Welcome to the Indoor Cycling Association
3 Tips for Teaching Off the Bike
It can be intimidating and awkward to instruct an indoor cycling class off the bike. Our bike seat can become a security blanket—a comfortable, happy place. However, getting off the bike and mingling with our riders can enhance their experience and allow them to draw closer to us as their instructor or coach. Read more…
Profile: Woodstock Revival
This weekend marks the 45th anniversary of Woodstock. To celebrate this generation-defining event, I’ve put together a profile using songs performed. This should bring some smiles to your students on the north side of 50, or those with a penchant for classic rock! Read more…
Food For Thought: Does “Picture How You’ll Look In That Dress!” Motivate Riders?
Some instructors motivate their students to reach the top of that hill because of the way it will make them feel, for the confidence it will build in them, for the realization that if they can do that, they can do anything they set their minds to. Others yell at riders to push to the top of the mountain so they can fit into a certain dress for the summer, or because they’ll look good when they go out at night. Which one are you?Read more…
CHART: Zones. Thresholds. Energy Systems. Fuel Systems.
As requested, here is the full version of the chart I referenced in the article on aerobic capacity. A similar version was created when developing the curriculum for Cycling Fusion’s Level 2 Heart Zones Certification workshop. I have since modified the chart to overlay the zones and indicate the thresholds’ aliases. Read more…
Is Indoor Cycling NOT Intended for Cyclists?
This post was prompted by some great points made by ICA member Chuck on the article titled, “How To HIIT on Outdoor Riders.” The overarching question is: “Why are we trying to bring outdoor riders to indoor cycling classes?” We’d love your input—will you take our poll?Read more…
Handling Objections to “Keeping it Real” in a Heart-Centered Way
Have you encountered a challenge when trying to respond to people’s comments, critiques, or attacks about cycling-specific techniques or the Keep it Real philosophy? Would you like a template to answer the naysayers using non-confrontational, heart-centered means of responding, without putting down the individual? Then help me compile the most challenging questions, and I’ll create a template for you!Read more…
How to HIIT on Outdoor Cyclists
Regardless of whether you are an indoor cycling instructor, the director of a large fitness chain, or an indoor cycling studio owner, the goal is always to attract clients. To date, the indoor cycling industry has yet to attract the outdoor cycling masses. I’m going to use the example of HIIT (high-intensity interval training) to illustrate the challenge we face in attracting cyclists in addition to making programs more enticing and effective.Read more…
Aerobic Capacity, Part 2: Explaining and Obtaining the Pain
The questions in response to part 1 are fantastic. They highlight the importance of understanding concepts like aerobic capacity and the difficulty in training at that level. I hope you had the opportunity to try one of the workouts in part 1, preferably before you tortured your subjects. As I mentioned, providing the workout before the background knowledge often sets the stage for better learning. I’m assuming you were bombarded with multiple “whys.” Why is this so difficult? Why is this considered aerobic? Why is everything burning? Why can’t I sustain this? Why can’t I repeat this? Why did I listen to Tom, a known sadist?Read more…
Riding Outdoors 101: Gearing Up
This is a repost of an article by Robert Baldi from last year on gearing. One of the beauties of indoor cycling is that it inspires many instructors to become cyclists, and some instructors even inspire their students to ride outside (one of my favorite things). But sometimes the world of cycling can be a little intimidating. At ICA, we want to help you discover the world of outdoor riding and help you answer your students’ questions about outdoor riding as well as indoor! Read more…
Ask the Expert: New Instructor Needs Help With Using Music
This is a great question for new instructors about how often to repeat music and profiles. I give my advice, but I’d love it if some of you longtime instructors can share what your experience with this is. It may partially depend on the market and culture of your facility, but mostly it depends on your style and tolerance.Read more…