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Staying Open

Staying Open

By ICG® Master Trainer Vanessa Wilkins Cycling instructors are a special breed, and all a little different.  There are those who coach, those who teach choreography, those who talk heart rate and RPM, and those who teach meditation on the bike.  I always strive to take a little piece from each style of instruction, to stay the open-minded student and, most importantly, to find my own voice among the throngs of others. Cycling instructors by nature are fervent, even opinionated.  Because of this, we may attract a special type of student — people with a bit of an edge, people who need to grunt it out and really feel something at the beginning or end of the day.  Our most endearing quality can sometimes blind us:  we are sometimes opinionated and studied to a fault. Our discipline, indoor...

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Where did Spotify's Playlist Timer Go?

Where did Spotify's Playlist Timer Go?

What the @#$%^& was Spotify thinking by removing the total playlist time in the latest update? The number of followers has zero value to me when I'm building a playlist. Last week my Spotify displayed this message offering to update, which I regrettably did. Now I...

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An easy decision to make…

An easy decision to make…

Well actually it was a non-decision 🙂 I received this notice today via email - Dear Carbonite Customer, Your Carbonite Online backup subscription for your computer JOHN-PC is scheduled to automatically renew in 7 days. When you signed up for Carbonite you selected...

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Indoor Cycling Shoes for Wide Feet

Indoor Cycling Shoes for Wide Feet

A member at our club asked me this morning asked me for a recommendation on a last minute Christmas present for her husband. She wanted to buy him some Indoor Cycling shoes, who she described as having "very wide feet". I know all about the challenges of...

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Show some love, ride up front…

Show some love, ride up front…

I got a compliment this morning and I wanted to share it with you. I subbed a class at a club where I don't normally teach. It's common to see members I recognize and two people I knew came in and set up right in the front. Seeing some familiar faces was very...

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IDEA's Fitness Connect

IDEA's Fitness Connect

Fitness Connect from IDEA is something I feel all of us Group Fitness Professionals and Fitness Studio owners need to jump on soon. I'm scheduling an interview with IDEA's head of business development for a future Podcast. In the mean time if you are an Indoor Cycling...

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KISS: Keep It Simple and Specific

KISS: Keep It Simple and Specific

K.I.S.S. [firstname] do you struggle with keeping your participants focused on the task at hand? Are you becoming more and more frustrated because it seems impossible to get your riders to understand and comply with your instructions? Maybe you simply have had enough...

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What WAS I thinking!?!

What WAS I thinking!?!

While there are lots of local races throughout the season, there is only one “in my back yard”.  So naturally, I like to do either the MTB race, or the Road race.  I did both one year, and well…let”™s not go there.  Since I took the entire year off my normal MTB...

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Make Recovery Work

Make Recovery Work

Yeah, sort of a play on words, but hopefully this article will help you use your recovery times more effectively.  I”™m going to write a separate article on proper recovery and what is appropriate considering the constraints of indoor cycling.  But for now, let”™s...

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The Weekly Ride – 12/07/18 Last Years Holiday Ride

The Weekly Ride – 12/07/18 Last Years Holiday Ride

Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion Welcome to our new era of The Weekly Ride, you get: Full Ride PDF Apple Music Playlist Spotify Playlist File to Download the Ride directly into My Fitness DJ (Yes, no Programming) The Ride will be available for purchase...

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The Weekly Ride – 04/16/18 Speed and Muscular Endurance

The Weekly Ride – 04/16/18 Speed and Muscular Endurance

Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion No more hunting for new music or counting out cues to develop your ride profile.  Here is your ready to ride profile for a fully choreographed ride, that can be displayed from your phone, or printed out onto cue cards...

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Don't Touch My Drivetrain!

Don't Touch My Drivetrain!

Over the last few weeks, I”™ve noticed a number of riders in my classes that were setup incorrectly on their bikes.  I found this odd only because these riders had been positioned correctly on their bikes a few weeks earlier. What happened? I talked to 3 of the...

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Everyone Loves a Parade!

Everyone Loves a Parade!

Here in the USA we're big on parades, especially in smaller towns and around the Fourth of July. They make the perfect venue to promote local business and that includes Indoor Cycling Studios! Melissa Spredemann is opening Velocity Cycling Studio, a new Spinning...

