Social Media has grown to become the primary method of marketing for Indoor Cycling Studios. Which makes sense. Many of your prospective customers are active on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – and you can't beat the cost. All it takes is posting a few pretty pictures or clever sayings and SHAZAM! you get a bunch more loyal customers… right?
OK, it's really not that easy. I talk with studio owners every week who feel completely lost, with no clear strategy about how they should be using Social Media.
One common question I get is; “how can I know if my efforts at attracting, engaging and then converting followers are actually working?”
Instructor Cassie Piasecki is what I would describe as a Social Media Expert. She's responsible for all of the social promotions for Grit Cycle – a year old studio in Costa Mesa. CA that's crushing it. Part of their success, I'm guessing, comes from Cassie's obsession with everything social.
You can check out and then steal many of Cassie's ideas by following her blog | Facebook | Grit's Facebook That picture of Cassie is a fabulous idea all by itself – from Cassie's Instructor profile. Notice how it communicates some of her personality and personal interests? Check out all the other Grit Instructor profiles here.
I was excited to record this episode of the podcast with Cassie and share it with you.
[wlm_private ‘PRO-Platinum|PRO-Monthly|PRO-Gratis|PRO-Seasonal|Platinum-trial|Monthly-trial|PRO-Military|Schwinn-Instructor|PRO-Visitor|PRO-Studio|28 Day Challenge'] Enjoy!
Are these interviews helpful to you? Please let me know what else you'd like to learn by posting a comment below[/wlm_private]
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
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 🙂
Anyone who knew Jim, loved him. He was a very influential part of creation of what all of us recognise as Indoor Cycling today. Jim's knowledge of training was unequaled, as was his wisdom and understanding of what Instructors needed to do, to truly meet the physical and emotional needs and expectations of their participants.
All of us here at ICI/PRO benefitted immensely from Jim's insightful articles and Podcasts. This post of his profoundly changed my perception of my role as an Indoor Cycling Instructor. Three simple concepts that began the slow process of opening my eyes and accepting both the appeal and value of non-traditional forms of Indoor Cycling…
Who am I to decide?
If a workout session has to produce a result, you have a paradigm for unhappiness. Instead, my current approach is to create a training session that allows a person to get whatever he/she needs from the workout without interference on my part.
Just present the opportunity
As an instructor/trainer, my job is to create a situation and an environment in which members can experience the benefits of physical exercise, and nothing more. Which benefits these are will vary with the individual, and it’s important that I never assume what they could or should be.
Then accept their choice without judgement
I offer suggestions but recognize that this is their path. I can't overshadow it with what I think they should do with, or gain from, their training. That’s not my job and would be a misuse of the trainer role.
Shortly before we lost Jim, he wrote Non-Authentic Indoor Cycling. If you haven't read it please take a moment and do so, because it describes his progressive vision for Indoor Cycling and what he felt would be our roles as Fitness Professionals.
If non-authentic IC is going to make a mark, why not embrace it for what it is — a way to train on the bike that makes (some) people fit and happy?
…
Why shouldn’t any and every indoor cycling program be taught by those who are truly qualified to teach indoor cycling? That would be the likes of us. We know indoor cycling best. We could create a program — inauthentic fluff, if you will — that’s still authentic in its safety, structure and cardiovascular benefit. Why not?
Interested in being part of a group of Instructors who believe like Jim did?
Click Image to learn more about training for ICI/PRO Members.
Hi John,
Since you are a Spotify guru, I thought you might know the answer to this question: Spotify says their music is for non-commercial use and that you can't use it to play at even a school. I haven't found anything from Spotify mentioning that it isn't allowed in fitness classes, and I know a LOT of people (including myself) who love to use it. Any thoughts?
This is from Spotify's page:
Can I use Spotify to play music in my bar, restaurant, store, school etc?<https://support.spotify.com/us/learn-more/faq/#!/article/public-usage>
ANSWER: No, the Terms & Conditions<http://www.spotify.com/se/legal/end-user-agreement/> that you agree to when registering for Spotify state that Spotify is for personal, non-commercial use.
