Two articles, about two different Indoor Cycling Studios, came across my desk today! The fun part for me was how they both featured ICI/PRO members who've hung out their shingle and pursued their dreams of a fitness business!
And Rev Up also takes advantage of technology to help people keep up with their workouts and fitness goals. Each bike has a mechanical device that calculates the amount of work a person does while exercising.
“One of the challenges has been, typically in spinning, is that people get on there for 45 minutes to an hour, and they get all hot and sweaty, and they guess how many calories they might have burned; they don’t really know,” Beane says. “With our system, they have a very accurate (record), as well as a way to track how many calories did you burn, how many watts did you produce. … Since that data all goes into your account, you can track over time, ‘How well am I doing? How am I progressing?’”
A screen shot of Jeff's online reservation page, from his great looking LiveEdit, website is above. By registering for a specific bike, the Performance IQ system knows who's – who in the class and then displays and records the rider's performance data in their user's account.
Jeff's studio is still very new. He'll probably appreciate learning how a bike reservation system has solved some problems at CBCycle Barn, from owner Karen Casler…
How CB CycleBarn Indoor Cycling Studio Used a Bike Reservation System to Cure ‘It's MY Bike Syndrome'
What are your customers saying about your site and the Stations app? (Live Edit's name for their reservation system)
Customers love booking their bikes! It has a trickle down effect of both customer and studio benefits. The Stations app allows me to give the customer what I feel is the most powerful customer service tool there is. The Stations app lets the customer know exactly what to expect!
Aside from knowing what to expect, another bonus is that by booking a bike online, customers are immediately escalated to VIP status. I like to use the analogy of flying American Airlines vs. Southwest Airlines. People are territorial about their space in any GroupX class. Before the Stations app, any territiorial Bike Vultures arrived early and hovered anxiously, waiting to stake claim to “their” bike.
Territory anxiety is now a thing of the past–but that’s something I expected when we added the Stations app. What I didn’t expect was that the Stations app would relax everyone! Some of the greatest feedback I’ve received is from the riders who had simply put up with the Bike Vultures because it’s been that way since the beginning of GroupX time. It never occurred to anyone (myself included) to complain about the “It’s MY Bike Syndrome” riders.
The very day the Stations app launched, the tension that we didn’t even previously acknowledge was instantly gone. Customers shared with me that they had felt so uncomfortable waiting for a class to start because of riders inflicted with IMBS. They had stories of being pushed, accidently hit with gym bags, and shoved aside in the stampede to stake claim to a bike. But that’s not all. Riders from the class before the IMBS stampede had also been made to feel uncomfortable. Their amazing hour of cardiotherapy zen was abruptly disrupted by hovering Bike Vultures before the first rider could wipe down the bike and gather their belongings.
VIP status … Check.
Bike Vulture Extinct … Check.
Performance IQ Compatibility … Check.
Knowing Exactly What To Expect … Check.
As a studio owner, how can it possibly get any better ?
How bout … Parking Lot Congestion Relieved … Check.
One of the most common issues for any dedicated indoor cycling studio is the parking lot crossover between classes. Because it is no longer necessary to arrive early to secure bike real estate (and trust me some people arrive as much as 30+ minutes early,) riders now show up 5 minutes or less before class starts. This allows the first class to make their exit and gives a lil’ breathing room for those coming in for the next class.
Priceless.
And there is one more box to check…
Competitive Advantage … Check.
At the moment, none of the big box gyms around our studio offer a Stations app reservation system. Using the Stations app makes reserving your class and showing up for class easy.
Finally a Heart Rate strap with both Bluetooth and Ant+ connectivity 🙂
I've been using a new TICKER Heart Rate Monitor straps – I'm excited to tell you about them + they'll be awesome used with the new Apple Smartwatch.
The guys at Wahoo Fitness emailed me today about their new line of HR straps that send out both BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) and Ant+ frequencies. About time someone thought to offer both in the same monitor strap!
Up until now, your decision about what monitor strap to purchase was based on what device you wanted to connect with:
I want to connect to my iPhone / smart phone = you buy a bluetooth strap. Bluetooth is the only signal your phone can pair with.
