Great post and well detailed. I appreciate all the great articles you post.
The challenges you described are all too familiar to me. I’ve found a simple solution that works for my indoor cycling classes, and is based on my experience running a small business that provides software training classes. In that capacity, we teach software productivity courses (1, 2 and up to 5 day workshops) where there could be 20, 50 or even 100 participants. The distractions are numerous: participants checking their emails, texting, talking to their colleagues, etc. It is unfortunate because they have to bring their laptops and mobile devices to class. So, in order to deliver a more effective training session, we first had to understand the causes of distraction:
1. People use training classes, and for that matter, indoor cycling classes as a social venue, a “catch-up” of sorts. They meet friends, colleagues and chit chat about their families, work or other issues.
2. We are all wired, 24/7. The availability of mobile devices and the need to have them tends to add another layer of distraction. There is nothing more frustrating than being asked to repeat a key topic during a training class only because the person who asked was checking their email.
We found the solution to be tricky. The effectiveness of the solution, however, was in its simplicity.
1. Establish a basic ground rule and make them promise to respect it.
At the beginning of each software training class and also at the beginning of each indoor cycling class I teach, I ask all participants to silence their phones, avoid chatting, and in the case of software training classes, I ask them to not check their email, instant messaging or texts until break time. Then, and this is key, I request that they promise to respect this rule. I know we are all adults here, but sometimes, you have to go back to basics.
2. Make them commit to the belief that the class is their time, their investment and thus, their reward.
Again, at the start of each class, I define the objectives of why we are here and what we are trying to accomplish. For indoor cycling classes, I simply state that for next 60minutes, this will be “your time” where you focus on your health and mental well-being. I ask all participants to take a moment to empty their minds of all distractions, worries and anxiety and leave those outside the studio (to be collected later of course). Then I ask that we all respect our collective time by not creating distractions. [I love this line!]
With these two basic rules, I have found greater success in creating an experience for riders that extends beyond the social gathering aspects. In fact, I hear frequent feedback from riders that in that one hour, they have found a way to re-focus and re-recommit; to re-balance and de-escalate; and, to have fun and enjoy the workout at the same time.
In closing, the important of establishing these ground rules will define you as an instructor who places a high priority on the participants’ time and commitment. They will respond in kind.
I coach a four month long winter training camp that offers 14 indoor cycles and 6 bicycle trainers. This allows participants to bring their own bikes, mount them on the trainers and ride alongside the stationary bikes. Everyone gets a fantastic experience with this mix. But there are a few things to know about mixing trainers and spinners.
Why offer Road Bike Trainers? Having bike trainers as part of your program will expand your market, increase your class capacity with a small budget, and give new interest and challenge for instructors and riders alike.
There are three important things to consider if you are mixing spinners and trainers in the same room: Why BYOBike, Location/Set-Up/Noise, and Cueing for Instruction. 1.) Why BYOBike?
Why would someone want to bring their own bike in the first place? For a number of reasons, using your bike on a trainer is a more realistic experience.
It’s About Fit.
The fit is just better on a “real” bike. Owners of bikes have the seat/handle bar location adjusted, a saddle that they are accustomed to, and crank positions that fit their body. If not, this is a great opportunity to help your riders with a proper bike fit.
Vital to fit is that the spread of the pedals on your own bike is the right width. I find that on some brands of spinners, the pedals are set much wider apart than you’d find on a road bike. This can cause knee pain. We tested the Kaiser M3 bikes at my Club and several riders (me included) experienced knee pain. While I like many features on the Keiser M3, I discovered that the pedals are set 1” wider than the Lemond Revmaster. This can be a make or break in comfort and dissuaded us from purchasing the bikes.
Practice with Changing Gears
While it is not quite like riding outside, riding your own bike on a trainer does give you practice in shifting gears and learning your own gear ratios related to work effort. We’ve had many riders who bring in a new bike and want to try it out to “learn the bike” before taking it outside.
It’s a Harder Ride
On your own bike, there is no help from a weighted flywheel. If you are not pedaling on a bike, the wheel stops going around. That means every pedal stroke counts a little bit more. It is 100% your own effort.
Spinning bikes are a “fixed gear” with a weighted fly wheel that retains energy which means you are getting assistance with every pedal stroke from the momentum of the flywheel, especially at high RPM.
Trainers are 20% the Price
Bicycle trainers are about $350 compared to a spinning bike at $1800 (of course, prices vary wildly for both of these options). If you want to add more bikes to a room, you could add 5 trainers for the price of one Spinning® bike.
