Guest post from ICG® Marketing & Product Director Gary Warren
It's just you and the bike.
No carbon fiber to make you lighter.
No high-tech gear shifters to make you faster.
No 29'er rims to roll over rocks more easily, or pro “slick” tires to fast-forward flat roads.
No drafting in the peloton to save you energy and maximize your sprint finish.
No coasting on undulating roads or single track trails with your “free-wheel” drive gear.
No GPS to navigate the fastest route. No tour guide on the trail to give you the best line over the next drop.
It's just you and the bike.
A fixed gear. A fixed altitude. And most true: a fixed attitude of doing what it takes inside to live your life outside.
John Howard (bio’d in Jim Karanas’s post, “Be Your Own Hero”) says it’s “not so much indoor cycling as it is inner cycling.” Not “a poor substitute for” riding on the roads and trails, but a chance to explore technique from a mind/body perspective.
The Indoor Cycle permits training and benefits as nothing else can.
“Why not go indoors,” Howard asks, “for phenomenal cycling efficiency?”
Constant, fluid, nonstop pedaling.
Everyone rides. Safely. Trains together, regardless of skill. Feels the miles disappear.
On a bike that doesn’t answer to temperature, weather, daylight, terrain.
Simplicity. It’s the Indoor Cycle’s greatest gift.
By Team ICG® Master Trainers Jim Karanas and Graham Stoney
Indoor cycling came from road riding and has retained that identity in most teaching systems. The ride positions, the hand positions, the cues and the philosophy follow the “roadie” way of riding. Yet, according to the U.S. Commerce Department, mountain bikes have outsold road bikes for the last 20 years.
So most people ride mountain bikes. But most training programs don’t take that into account when training instructors to teach indoor classes.
It would be understandable — if this were the ‘90s, when indoor cycling was just beginning. Off-road technique is often contrary to what we do on a road bike, so the translation to indoor classes might have been too confusing or challenging to teach. But times have changed.
ICG is a global company with a strong contingent of Master Trainers from Europe, the UK and California, locations where mountain biking is extremely popular. Off-road technique has been included in our education system since the beginning. Our bikes have handlebars that accommodate mountain-bike hand positions, making it easy to highlight off-road riding movements in our teaching. Still, instructors may find it difficult to start introducing mountain biking in their classes.
This article aims to help bridge that gap, no matter which bikes you use.
If the idea of an indoor cycling class is to create an experience, what could be more fun than to take our students on a trail occasionally, as opposed to a road? ICG believes in mountain biking and has dedicated a number of the forward-motion videos on MyrideÃ’+ to trail: fire trails, single track, sand, snow, grass and dirt.
You might be dismissing this idea because your club doesn’t have Myride+. But a mountain biking class is something you can teach without video.
You’ll find that teaching an indoor off-road class is more about your ability to create experience. It just takes the willingness to do something different. Words and music are a good start. Getting your students to “see” the various terrains and road surfaces can add depth, color, even poetry to your classes.
Jim recently presented “Mountain Rider” for first time in North America to instructors at CanFitPro, a major trainer conference held each year in Toronto. The response was overwhelming. Many IC instructors who are predominantly off-road riders showed up to learn how they could share with their students the way they love to ride outside.
Yes, the stunning Myride+ video made the class even more real. The incredible trail footage, accompanied by appropriate cues, brought many of the attendees to the trail for the first time and raised the class to artistry by creating immersion.
But, again, you can run a great class using good cues and music.
We’re going to share some basic class suggestions in this article and follow up with an Audio Profile that Jim is recording with John. The AP will feature a course profile, music and cues via podcast to help you bring off-road riding to your classes.
Mountain Rider coaching points:
Tell your class participants that, for today, they must forget much of what you’ve previously taught them about indoor cycling.
Mountain biking does work with energy zones, power, intervals and threshold, but pure, senseless fun usually supplants that roadie drivel.
Simulation begins with education. Teach them about the trail. Are we on a fire trail or single track? What’s the surface? What are the conditions? In mountain biking, the trail surface and conditions change the experience completely, along with the cues you’ll use and the experience you can create.
Introduce and use off-road terminology: compression's, rollers, washboards, steps, crowns and berms, high-side/low-side.
To begin teaching a class like Mountain Rider, you must move from the mindset of providing a workout to one of having a great time riding the bike. Road riding can be fun but is generally much more serious: grounded in science, training, getting it right in general. Mountain biking is hardly EVER serious. “Feeling alive” on your bike? There’s nothing like off-road.
