “rough year” for her business which requires participants to be indoors on stationary bikes. Tribe has dealt with capacity limitations and the struggles and apprehension of doing an intense workout with a mask on. To supplement, Tribe rented out bikes, taught virtual classes, and brought classes outdoors.
28 Walker, which owns and manages McHenry Row, reached out to Selby to check out the space. Selby didn’t feel she was in a position to open another location following this last year, but she knew the space and thought the area had a good reputation. She thought it couldn’t hurt to look just for fun, however once she saw the space, she thought it was an opportunity she needed to pursue.
Selby is currently taking on a renovation of the space and hopes to open by the end of August. She also hopes gyms will be at full capacity by then.
Selby is bringing in her own bikes, reconfiguring the space, adding a gathering area where a barre studio used to be, and making the bathrooms larger. Tribe will have about 35 to 40 bikes when it opens.
Tribe will likely have six to eight instructors with classes throughout the day. Selby is still figuring out a class schedule based on the need of the area.
Tribe also hosted its Rooftop Ride Series at the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore in recent weeks.
Selby said the explosion of Peloton, which provides spin classes for people in their own homes, has hurt her business, but says many people are missing the comradery and personal connection of an in-person class. She noted many people have bought a Peloton, but continue to come back to the studio. And, she hopes as time goes on, that people’s in-home bike will only be one part of their fitness routine.
This news was first reported by Baltimore Business Journal.
Photo of Jennifer Selby courtesy of the Tribe Cycle Facebook Page
About the Author: Kevin Lynch
Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.