I use Kurt Kinetic Fluid trainers because they are fairly indestructible and give a very smooth, quiet ride. All you need is the trainer, a mat, and the front wheel cup. When you mount a bike to a trainer, the rear wheel has now been lifted off the floor by several inches. To avoid feeling like you are riding “downhill” (since the front wheel is lower than the back), you need to raise the front wheel. Most brands of trainers come with a front wheel support. I like the supports that offer a variety of tire sizes and heights — sometimes you may want to even raise the front tire higher than the rear if you are going to focus on a hill climbing workout. This will help to put the rider’s body in a more realistic climbing position.
In a pinch, if I don’t have a front wheel support, I’ll use a riser from a step aerobics bench. They are about the right height to level the bike.
Who you Attract
You want your program to meet the needs of a variety of participants. With trainers, you will attract riders who may otherwise never consider a “spinning” class. The cyclists who want to go through the trouble of bringing their own bikes to a class are usually the ones who are avid outdoor riders. This will expand your market — with a low cost – to a whole new group of cycling enthusiasts. Of course it will be up to you, as an instructor, to make it worth their while. And your spinning participants may see the bikes on trainers and develop the interest to take up biking outdoors. This makes your members much more likely to continue with bike related fitness programs.
2.) Location, Set-up, and Noise
OK, let’s say you are going for the mix of indoor cycles and trainers in you class. What can you expect?
Location
Where, oh where, do you put the BYOBers? Near the entry door.
With years of experimentation on where to physically put them in the room, I have found that it is simplest to group them nearest to the entry door. This makes it easier for navigating the bikes in and out of the room. Plus you want all the trainers in one area. Close proximity makes it easier to give specific cues to the trainers vs. the others. I can look at the group on trainers, give the cue, and know they are staying on track with the rest of the group.
Dirt
Bikes can be dirty. We require that the riders bring clean bikes and clean shoes to class. Plus we always have them wipe down their mats after class. This helps everything stay clean. If you can set up a bike cleaning station outside of your facility, you will win the hearts and admiration of cyclists.
Set-Up
We provide the trainer, on a mat, with a front wheel cup. A bike on a trainer takes up about 30% more length than the foot print of a spinning bike. I usually set the trainer off the back of a typical bike mat with the front wheel cup at the front of the mat. This way the sweat from the rider still falls on the mat.
As an instructor, you need to know how to attach the bike to the trainer. There are several steps to be aware of. I usually let the rider set up their own bike, but if they haven’t done it before, you’ll need to give them help. We always have a floor tire pump on hand because tires should be filled to the correct pressure to have the best ride on a trainer.
1. Rear Skewer
Most trainers have some sort of screw on cup that attaches to the rear wheel skewer on the bike. Some bikes have skewers that will not fit in these attachment points. It is a good idea to have loaner skewers on hand (Kurt Kinetic Trainers come with a skewer that will fit the trainer) and you can swap it out for the rider. It is simple to do, but you should be confident in what you are doing. If you have any questions about how to swap out a skewer, go to your local bike shop and have them show you how before you do it on someone else’s bike. Chances are that your rider will know how to do this.
2. Jiggle Test
Once the bike is mounted to the trainer and before you add the tension to the rear wheel, make sure the bike is stable. I simply grab the frame and give it a jiggle. If the bike seems a little wiggly, increase the tension on the axel mount. If the bike is stable, you are good to go.
3. Skid Test
After adding tension with the resistance roller to the rear wheel, grab the wheel and give it a tug to spin the wheel. Does it skid on the resistance roller? If it does, then apply more resistance to the rear tire. Tug it again. When there is no skidding or squealing, you are ready.
Before class starts, it is a good idea as an instructor to give each bike the jiggle and skid test.
Noise
Yes, bikes on trainers are louder than the stationary bikes. That sound, the revving of the bike tires on the trainers, gives added “feel and fuel” for everyone as you increase/decrease speeds through your workout. If you aren’t used to wearing a microphone when you teach, you may want to start.
The noise level of the trainer will depend on two things: the trainer model and the tread on the bike wheel. Some models of trainers are simply noisier. That is why I like the fluid trainers — they tend to be quieter.
More tread (and wider tire) = more friction = more noise. A smooth tire will be much quieter than a knobby one. If you notice a rider with a noisy tire, suggest for the purposes of the class that they switch out their tire to a narrow smooth one. This will also reduce the wear and tear on their regular tire.
I'll follow up next week with how I actually teach one of my BYOB (Bring your Own Bike) Indoor Cycling Classes.
John's note: We're excited to have Coach Robin (AKA CycleMole) on the ICI/PRO Team and I can't wait for her to share her story about where the name CycleMole came from and I'm super interested in learning exactly what it takes to ride around the world on a bicycle!
