Cycle + Hair + Life

When it comes to looking and feeling good a few things come to mind: your hair and your body. Yes, indeed there is an interesting parallel and that is what Ricky Hodge of Ricky Hodge Salon has been saying since he discovered indoor cycling classes. At work one day Ricky realized that three of his coworkers looked different; they looked amazing and had this energetic aura about them. After speaking with his coworkers, Ricky soon realized the common denominator between the three was cycling. Specifically, indoor cycling classes taken almost daily. After speaking to Mel Martell, Creative Director of Ricky Hodge Salon, Ricky learned that her outlook on life changed. Mel’s changes weren’t just physical; she transformed her health and her mentality. She attributed the change in focus to fitness. Mel is a REV/Indoor Cycle & Barre instructor at DEFINE 35th street location. As someone always interested in the betterment of oneself, Ricky decided to give indoor cycling a try. After his first visit, he was unimpressed. As he puts it, “I basically hated it” but committed to attending classes 3–4 times a week. That’s all it took and he was hooked. Ricky saw a difference in his body almost immediately. Seeing the physical change so quickly was a surprising motivator for the mental change that followed. Ricky looked and felt amazing. After a few months, he decided to take the endeavor of becoming an indoor cycle instructor. There were some surprising challenges to becoming an instructor. As much as he fell in LOVE with the fitness part of the sport the challenges became overwhelming behind the scenes. But, things happen for a reason and Ricky’s perseverance paid off and he is now a certified REV instructor at DEFINE SoLa. The thing that Ricky LOVED about DEFINE is that there was a foundation; a method to what they were doing. After training in Houston, he came back ready to get up on stage and lead a class. You can find him at DEFINE SoLa 5+ days on the schedule.

Now the hair. Hair is the crown you never take off. You are constantly looking at it, touching it, and fixing it. Ricky took his passion for hair and, rather quickly, turned into a lucrative career. He graduated locally from Baldwin Beauty School in October of 2007 and opened his salon on the east side in May 2011. Big things were happening. Due to many collaborations and a relentless desire to succeed, Ricky quickly made a name for himself as one of the best hair stylists in Austin. Ricky says: “back then I wanted to be the next Paul Mitchell” so that is what he focused on. It was working on clients and studying current and new techniques all day and all night to perfect his craft. Yes, he’s done a few celebrities and has his work featured in several publications here in Austin. He’s also been on a reality show with his best friend, and celebrity photographer, David Heisler. When it comes to the accolades Ricky gives all the praises to his salon and the people around him. He says that they make him look good. We are a good team. We work well together. 

As the saying goes, “The only thing constant is change” and that is certainly true for Ricky. Life evolves and changes and focuses shift. Ricky LOVES hair and will do it for the rest of his life. But he also LOVES indoor cycling and does not see himself stopping teaching any time soon. Ricky’s focus is not so much about hair and cycling; it’s about enjoying the one life you have. Ricky says, “You have one life. LIVE it.” So that is what he is doing. He does hair 35–40 hours a week and you will catch Ricky teaching cycle classes at DEFINE or you will catch him tapping it back at RIDE or SOUL CYCLE. Ricky supports fellow riders because it’s a community and it’s also an interesting parallel.