This can't feel right - and what is that white strap sticking out? Communicate it!
In my class this morning I noticed that the saddle on one of the Star Trac NXTs was way out of adjustment. Ouch! That can't feel good to ride on no matter male or female. When I got closer I noticed that there was a white strap sticking out from the slider adjustment mechanism. This is a common problem that Josh Taylor showed me is solved on the latest NXT/PRO/Blade model Spinning bikes.
To communicate a problem like this in the past, I would run around looking for a pen and something to write a note on. Then, if I wasn't distracted by anything, bring the note into our Dept Head's office, with the hope she could understand what I had written (I admit – I have some pretty crappy handwriting) and would have someone make the repair before the next scheduled class. Very inefficient and it maybe the reason why in the past my requests weren't acted on…
But not this morning 🙂
Today I just snapped a quick picture with my iPhone and texted it to her. This picture clearly shows both problems. My Dept Head can then forward the pic to the maintenance people. Total time; about 30 seconds!
While I was taking pictures I noticed how the chain adjuster on this cycle was near the end of it's rage of adjustment.
Clearly time for a new chain - before someone gets hurt.
This means the chain is very close to needing replacement, i.e… it's worn out and there's a real potential for failure. A broken (or derailed chain from being too loose) is the most likely event that will injure one of your students! The time to replace the chain is now, before someone gets hurt and you are left wondering if you should have your own liability insurance policy to protect you from the near certain lawsuit to follow.
So I clicked another pic and hit “send” for a second time.
Flywheel's Torq Board – screen shot from youtube video
Updated: 11/23
Flywheel Sports is a chain of Indoor Cycling studios who started in New York city. They have had tremendous results and growth, now with 12 locations in three states; New York, Florida and Illinois. A big part of their success has come from a proprietary retro-fit system they have engineered to measure each rider's power and then display the real-time results on a screen. From their website:
… Additionally, for those who thrive on competition, Flywheel has developed the TorqBoard— an in-studio display that provides riders with the option to compare their performance against the rest of the class in real time.
The reason many students come to your class is for the community. Sure you maybe a great Instructor and include a lot of specific training into each profile you teach, but I'm convinced that the added element of friendly completion Flywheel's Torq Board brings is a big part of their success. Participants who are not achieving their personal fitness goals – read weight management goals – have a tendency to stop coming. We all understand that working harder (when appropriate) in class will increase fitness and burn additional calories. That's why so many of us are excited about power; for the first time our students can truly see what “working harder” feels like. Throw in the friendly completion part and you have the recipe for a fabulous sold out class
Beyond competition between riders, I see a remote display system like Flywheel's TorqBoard as solving multiple problems I'm hearing and seeing at clubs who have (or are considering) adding power based classes to their schedules:
Students have their heads down, completely focused on the display console – not on the instructor. With everyone riding with eyes forward they stay connected with you, the Instructor.
I can't see the display in a darkened class. A quick scan of your class will probably reveal an average participant age of 45-55 years old. Many of us (including me) have limited eyesight due to our age and when you dim the lights I'm nearly blind 🙁
Let's just add a constant back light to the console. Great idea until you realize that you will be replacing batteries at an even quicker rate than you do now.
Too many potential “computers” to fail. Henry Ford was famous for saying, “parts left off cause no service problems”. What if there was a system that eliminated the “computer” on each bike? Instead use a common system and eliminate some of the cost and maintenance concerns.
So let's say you think Flywheel's TorqBoard looks like something you would like to have in your studio… you can't have it. It's not for sale unless you are ready to become a franchised Flywheel Sports studio.
Enter Performance IQ and their new Top Power remote display system for studios using any of the Indoor Cycles with Power, including; FreeMotion S11.9, Keiser M3i, Schwinn AC or Spinner Blade Ion. Watch the shot video below to see this plug and play system at work at their second Beta site, Cycle Quest studio where I'm teaching. While it doesn't remove the existing “computer” on each cycle, it does solve the first three concerns I have listed above 🙂
To fully take advantage of Performance IQ's wonderful features, studios will want to offer a Bike Reservation system and data collection system that sends out those wonderful emails to each participant, showing them how many calories they burned in class.
If you're a new instructor you will soon learn what many of us old dogs figured out a long time ago; the change off of Day-Light-Savings is the trigger for many to move back indoors and hopefully back to your class 🙂
I teach a lot of early AM classes and look forward to this week, starting around October 1st when I'm looking at the 6 people at 5:54am.
You've probably heard the phrase timing is everything…
Well, if you want to take advantage of the one day of the year when people are most open to a change in their normal schedules, today the timing is perfect!
Think about this… How many people have to talked to who have said “I should really be getting to the club, before heading off to work each morning.” And yet something stops them – they don't have the discipline or desire to get out of bed early enough to make it to your class. But tomorrow is different. Many of us will wake up with plenty of time because our body clocks are on daylight savings time. If you catch people with an extra hour and then offer them something they already know they want, you could see a big improvement in your class numbers.
