Beyond the Bike - Just Cycle Stretches into Pilates

Brittany Burke and Hamzeh Afani opened Just Cycle in October 2021 with the goal for people to join in a ‘team’ workout activity accessible for people of all ages and fitness levels.

The name ‘Just Cycle’ comes from the expectation that customers are just showing up to spin. “You’re just as you are, you move just as you need to,” Brittany says. “There’s no extra, there’s no expectations.”

They had a challenging beginning; opening a new workout studio during a global pandemic had its own set of obstacles, but it helped their team understand the power of community. 

“Instructors really came together and promoted what Just Cycle wanted to build,” explains Brittany. “It started as a new gym with a few people in the room and now we have waitlisted classes and members who have been coming for five years.”

And they built just that: a community. They now have over 150 members and offer four classes daily. Their members are engaged and always searching for a new challenge. 
“We host a March madness every year, this year we are hosting our first spin marathon.”

Yes. A spin marathon. 

“It’s four 60-minute classes with 10-minute breaks in between. The event sold out in three hours.” 

Stretching into Pilates

Pilates was introduced to Brittany by a physiotherapist, who encouraged it for treating an injury. “Pilates doesn’t let you overtrain an area. It works little muscles that may be overlooked, it strengthens and protects your body and joints, and it can be just as hard with body weight as other workouts with equipment. It’s also very accessible and easy to modify, so anyone with any experience can join the class.”

They started offering Pilates classes two years ago, however, they quickly outgrew the space. 

“We were running the Pilates out of our spin studio, meaning moving the bikes before each class and it really limited the class size,” said Brittany. 

When an expansion became the clear answer, Brittany and Hamzeh went to CUA armed with questions and their vision.
Just Cycle was able to access funds for their expansion through the Nova Scotia Small Business Loan Guarantee Program (SBLGP), the same type of loan they secured in 2021 to first open their doors and get people on bikes. This Program was created by the Provincial Government to support business owners in creating and expanding their operations, ensuring investments in small businesses start and stay in Nova Scotia. 

Doe MacLean, Director of Commercial Services at CUA, appreciates the flexibility and opportunities that this Program offers to Nova Scotian businesses.  

“This Program is not only for new businesses entering our Provincial market,” explains Doe. “It offers a lot of flexibility, and it can be used for expansions, leasehold improvements to a space they are renting, purchasing equipment or working capital needs.” 

The SBLGP is only partnered with select financial institutions in Nova Scotia, offering up to $500,000 for businesses across the Province, with a maximum guarantee of 90% of the value of the term loans.

Brittany described how this Program was vital in helping Just Cycle open their doors and then later stretch into their Pilates expansion. “While of course the financials were in place to support the expansion, they trusted us. They saw our success since opening in 2021 and believed in what we wanted to achieve next.” 

“They trusted us. They saw our success since opening in 2021 and believed in what we wanted to achieve next."

“Sometimes it is hard to get the vision across, especially when dealing with an existing defined space. CUA helped us and believed in what we were trying to create,” said Brittany.

Just Cycle has already started construction on their Pilates studio expansion with a plan to open it to fitness enthusiasts by the end of the year.

When asked about how her definition of success has changed over the past five years, Brittany notes that with nearly 15 years of experience in the fitness industry, the community support and connection she has experienced at Just Cycle is unmatched.

“Seeing our community grow – and grow in the right way. That’s the biggest success.  One of the most brilliant things is their excitement about a challenge. People cheer each other on, we have a group chat, we have built a community that really supports each other.”