One of the biggest frustrations instructors have is the music. Even if you feel confident about finding and using music, it can still be a time-consuming process for those who really care about a quality product. ICA to the rescue! Here are 10 bucket playlists with over 6,400 songs, broken down into cadence buckets: 55 to 69 rpm, 70 to 79 rpm, 80 to 89 rpm, 90 to 99 rpm, and 100+ rpm. They are further divided into two music genre categories: electronic and rock/pop/indie/alternative. You’re welcome—I’ve just saved you hundreds of hours! Read more…

You might have found yourself with some extra time on your hands. Do you see a silver lining? I sure do! Now is the time to grow yourself and up-level your teaching. Here is what I plan on doing for ICA members. The list is long—get ready for some enhanced learning! I also plan on offering some great free content to non-members. All instructors are hurting and all instructors can use this time to grow. Stay tuned for more on that.Read more…

Profile Design Tips

Part 1 of our new instructor series focused on providing numerous coaching tips to ease you into your first couple of classes. This article will focus on profile creation tips, one of the biggest hurdles for new instructors. We provide you with the four rules of profile design and include dozens of ideas for profile objectives.Read more…

Some new instructors are more challenged than others with stage fright, especially if they do not come from a group fitness background. Most of these insecurities are easily quelled with practice, practice, practice. Allow yourself the time and space to make mistakes. Here are some tips for new instructors that will minimize your nervousness as you move beyond your certification. Read more…

Now is not the time to panic, but it is a good time to remind your riders of practices that should be routine to help maintain a healthy environment for yourself and others in the cycling studio and the gym in general. While coronavirus is rightly the global focus right now, here are some guidelines to help minimize risk of infection and transmission of any virus. Read more…

For so many years I’ve heard cycling instructors lament that “Students get bored if the class is cycling specific, so I need to [add silly move here] or they won’t come to class!” Well, I have news for you…maybe it’s not the moves or technique that are boring; maybe it’s you! Here are 13 ways you can be sure to keep students engaged while riding and committed to your classes without resorting to silly gimmicks on the bike. Read more…

It’s time for a redo of one of my most popular rides, the Roller Coaster Ride, a fun, adrenaline-filled simulation of a mountain bike ride. This time, most of the songs have a roller coaster theme. You’ll also find a playlist of more songs that include “roller coaster” (25+ songs and growing) in case you want to create your own ride on this fun theme.Read more…