While I was at Club Industry last month Josh Taylor walked me through a number of the improvements Star Trac has made to the new Spinner bikes/cycles. I'm never sure which word to use… they only have one wheel so technically they are “cycles” but I'm guessing you understand either way.
Providing a stable, secure platform for the riders in our classes is part of them actually enjoying the class. So if the cycle feels a bit tipsy because the floor isn't perfectly level, most manufactures offer adjustable “feet” on the bottom of each corner where you can make adjustments for an uneven surface. It sounds good in theory; put a rubber “foot” on a steel bolt, which is then screwed into the frame rail. Turning the “foot” changes it's length/height and you can easily adjust the bike to set flat on the floor.
But in real life that steel bolt tends to be corroded from sweat and nearly impossible to turn after a few years of use.
Enter Star Trac's very elegant solution; don't use steel, manufacture the bolt/foot adjuster from high-strength plastic. As you can see in this picture of Josh holding their new adjuster bolt/foot. Looking at the diameter of this thing makes me think it will support any giant who shows up at your studio.
One other thing: I'm aware of a club here in Minneapolis where they use the adjusters to tilt the cycle upwards slightly. I'm aware that cyclists on trainers will do something similar and the Tour de France bike you've seen advertised on Versus touts how their cycle tilts for and aft. Does it make sense to do this [wlm_firstname]?
I was alerted to a picture of the new Spinner® Indoor Cycle (it's not a bike) with power in the WSSC catalog. No other information is included but I see that Mark Tickner has sessions scheduled called Introduction to Power and Riding With Ultimate Power. I'm sending an email to Mark to see if he will divulge any additional information.
Based on what appears to be a conventional steel flywheel shown in this picture, I'm going to guess that the new Spinner® with power does not use Magnetic Resistance like the Schwinn AC Performance and Keiser M3. Eddy Current (Magnetic) resistance systems in the Schwinn and Keiser cycles require Aluminum flywheels. There is also a curious cover on the right hand side that houses something related to what they are referring to as their patent-pending drive train.
From the catalog:
We are letting our competition see the front of our new 2011 Spinner® because once it’s unleashed the only view they will ever have will be from behind… Twenty years ago, Spinning® started the group cycling revolution and the competition has been trying to catch up ever since. Six years ago, we changed group cycling design forever with the Spinner® NXT. In 2011 the new family of Spinner® bikes will explode out of the pack and leave the competition behind…again. Improved biomechanics, patent-pending drive train and user features never seen before will redefine the group cycling experience for all Spinning® enthusiasts. Come experience the ride at WSSC.
If you know more please let us know by commenting below.
Ok, so Schwinn has introduced their new bike that includes magnetic resistance and Power indication (Watts readout) and are rolling it out at this year's IDEA conference. Jay Blahnik is heading up their programing. (Yes, I'm working to get him on the Podcast…)
So where is the Spinning – Star Trac bike with power and watts? Or for that matter LeMond's?
I have a hard time believing that Mad Dogg / Spin Fitness would cede this ground to their competitors. Indoor Cycling 2.0 is going to happen, with or without Spinning's involvement. It will be fun to watch it happen!
Gene over at Global Ride has a whole studio full of new Keiser M3's with power and he is leveraging all that information in a way that is increasing his participants fitness and enjoyment.
Judith is a Spinning Instructor in Saudi Arabia where her husband maintains fighter jets for the Saudi Air Force! She wins a set of epicRIDES DVDs, courtesy of www.epicplanet.tv
I'm planning to interview Judith in the very near future. I'm very interested in hearing about the unique challenges faced by an instructor in a country that puts such severe limits on women. Here is an article from Reuters she passed on to me that illustrates what women in places like this face.Saudi Arabia clamps down on unlicensed female gyms
Here is my solution to one of my biggest frustrations: watching someone ride with little or no resistance. Bikes like the Keiser M3, Cycleops Pro 300PT and the new Schwinn A.C. Performance indoor cycle offer “Power” measurements that show how much actual work your are creating, but typical Indoor Cycling Bikes offer nothing.
So what do you do when you are stuck with a room full of Spinner NXTs? Watch the video for a simple method that anyone can use to measure the relative amount of work done in class.
Find a sheet of mailing labels, paint it with a flat spray paint.
IMPORTANT! Check to see where the resistance pad makes contact with the flywheel so it doesn't remove the lable. New Spinners and LeMonds come down from the top so the label needs to be placed like on the video. Newer Schwinn bikes & Johnny G bikes the pads grip from each side so the label goes on the outer face.
Let me know what you think about this by leaving a comment below.
Congratulations to contest winner 
My thermometer is old and doesn't seem to be available anymore.
