Melina Millerleile - Owner, Founder, & Instructor at Cycle Fly
In the fitness world, there are endless options for ways to move your body and stay active. However, many people, especially women, seek a connection beyond simply staying fit. They strive to feel a part of something bigger and desire the human connection that can come with sharing a space with others. Enter Cycle Fly!
Melina Millerleile, an Ohio native, founder, wife, instructor, and dog mom, is the brains behind Cycle Fly, a dark-room cycling studio located in Lakewood. Born of the idea that fitness can be fun, this boutique studio provides beginner and skilled riders alike with an intimate, thoughtful, and empowering workout experience.
After working in corporate dentistry for nine years and realizing the industry wasn’t her happy place, Melina was seeking change. She had always known that entrepreneurship was calling but it took a lot of planning and bravery to make the leap to being her own boss. Feeling like something was missing, she asked herself where she saw her life five years from now. This question finally led her to leave corporate dentistry and pursue her dreams of starting a business.
It may surprise people to hear that Melina isn’t your typical fitness founder. A lifelong struggle with her workout journey eventually pointed her in the direction of group classes, a welcoming environment where someone can begin a fitness journey alongside those who have been on theirs for years.
“I started really liking it and I kind of nailed down what I liked. I love the dark room aspect and would seek out a Soul Cycle on vacation. It was the one thing I did for myself that I was really proud of. And I feel like Cleveland didn’t really have much of that,” she told us. Attending classes alone drove her to discover a desire to create a safe space for those either just starting out, or looking for a comfortable place to move their bodies free of judgment or competition.
Over time, Melina and her husband were talking about their ideas of branching out from her corporate job. Fighting back imposter syndrome and self-doubt, she took the chance after four years of riding and opened her own studio. After generating the necessary funding and finding a perfect space, Cycle Fly finally blossomed from a small seed of desire for independence, freedom, and encouragement.
Melina recalls taking the plunge saying, “You kind of get started and then you get so far that you’re like ‘I can’t turn back now.’ I went to Akron for business and I knew. There’s always been something in me that knew I wanted to do my own thing.” This sentiment is a common thread with entrepreneurs who share stories of either feeling a calling to an industry or to the idea of entrepreneurship as a whole. The initiative to learn as they go and do what it takes to make their dreams a reality.
As always, it can’t go without saying that Cleveland is certainly a place for dreams to come true. Many entrepreneurs and self-starters credit our city with rallying to provide support, and showing up to ensure the success of small businesses. Melina tells us that Cycle Fly is no exception saying, “When I first started cycling, I made so many connections within that world so when I opened, everyone just had my back. They all just wanted to be a part of something better.”
Even during COVID, the support of the studio by its patrons did not waver. Melina opened Cycle Fly just before the March shutdown and immediately saw the effects of the pandemic play out, both positive and negative. Firsthand, she experienced the trials and tribulations of digital classes, physically distanced classes, and lack of classes in general. The flexibility of the city, the business, and the community led to the perfect storm of breaking into an untapped market and providing a service that was deeply desired.
Melina credits Cleveland’s grit with the growth and success that Cyle Fly has seen. Despite the pandemic, the power of community shone through and ultimately made the studio a hub for reconnection and activity as we all began to leave our homes again and seek connection even more than in the past.
The idea of a community coming together easily stems from another pillar of Cycle Fly’s community impact: collaboration. Over the years, the studio has done many special rides, small business highlights, and fundraising events to help connect them further with the organizations and people living and working around them.
Melina recalls many amazing connections that have led to wonderful events and features. She shared about their collaboration with FWD Nightclub and their outdoor rides early in the business's founding. Beyond expanding their reach and meeting more riders, Cycle Fly aims to foster relationships and collaborations with businesses and individuals who align with their values and those of their community.