BUT YOU HAVE TO ACT TODAY – MONDAY AT THE LATEST
Communicate with your list of students (you do have a list, right?) telling them something simple that starts like – Hi Susan, if you're anything like me, tomorrow morning you wake up an hour earlier than you need to. Why not spend that hour riding with us?
Tomorrow morning is the day to teach your best class! You can take advantage of the time change yourself and get there early so you are relaxed and fully prepared.
And I mean YOUR BEST FUN CLASS. Forget about Heart Rate and Power for a few days and focus on delivering nothing but fun and enjoyment for your participants. And for gosh sake, please don't feel that with a bunch of new students you need to spend the whole class preaching about form and what not to do 🙁 this week should be nothing but positive affirmations if you want them to keep coming back.
Offer your students a reason to make your class a regular part of their schedule. We will be talking a lot about SYSTEMATIZATION (connecting multiple classes together) over the next month. After 25 years of sales experience, it's my opinion that your students will have the least resistance to committing to a series of classes this week. Tom Scotto has a great article about adding a Winter Training Program to your studio's schedule that addresses this in more detail.
It maybe as simple as asking each person you see to commit to coming to your class on a regular basis. In “sales speak” we call this asking an obligating question. A question like; “Sally, will I see you in class Friday?” can be very powerful because if they answer yes, they will feel obligated to show up Friday. Notice I didn't say “Sally, I would love to see you class Friday” which doesn't commit them to anything. Asking obligating questions is hard for many of us so don't be discouraged if you feel uncomfortable asking them. It maybe helpful to first think; “will coming to class Friday help Sally?” and if your answer is yes, then you should be able to communicate your desire to help Sally through a question that will help her get to your next class 🙂
You and your participant's desires are in perfect alignment this week; they want to use this change to start a new habit and you want them in your class… Now is the time to act 🙂
I know it's a little early to think about a warm vacation but I just had to post this. Instructor Brenda Moeske learned about Working Fitness Vacations on a Podcast. After talking to Amy last year at the conference Brenda scheduled her vacation to teach for the week at Couples Tower Isle.
She sent this quick email when she got back:
It turned out to be a fabulous week! I taught my last class (group fitness) class this morning. I did group fitness at 9 a.m. and spin at 5:00 p.m. I had some good classes! My participants said I was missing a great view!! They don't have us teach on Friday afternoons and of course Saturday's. What an amazing experience!! My husband has thanked me the entire trip and the hospitality has been wonderful!!! We have already been on the website planning our next one! Thanks again for letting us know about FitPro Travel!!!! See you in a week!
What she means by “See you in a week!” is that she will be at the conference again this year. Just look for the tan – healthy looking Instructor in the front row.
Amy and I have been to Couples Tower Isle a number of times and it's really a beautiful place. We have a whole website dedicated to helping you take a very low cost Working Fitness Vacation just like Brenda did last week. Go to workingfitnessvacation.com
Do you have one of these Watt Bikes? I would love to know more about them.
One of my objectives is to model proper form to my students.
[wlm_firstname] I'm guessing you will agree that proper form is a component of How You Look and it begins with having the proper setup for your bike. Unfortunately, as an instructor, we face a unique obstacle; “who helps us get set up properly?”
Every one of us has been trained in proper Indoor Cycle Setup and yet I've never experienced a certification or workshop that explains how to set yourself up.
Because you can't.
Sure, you can try. If you are anything like me you have your setup memorized and, like the seen on TV guy Ron Popeil, you set it and forget it! To compound this problem, many of us teach on different types of Indoor Cycles at different clubs. I'm currently teaching at four clubs and have to remember my set up on two versions of NXTs (yes the different generations are… different), Schwinn AC, FreeMotion and starting Monday on Keiser M3s.
Ask for help. But John, who exactly do you expect I ask?
For starters, another Instructor that you respect. Show up for their class and simply ask; hey Barb, it's been a while since someone has looked at my setup, can I get you to take a look?
You may be surprised by the response you get; sure, and then could you help me with mine?
Or you could very well have a competent student who would be honored to help you 🙂
Does your studio have the problem I show in this video? Most do and it causes a lot of inconsistency in the Fore-Aft location of the saddles when you use the reference number on the slider. Watch the video to see if this is something your manager should be aware of.
Master Instructor Clair Cafaro alerted me yesterday; “John, do you realize that you don't offer readers any reference information about bike setup?” “I have something that maybe helpful to new Instructors.” Clair had been reviewing our existing content, looking for “holes” in our coverage of Indoor Cycling. I checked and saw she was right. We did have this video CycleOps Indoor Cycling Bike Setup Video with Angie Sturtevant, but we didn't have anything a new Instructor could print and bring to class as a reference.
