Did you ever have someone walk out of your class after the first song or shortly after the class started? Not only can this be a distraction to your riders, it can be unnerving. We can start to ask questions of ourselves. “Am I off my game today?” “Did I just say something insulting?” “Does this person not like how I teach?” It can take a lot of mental strength and confidence to keep from losing our focus.Read more…
This morning was my first day back to my class after a three-week hiatus for my trip to the Tour de France. In honor of our climb up Alpe d’Huez, I decided to teach Tom Scotto’s profile for Stage 18 from the ICA Tour de France package. It was, inRead more…
To highlight our summer focus on climbing, we present another amazing profile from Tom Scotto. Join Tom as he takes you through three killer climbs with the help of guitar hero and classic rock. Make sure to pace yourself, that final climb at a tempo pace will demand all you’ve got! Tom’s outdoor cycling experience comes out in his coaching of this profile, and will help turn you into a climbing expert as well!Read more…
Tom was finally able to sit down and talk with Jennifer about her trip to the Tour de France. Listen as she describes how she got started as a Tour de France fanatic and how many times she’s been to the Tour. Tom asks her how indoor cycling has helpedRead more…
Melinda asked if the weight of the flywheel could add too much stress to the knee joints if we dropped below the recommended 60 rpm on indoor bikes. The weighted flywheel can present a safety issue in classes. It comes down to momentum, resistance, and proper form.Read more…
Connecting with Jennifer Sage and my only pet peeve about the Tour de France.Read more…
Are you teaching stages of the Tour de France in your Spinning/cycling classes? I’ve got some resources for you. If you’ve never done it before, I encourage you to try. Students, even those who don’t follow cycling or ride outside, generally enjoy these classes immensely. Its hard not to—they have everything we love about indoor cycling: high energy, passion, excitement, intensity and the mind-body focus. Throw in some strategy and intrigue and you have a recipe for huge success!Read more…
All ICA members receive the free bonus e-book “How to Create Profiles” with 18 pages of tips and advice on conceptualizing, designing and then assembling your profiles. Here are several examples of what I do as I’m piecing together my profiles, including my recent “architectural sketch” of my Stage 3 Tour de France profile. How do you sketch out your profiles? On paper, on the computer, in your head, in Class Builder? Share with us here!Read more…
Instructors often wonder whether they should be riding as hard as they are asking of their students. Tom Scotto believes there is no single answer to this question and gives you four considerations when deciding whether you should be riding hard, or holding back. Keep these items in the back of your mind for every class you teach.Read more…
Ever notice riders who turn their elbows out to the sides, either when seated or when standing? I’ve seen it quite often at conferences, even amongst instructors. Gene Nacey of Cycling Fusion and I have a clever cue for you to cure your students of this habit. It’s a great way to think of riding both indoors and outside!Read more…