Welcome to the Indoor Cycling Association
It Really Is About the Instructor
Last Saturday I attended Kathy Ehrlich-Scheffer’s class, taught at a local gym in Rochester. Afterwards, sitting down with a cup of coffee, in usual Kathy style, she hit me with two beautiful insights: protecting one’s first love, and it is really about the instructor.Read more…
Should You Talk to the Media? Part 2: How Do You Decide?
In Part I we discussed the benefits and the risks of doing interviews with the news media. Once you know the benefits and risks, how do you decide when to take the risk, and when to decline it?Read more…
Joe Friel Talks About Maximum Heart Rate
If you don’t follow Joe Friel’s Blog, you should—there’s some really great information in it on a consistent basis. It will expand your own understanding of cycling training principles that you can apply to your classes. This morning was this gem in my in-box. Short and sweet, Joe tells us once again why using maximum heart rate as an anchor for training zones is not very valid.Read more…
Audio Master Class: The Speed-Strength Challenge
This profile combines what you work on in high-cadence drills with high-resistance climbing efforts, creating a very effective (and hard) training session. Please don’t take it personally if your students take your name in vain after this class; I assure you, they’ll thank you later when they realize how much you improve their fitness and power with very targeted profiles like these.Read more…
Studio Highlight: Break Away Cycle and the Performance IQ System
I visited BreakAway Cycle and Strength in Longmont, Colorado, to meet ICA member Allison Zemanek and to experience the Performance IQ system for projecting heart rate and power data on to a screen at the front of the studio. When you read this article, be prepared to learn how to truly motivate your class beyond anything you’ve ever experienced! Read more…
Should You Talk to the Media? Part 1
Should indoor cycling instructors talk to the news media to promote themselves and their profession? If so, when? And how? Read this first part of a five-part series to learn from a thirty-plus year media professional and cycling instructor. Read more…
Teaching with Video: The Fine Print
It is always a bummer to get all jazzed about something only to read the fine print and find out it really doesn’t work as expected. My hope with this early article is to give you a bigger picture of what is involved in teaching with video, so as you get excited, you will not get tripped up by the details.Read more…
In Season: What Are Outdoor Riders Doing Now?
Although our indoor classes might be populated with many folks who do not ride outdoors, we should also be mindful of what our outdoor riders may be doing or are capable of during a given time of year. This will help us deliver safe, fun, and appropriate classes regardless of the season. Understanding this still has value for the non-outdoor rider. Why?Read more…
Ask The Expert: How Much Upper Body Movement?
I received a question from a cyclist who said a master instructor told him he should allow movement in his upper body and he disagreed, because he was always taught to keep his upper body still. But there is an important difference between an outdoor bike and an indoor bike, and that has implications in how you should modify your riding indoors.Read more…
How Much Do You Value Your Time?
How long do you spend putting together your profiles and playlists? Depending on my mood, I can spend anywhere from 1 to 2 hours, sometimes more (especially for ones like the photo at left). Often the actual profile itself has been brewing in my head for a while; sometimes I come up with the concept while out riding my bike.Read more…