The first piece of evidence that Punch Pedal House isn’t your typical techno-trendy cycling studio is quickly dropped when Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” hijacks the soundsystem to kick-start your punishing 45-minute pedalfest.
When the final beat wraps and your legs are pedal-weary, arms hanging from the tiring intermittent dumbbell work, and there’s a bucket of sweat below your cycle, the verdict is in: You just made it through one of owner Joey Foley’s hellrides at his DUMBO studio — which also happens to be a top-tier boxing workout studio.
“It’s simply the hardest spin class you can take in the city,” says Foley, a former University of Pittsburgh wide receiver who runs the studio with his fiancee Nada, a classically trained ballerina. “I’ve taken the majority of classes in the city, and we come absolutely second to none. You can ask the clients that have left [other studios] for us. If they do go back, they don’t even break a sweat.”
All it took for Katie Taylor to drop her high-end gym membership was a free class at Punch Pedal House (formerly known as Rhythm Ryde). The class’s originality and intensity made her a regular.
“I LOVED the workout,” Taylor said. “It was hard, intense, different and really fun. Joey is a real — he’s authentic. It didn’t take long before I gave up my gym membership to come here.”
Foley says Punch Pedal House maintains a steady base of about 200 members; most of them reside in the DUMBO area through mainly word of mouth. But the popularity is spreading: PPH is hosting a summer pop-up at Montauk Beach House.
Word in the city has also gotten out. Michaela Lichvanova, who lives uptown, discovered the class through a work outing. Now, several times a week, she makes the 45-minute commute.
I’ve never sweat so much in my life, not even hot yoga,” Lichvanova says. “I feel like I’m constantly yelling ‘F—!’ during class just to push through, and that’s OK because you walk out and Joey gives you that fist bump and you just feel so good.”
Still in its infancy, Punch Pedal House’s popularity and loyalty still stuns Foley just a little.
“I’m still in awe that people that live and work in the city come to our classes before and after work,” Foley says.
Punch Pedal House is located at 68 Washington St. in DUMBO. To reserve a spot, go to punch-pedal.com.