I want to connect to a Garmin bike computer or use the strap with Performance IQ's display system = you purchase an ANT+ strap.
This new TICKR strap has both Bluetooth and ANT+ and it doesn't cost anymore than most single frequency straps – that's awesome in my book!
They've solved a second problem
How many times have you felt like saying; “IS THIS DAMN THING ON?
No Heart Rate strap, that I've ever seen, gives you any understanding that it's working. Is the battery good or dead? Do I need more spit to get it connected? I'm seeing that these new TICKR straps have two colored LED lights to show the TICKR’s device connection and heart rate detection – more awesomeness – and no more wasted trips to Walgreen's to buy one of those ridiculously expensive little flat batteries, when that isn't the problem.
I can't wait to try one and will update you once I have.
John Manrique from Revolutions Cycling Studio in Jupiter, Florida joins me to explain how his riders have pedaled 200,000 miles. Along the way John and his wife Michelle have really forged a connection with their riders.
Since opening in December 2012, the folks at Revolutions Cycling Studio have been doing one thing: pedaling. A whole lot. As the only studio in Jupiter that exclusively offers indoor cycling (aka “spinning”) classes, Revolutions' founders Michelle and John Manrique estimate that the more than 11,000 individual rides completed over the last eighteen months will reach the 200,000 mile mark in May.
“We started Revolutions based on our shared passion for indoor cycling,” said Michelle, who along with husband John, moved to Jupiter in 2001. “Since there wasn't a ‘cycling only' place in town, we saw an opportunity to open a studio for people like us who like to ride hard and get a great workout in a fun, family environment.”
During our interview, John offers a number of great ideas you can implement to reward your riders – such as the special t-shirts shown above.
For those of you who aren't an “Excel Spreadsheet Geek” like John Manrique, there are simple options for collecting and disseminating rider data collected from these indoor cycles with power; Keiser M3i, FreeMotion S11.9, Schwinn AC and Spinner Blade Ions.
Performance IQ used in conjunction with Station/Bike Reservations and My Stats will connect riders with their data and send out an email at the conclusion of class automatically. Amy's an expert on how these systems intigrate and would love to show you a demo – feel free to call her 320-685-0183 or amy.macgowan@getliveedit.com
Constant improvement is the mark of a professional
Team ICG® Master Trainer Chuck Cali
It’s Friday afternoon, the end of a week cluttered with my own classes and subbing others. Many triples and quads. I’m tired. My unwillingness to fake it on the lead bike takes energy and catches up with me now. I reflect.
It’s been a good week. Jim Karanas said I was a great asset. The group exercise director at an upscale club said I was just what she needed for their new cycle studio.
I love writing, especially about indoor cycling. How did I get here, telling you my story? I wanted to improve my craft: indoor cycle instruction.
I sold my flying school in 2007. A fitness fanatic all my life, I decided cardio fitness was my next career. Since I loved Spinning, I got certified, determined to do it better than anyone.
But after my eight-hour certification, I realized I wasn’t prepared to teach cardio on a stationary bike.
Sure, I could go through the motions, but didn’t understand cardiovascular training or the biomechanics of riding. I could make people sweat and get their heart rates up, but needed more to be as good as I wanted to be.
In flying, we talk about experience in hours. The flying axiom: 10,000 hours in one’s log book means either 10,000 hours of experience or one hour’s experience 10,000 times. In flying, I was in the former category. My goal was to be there with indoor cycle instruction.
I needed to improve my craft.
I googled “indoor cycle instruction.” At the top of the list was ICI/PRO, talking about something they called “Indoor Cycling 2.0”.
There were other listings. Many. I spent hours on all of them. It became crystal clear that ICI/PRO was a strategic resource.
It came together for me right here and can for you, as well. How can you improve your craft?
1. START HERE. If you haven’t done so, I recommend buying the ICI/PRO premium membership.
Set your browser to open to ICI/PRO. First thing every day (yes, before email, the stock market, or sports), read the new posts and listen to the podcasts and audio profiles. If something piques your interest, print it. John always puts playlists in Spotify. If you don’t have Spotify, get it and buy the premium version. I’m inept at Spotify, but it has still saved my butt more than once. Just be sure your favorite playlists are “available offline” — that’s why you need the premium version.
