Did you know April is International Guitar Month? According to My Guitar Lair magazine, there are 10 great ways to celebrate guitars this month—but they missed one of the best: rocking out in your indoor cycling class!
Music is the heartbeat of what we do as instructors, keeping our riders engaged, motivated, and pushing their limits. Science backs this up—Scientific American reports that people run farther, bike longer, and swim faster when listening to music, often without even realizing it. And when that perfect guitar riff kicks in, you can literally see the energy shift in your riders. Heads lift, smiles spread, and hands reach for the resistance knob to turn it up!
Two Epic Guitar Bucket Playlists
To help you build the ultimate guitar-fueled ride, we’ve created two bucket playlists that members can access at the end of this post:
🎸 Iconic Guitar Riffs Playlist—Over 155 tracks featuring legendary guitarists across all genres (though, let’s be honest, rock dominates—because that’s where the electric guitar truly shines!).
🎸 Acoustic Guitar Playlist—More than 240 tracks showcasing incredible acoustic artistry, from folk to flamenco to classic rock ballads.
Two Guitar-Themed Cycling Profiles
Need a full ride? I’ve got you covered with two guitar-powered class profiles:
🎶 In Celebration of Guitars—A mix of fast flats and climbs, packed with classic rock legends and a few modern surprises.
🎶 Three Long, Guitar-Powered Climbs—New from 2024! This profile features longer (5- to 9-minute) rock anthems with soaring solos. I even included two tracks I’ve admired from afar but had never used—until I created this profile. The result? Pure magic.
If your riders love rock as much as mine do, these profiles will be a huge hit! And remember—you don’t have to limit the celebration to April. No month is NOT guitar month in my book. And if you teach ROCKtober rides, you’ll find plenty of crossover inspiration here.
Must-Ride Guitar Tracks for Your Playlist
Here are a few of my absolute favorite guitar-driven songs to use in class. (You’ll find these, along with nearly 300 more, in the playlists below!)
But first, let’s talk about…
The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Dilemma 🎶
Let’s talk Zeppelin. Depending on who you ask, any of five or six different Led Zeppelin songs could be considered the pinnacle of rock guitar.
- “Whole Lotta Love” (92 rpm) is, hands down, one of the best driving fast-flat tracks for cycling.
- “Stairway to Heaven” (83 rpm) might top the list, but I usually save it for a rare, once-a-year play during Guitar Month.
- “Rock and Roll” (86 rpm)? Another perfect cadence-driven classic.
- “Black Dog” (79 rpm) This one is legendary in my Roller Coaster Ride profile, a mountain bike simulation that remains one of ICA’s most popular rides.
- “Immigrant Song” (57 rpm) A primal, slow-grinding climb.
- “Kashmir” (83 rpm) At over 8 minutes, this one’s a powerhouse for climbing (and it’s featured in my Three Long Guitar-Powered Climbs profile).
Basically, you can’t go wrong with Zeppelin—especially if your class is filled with classic rock fans (which, let’s be honest, usually means almost anyone over 50).
When Doves Cry, Prince, 5:52, 126 bpm
From the very first riff, this one hooks your riders. Use it for a slow, grinding climb—they’ll feel every second of it (in the best way possible).
Don’t Fear the Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult, 5:08, 140 bpm
A perfectly paced 70-rpm climb with an unmistakable rock edge. Bonus: You get 5 minutes to lock in and dig deep.
Ramblin’ Man, Allman Brothers, 4:48, 90 bpm
This iconic Southern rock classic works beautifully as a moderate-intensity fast flat or gentle warm-up. The guitar is featured throughout the song but takes center stage at around the 3-minute mark. And if you love acoustic guitar, the Allman Brothers have plenty of playlist-worthy tracks (many of which can be found in our bucket playlists below).
Johnny B Good, Chuck Berry, 2:41, 85 bpm
No guitar-themed ride is complete without Chuck Berry. Short and punchy, this one makes a great hard interval at 85 rpm or a quick recovery spin between harder efforts.
Norwegian Wood, The Beatles, 2:01, 177 bpm
One of the many Beatles tracks showcasing beautiful acoustic guitar. Ideal for a light recovery before ramping up the intensity again.
Diablo Rojo, Rodrigo y Gabriela, 4:56, 136 bpm
If you want to blow minds with stunning acoustic guitar work, this is the track. A climb that feels like an adventure.
Build Your Own Guitar-Themed Ride
With these playlists, you’ll have more than enough incredible tracks to create multiple guitar-focused rides. And if you need even more inspiration, check out some of the guitar-infused tracks from our Wednesday Timeless Classics series—they might be just what you need to round out your playlist! You can find them here, here, and here.
🎵 What are your favorite guitar-driven songs to use in class? Drop them in the comments! If I don’t already have them, I’ll add them to the playlist.
Rock on, instructors! 🎸🔥