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In: Communication and Presentation Skills, Free Articles
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Last month Tom wrote a post asking whether we should educate our students. It was in response to an article on another website that suggested that the role of cycling instructors is less to educate and more to entertain and give the students what they want. We feel strongly that by teaching our students the reasons why we do what we do, they will be far more likely to instill fitness into their everyday lives than those who simply are “entertained” by a rah-rah instructor. By learning how their body adapts to training they will be more likely to eschew popular gimmicks and trends in favor of more science-based training. The best part: they’ll love you in the long run!Read more…

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In addition to the Word of the Year profile, here are easy access links to past profiles for the New Year. The first is Jennifer’s very popular How Big is Your Why Audio Master Class, which challenges your thinking with a New Year’s Revolution, and last year’s Roll With The Changes profile, which will help your students put the stake in the ground and decide not to repeat errors of the past. Finally, What’s Stopping You will inspire students to reflect on the “How” they will achieve their goals, not just on the “What” aspect of what they want.Read more…

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Don’t miss this interview on the Endurance Planet podcast by Tawnee Prazak. Their discussion gives insight on the world of stationary bike classes with tips on finding the right class, what “trends” to avoid, power and watts, biomechanics of stationary riding, techniques for athletes, enhancing hill climbing skills, customizing your workoutsRead more…

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In: Form and Technique, Outdoor Cycling
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Despite how much I enjoy ranting about the craziness of our industry, this article focuses on standing. I’ve heard it said far too often that the only time cyclists come out of the saddle is to climb and sprint. There is a bit more to the story. In addition to the brief descriptions below, I’ve compiled a short video at the end to demonstrate application. Like they say, a picture (or video) is worth a thousand words.Read more…

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I taught Shari’s excellent Winter Solstice Profile this morning with just a few changes and wanted to share it with you here. I had to add my favorite Christmasy mashup—heck I only get to play it once a year. I teased my class that their Christmas wouldn’t be complete without this song in my class! I also told them they weren’t allowed to call me if they found it running through their heads the rest of the day.Read more…

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In: Biomechanics, Cadence, Power, Free Articles
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Last year we mentioned we were going to reprint the Power Training e-book written by Gene Nacey of Cycling Fusion here on the pages of the Indoor Cycling Association. I’m happy to say that we are ready to offer you a new chapter of this excellent e-book every week! We start tomorrow with Chapter 1 which will define what power is and why it’s important to both cyclists and the non-cycling indoor cycling student. Sally Edwards wrote the forward for Gene’s book, reposted here. Read more…

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In: Free Articles, Instructor Issues & growth, Keep it Real & eBooks
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The Cycling 360 podcast aired today featuring an interview with Jennifer Sage. They discuss how a cyclist can Keep it Real in indoor cycling classes and why it’s important. The topics they discuss are relevant and important not just for cyclists, but for anyone teaching or taking any indoor cyclingRead more…