How Midtown Landed a Custom-Made Bike From American Chopper

Midtown’s custom-made cycling bike.

Sometimes, the best ideas that ultimately help drive your business and your brand lie outside of the industry you’re in. Have you ever thought about partnering with local artists? What about American Chopper?

Jon Brady, the COO for Midtown Athletic Clubs, has sought out both of those partnerships, and recently just received a custom-designed indoor cycling bike from the stars of the hit reality TV series American Chopper. The inspiration came after seeing a customized bike that Josh Taylor, a Precor Master Trainer, had received.

The custom-made bike will appear in Midtown Athletic Club’s newly-renovated Midtown Athletic Club Chicago. “We were going back and forth with American Chopper on design and creative, and in the end, we just said — here’s the color scheme of the studio, it’s red and black, you guys just have at it— be creative, do whatever you want,” said Brady.

Brady said the unique bike fits well with Midtown Athletic Club as a brand. “It’s just fun, and it’s something that’s different, unique, it’s part of our brand,” he explained. “It’s part of our culture to try to look at new and interesting ways to do things — different things — and this is just another one of those.”

Brady said it’s important to stay open to ideas about partnerships and collaborations outside of the health and fitness industry. “We’ve put a lot of focus and energy in the past couple of years in looking at business practices outside of the industry, and looking to find partners we can learn from, and who can bring something different to the table. And, this is an example of that,” he said.

This isn’t the first collaboration Midtown Athletic Club has been involved with outside of the industry either. They recently were searching for local artists to help with the grand re-opening of the Midtown Athletic Club Chicago, after the facility went through an $80 million transformation from 50,000 square feet to 575,000 square feet.

“We want people to be wowed, and for them to have an experience that is emotional,” continued Brady. “Little things like that are really important for our industry, as it becomes really experiential and moves towards a more hospitality play. I think it’s important you look at those opportunities with an open mind.”