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John Scianna I’ve spent most of my adult life on a bike. I raced on the road competitively, worked as a bicycle messenger in San Francisco, and amassed thousands of miles commuting. Teaching spin classes became a natural next step, from Gold’s Gym in Fresno to Mission Cliffs in San Francisco. Over time I realized that I loved teaching almost as much as riding.

When the gym where I was teaching in San Francisco closed during COVID-19, I had time to think about what came next. Around the same time, our family moved to Skyland Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Almost immediately, I started imagining how cool it would be to bring spin classes here. Bikes outside instead of inside a studio, no mirrors, no fluorescent lights…just trees, fresh air and the open sky.

That idea became Loma Prieta Exercyclers. Most of our early riders have been friends from Loma Prieta Elementary School. Our kickoff class doubled as a surprise birthday party, and the evening spilled into dinner aboard a retired Loma Prieta Elementary school bus parked on the property. That bus is currently undergoing transformation into an arts and crafts space where children, if one chooses to bring them, can get creative while their parents work out.

The classes are designed to meet people where they are. Resistance on the bike is entirely self-regulated, which means a seasoned cyclist and a first-timer can ride side by side without either one feeling out of place. The best evidence of that might be my wife, who rode through most of her pregnancy and was in class the week before she delivered. She claims the music is what keeps her coming to class. You never know what you might hear, from Johnny Cash to Amy Winehouse to Pantera, and everything in between.

One of our first classes on the mountain happened to fall on a day when it rained unexpectedly. The weather forecast suggested that nobody would come; everyone came anyway. Rain fell steadily through the redwoods while we pedaled beneath gray skies. Typically, rain sends people scurrying indoors to avoid getting wet. On that day, we embraced it, even revelled in it. It probably wouldn’t be fun if it rained every week, but that day the weather seemed to remind everyone that the point wasn’t perfection. The point was showing up.

What’s been most surprising is how quickly a sense of community has formed. Parents bring their children, who play while the adults ride. Looking out over the bikes under the redwoods, it’s clear this was never about building a fitness business in the traditional sense. It’s about creating a place where people can show up, do something hard together, and leave in a better mood than when they arrived.

The schedule is still taking shape, and input is welcome. In the meantime, you can find out more at lpex.my.canva.site.