You’ll want to keep in mind that some standard indoor cycling exercises don’t translate to off-road. You almost never jump, nor do you stand on climbs. This will be covered in Jim’s AP, which will also cover two ICG off-road movements, Wave Riding and Speed Bumps.
Off-road wisdom borrows next to nothing from traditional road-bike discipline. Mountain biking was born in the ‘70s. Hitting the trail with loosened inhibitions affirmed our spirit of adventure. That needs to be emphasized in your class when you go off-road. Well, that and experiencing innocent, down-to-earth cool.
The upcoming Audio Profile will bring life to the concepts presented here.
For an entertaining presentation of the differences between road riding and mountain biking, here are two videos to enjoy, preferably in order:
You can learn to teach MTB free if you’re one of the first 1000 to sign up for CECs on ICG. Take advantage of ICG’s free online CEC offer now.
It’s like herding cats, only the cats are on bikes.
You know, the internet is a wonderful thing. As the thought of herding cats came to mind, I subsequently embellished it mentally with our mode of delivery. I thought to my self…”hmmm I wonder if there are any pictures of cats riding bikes on the internet.” Silly me to even wonder if the absurd would not be just a google away. Indeed it was — just google “images of cats riding bikes” and behold, you even have choices. Gotta love it!
Anyway, yes, the “E” in Evidence Based Cycling is currently being collected by 10 or 11 volunteers, subjects, guinea pigs extraordinaire – call them what you like – but in my opinion, we are all self appointed researchers on a mighty quest for a peak into ourselves, our training and our sport. OK, maybe not so mighty, but a quest nonetheless.
A variety of things have already come up in our first week of gathering data. This is always the case — it’s the “you don’t know what you don’t know” factor that makes this (and frankly all of life) so much more interesting. You can plan for as many variables and issues of concern, but until you get in there and start DOING it — well, it’s all pretty academic. In the section below, I’ve listed just some of the issues that I have come across being both a participant, and as the contact person for my fellow researchers (this is the most appropriate moniker for everyone involved, just less fun than calling them guinea pigs).
Since these issues trickled in throughout the week, this communication will actually be the first everyone as a group will get of said adjustments. So to those of you reading but not participating… you’re seeing us learn and conduct the research in very real time.
Data Collection Adjustments
The Baseline Test. It turned out to be a little too aggressive at 25 Watt increases every 2 minutes, so we backed it down to 20 Watts. We don’t want our performance to be impacted by the element of change itself, and if the change comes too quickly, our response to it may mask the other effects we are measuring (HR, fatigue, etc)
Warm-up Protocol. In most of our baseline tests that involve power, we warm-up, then reset the bike, and start the test. However, in the process the heart rate drops — which is not a problem when the test includes a progressive ramp up. However, in our test, the test begins in mid Zone 3, at a specific cadence, with unspecified power. This means one must “dial it in” to establish a rhythm at that cadence and intensity level.
Consequently, the easiest way to do this was to work your warm-up to that level, and once comfortable (at least 15 minutes in) you would only need to reset a watch or anything with time in order to conduct the stages as originally instructed. There isn’t a need for any averages, so there was no need to reset to zero. We only want to find the muscle/fatigue failure point as it now stands.
Sitting or Standing. I got at least 1 question, and it became apparent to me while riding, that standing would be necessary for some people, despite the fact that most people know that we do almost 100% of our tests in the saddle to control variability introduced with this position.
The problem is exacerbated in this research also because both heart rate and cadence are typically impacted by standing. However, the need to stretch your legs varies by each individual, and truth be told, if the cadence and heart rate combination is what is going to produce the training effect we are looking for (improved muscular endurance), then if we can maintain those parameters out of the saddle, then position should not present a problem. Given the above, here are additional guidelines for doing your 15 or 30 minute M.E. drills out of the saddle:
If you can maintain a cadence between 73 and 77 and keep your heart rate between mid zone 3 and low zone 4, you can do as much out of the saddle as you like. Just keep track of the approximate % of time you spend out of the saddle, in the event there are patterns unanticipated that we might learn from.
If you only need short bouts out of the saddle to stretch, keep them to only 10 to 20 seconds at a time. Don’t worry about either cadence or heart rate, as they will likely not be impacted by such a short period of time.
Zone 3 or Zone 4? In our research protocols I noted that the less advanced or competitive cyclists should stay in Zone 3, while those presumably more accustomed to Zone 4 should target that zone. What I was looking for was really just some consistency in the execution of the weekly regiment of M.E. drills. However, the hypothesis is that the improvements in muscular endurance will occur if you can spend time within a given range of HR/RPM value pairs.
