Movement, Music and Mindset: Downtown Indoor Spinning Studio Takes Off

Jenny O’Malley  
Contributing Writer 

Movement, music and mindset.

Thirty-year-old Oakwood resident Kari Carpenter’s journey to creating the indoor cycling studio Rinse Cycle wasn’t always a smooth ride, but her passion for the combination of movement, music and mindset kept her motivated to build a workout that leaves riders feeling cleansed on more than just a physical level.  

The Dayton startup will celebrate one year of business at its permanent location on South Patterson Boulevard near Miami Valley Hospital in June. The success of Rinse Cycle has been humbling for Carpenter, and she hopes to expand with more locations and achieve more as the business acquires a greater following.

“The power of music and movement can change your whole mindset,” Carpenter said. She said she let this power guide her journey on how to create a lasting experience for customers.

Carpenter, a 2009 graduate of Cedarville University, has a background in graphic design and marketing. However, the fitness world wasn’t unknown territory for her after working for athletic retail apparel brand Lululemon for over three years.

After attending a class at her friend’s spinning studio in Loveland, Carpenter noticed the absence of a high-quality cycling workout in Dayton.

In Dayton, Carpenter began to toy with the idea of creating her own cycling studio. While listening to music on a run outside one day, she decided she wanted to bring her idea to fruition.

“When I was on that run, I felt freedom in a lot of ways for the first time in my life,” Carpenter said.

The bass from a hip-hop playlist boomed from an ongoing class in the spinning studio as she spoke.  

“I found this clarity from movement and music and combination of the two.”

Once she decided to launch a business, she quickly began the process of establishing her concept of Rinse Cycle, named after the clean feeling after a wash of laundry. The spin classes began in her Oakwood garage in March 2017 with just a few friends and moved to four different locations for pop-up sessions. Rinse Cycle found its permanent space in downtown Dayton at 760 S. Patterson Blvd. in June 2018. The current space illustrates Carpenter’s creative background. It formerly served as a gas station until the Rinse Cycle team remodeled and renovated it.

Carpenter’s cycling workout consists of high intensity cardiovascular exercise and upper body weight toning to the rhythm of a song. She sets the ambiance early in the workout sessions with candles surrounding riders and hip-hop or dance music to pedal along to.  The black walls set an industrial scene, but the close proximity to other bikes creates a unifying energy amongst the room.

She wanted the experience to give a cleansing feel, free of any elements of judgment, so she never implemented heart rate monitors or mirrors in the studio.  

January 2019 served as a monumental month for the studio after holding over 81% capacity of the 25 bikes that the studio holds.

Carpenter attributed some of Rinse Cycle’s success to the multiple changes in location because of the buzz it generated through word-of-mouth. This created an opportunity for customers to share conversations about the change in venues and build hype about the underground feel to the business. She also expressed an immense amount of gratitude for the instructors who work alongside her and strive to deepen the experience for customers.

Kelsey Riviello, a long-time instructor at Rinse Cycle, found out about Carpenter’s garage sessions in 2017 through a friend and fell in love with the workout intensity and structure. Riviello now teaches three classes a week and strives to create the most fulfilling experience for customers through music and movements.

“The music we pick is directly tied to the mood we want to create in every class,” Riviello said. “Some days are more feel-good, and some are grittier. Our playlists are very intentional so every time someone comes in, they have a unique experience with unique music.”

While numbers can be important to small businesses, success to Carpenter will never be defined by a numerical value. She said she measures success by the positive influence she has on the customer’s experience at the studio and beyond.

“Everything we do here is because we love it and we wanted to do it,” Carpenter said. “When people share with me how this has changed their lives, how they see themselves and their relationship with working out, that is success to me.”

Anna Dankof, who has been going to Rinse Cycle since the first temporary location, said she feels better and less stressed after every class. She said the absence of mirrors helps her to focus on her own workout and intentions for the session.

“I feel supported and validated by everybody that is in here and not judged,” Dankof said.

Carpenter said she will continue to create a judgement-free experience for anyone that decides to ride.

She said she wants to continue giving her customers a feeling of freedom in whatever way they need it, even if it only means riding freely, as themselves, for 50 minutes in her studio.

Classes are held seven days a week during a variety of times, suitable for anyone with a busy schedule. A single class ride is priced at $18, a five-ride pass is $85 and 10-ride pass is $160. In addition, there are auto-renewal monthly passes available. Student passes are available to be purchased in-store with a valid ID.

For more information, Rinse Cycle can be reached at (513) 479-5102. A complete list of sessions offered can be found on their website rinsecycledayton.com.

Photos courtesy of rinsecycledayton.com