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Is this legal?

Is this legal?

Last weekend Amy and I were in a Spinning class at a Life Time Fitness in Scottsdale. The instructor's playlist was a series of YouTube videos she played off her iPhone. The class was very cool... and all I could think about was how much my class would love this... Is...

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Made it!

Made it!

I'm celebrating the one year anniversary of the Indoor Cycle Instructor Podcast! Thank you to everyone who participated or listened over the past year. When I  started this Podcast, I was a bit concerned that I would run out of things to talk about. I mean really,...

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Happy 75th Birthday Ed Hayes!

Happy 75th Birthday Ed Hayes!

Ed Hayes is a listener and member of  our community. Ed Hayes is 75 today March 8th 2009 and to celebrate he taught a 2- hour Indoor Cycling Class! Looking at his picture I'm guessing 75 is the new 50. Check out his certifications: ACSM  Certified Health...

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Me & My Big Mouth

Me & My Big Mouth

As is customary, I”™ve opened my big mouth and am faced with the proverbial “put up or shut up”.  Don”™t get me wrong, I”™m not one to trash talk and overstate my abilities.  However, I am one that is always challenging others to accomplish things they think are...

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Is it worth the risk?

Is it worth the risk?

With the increase popularity of indoor cycle classes comes new participants. These club members have been eyeing your class and have been asking other members about their experiences. As much as they would like to try out your cycle class, there are a few distracting,...

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The Weekly Ride – 03/27/18 Cadence Work

The Weekly Ride – 03/27/18 Cadence Work

Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion No more hunting for new music or counting out cues to develop your ride profile.  Here is your ready to ride profile for a fully choreographed ride, that can be displayed from your phone, or printed out onto cue cards...

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When it rains… it pours :(

When it rains… it pours 🙁

UPDATE 6/7 5:15 and Amy and I are on the bus to Duluth, MN for the start of the MS 150. The start tomorrow AM is looking to be 42°F 🙁 Pedal-on.com is back! UPDATE 6/6 4:00 Thanks for your patience [wlm_firstname] We are getting closer to solving the multitude of...

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The Weekly Ride – 10/01/18 80s Endurance Ride

The Weekly Ride – 10/01/18 80s Endurance Ride

Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion Welcome to our new era of The Weekly Ride, you get: Full Ride PDF Apple Music Playlist Spotify Playlist File to Download the Ride directly into My Fitness DJ (Yes, no Programming) The Ride will be available for purchase...

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Earn some free CEC's this weekend

Earn some free CEC's this weekend

If you are a group fitness instructor my discovery could save you some money. My ACE cert is due for renewal this Summer and I need .6 ACE continuing ed credits, and quick. I looked at the ACEfitness.com site for some online CECs and found two courses that I thought...

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The Weekly Ride – 02/19/18 Anti V Day Ride

The Weekly Ride – 02/19/18 Anti V Day Ride

Welcome to the The Weekly Ride by Cycling Fusion: No more hunting for new music or counting out cues.  Here is your ready to ride document, that can be displayed from your phone, or printed out onto cue cards.  This ride is timed out, down to the second, to make your...

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Using Imagery to Improve Technique

Using Imagery to Improve Technique

Athletes know all too well the benefits of using imagery before competition. A tennis player will imagine his powerful topspin-slice first serve. A golfer will rely on imagery to review her plan of action for her next swing. A baseball player will use imagery to get...

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Stop the Talkers – Step Three… Let's Fix This Today!

Stop the Talkers – Step Three… Let's Fix This Today!

In part two we identified how the talkers act the way they do because of; cluelessness, a lack of respect for you and your class or they're challenging your position as the leader. Much of this could also apply to the texters/bring their own music/do their own thing...

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Bringing it All Together

Bringing it All Together

It’s like trying to drink from a fire hydrant! During the weeks of September we were focused on improving our instructor and coaching skills.  Articles were posted on how we look, sound and feel as we lead our classes. We were already bubbling with info, thoughts and...

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Indoor Cycle With Power Survey Says!

Indoor Cycle With Power Survey Says!

We got great responses to our two surveys asking for feedback from both Instructors and Studio owners about the Indoor Cycles they're riding and the impact power is having on their classes. Now the challenge becomes; "how do we publish all of this information in a way...

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