Welcome to the Indoor Cycling Association
Why Cueing “Base Plus” is Completely Off Base
The term “base plus” along with an absolute number of watts, turns, or gears is often confusing and may be unsafe for riders. Bill explains why you should avoid using it and offers suggestions for its replacement. Read more…
Wednesday Timeless Classics: Hypnotic Sounds from Spain Keep You Committed
While this track’s repetitive nature might seem monotonous, that very quality can become a powerful asset when tackling a challenging climb. Outdoor cyclists are familiar with the relentless rhythm of a long, steady ascent, and this song captures that perfectly. It helps riders embrace the repetitiveness of climbing as a strategy for staying committed to the effort. Read more…
The New Instructor: 10 Tips for Mastering the Class Intro, Part 3
And now the last four tips to complete a well-rounded class introduction: Safety, Form & Technique, Hand Positions, and Cadence.Read more…
The New Instructor: 10 Tips for Mastering the Class Intro, Part 2
Our next three tips to help you master the class intro: The Class Objective, Training Zones (RPE), and encouraging your riders to Work at Their Own Pace.Read more…
Putting High-Intensity Interval Training in Perspective
This article from our archives points out some of the misuse of high-intensity training in the indoor cycling world (and the fitness world in general) and gives some advice to keep the plethora of information being blasted to the masses in perspective. Remember: Real Training. Real Cycling. Real Results. All beautifully packaged in a fun wrapper.Read more…
I’m Not a Cyclist…So Why Do I Need to Know My FTP?
Whether you currently teach with power or not, chances are you’ve heard of FTP. Maybe you even know it’s important information for the more serious outdoor riders in class…but should your everyday, non-cyclist students bother with it? After all, they aren’t coming to improve outdoor cycling performance, they just want to lose weight and get fit! Read on to explore what knowing FTP can do for the non-cyclists!
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Cueing: To Associate or Dissociate?
Dr. Perlus explains when associative versus dissociative cueing is more appropriate to help guide your students to either focus on what they are doing and feeling, or to take their minds away from it. There is a time and a place for both methods, based on many years of research.Read more…
The New Instructor: 10 Tips for Mastering the Class Intro, Part 1
New instructors are faced with a dilemma: you cue the music to begin teaching your first indoor cycling class and realize there is so much information to cover within the first few minutes of class. Will you remember it all? Will you explain everything correctly? Will someone remove the butterflies from your stomach? Welcome to part 1 of a 3-part series to master your class intro. Read more…
Building Community in Your Indoor Cycling Class
Community in an indoor cycling class isn’t something that just happens automatically with a mix of time, music, and work. A class that is based on community needs conscious nurturing and leadership from the instructor. The ability of the instructor to build and maintain community makes the difference between the mediocre class experience and the one that is memorable. Here are some thoughts about the importance of community in your class as well as a list of specific ideas you can use to help create community.
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How Long Should You Stand Out of the Saddle?
Have you ever heard of a class conducted entirely out of the saddle? Would you ever consider it, or take part if you were a student in that class? Here is a synopsis of a discussion that happened in an online forum on the subject, with my input, plus an excellent article on the science of standing versus seated riding. I hereby challenge all instructors to take part in the STANDING CLIMB CHALLENGE so we can gather data as well as personal anecdotes. Read more…