I know, I’ve already got you spending $20 a month, but improving your craft is worth it. (I don’t get a penny.)
2. COMMUNICATE & GET INVOLVED. There’s not one person posting on ICI who wouldn’t love to hear from and help you. Comment on our posts. (Yes, we read them.) If you prefer privacy, John will know how to reach us. Then we can Skype, talk on the phone, whatever; but first you must get to us.
We’re all deeply invested in Indoor Cycling 2.0 and want to talk to you. Me too.
The contacts I’ve made through ICI/PRO have accelerated my understanding of cardiovascular training — exactly what I wanted when I started this craft-improving thing.
3. UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU’RE TEACHING. Indoor cycling is a cardiovascular workout that mimics riding a bicycle on the road. My outdoor riding has added a valuable dimension to my teaching. The pages on ICI/PRO discuss everything outdoor cycling can do for indoor cycling. But you don’t have to ride outside to improve your craft.
The biomechanics of cycling are the key to getting your riders to perform better, hurt less and train harder. If that’s not enough, Jim Karanas, Gene Nacey and Tom Scotto can help.
4. TRY SOMETHING NEW. Break free of your comfort zone. You can start simply by taking another instructor’s class. What did you like? Not like? I’ve learned much watching other instructors.
How about changing your routine? Do you rush in a minute before class? Committing to a 15- to 30-minute early arrival changes you from flakey, flustered and hurried to reliable, ready, steady — and able to bring your riders to a much different state.
Select one of the audio profiles and do it.
My first break from my comfort zone was teaching power. I bought the wall charts, put together a training plan and playlists, printed cards for recording baseline numbers. I practiced.
The program flopped famously, they thanked me and replaced me, but what I learned was invaluable. (If you’re wondering why the program flopped, learning from failures is my next post.)
5. ADD A CERTIFICATION! ICG® offers free education on its web site. Much of it is complete with CECs and lots of interesting stuff, including teaching to Forward Motion Video.
Every major contributor to ICI offers new or add-on certifications.
6. CONNECT WITH YOUR RIDERS! Maybe this should be number one. It’s the single most important skill to hone. (See my earlier post on Connections.) Will it improve your craft? Your riders will like you so much they won’t care.
The best of the best connect every time.
This morning, in a very experienced instructor’s class, I saw again how important it is to find your own style of connecting. This guy had us captivated, used everything in the room (himself, the equipment) to his advantage, and taught a challenging cycle-specific class.
When I spoke with him after class, though, he had little regard for virtual rides, felt the studio needed mirrors, and didn’t care about setting up AV equipment for optimal virtual possibilities. As good as he was, he was still on hour one for the 10,000th time.
The “Heads Up Display” of student's performance data (watts, calories, cadence, HR, etc…) from Performance IQ looks like a fascinating addition to any club or studio. While not for everyone, the competitive element it introduces can make for a very exciting and motivating class experience.
But I had felt Performance IQ it was missing a few things:
The pre-class setup (entering all your students into the system) was a lot of work for the Instructor during the frenetic moments before class time.
There wasn't any option to collect or retain the each student's data.
The system only worked with the Keiser M3 Indoor Cycle.
All of that has changed now that Performance IQ is partnering with ZingFit who has a full-featured management system system for cycling studios. The beauty of this partnership is how well they compliment each other's service
Now…
Participants can reserve their bike online when they register for class using Zingfit's registration system. This in turn tells Performance IQ who's on which bike. No more need for the Instructor to do anything beyond starting their class and pressing the GO button.
Zingfit collects all the ride data from Performance IQ and displays it on a secure section of the Studio's website. Zingfit can even send an email to each of your students at the end of each class.
Performance IQ is now compatible with all Power bikes that use Ant+ (FreeMotion S11, Schwinn AC and CycleOps)
Listen to the Podcast below it hear all the details.
and hovered anxiously, waiting to stake claim to “their” bike.
