Here are pictures from IHRSA of the new Spinner NXT and the all new Spinner Blade. I'm going to guess that Spinning still sees a large market for conventional Indoor Cycles that would cause them to redesign the NXT.
4/15 update: I had a very informative discussion with Josh Taylor today about all the changes they have made to the NXT. I hope to have a separate post about it early next week.
The only significant change I can see is the addition of fore/aft adjustment of the handle bars.
Adjustable Handle Bar
My understanding is that the crank arms on these new cycles us a proprietary (as in unique) pedal spindle thread size that will prevent using any other types of pedals 🙁 That would mean that Schwinn Triple Link pedals (a common upgrade for indoor cycles) will not be an option and studios will have a very limited choice of replacement pedals. What's up with that?
Spinner Blade
Although it looks very stylish, from a technological perspective the new Spinner Blade is a bit disappointing to me. This will be Spinning's cycle with power – and they're using the old friction system for the resistance? That's so 1990's, especially when Keiser, Schwinn and FreeMotion are all using vastly superior Magnetic Resistance. No clue as to how they are measuring the amount of force applied to compute a riders power output. This display cycle doesn't show any computer/console . They must not have it completed yet. Will the Spinner Blade be ready by WSSC?
Really. There's no changes that I can see that would be of any value to you, as a Fitness Instructor. The preferences section is exactly the same – OK, not exactly; they've removed the option for gap-less playback, but kept the cross-fade.
Discount parts for Star Trac Spinning®, Schwinn, Keiser and FreeMotion Indoor Cycles
Fitness equipment replacement parts distributor Sportsmith is offering a 15% discount for ICI/PRO readers and listeners. They have most everything you'll need to tune up all your bikes and have them ready for the fall (is it really coming so soon?) rush of new participants.
I've worked with Sportsmith for years – they distribute my Red Pedal Tool for easily and safely removing the fitness shoe cages from the Schwinn triple link pedals used on cycles in studios around the world.
Here's an old video I made showing how to use the Red Pedal Tool that features younger daughter carly 🙂
All of us at ICI/PRO are very excited about our very first conference we are hosting October 8th – 10th in Boston, MA. We have been receiving a number of questions and felt it would be helpful to put together a FAQ for our community of Indoor Cycling Instructors.
Number one question we get…Do I need to be an ICI/PRO member to attend?No, this conference is open to anyone interested in improving as an Indoor Cycling Instructor.
Is there a charge for the Friday Night Reception? Nope 🙂 It's included in your conference registration. There is a $30.00 charge to attend the Saturday dinner.
If I don't get a bike for the Friday night ride, can I still attend? Absolutely! But you can see the benefit of signing up early – this will be a high energy very emotional and fun class – and it's in high demand! We encourage everyone to sign up as soon as possible to ensure you'll get a bike for the Friday night ride! Once we fill them, everyone else is very welcome to enjoy the energy and watch from the sidelines. The reception follows 30 minutes afterward.
I see there is a limit of 3 bike-sessions per day, but can I audit more?Yes, any registered attendee can audit any session (provided we don't go over the hotel's maximum room capacity – but that is doubtful). In fact, you may learn more if you do not ride occasionally, and sit on the sides and take notes. It's also better for your body to give it a break!
Can I attend the Pre-Con Workshops without registering for the conference? Yes. Please contact me directly john @ Indoorcycleinstructor.com (you need to remove the spaces in the email address.
Do I need to be certified to attend?Our preference is that attendees be certified Indoor Cycling Instructors. Please contact one of us if you have a special situation.
Can I get my initial Indoor Cycling Certification at this conference?We are offering an 8 hour Heart Zones Power Cycling Certification during Friday's Pre-Con, but no initial Indoor Cycling orientation or certification this year.
Why Boston and why this date?The survey we conducted said October was the preferred date. October 11th is Columbus Day, a holiday for many. Finding a host facility with less than 6 months lead time was very difficult, limiting our choices. The hotel we choose has a lot of experience hosting fitness conferences.
I would like to share a room. Do you have a way for me to I connect with another Instructor?There is a post over at Pedal On for just this purpose here.
I don't own an iPad (my birthday is soon Amy – in case you need an idea) but if I did I would want to use it in my class now that Spotify has an official iPad App! The biggest reason I would prefer it, over my iPhone, is the font size. The “Time Remaining” is nearly unreadable by me. My class is frequently laughing at me as I sit there, arm extended at full length, trying to read the @#$%^& time remaining in a darkened studio. Yes I know it would be much easier to just bring my readers… I'm just not quite ready to admit my age related vision impairment 🙁
Here's the video that shows the new Spotify iPad App.
We are less than 60 days from our ride around the Cabot Trail. The group has been very active – increasing distance to 55 km for morning rides, grades to 7+% for hill repeats and making lots of connections between the indoor and outdoor efforts in my classes.
We closed the opportunity to join us last week so that we’d have a consistent group with whom to train over the next two months. Twelve people will ride the Trail. At a maximum we had 17 people on one of our Sunday training rides. As word got out, friends of friends started to attend and we welcomed their interest. They will be invited to re-join us for some weekend jaunts this fall.
Here are some highlights relevant to the indoor/outdoor cycling interface.
We did a quick reconnaissance of the route last weekend and some of the descents are daunting. As I negotiated the road in a car I became painfully aware that no amount of indoor cycling can help people learn how to descend. We have been working on those skills outdoors but can’t reproduce the Trail experience nearby. I have contracted a Can-Bike educator to give the group a lecture and clinic. Meanwhile we’ll content ourselves with the knowledge that less prepared people ride the Trail every year and none of them have ended up in the ocean.
The transformation of individuals from bikers to cyclists is noticeable. I am most thrilled by Judy who panicked and bailed on her first attempt at a road ride last fall. She was the first to buy a new bike this spring, always turns in her training logs and is now one of our strongest riders. Better yet, when the group organizes its own trips during the week, she consistently chooses the one that will give her the greatest challenge. I am writing up an interview with her which I think will interest you as she describes the indoor to outdoor experience.
I teach in a facility with a mixture of non-power and power bikes. That precludes classes which are entirely focussed on power. Recently, though, I have been able to let everyone re-visit their FTP (60 min). The numbers range from 1.4 to 1.9 watts/lb (measured over 20 minutes and corrected for 60 minutes (x .90)) for the group who is doing the Trail. Remember – these were non-exercisers/non-cyclists a few months ago. They have all seen a huge increase in their power over that period. Better yet, their results are completely consistent with what they see in one another on the road. The power info has really helped the weaker riders understand the connection between indoors and outdoors.
You can read my earlier posts about preparing a group of Indoor Cycling students for our trip to ride the Cabot Trail here.
