You'll be quicker up Pikes Peak after a winter training indoors with power!
While Performance Enhancement Specialist Dennis Mellon and I were getting warmed up to record his Audio Class PROfile Mashup - HIIT vs. Party on the Bike, we spent a few minutes discussing his thoughts and observations on coaching with power.
Were his participants seeing any improvement after a full winter training indoors with power?
If so, how are they comparing their performance year to year?
Has Star Trac been able to improve the consistence / accuracy of the Blade Ions?
Can we depend on riders bringing their own technology (HR Monitor, iPhone App, ect...) to class for the purpose of tracking performance?
Or is it better to provide rider data/metrics tracking as a service of the studio?
During our conversation Dennis makes an interesting comment about a summer class format, that could be of interest to the cyclists and endurance athletes who abandoned you this Spring. Many training plans call for very specific HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) - which is difficult to complete on the road, but easy to do indoors. It may make sense to ask one of the local endurance coaches in your area if they would be interested in bringing their athletes indoors once a week to your studio.
You can learn more about Dennis here at his website.
Listen to our discussion below or
If you'd like to learn more about automated rider data/performance tracking from Performance IQ with the Spinner Blade Ion or any of the other Indoor Cycles with power, please contact me and I'll connect you with the right people.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
John is a member on the AFS (Association of Fitness Studios) Advisory Council.
Holding certifications from; Schwinn, Heart Zones, Team ICG and Life Time Fitness, John's held regularly scheduled cycling classes between 1998 and 2015 when he moved to Florida.
When the weather permits, you'll find him riding and leading outdoor groups by himself or with his Tandem partner (wife) Amy.
- ICI Podcast 234 Coaching (not teaching) a class with cadence - January 13, 2025
- ICI/Podcast 128 Introducing Threshold Field Testing to your class with Karen Bernardo - January 4, 2025
- Indoor Cycling Class As One Long Climb – Very Nice! - December 29, 2024
I was wondering what Dennis feels about the accuracy of the power meter on the Blade Ion compared to that of the Stages Free Motion power meter/ console?
Hi Julie, I teach on the Free Motion, M3, and Ion and bikes. I have found that the Ion reads about 10-20 watts lower than the M3 and Ion.
Julie when you ask about accuracy, are you comparing wattage vs. a known, calibrated standard?
or consistency > each cycle in the room reads ~ the same?
I’ve seen the same lower watts on the Ion vs. the FreeMotion. Both manufacturers say their’s are right…
Actually both John, I have members that say the Free Motion wattage seems lower than other bikes and then there is some difference between one Free Motion bike and the next. Members call them the superman bikes and try to get them! I believe we do a reset about once a month to recalibrate and try to keep the batteries changed but we have had the Free Motion bikes for about 3 years now ( I really like the bike) but there is often frustration among members about the watt accuracy. Our bikes are numbered so I suggest they try to get the same bike ride to ride to keep it relevant but that is not always possible! Can make FTP rides frustrating too if there is not consistency. I know Dennis teaches where I teach, the CCAC so I was wondering what he felt about consistency and accuracy compared to the Blade Ion, Kaiser etc. I found the comparison survey you did a while back very interesting John but the instructor feedback and results for the Free Motion seemed to be all over the place. Thanks for any additional input.