I met Casey and Meg Hilmer in December of 2018—shining a light on their charity fundraising “rydes,” sharing more about the super-close-knit community of riders (ryders) who’d been cycling with them since Power Ryde’s 2013 beginnings. It took me until the following summer to give their RealRyder bikes a spin—those babies shake, tilt and move unlike anything I’d ever experienced, and according to Meg, burn up to 30% more calories than their stationary siblings. A better workout for core and lateral muscles; easier on hips, knees, ankles and backs. Add in the crazy cadre of instructors, personalities and music—I was hooked from the start.
But since my first ryde mid-2019, a lot has changed—Casey is now Mrs. Ward and mama to baby girl Wren; Meg is proud grandma. The studio itself has doubled in size, adding dedicated space for TRX straps, BOSU balls, weights, personal training and more. And that’s just scratching the surface—what was once the sweet spot for super-powered cycling has become a destination (both virtual and in-person) for full-body workouts in a stunning variety. Fitness for any age, and any ability.
“When we first opened, I wanted to show people how intense everything was, how it was such a good workout,” Casey shares. “But it’s really showing people that this is for everybody—for all levels. Our average clientele is late 30s to mid-50s.”
It started simple—daily rydes, various instructors, with Casey adding “off the bike” strength-only classes about four years ago. Then came the pandemic.
“Within the first week of being shut down, people were saying, ‘you need to get on Facebook and do off-the-bike workouts.’ And I was like, everyone is doing free workouts right now—why would anyone follow me?” Casey laughs. “I started going live every day—and people kept tuning in.” Two months in, the mother-daughter duo followed the new status quo—they pivoted: renting out their bikes (an impressive logistics dance), streaming both rydes and Casey’s strength workouts for a monthly fee—building what would become a deep and varied online exercise library.
Fast-forward—that virtual class collection is now a pair of online-only options: cycle or workout. Virtual cycling is straightforward—$49.99/mo to either join live classes from home or access 2 months’ worth of recordings, updated daily (with bikes still available to rent).
Casey’s online workouts became On Demand Classes—and there’s a lot to choose from for just $19.99/mo. At 100+ videos strong, with new ones added weekly, the digital library offers options from 10 to 60 minutes for Sweat (intervals of plyometrics and strength), Build (strength only, for set time) and Burn (flow with weights, balls and bands), plus Stretching and Treadmill classes.
In-person studio workouts? More there, too—try TRX (core-engaging, total-body workout) and Circuit (lower-intensity, interval-based rotations of work/rest). Or, true to form, reserve a bike and come for a ryde—unlimited in-studio passes are $140/mo (multi-class and drop-in options also available).
“There’s so much more than just cycling now—and anybody can do any of these classes,” Casey reiterates. “It’s about having fun—and moving your body.”
Fitness and fun? Sign me up.
PowerRyde.com | 471 Wards Corner, Loveland | 513.583.7433
What was once the sweet spot for super-powered cycling has become a destination for full-body workouts in a stunning variety.
