12/17/2020
Team,
I want you to hear this from us first - we are closing the doors on BPC Ride in Salem, MA, on 31 January 2021. This hurts; we worked hard to make this studio a reality! I look back fondly on the days of re-wiring Computrainers, building platforms, and painting walls, knowing we were getting things ready for us to share the suffering...er, fitness building, together with you. I cherish hours riding there, listening to Coach Lamb’s tunes, trying to figure a way to take over control of the sound system. ;-) Most of all, and I know that I speak for all of us coaches, when I look back on our time in the studio, what I remember most is all of us, together.
There really is no substitute for sharing the same physical space and riding together! 2020 has been painful knowing that riding together in person wasn’t possible, but now knowing that the studio won’t be there for 2021, it hurts even more deeply. With no studio revenue coming in, however, we were incurring unsustainable losses month after month. With no end clearly visible, we needed to make a change, opening an opportunity for TD Athletes Edge and setting up the possibility of future community-building spaces for BPC.
I sincerely hope that we will find a new space, but only time will tell. Yes, we still plan to host rides at Fast Splits in Needham as soon as the time is right. And, yes, we still have our time on Zwift. Again, it’s not just the riding we miss - it’s all of you. Speaking of you, I know that some of you may have some ride credits on the books from when we shuttered the studio last March. We will be working through how to refund/compensate you for these unused classes.
The financial and emotional losses are real, but so are the memories and experiences created by the coaches. Kristen, Sue, and Jerry - please know that you built this by fostering a welcoming and encouraging environment for our athletes to gather for some quality time together (sometimes grueling, not gonna lie)! From the bottom of my heart - Thank you!
I am so sad to have to add to the list of reasons why COVID sucks. Stay healthy, and thank you all for your support day in, day out. We truly have the best team in all of sport!
Peace,
Jeffrey