Robin Robertson
Creator of Cycle Moles: Indoor Cycling for Outdoor Adventure
USAC Level 2 Coach, ACE Personal Trainer www.cyclemoles.com www.powertopedal.com
My guest in this PRO Podcast episode wants to help you develop a 1,000 Watt Presence & express yourself brilliantly. It starts with“taking a personal inventory” of yourself interacting with and teaching your class.
Listen as communication expert Alexa Fischer explains why recording yourself interacting and teaching your class is the first step to making small improvements to how effectively you present to and communicate with your participants.
About Alexa Fischer
There’s nothing like a 1,000 Watt Presence to ignite and inspire everyone you meet. In case you have lost touch with your own star qualities, Alexa Fischer knows how to bring out your inner light. She has transformed normal civilians into confident, dynamic speakers. The results? Less Fear. More FUN. And maybe some fame if you’re a really dedicated student! Alexa is a graduate of Northwestern University, B.S. in Speech, and The Yale School of Drama, M.F.A. in Acting. She has appeared on countless episodes of hit television shows and national commercials. Beyond the television, her audiences include entrepreneurs, non-profits, corporations and teens.
Listen to my interview with Alexa below or you'll find it in the ICI/PRO members only iTunes feed.
Here is a past Podcast that explains an easy way you can record your own class, using your iPhone or Android phone.
Click the image for more information on Alexa's course
I spent the morning thinking of some overwhelming wisdom to impart for 2018. I thought about clever phrases that would sum up the entire 2017 in 4 words or less, and power phrases that would inspire us all to be better, stronger and faster.
As I was doing this, I thought back to my the last class I taught in 2017, It was Thursday evening at the Robinson LA Fitness here in Pittsburgh PA that I was subbing, and it was a 4:30-5:30 class that only had about 8 participants. It is always a challenge for me to maintain my excitement and enthusiasm for a smaller class, but on that Thursday there were a few people in the group that I had ridden with before, so I felt connected and had a great ride. Actually, I am not sure there is such a thing as a bad ride, the worst ride is still always better than not riding!
I will pass along what I told the class: “We are about to embark on January, you know the time of year when the gym is busy, really more than busy, it is packed. It is our tendency to get a little aggravated because our routines are off. There is now someone on ‘My' bike in the spin room, and I can not find a bench to use for lifting. I get it, I have been there for about 30 years now. But….I challenge you to breathe deep and be patient (not one of my talents). Let us welcome these new fitness enthusiasts into the gym and into our classes. Help them out if needed, and let's show them how to be a respectful and courteous member through our example.
Just think, the few minutes we give up waiting may change the life of someone else for the better which is a gift that will continue for a lifetime. Maybe, just maybe, they will stick with it and pass along the same joy of exercise to someone new next year.”
ICI/PRO member & Cycle Quest Studio owner Joe Ducosin hosted Olympic Gold Medalist Dara Torres at his studio last week – and the results were a bunch of free local media that promoted his studio.
Dara was in town to promote the new women's specific FitClips headphones she helped design for KOSS Headphones. They also seem to work just fine for men – the pair Dara gave me fit really well, that is after she showed me how to insert them properly.
What was really unique about this promotion was how they used Joe's studio as the place to demonstrate the FitClip headphones to members of the media that included; multiple on-air personalities + a half dozen local bloggers. Each Keiser M3 was wired so each rider could experience the class through their headphones, instead of the studio's sound system.*
I met with Dara in the morning and recorded this short interview.
Then in the afternoon Dara and Joe lead a fun class for all the media folks and a number of Cycle Quest Instructors.
Cycle Quest Instructors with Dara Torres
I waited a few days, before posting this, in order to see how much promotion resulted for KOSS and Cycle Quest. Here's what I've found so far – with a few more stories not yet published.
Would something like this work for your studio? It wouldn't have to feature Dara Torres, I'll bet there's a celebrity who lives near to your studio and they're likely to be connected to some product or service that you could help them promote 🙂
I'm not sure where else KOSS and Dara plan to hold these events (they've done a few already), but I have their contact information and could forward your info on to them if you'd like to be considered. Just leave a comment below.
*This actually reminded me of the very early days of Spinning classes, at the Flagship Athletic Club where Amy taught back around 1995ish. The 25 or so Schwinn built JohnnyG Spinners were set up in a corner, but not a closed room, so music from the class would be disruptive to the other areas of the club. So instead of speakers, we all wore headsets connected to a Walkman /portable radio that was tuned in to an FM station to hear the music and Instructor's cuing. At times this was a real hassle, but riders rarely talked during class and there was something special about having the Instructor's voice right in your head 🙂
Are you still as deeply passionate and in love with instructing as you used to be? If the answer is yes, good for you! If it is not, then good for you! You are about to be reminded of some things that perhaps you have forgotten.
