Then Instructor Gregory Ortiz sent me a link for this BlueTooth Music Receiver that's only $20.00 and I ordered one as a Christmas present for myself – I have very simple needs 🙂 The total with shipping was a very reasonable $21.69.
I used it for the first time this morning in class and it worked flawlessly. I don't use any other BlueTooth devises with my iPhone (my previous experience with BlueTooth was with a very finicky BlackBerry) but it was very easy to pair. After a reassuring beep that signaled the receiver was paired to my phone, I fired up Spotify and like magic the music began to play. I ran around the 45 bike room to check if it would lose the connection – it worked everywhere 🙂
Then I remembered; airplane mode, John!
Unless you are interested in having your class interrupted by a call, airplane mode is mandatory when you use a smartphone… but then will BlueTooth still work? It turned out that on an iPhone the BlueTooth setting is separate and functions in airplane mode – I'll check to confirm if this is true on an Android ASAP – Yes it is.
I really like this BlueTooth Music Receiver because it doesn't use batteries. You just plug it in and connect the sound system's cord that would normally plug into your device. With BlueTooth on every smart phone, I see this as a must have accessory for any Instructor who would prefer the option of riding with their class, while keeping control of your music.
Tuesday has been reserved as Technology day here at ICI/PRO and this new iDJ – Numark app for iphones and iPads certainly fits this category. I've been playing with this new app from the MixMeister folks for a while and thought I would give you my initial thoughts on it's suitability as a tool you could use to create a seamless playlist for your class.
But first I need to vent a bit. I've attempted to contact Numark – the company that creates and sells MixMeister and this new iDJ software multiple times without success. Questions about the use of their software and requests for interviews have been ignored. Now I realize that being the independent resource for Indoor Cycling Instructors may not mean that much, but really… does anyone even look at your “Contact Us” emails?
The iDJ iPhone app is actually pretty cool… if you are willing to fight through the learning process with no manual or tutorials to help you along. There is a tutorial for iPad owners – but it doesn't translate well for the iPhone user.
Once you figure out how to import your desired tracks from iTunes (as far as I can tell you can't import a whole playlist – and no it doesn't work with Spotify) iDJ will go through and find the BPM for each song. Next it will create a Beatmix transition for each track. Great if you have a playlist of dance music all at 120 – 130 BMP. Not so good if you're trying to use one song at 180 BPM which blends into the next at 128 BPM. The effect is as if the 180 BPM song gets stuck in a tar pit and slows down to very slow.
Play with iDJ a little longer and you may/may not discover that you can change the default Beat Mix to a simple cross fade – which is the only transition that will work with songs with big BPM differences.
In fairness to Numark, iDJ (like MixMeister) is really designed for club DJs, not Spinning instructors like us. Dance music falls within a very narrow BPM range.
If I have the time I may look to creating a video tutorial for using iDJ in the near future. iDJ – Numark
Here's a great idea from ICI/PRO Member Instructor Chuck Gauran that has me smacking my forehead; “why did I think of that?”
With all the excellent, structured Virtual Ride videos available, I'm to the point where it's rare to teach a class without one. I teach to the profile of the video as much as possible so there's a synergy between what I'm coaching and what everyone is watching.
To teach effectively I need to watch the video, right along with the class. So I prefer to ride with the class, rather then up front facing them. I use the mirrors to keep an eye on everyone so it's all good… except I have to leave my iPhone on the sound system – out of reach. So I don't have any option to make volume or track changes if needed. I have a 15′ cord I've tried to use but it's been more hassle than help.
As far as I know, every Smart Phone has Bluetooth built in so you should be ready. iPod users can purchase a Bluetooth Dongle that will plug in and have you ready to go wireless in your next class.
Moxie is founded by Brooke Freiborg and Deb Amorde, two hard working entrepreneurs here in Minnesota who have designed performance cycling apparel that meets the unique needs of women.
Brooke and Deb have seen great success with their new jerseys and with the weather turning cold, they’re eager to introduce them to Indoor Cyclists. These smart women recognize that most all the major apparel brands offer a special Instructor Discount Program. So, beginning November 14thMoxie Cycling will be offering PRO members a special 40% discount on their fabulous line of cycling apparel.
I wore my cute diamond jersey for the very first time to my 715 am class this morning. Guess what? My class was awake!!! Upon entering the studio, three women immediately commented on how cute my “shirt” was. They REALLY loved it when they found out it was a cycling jersey. Four more women after class also commented on how much they liked it. (Could this also be a commentary on the boredom level of my current workout wardrobe?) I then taught my Barbell Strength class and had to give the Moxie information to a participant going on a bike trip next weekend!
Here's the great thing: to kick things off, Brooke and Deb at Moxie Cycling Co. would like some feedback from five ICI/PRO members (sorry guys- we have been buying scaled down men's jerseys long enough!) who would be willing to teach 3-4 classes and submit a good picture of you wearing your free Moxie Cycling Co. jersey. We are also asking that you participate in a recorded focus group call with me, Brooke and Deb mid-November over Skype. Because of the difficulty coordinating a call over widely spaced time zones we can only accept testers in North America.
Sound good? If you would like to participate please leave a comment below. We will then contact you by email for your shipping info.
As a habitual inventor / innovator, I love seeing others create new products and then work their butts off trying to make a business out of it. As someone who tends to leave his water bottles fermenting in his gym bag it's easy to understand how having a bottle you can wash from both ends is a good thing.
If you watched the Tour of California or this year's Tour de France you may have seen Bottle Boy running with the riders as they pass. What an awesome idea for gaining some free publicity.
Here is a quick interview Bob Roll did with Clean Bottle inventor Dave Mayer at the Tour of California.
We had a near disaster at this years conference that could have been easily prevented. Without using any names, one of our scheduled presenters contacted us three days before the conference to tell us her computer's hard-drive failed and she lost her presentation power-point + everything everything else on her computer. The last time she had backed up her computer was many weeks before the failure and now she was looking at $500.00 or more to have a service “recover” as much data as possible. She had to literally reconstruct her entire presentation using her handout.
Had she subscribed to an automatic backup service like Carbonite this would have been a minor inconvenience, instead of a major panic.
I talked about this during my presentation on using iTunes and explained how I had a similar hard-drive failure last year. Because I use Carbonite, I was able to purchase a new hard-drive locally (about $70.00) and with a few clicks restored everything in just a few hours. I lost nothing.
Did I mention she uses a Mac? She could have easily borrowed someones computer, downloaded the files she needed and be ready to present in about 5 minutes.
Don't be foolish. It's less than $5.00 a month. Sign-up now.
that you can purchase from Amazon for just $32.99
that will plug in and have you ready to go wireless in your next class.
We had a near disaster at this years conference that could have been easily prevented. Without using any names, one of our scheduled presenters contacted us three days before the conference to tell us her computer's hard-drive failed and she lost her presentation power-point + everything everything else on her computer. The last time she had backed up her computer was many weeks before the failure and now she was looking at $500.00 or more to have a service “recover” as much data as possible. She had to literally reconstruct her entire presentation using her handout.