By:
On:
In: Instructor Issues & growth
With: 15 Comments

What to do when you are the ONLY one at your club that teaches a “real” cycling class.
I’ve received this question quite a bit. “How do you handle teaching a class that is so different than what other instructors offer at your club?” Although we can be really excited to learn something new (or just get reinvigorated), the excitement can wane when we think of how it will be received by our riders or our club as a whole. Those who love our rides are also bombarded by other indoor cycling classes that may have little resemblance to biking or training.Read more…

By:
On:
In: Class Profiles
With: 2 Comments

This ride is a very fun simulation of an out-and-back ride and highlights the beauty of using outdoor simulations to enhance your indoor experience. This profile includes wonderful visualization cues of the scenery and the outdoor riding experience. I call it The Canyon Ride because the middle section descends into and overlooks a beautiful canyon with desert topography. Read more…

By:
On:
In: Instructor Issues & growth, Music Resources, New Instructors
With: 10 Comments

If you’ve been teaching longer than a few years you will have perhaps hundreds of playlists. If you are new at this game (and even if you’re not), here are some simple tips and tricks to help you organize your songs into easy to manage folders so you can find that PERFECT song when you need it. Plus I’ve got an iTunes hack I’ve recently discovered that helps you know more about your song usage. Read more…

By:
On:
In: Free Articles, Physiology, Heart Rate & RPE
With: 3 Comments

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m a big proponent of doing field tests to estimate your lactate threshold. I’ve done numerous metabolic tests in the past, but I’ve never had a chance to do a lactate test. Here are my results from my recent lactate test (I NAILED my LTHR!) and an analysis of one of my student’s profound aerobic improvement.Read more…

By:
On:
In: Coaching and Cueing, Free Articles
With: 2 Comments

I came up with a unique way to describe effort using a dog on a leash. I wouldn’t use this if you haven’t already set the stage for understanding perceived exertion at each level of intensity. It may confuse students. But once they already can identify the sensations of effort, fun and creative analogies like this add some humor and variety to your coaching.Read more…

By:
On:
In: Biomechanics, Cadence, Power, New Instructors
With: 0 Comments

Part 2 of Gene’s amazing Chapter 17, truly a pinnacle of tips for teaching with power. In this segment, you will learn whether “competitions” in classes are truly legitimate if power is so different from bike to bike, and what to do when bikes differ. Because this is so common with power bikes, you NEED this information! Read more…

By:
On:
In: Class Profiles
With: 9 Comments

Not that I want to encourage any of my riders to throw a tantrum, but bringing them close to the edge is fun. What is riding tempo? How does cadence affect my power output, sustainability, and efficiency? How are heart rate and power affected when that delicate and steady world of tempo is disturbed?

There is more action and variables in this ride than you can shake a stick at. Even though the target intensity is Zone 3, you may find many of your riders lying on the floor kicking and screaming when it’s over.Read more…

By:
On:
In: Class Profiles
With: 2 Comments

Richard Mullins is an ICA member from Ireland whose passion for teaching is contagious! Who better to create an Irish-themed profile than a blue-blooded Irishman with passion?! I know you’re going to enjoy this fun interval profile built around events that catapulted Ireland to the global stage, including many sporting references. Read more…

By:
On:
In: Coaching and Cueing, Free Articles, Instructor Issues & growth, Keep it Real & eBooks, New Instructors
With: 11 Comments

The term “Keep it Real” in regards to indoor cycling has gotten a bad rap lately. This subject has been talked about a lot lately on online forums and websites, so it’s time to put the stake in the ground and describe exactly what it means and what it does NOT mean. I wrote the e-book Keep it Real in 2008, and wrote the workshop for Spinning® in 2006 which was based on that concept, so I have skin in this game.Read more…