Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion
No more hunting for new music or counting out cues to develop your ride profile. Here is your ready to ride profile for a fully choreographed ride, that can be displayed from your phone, or printed out onto cue cards for your class. This ride is timed out, down to the second, to make your life as easy as possible!
Originally posted 2018-04-25 08:00:03.
I love sharing anything created by public speaking expert Alexa Fischer. She has just published part one of a free video series. I just finished watching this 13 min video and felt you may enjoy learning how to move past the negative thoughts that could be holding you back from effortlessly connecting with your riders.
When opportunities happen, it's up to you to be ready.
Whether it's chatting your boss up in the elevator, introducing yourself to a major influencer, sharing your new idea at the company retreat or effortlessly welcoming new neighbors, when you speak with confidence and calm – in any situation – it matters.It matters to you, but it also matters to them.
Drum roll, please… I cordially invite you to watch VIDEO ONE of the 1000 Watt Presence: Free Training Series. No need to sign up, just click on the video and you'll be directed to the classroom. This week I'm sharing a few exercises to help you identify and release the habitual negative thoughts that have been holding you back. And the truth is, we all have them.
Positive thoughts are your fuel for happiness, success and clarity. Your inner scripts are the reason you have stopped yourself from speaking up, taking risks and seizing opportunities. But habits can be changed. Starting now.
The world needs your light. Let it shine,
Alexa
Originally posted 2018-01-09 09:00:18.
By Team ICG® Master Trainer Jim Karanas
Two things prompted this post. One was John’s post showing video as one more distraction in a distraction-filled studio (see “Virtual Engagement or Virtual Distraction?”, 7/22/12). The other was my concern about what might happen if instructors and students learned about cycling with video under such poor circumstances — and the entire cycling-with-video concept ended before it even began.
Cycling with video has too much potential to allow it to fall victim to that fate. The obvious question is how to prevent that and present video in a way that showcases it as the amazing asset it is, with great potential for increasing ROI. The cycling-with-video concept hinges on immersion, the sense that the scene is real. It just doesn’t work without it. Here’s what needs to happen to create immersion.
First, there’s lighting. If you want the students engaged in the video, the image must be as bright as possible and dominate the room. If distracting sources of light can be minimized or eliminated, so much the better.
There’s also screen size. Bigger is definitely better for purposes of creating immersion and making it seem real. If the screen can’t be big (say, if a TV monitor is used), there are specific ways to maximize presentation of the footage.
Positioning of the screen is critical. It’s important not to place the front row of bikes too close to the screen. It’s important not to place the screen too high or too low on the wall. The actual distances will change, depending on the size of the screen, but precise guidelines should be followed. Finally, the screen should be centered, taking into account the width of the studio and where the instructor will be.
Managing the mirrors is also critical. The photo in John’s post shows mirror reflections coming from several directions and sources. Those reflections will distort, even destroy, the illusion of forward motion and the possibility of immersion. The solution is either to use a non-mirrored wall in that studio — preferably one painted black, gray or white — or to use a large pull-down screen to cover the mirrors on the forward wall completely.
There’s also the matter of where to place the instructor and the A-V equipment. We’re used to being center-stage. ICI-Pro posts have mentioned our enjoyment of that. With video, though, we need to move to one side and let the video get most of the attention.
Last, and maybe most importantly, the video, the projector (or TV), and the screen (or video wall) need to be of high quality.
(For details and specifics on these guidelines, please click here: www.myrideplus.com/Guidelines).
When all of these things are put together in a professional studio prep, the result is completely different from the chaos John showed us in the photo with his post last week. But it’s not always that easy.
So what’s standing in the way? In a word, expectations.
Understandably, the club owner hopes to make the studio video-ready for the lowest initial cost possible. What’s true is that the above preparations can cost thousands of dollars, if done right. But the inexpensive way leads to what John showed us. If the equipment costs relatively little, that leads to an expectation that the entire set-up should also cost relatively little.
It’s a profound understatement to say that a poorly prepared studio limits the students’ experience — and that it clearly limits future ROI.
Here’s where I’ll stir up trouble and state that, in this regard, DVD is actually pushing things in the wrong direction. It’s a halfway measure that’s not impactful enough to create immersion. This “halfway” aspect of it is why club owners resist spending the money necessary to make cycling-to-video happen on an impressive scale.
To get club owners to make the leap to spectacular video, they need to be exposed to a true immersion experience. Then it becomes obvious that there’s no substitute.
Seriously, if you bought a fake “jewel” for a few dollars at a street fair, would you buy an expensive platinum ring setting for it? For a beautifully cut diamond, your willingness to invest in platinum would increase. Please note that I’m talking here not about budget per se, but about the willingness to invest big money to showcase something mediocre versus something spectacular.
DVD is a mediocre medium with respect to cycling videos and creating immersion. As such, DVD may be keeping the new concept of cycling-with-video from moving forward and becoming the fullest experience it can be. Again, immersion is key and happens best when video is done right.