To be more precise, I believe low zone 3 to mid zone 4 is the breadth of the heart rate parameters, and 65 to 85 is the breadth of cadence ranges. However, there was no mechanical device measuring the improvements at 65 vs 85 RPM, nor at a heart rate of low zone 3 vs. mid 4. Yet, we know that the difference in how the legs feel between these bookend cadence and heart rates is absolutely undeniable. Consequently, we need to try and execute our work in a consistent and similar fashion for all data collected if we are going to draw conclusions from the result of our work.
Therefore, it is imperative for everyone involved in the research to be diligent in sticking within the following ranges:
Heart Zones® – 3 BPM below mid zone 3 up to 3 BPM below mid zone 4. That means when you fall outside of these heart rate parameters, you must adjust the tension to get the HR back on track.
Cadences — as listed above — outside of 10 — 20 seconds of stretching every 5 minutes, maintain an average between 73 and 77 RPM for every 15 or 30 minute drill.
Well, that’s our first week’s update. In the next week or two, I’ll begin to receive everyone’s data and I’m sure we will learn even more of what we didn’t know or couldn’t know, or maybe what we should have known… it’s hard to know, you know.
“I'm trained as an Instructor. I've earned multiple certifications, spent thousands of dollars and invested hundreds of hours, all with the purpose of delivering a great class to you today.”
“But many of you will probably judge me by my skills as a DJ… the one part of this class for which I have no formal education.”
It had to be the funniest thing I've ever heard said by another Instructor… well I thought it was funny, and I laughed out-loud when she said it during her opening of class. What made this humorous was a combination of her deadpan delivery and the unexpected honesty of her statement.
Could anything be more true about teaching an Indoor Cycling class?
To paraphrase the memorable line from a TV and radio commercial from Verbal Advantage; People judge you by the music you play…
In past surveys I've done, Instructors have said that they spend more time on music than any other aspect of their classes. I'm not sure this dependency on a great playlist, as the foundation of you class, is entirely healthy. But I can understand how it can become the focus of your class preparations.
So what's my suggestion for ensuring your class will enjoy your music selections?
Steal music ideas from others 😉
Here are a few places you can start:
Rolling Stone's Top 500 Songs of all Time. Especially if you have an older demographic, you can't go wrong with these past favorites. Most are so memorable that you could start a sing-a-long. Here's a link to the list and there's a partial list (385) you can find in Spotify.
Grab our list of the Top 404 Indoor Cycling Songs. These have been hand picked by other instructors and a class playlist created from them is a nearly guaranteed hit.
Subscribe to ICI/PRO where we have over 50 class playlists, created by experienced Instructors. Each playlist is tied to an easy to follow class profile that explains exactly how to teach the class; cues, timing – everything 🙂
Get the Shazam app for your iPhone or Droid and bring it to a popular Instructor's class. Shazam each song they play and the app will keep a list for you to “appropriate” into your playlist. Don't be surprised to catch an Instructor in your class doing this if you've followed suggestion #3
Consider a mixed class music service like indoorcyclingmusic.com A good DJ doesn't have gaps between songs – it wrecks the mood you want to create. If you don't have the hours to spend with MixMeister, this could really simplify your life 🙂
Maybe a better title for this blog would have been “The Devil’s In The Details”. Fortunately I did receive some offers from some real suckers… er… I mean some really nice riders who want to help me out as we take our walk in the enchanted forest of Muscular Endurance. But as any adventure worth taking goes, there is the planning and paperwork that must go along with it.
First there’s the inevitable “If you die it’s not my fault” waiver — every fitness facility and cycling studio has to have one, and if you do metabolic testing or mad scientist stuff like we are want to do, then you have to have a really BIG one.
Next you need some basic instructions to give to your test subjects unless you plan on supervising every minute of every trial. Don’t really have the time for that? I didn’t think so. No one does, but yet it is imperative that we keep everyone on the “same page”. What better way than to copy that page and give it to each one of them — we call that our data collection protocols (see how scientific sounding we make things). It’s really just instructions. it’s not rocket science, but it’s these little things that when missed, is like catching you napping in the poppy fields.
Data Integrity & Consistency
If we want to draw any sort of conclusions at all about our results, we need to make sure that we both execute the drill in a consistent manner, and collect or document each trial (the specific drills assigned to the study participants) accurately. Aside from being detailed in our instructions, we also should provide a spreadsheet or at least a paper form that will somewhat “force” each rider to speak the same language.
This not only helps with the consistency of reporting, but it will also make aggregating the data across each of the subjects easier to complete. I have therefore prepared a spreadsheet that has tables for recording both the Baseline (Pre-research or “before”) test and the Performance (the after-research) test. In addition, I have prepared 1 table for each of the 4 weeks in our study.
