Meet Megan Hanson | Co-Founder & CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Megan Hanson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Megan, what do you attribute your success to?
The most important factor behind the success of High Ride Cycle is our community of instructors, team members, and riders. Our team is definitely sick of hearing me say this, but I always say that “you can teach technique but you can’t teach passion and personality”. Our team has just that — PASSION. We’ve had instructors audition with us and people interview with us that have great experience, but may not be the best culture fit so we have decided against hiring them. The fitness industry can be very competitive and we are not interested in competition with our team or our riders. We believe in providing a safe space for all where riders and team members feel welcomed, supported and comfortable from the second they walk in the door. We believe that the energy we put out into the world is the same energy you get back. Most of our riders in our community give us that positive, welcoming, and supportive energy. During a time where we all need a little extra support, our community has stepped up to support us and show up for us. We truly could not keep our doors open without these amazing humans.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
High Ride Cycle is an indoor cycling studio with two locations in Denver and Northglenn. My husband and I opened our first location a little over three years ago and our second location in Northglenn location in December of 2019. We ride to the beat of the music and do some movements on the bike like push-ups, tap backs, and side to sides. Our darklit room and loud music make it feel like a dance party on a bike in a club environment. It makes working out fun. We believe working out is just as important for your mental health as it is for your physical. In a fitness industry that is so focused on burning calories, losing weight, and how you look, we believe how you feel is so much more important. We will deliver a hard, sweaty workout that will push you to your limits no matter if it is your first class or your 500th. When we started High Ride Cycle over 3 years ago, there weren’t many cycling studios in Denver and we wanted to bring the dance party on a bike to Denver. I got my cycling certification with my sister and she put the idea in my head to open a cycling studio. There was no looking back after that. We signed a lease, started construction, and formed an LLC. I could have never imagined how hard owning a business would be. You are the CEO, the janitor, the accountant, and the everything and you just have to figure it out as you go. We were naive to how challenging and how many hurdles we’d have to overcome. We had to take a lien on our house to pay for tenant improvements since no bank would provide us a loan. The first year we were in business, we went through a lawsuit with our landlords and had to move locations. And now, we’re dealing with a global pandemic that has greatly impacted our business. To say it’s been a challenge is an understatement. But our grit and determination will continue to carry us through. The biggest lesson we’ve learned is that you can never give up. You have to keep pushing, keep fighting, and keep growing to make it through. I am most proud of the community we have built at High Ride Cycle. Our team and our riders have met their best friends here, riders support each other and cheer each other on just as much as the instructors do, and there is just a sense of family in this studio. I could have never imagined how strong that connection could be when we started our company. We try to get to know every single person and support every single person in our community no matter what color, age, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation. We’re here to support you and cheer you on.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Where to drink: Drinks at Edgewater Marketplace, Improper City, Family Jones, and Avanti Where to eat: Dinner at Senor Bear, Tavernetta and Brazen Brunch at Bacon Social House or American Elm Dessert at Little Man Ice Cream Sight seeing + Things to do: Union Station The Incline + hang in Manitou Springs Hiking at Devil’s Head fire lookout Paddle boarding at Chatfield State Park Brewery hopping in Boulder

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Obviously I have to shoutout our amazing team that has supported us from day one. A lot of them believed in us before we even believed in ourselves and they’ve been on this amazing ride with us.

Website: www.highridecycle.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/highridecycle
Facebook: www.facebook.com/HighRideCycle
Yelp: www.yelp.com/biz/high-ride-cycle-edgewater
Youtube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs93JAL3xEE

Image Credits
Tim Gillies Photography