With an established audience of loyal riders, Cycle Fly focuses on charitable causes, themed rides, and other special events that coincide with what they believe to be important to the business and its patrons. “We know that we want to support the people in our community. We want to let them speak up and use our platform for good,” Melina shared. She listed Alzheimer's, LLS, LGBTQ+, Trans Ohio, and more as causes and organizations that the studio has fundraised for and continues to support in an effort to make clients feel seen.
This mindset carries over into other aspects of how Cycle Fly does business as well. With the idea that fitness can oftentimes be intimidating, especially in a group setting, the studio strives to curate a welcoming, understanding, and flexible environment for its members. Taking away the pressure of metrics, the dark room approach eliminates a lot of the intimidating nature of working out and allows for each rider to have an independent experience free from competition and comparison.
Curious about how a first-time rider could expect their experience to play out, we asked Melina to describe what attending a class at the studio is like. She said, “The first thing you see is a smiling front desk person. We give you a quick tour, explain the shoe process, set you up on your bike, and notify the instructor that they will have a new rider in that class. The biggest thing is just ride. We just want you to have a good time and do what feels good in your body.”
The staff is attentive and strives to build a meaningful connection with every rider, regardless of skill level or experience. Safety is paramount as well due to the clip-in shoe structure and the team is touching base constantly to ensure that newcomers are not only being seen but are fostering a successful class for the attendee. Melina is no stranger to feeling new to the cycling world and uses her own experiences with trying these classes to lead the way to making others feel prepared and comfortable.
In addition to the welcoming environment and attentive staff, the dark room rhythmic studio approach is another thing that sets Cycle Fly apart from its competitors. The studio and its staff also celebrate the riders and all of their milestones. All the way from ride #3 to ride #600, Melina and her team throw parties and private events to help their members feel seen and heard and a part of something greater. Providing an exclusive experience that allows for both privacy and intimacy helps to make the Cycle Fly experience unique.
The success of Cycle Fly is evident not only in its business prosperity but in the lives of its members. This is something that branches out far beyond the impact of a fitness class or even a social gathering. Mutual respect and the celebration of collective growth create a unique and impactful setting where all members feel accepted, understood, and proud of the work they put into achieving their goals.
The community and joy surrounding Cycle Fly are so obvious that you don’t even have to attend a class to see it. Their social media presence coupled with the adoration and shared excitement from each of their riders makes it clear even to passersby that there is something magical happening in the studio. The members of the Cycle Fly community that Melina has built are an amazing example of how a strong community can not only take care of itself but also give care to those surrounding it so that we can all see success.
As always, we asked about the future and what Melina sees coming next for the studio and its loyal community. And although we often expect tales of grand plans and aspirational dreams, Melina gave us an answer that we liked even more. “We’re just at peace. We are comfortable where we are at and we don't have anything major coming up other than what we are rocking with currently. I don’t know what the next five years hold,” she told us.
We often expect to be asked ‘what's next’ and be questioned about what could be bigger and better on the horizon. There is something to be said for being content with your growth and confident in the efforts and errors that have led you to where you are now. Melina perfectly described the desire to continue to expand and strive for success without pushing boundaries too far and biting off more than can be chewed.
With a remodel recently wrapping up and the studio being busier than ever, Melina hopes to increase class offerings, hire more team members, expand on their community efforts, and eventually dream of larger and more evolved facilities to help enhance the experience. She has a deep understanding that the people are at the center of her work and Melina has a clear vision for goals that can help to improve the rider experience.
Cycle Fly stands out as not only a pillar of the Lakewood community but of the fitness and woman-centered business communities as well. It has been an honor and a privilege to not only get to know Melina during her interview but see her in her element as she graciously hosts us for our fall scholarship fundraiser this month. Knowing that our values align so perfectly and that there is so much thought and care going into all she does make working with Melina a true gift. The power of Cycle Fly is so evident in both its staff members and riders and this unique experience reaches far beyond a fitness studio and goes the extra mile to ensure that community remains at the core of all they do. Melina is a powerhouse who shows true dedication, thoughtfulness, and admiration for not only being a small business owner but for leading a community with the grit and grace that Cycle Fly embodies so well.
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