I'm heading to IHRSA today and there's a bunch of new Indoor Cycling related products I'm aware of + a few rumors of new products to be launched this year. I'm really excited to see/ride/experience & hear what other's have to say - and then report back for you.
Beyond all the fancy new stuff - getting some face time with people I dearly enjoy, but see infrequently, will be a real treat for me.
Let's start with the people I'm excited to see at IHRSA:
Since chastising me back in 2009; "John you, and the people you're involved with, are forgetting that people come to our classes to HAVE FUN! - Barbara Hoots has become a great friend to both Amy and me. The girl knows how to generate excitement in a studio and build a following of loyal participants. Barbara was a huge hit at both of our conferences - no one will forget the official ICI/PRO Thong she handed out 🙂 and her Indoor Cycle Studio Design business has taken off into the stratosphere. The women knows exactly what people want in a studio.
The ICG Team - Jim Karanas and his crew of Master Trainers have been a real joy to work with over the past year of their sponsorship of ICI/PRO. They've graciously offered to put me up in Las Vegas, sharing a room with Chuck Cali - I'll let you know how it goes.
Bill Pryor from Spynergy Consulting and I recorded a Podcast back in February 2010 that has launched dozens of new studios that we know of! Bill has a very discerning eye for products and services in our niche that could benefit Indoor Cycling Studio owners - so I'll be following him around, getting his take on what he sees.
I'm not aware of more delightful person than Cameron Chinatti from Stages Indoor Cycling - I'm eager to ride the new carbon drive S11.9 and Cameron has a very unique session planned during the show, but as I'm sworn to secrecy, I need to wait to tell you about it.
Sally Edwards has grown to become a true friend and mentor to me. I'm excited to see her for real and give her a big hug for everything she's done 🙂
Next... Products and Services
MyRide + I'm aware that Jim Karanas and Team ICG is installing MyRide+ video display systems all over the country. I've ridden and even taught a class using MyRide+. I'm very curious to talk with club owners and managers to learn how MyRide+ is improving their classes and if they are seeing increases in their club's member retention and profitability. They have a strategic partnership with Affinitech to provide cost effective, turn-key AV solutions for the video display systems that bring the HD MyRide+ video to life.
The Spinner Blade Ion It's taken a long time for Spinning® / Star Trac to bring an indoor cycle to market that includes power indication. Josh Taylor has promised me a complete review to understand exactly how the Spinner Blade Ion measures power, how it displays data to the user and how did they figured out the "self charging" part. I see from this new video that Angie Sturtevant has left Saris / CycleOps and returned to Spinning as their Director of Power Base (sic) Training - I grabbed her title from the video... shouldn't that be Power Based Training? Either way, Angie really knows training with power, so I hope she's at the show so I can pick her brain about what programming Spinning has in store for us .
POWERbahn - this could very well be the future of Indoor Cycling. I've ridden a prototype of this revolutionary Indoor Cycle (it doesn't have a flywheel - and doesn't need one) and a pre production POWERbahn indoor cycle will be on display at the Spirit Fitness booth. Try as they might, Indoor Cycle designers have never truly replicated what it feels like to ride outdoors. Ask any of your roadies if their road bike felt different than riding indoors, once they get outside. The hills feel bigger, downhills steeper and POWERbahn may have solved all of this and created a near perfect simulator for riding outdoors. Now if they could just find some IC programming to go along with it...
A little bird told me that there maybe a club/commercial version of the Tour de France bike (as seen on TV - I'm told you don't really need to wear a helmet) at IHRSA this year. The TDF bike adds the element of elevation through pitch control forwards (going down hill) and back (climbing) and control of the pitch may not be by the rider?
I'll be posting pictures of all the cool stuff I see and if it works, I hope to do some live interviews on the show floor.
If you have any specific questions for anything/anyone please add them and I'll try to get you some answers.
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.
- Happy 75th Birthday Ed Hayes! - April 24, 2024
- Eagles pedaling through the air metaphor - April 21, 2024
- ICI Podcast 238 Meet Nerd Fitness Creator Steve Kamb - April 6, 2024
What do you mean you’ll let them know how it goes. Will it be my snoring or constant trips to the rest room?
Remember John, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. 🙂