I know these are controversial statements, but they’re true even when the instructor leading the class does a great job with it. John is a superior instructor who does a great job with it. But who or what could compete with the distractions in that studio? It’s simply not set up for … well, what could and would happen if the video were done right.
For one example of “done right”, please click here
Originally posted 2012-07-30 15:05:12.
Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion
Originally posted 2018-11-05 08:33:43.
They aren't kidding about the power of oxygen.
You didn't notice it getting dressed and it wasn't there early in class, it just kind of snuck up on you. One minute you're JRA (Just Riding Along) and the next you begin to catch little whiffs of an odor, not pleasant, that makes you appreciate your position up front and away from anyone else.
What is that smell? Where is it coming from and how come I'm just noticing this now?
It didn't take me long to discover the cause of the foul odor, my trusty old Sidi Mega Cycling Shoes were rank.
But I wash my shoes (somewhat) regularly and they smelt fine when I put them on… why do they stink now?
The culprit are bacteria and odor causing microbes that love warm, humid places. In fact they thrive on it, eating, growing and multiplying at an astonishing rate once they are in the right environment – my warm, sweaty shoes must have been about as perfect an environment for bacterial growth as possible 🙁 The by-products of all this multiplying are toxins and toxic gases that our noses identify as stink. I don't even want to think about what all those little buggers are eating in my shoes. All these nasty critters are sitting dormant in your cool, dry shoes. Add some moisture and warmth and they come to life, with a potentially embarrassing affect.
What can I do to fix it?
I tried on multiple occasions to wash and dry my shoes using just clothes soap/detergent/vinegar/baking soda without success. If your shoes are old don't waste your time with these methods. The only thing I found that worked was a three day (I forgot them in the tub) soak in Oxi Clean. If you have white shoes you could try a small amount of bleach, but I can't vouch for this method, so I'd stick with Oxi Clean .
Billy Blanks Mays was telling you the truth when he would say; “the power of oxygen!” Oxygen is a powerful disinfectant and has the power to actually kill bacteria and odor causing microbes, rather than simply surround them and wash them away with the surfactants that make soap, err… soap.
It's a chemistry thing. Oxygen exists in nature as a component of the air we breath as a pair O² and in stable compounds like water as in H²O. Whenever an Oxygen atom finds itself alone (free ) it gets ugly, looks for something to attach to and in the process converts whatever it attaches to into another compound. Many of the products you use to clean with contain a free Oxygen atom; Hydrogen Peroxide, Bleach, Vinegar and household Ammonia are a few.
The free Oxygen atoms found in Oxi Clean are as deadly to bacteria as sunlight is to a vampire. So the next time your shoes get warm and sweaty there are fewer (you'll never get rid of them all) little friends to cause a stink – if you'll forgive the pun.
How can I prevent the stink it in the first place or prevent it from coming back?
Wear clean socks in your shoes! I'm guilty of trying to pull off the Triathlete look by riding sans socks – or sometimes it's just that I forgot to pack a pair. OK, I'll say it; they're eating the dead skin off your feet. Socks keep their source of food away from surfaces that are harder to clean, like the inside of your shoes.
After washing and drying your shoes, I suggest the regular use of an antibacterial foot spray.
The same goes for your Instructor Mic and windscreen if you use one.
Does your club have a microphone sanitising station like this?
You need to kill all the bacteria, viruses and other icky stuff that you've introduced after each class, with no exceptions. This is doubly important if you share a mic with other Instructors.
The solution here is much easier. All it takes is a quick dollop of hand sanitiser that you can work through the windscreen, wipe over the headset and let dry for the next class.
Originally posted 2013-07-09 09:46:52.
It is with great pleasure that I introduce Barbara Hoots, one of the new columnists at www.indoorcycleinstructor.com -John
It’s 5:30 a.m. and you can hear the sound of a low but persistent hum in the Spinning room. Listen carefully, and in between the grinding of flywheels you can hear the whispers, “Is she late…… again?”
Time management is the foundation for building the hottest class in the gym and is essential for creating student loyalty. In today’s rushed society, time is an important commodity that silently reflects your own attitude toward class. Imagine you were invited to a dinner party and the hostess was running late or forgot to prepare the entrée. Would you feel special, desired or respected? Take a cue from the experts in hospitality and prepare for class with the same zeal you would extend to guests in your home. Never expect your students to walk into a silent, sterile, empty cycling room and rave about your class.
The window of time before class begins is where most growth occurs. Arrive 30 minutes early and seize the opportunity to:
Don’t believe me? Take the challenge! For one month make a conscious effort to improve your time management skills and extend genuine kindness to your students. Watch with delight as new conviction emerges and classes become energized.
What’s next? I’ll teach you how to spice up your class with a trick from the advertising boys on Madison Avenue…..trust me; you won’t want to miss this one!
Leave a comment for Barbara so she knows your were here.
Originally posted 2019-01-18 10:23:07.