We discussed this exact concern two years ago when we were just getting our feet wet with Spotify.
Before I got too excited, I decided to check what other Terms and Conditions I have agreed to — who reads those things anyway? It turns out that every music service or music software I use is restricted to Personal Use Only. Let’s go down the list:
iTunes has a similar restriction — (i) You shall be authorized to use iTunes Products only for personal, noncommercial use.
Windows Media Player from Microsoft — Unless otherwise specified, the Services are for your personal and non-commercial use.
My copy of MixMeister Express (no link) says: You may only use the MixMeister Software for Your private, non-commercial use.
You can add Deezer to that list:
The Developer agrees that the use of the Services is strictly limited for a non-commercial purpose and in a non-commercial environment.
It means that the Developer shall not perceive, receive, generate, benefit or create directly or indirectly, any moneys, incomes, revenues, data or any other consideration in connection with the use of neither the Services themselves, nor any and all Content accessed through the Services.
So am I screwed? Do I need to learn how to perform as a one-man-band?
No
Are you prevented from using Spotify, iTunes, Windows Media Player or MixMeister to produce and deliver music for your class tomorrow?
I’m not an Attorney, so that’s going to be your choice. I certainly don’t want to be advocating you do something that’s potentially in conflict with something you have agreed not to do… but I personally don’t see this as comparable with using music that’s been illegally downloaded in some fashion. Actually just the opposite.
You’ve heard me state on this recent Podcast about music licensing that; as a content creator, I’m very much against the distribution of copyrighted materials without due compensation given to the creators.
My feeling is that as long as the studio is properly licensed for playing music, this won’t be seen as much of an issue. Music labels are already dealing with the enormous amount of illegal file sharing that happens every day. iTunes changed how many people acquired music by creating a service that’s so convenient (and secure) that millions of people would rather pay a $0.99 than waste their time going elsewhere.
Like iTunes, I believe that Spotify can actually reduce the amount of sharing that ends in no revenue for the record labels by offering a convenient method of finding and accessing music.
That said, I want to offer this disclaimer: Links to Spotify playlists you find here are intended for your personal use only.
What do you think about this?
Do you have a question or problem we can help with? If so, please let us know and we'll do our best to answer it for you.
Here's a great opportunity for Indoor Cycling Instructors and Studio Owners to attract and serve a new demographic of riders – active seniors!
With over 12 MILLION members and 13,000 locations, SilverSneakers is a kind of quiet giant in the fitness industry. Participating senior citizens, across America, can take advantage of free access to health clubs and wellness centers that's paid through their health insurance.
The SilverSneakers FLEX program is designed for individual Fitness Instructors wanting to offer classes and activities at non-traditional locations. I've never stopped to ask, but I'll bet the large group of seniors we pass exercising in a local park on our Sunday AM bike ride is a FLEX class.
FLEX could be the perfect way to add some additional classes to your studio's schedule. Our FLEX approved Parkinson's Cycling classes are best conducted between 10:00 and noon. Seniors tend to eat dinner early (join us for the 4:30 blue plate special) so they might be open to a Senior Cycling class around 3:00pm.
FLEX Instructors are paid directly by SilverSneakers, so there's no cost to the participants. You can learn more by listening to this interview with Stephanie Wong – the Vice President, Field Operations for SilverSneakers' parent company Healthways, Inc. You can email her with questions; stephanie.wong@healthways.com
SilverSneakers is an industry-leading fitness program for older adults. It is delivered through a nationwide network of participating fitness locations such as YMCAs, Curves®, gyms, wellness centers and other facilities.
Our qualified SilverSneakers instructors will have the training and skills necessary to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population that values high-quality, personalized service.
Interested in finding out about our new FLEX instructor program? Click Here to download the program brochure.
Interested in becoming a SilverSneakers instructor? Click Here for more information.
ICI/PRO member & 
