Laura asks the difference between a surge and an attack. This is an important distinction that all instructors should know. Included are some cues to help you describe them to your riders.Read more…
Pedaling at lower cadences with higher resistance develops leg strength the same way lifting a heavier weight in the gym increases muscular strength. Today’s profile consists of hill repeats that focus on developing leg strength through strength endurance training. l often use recovery songs that are from one artist and album—I think you’ll enjoy the ones used in this profile.Read more…
Come join me at OffRoad DC cycling studio in Washington DC on Friday, April 6th, for a workshop from 6–8 pm on how to make your theme rides more successful and fun. You’ll leave with loads of exciting new tips for creating theme rides that your riders will be clamoring to get into! You can also take on the challenge of the Quest for Knighthood on Sunday. Read more…
Did you like our “Lather, Rinse, Repeat” Quick Profile? In this version, we increase to 4-minute intervals in Zone 5, the VO2 max zone.Read more…
At first glance, this profile may seem “basic,” but it’s anything but “easy.” When intervals are distilled down to their basic format of hard followed by easy, they are simple to create, (fairly) simple to put music to, and simple to coach. Bonus: They may end up being some of the physically hardest classes you teach!Read more…
Continuing our series on Educating Your Students, Christine gives some suggestions about how to use non-cycling examples to help students understand cycling technique and what they should be feeling while pedaling. She does this primarily through storytelling in her profiles, although that’s not a prerequisite of the method. Christine is an expert at this technique and has been extremely successful educating her students.Read more…
This 2000 club remix, originally a disco track from a 1978 movie soundtrack, carries an uneasy, emotional energy—the feeling of being chased. Use it to fuel a high-intensity race, creating a sense of urgency as riders push to escape the pursuit. Perfect for a Tour de France climbing stage or a story of relentless pursuit, where every pedal stroke brings them closer to the finish.Read more…
This awesome, creative, and fun profile by Christine Nielsen used the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, to explore some form and intensity topics related to four winter sports, describing teams from four different countries. The music for each sport is performed by musicians from each of the focus countries.Read more…
I’ve been teaching this pedal stroke drill for almost as long as I’ve been teaching (20 years). I first introduced it at a conference in my session called The Anatomy of the Pedal Stroke at WSSC in 2002. It’s a fabulous visual to help riders connect with their pedal strokes.Read more…
Everyone had a class with a fun and wacky science teacher in high school, right? I’m not advocating that we start developing quirks or acting wacky in our indoor cycling classes, but the point is, making education fun using humor and wit is a great way to learn AND and a fun way to teach. Hopefully our dating, bagels, poultry, and pasta analogies will spark some ideas to create some of your own wacky ways to explain something on the bike.Read more…