Oh My!
Finally, the “Oh My!” part of this adventure is here as I assumed that our subjects would want to print out the spreadsheet to help them record their numbers soon after their workouts since there is that risk of memory leakage (some of us more than others J ). Anyway, I looked at the “print view” and yep — that’s when I said “Oh My!” as I had to scrap 3 of the 4 tables and reformat the first one so it could be more easily printed — and then of course export them for both Mac and Windows versions. So you see, it really was a dark and scary forest with flying monkeys after all.
Any last minute volunteers are still welcome. I still don’t have 10 volunteers, but I must get started. Please comment on this post if you are going to participate, and you can find the forms and spreadsheets at this dropbox link. I have several versions of the spreadsheet so hopefully it will work for most participants: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/6bugjlb8wtew1iy/HdspfwB7D_
We start collecting data on Saturday 8/11, so please email me your waivers and any questions you might have. See you in OZ!
Recently, I started a discussion over at Pedal-on.com, a forum for cyclists, many of whom are indoor cycle instructors. The discussion dealt with using current, high-quality, coached video as a substitute for the sub.
Additionally, here on ICI/PRO, Jim Karanas tossed out the possibility of video subs, and John Macgowan did some research on how safe indoor cycling really is. You can access and read these posts, if you haven’t already.
The responses varied but were generally negative. Although many thought it OK to have video on hand “just in case” or “in a pinch”, none thought it a good idea as a general practice.
Much of the commentary included concerns for the safety of unsupervised riders (read John’s post: “How Safe or Unsafe Are Indoor Cycling Classes?”). Others felt the nickel-and-dime approach that clubs have adopted has eroded the member experience, and video subs are just another way to save a buck at the members’ expense. One particularly honest respondent just said, “Hopefully, this won’t be the newest thing to happen. What would we all do?”
What would we all do? It seems to me that’s not the question. The question is, rather, what are we doing to improve our craft?
Indoor cycling and instructors have been around for about 20 years. In that time, many changes have taken place. But the same old eight-hour certification is still the norm. And the same company from “back in the day” is still the leading provider, as well as the one most program directors recognize.
That is changing (maybe too slowly), and for indoor cycling, that’s good.
By far, the most notable changes are in bike technology and design. Today there are far more indoor cycles to choose from, with option packages that parallel those with the purchase of a car. Keiser M3, Schwinn AC, Free Motion S11.9, and the ICG® LIVESTRONG® bike are the major competitors of you-know-who.
For those of us wishing to improve our craft, it’s good news. With each new bike comes a college of education. And they’re sharing with us right here.
Most of the education is centered on how to use the new bike and its unique qualities to teach indoor cycling. These talented people, many of whom I’ve worked with closely, have done some remarkable work.
And it’s not just bike companies. That there’s an internet presence like ICI/PRO, dedicated to the sole purpose of helping us improve our craft, is a shining example of what I mean.
In just the past couple of years, Cycling Fusion® has blended the racing and certification arm of Stage5 Cycling with Sally Edwards Heart Zones Cycling to produce compelling education, especially around training indoors to ride outdoors. Sister company Global Ride® has been, and is, traveling around the world, filming video for DVDs that work equally well for live or virtual coaching.
FreeMotion’s Stages, led by Cameron Chinatti, has shown how much fun it can be to train with power. Please read her stuff here on ICI/PRO. I particularly like the discussion of getting back to RPE. True RPE.
Enter Team ICG®. They own the market share of indoor cycles in Europe. Here in the US, led by Jim Karanas, they teamed with Virtual Active to create MyRide®+. A thousand minutes of stunning Hollywood-caliber HD video in one stand-alone unit are programmed to allow an almost infinite number of forward motion video experiences. All of that is coupled with LIVESTRONG bikes, from which a percentage of the proceeds goes to fund cancer research.
It is not just the Johnny and Jay show anymore.
All of those mentioned above have their own web presence. Most can be accessed from ICI/PRO. There’s a ton of great free education, information and ideas with easy access that can rejuvenate your instruction. In my next post, I’ll talk about how to use these resources to add new dimensions to your teaching.
Have we hit the ceiling as indoor cycle instructors? No way!
So why not improve your craft? Consider it a personal challenge. What’s in it for you? How about renewed vigor for teaching? Or larger classes, more fun, meeting new people as word gets out about how great your classes are?
Will you make more money? Perhaps not right away, but you’ll go a long way toward securing your place on the lead bike, rather than being replace-able by a virtual coach.
We don’t sit up there on the lead bike just for the money. Affirmation from our riders is huge for us. Admit it.