It was the spring of 1985 and I will never forget the first time I saw someone teaching an “aerobics class”. Yes, that’s what we used to call what is known today as a “Group Fitness” class. It was absolutely intriguing. So much energy, rhythm and sweat! The music was playing (yes, sweatin’ with the 80’s) and my body starting moving. I was a junior in high school, and even though I was an athlete I had never done (or seen) this type of workout. I asked the owner of the gym how I could “do that”? She told me I could join the gym and start taking classes. To which I replied, “No, I don’t want to take the class, I want to teach the class.” She smiled, as she asked me if I had ever taken a class before. I told her no, but that I wanted to learn how to teach like the instructor that I was watching. She responded by telling me that the first place to start was by taking classes. I signed up and started training. Several weeks later I became certified and the rest is history. That was 32 years ago, and it seems like just yesterday that I put on my red unitard (yes, that’s what we called them), and white leg warmers as I began a journey that has never lost its passion for me!
When you are truly passionate about something, not only will you keep coming back for me…year after year. But your followers will do the same.
What is passion? Although I use this word a lot, I decided to find out what my trusty pocket dictionary had to say about it. (Thank you “Dictionary App”) “Any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling…” “The state of being acted upon or affected by something external, especially something alien to one’s nature or one’s customary behavior…”
That led me to the words, powerful and compelling. What do they really mean?
Powerful: “physically strong…producing great physical effects…having great effectiveness…having great power, authority or influence…”
Compelling: “having a powerful and irresistible effect; requiring acute admiration, attention or respect…”
Wow…by nature, when you are genuinely passionate about what you are doing, you will have the capacity to do something alien to your previous nature or customary behavior.
Naturally, you will also become physically strong(er), produce great physical effects (in yourself and others), have great effectiveness, and great power (previously mentioned), authority and influence! Would you like a little (or a lot) of that?
Passion equates to power. Being passionate equals being powerful. This leads to you being compelling, which ultimately will draw others (your students) to you. This is magnetic and multiplicable (Is that a word? Well, if it’s not…it is now. And it means that your magnetism will lead to exponential multiplicity. J) That means that you and those around you will experience expansion that comes from a rare and organic source deep within you. Thus, gaining you the “acute” (not “a-ugly J) admiration, attention or respect that you deserve (and let’s face it, quite possibly “DESIRE”).
Don’t you just love the power of words? I do too!
But these are far more than just words; they are a representation of the value (your core) that resides inside of you and every passionate leader. If it’s just “lip service”, then it really isn’t passion and therefore you will continue to seek something that seems distant and unattainable.
So let’s talk about this for a moment. What if you had passion for being a fabulous instructor, but somehow you seem to have misplaced it? Perhaps it’s hidden somewhere with your thong leotard and headband? OMG…has it been that long?
Thank God we don’t have to go back to move forward, but sometimes we need to go within so we do not have to go without. What do I mean by this?
Sometimes when it seems as though we have lost something that we thought we once had, we long for what some may refer to as “the good ole’ days”. It’s something we may long for, but is not possible to attain. Come on, would you really want to go back to using tapes, choreography, thong leotards, and leg warmers? O.K., maybe the thong leotards…they really did make our butts look smaller, don’t you think? JK! J Do you really want to go back to the stationary Air-Dyne bike that pumped your arms as you pedaled with your legs?
If you want to long for something and fully attain it, long for discovering your true passion. What compelled you to become an instructor in the first place? Do you remember it like it was yesterday? (I do!) Do you remember how excited (and nervous) you were to teach your first class? Do you remember the first time a student told you what a huge difference you had made in their life? Do you remember how great it felt to proudly tell your friends and family that YOU had become a fitness instructor (or perhaps an aerobics instructor…or cycling instructor)? You had a goal and you accomplished it. Why?
It’s time to tap into the reason you started in the first place, and give thanks for a dream fulfilled and a goal accomplished. It’s time for you to awaken the passion within you, and move ahead as you “make love” with what you are doing every time you do it. Let the sizzle inside you penetrate those around you. Then you, my friend, will be the instructor that your students cannot wait to see again!
Experts say that “sex sells”…well true LOVE not only sells, but it also pays…and it pays big! Pay yourself what you’re worth by investing your heart and soul into every class that you instruct, and watch what happens to not only your class…but also your own personal CLASS!
When you do what you love and love what you do…you will love YOU, and so will everyone around you! This is exactly how to be the Instructor (Inspirer) that your students can’t wait to see. It begins with being the instructor (Inspirer) that YOU can’t wait to see!
ICI/PRO member & 
