I finally got to ride one of the Indoor Cycling Group IC7 bikes at IDEA last week and it was every bit as wonderful as I expected. I sat and pedaled (easily for the most part) on the bike in the booth for about 45 minutes, while Chris Plourde explained the bike and the program.Read more…
Did you watch Stage 20 of the Tour? Take this description of what actually happened on this very exciting stage to create a dramatic storyline for your own class. Also, in this post are some resources for articles and videos for you to use in your Tour de France profiles, whether you are creating your own, or using the ICA profiles. Enjoy!Read more…
A new instructor posed this excellent question, and because it depends on so many caveats, I am creating a series out of this topic. Part 1 provides the most basic, short-term way to assess how hard or easy your class is for your riders. But instructors, get ready to do a little self-analysis—I’ve got some homework for you. This series may very well pave the path to tremendous personal growth!Read more…
Outdoor cyclists use the term “group ride” to describe organized (and not so organized) rides that often leave from predetermined destinations. These rides may start at a local bike shop or a convenient coffee shop. In many cases, group rides run on a regular weekly schedule, each with their own specific route. This profile follows one of the many routes my club and I use. Riding at a moderate to hard pace, it literally takes an hour to complete. With the exception of the warm-up and cool-down on Massachusetts Avenue, it is a loop. The first hill (Grove Street), third hill (Woods Street), and last hill (Mass Ave) are between a 5.5% and 6% grade. The second hill (South Road) is a 2.5% to 3% grade. The smaller grades make for very aggressive and fast climbing; one needs to be on alert for random attacks of kindness.Read more…
I took the Stages Indoor Cycling certification at the end of June in Boulder, Colorado. Here are my impressions, as well as a quick interview with Cameron Chinatti about the new layout for their cert and about their impressive new app.Read more…
If you have been watching or reading about the Tour de France this year, you would know that Stage 4 had a section over the cobblestones of Northern France. Last year as well there were nine segments of brutal cobbles in Stage 5. Prior to that, there were just aRead more…
Welcome to our first installment of our newest series: OCD—Obsessed with Cycling Drills. Yes, we are definitely obsessive about everything to do with indoor cycling drills including the music, cues, and objective. Pressure Cooker does exactly what the name implies: it places the body under continuous and increasing pressure. You get to choose whether to put the muscles or lungs in the pressure cooker.Read more…
I asked Angela Amedio of Saratoga Cycling Studio to share with ICA how she created a successful program for local teens at her studio in Saratoga Springs, New York. You are sure to get some ideas for your program!Read more…
Peter G, an instructor in Connecticut, has made a name for himself amongst indoor cycling instructors as their DJ of choice. If you haven’t yet heard of Peter G yet…mark my words, you will soon! For your 4th of July playlist, you can purchase this fun “rewerk” of Prince’s “America”Read more…
Tom, do you have a litmus test to tell if recoveries are too short for the efforts you are asking? For example, if you are asking for a 5-minute, 4-minute, 2-minute, and 1-minute best effort, one right after the other in that order, how much recovery would you give in between each? Thanks.
– Julie Zweck-BronnerRead more…