Northern California - Spin classes?

Like many of us, I'm looking for a good workout I can do indoors this winter. Has anybody found spin classes to be useful, that is, will they build skills that translate to real-world cycling? Are there any that are geared toward actual cycling, as opposed to the weight-loss crowd? Are there any worthwhile ones in SF? I still ride outside as much as possible but this would be a nice alternative for when it rains. Or should I just man up and ride the boring rollers all winter? Thanks!

I'm very much a fan of spinning classes to augment my road cycling. I've been doing it for 5 years now. The spin sessions I do are more intense than my road rides. That's because I'm strictly focused on my training, not watching for cars, or yakking with people.

You can concentrate on different aspects of your riding skills in each class - cardio or strength or endurance. In due course, the instructor you have won't matter that much because you'll know what you want to work on and you'll be able to train accordingly. The music and the group setting does provide a motivation for me to work hard.

I don't get to ride outside as much as I like (only 2500 miles this year), so spinning has been essential to me staying in any kind of riding condition.

Go for it! You might like it!

I don't think they help with any real cycling skills but they're fun and good for cardio fitness. Go have fun.

Since your in SF, check out M2. A lot of my teammates swear by it. SF Tri Club also has cycling specific spin classes. My beef with regular spin classes are that they are kinda goofy, but like DiabloScott said they can be great fitness workouts. I stopped going to the ones at my gym when he had us do 3 minute intervals with 10 seconds rest in between.

Since your in SF, check out M2. A lot of my teammates swear by it. SF Tri Club also has cycling specific spin classes. My beef with regular spin classes are that they are kinda goofy, but like DiabloScott said they can be great fitness workouts. I stopped going to the ones at my gym when he had us do 3 minute intervals with 10 seconds rest in between.

+1 on M2 if you're looking for a serious group of athletes training specifically for racing.
I drop in once in a while and pay the $20 per class fee, but it's well worth it.

I also belong to the Embarcadero YMCA in SF and go to anywhere from 2 to 6 spin classes per week year round (2 or 3 classes a week during the good weather and up to 6 when it's dark & rainy), so they make up anywhere from 15% to 50% of my weekly training. Mostly because the Y is across the street from my office and I can easily go to a 1 hour class on my lunch "hour" :innocent:

The YMCA classes are definitely not at all geared toward the serious racer and often the things the instructors ask you to do are quite ridiculous, but despite what the instructor says you can do whatever you want with the resistance and use it to get you HR just where you want it. I often skip the recovery intervals and just keep my HR up for the entire class by turning up the resistance when we're supposed to be recovering, or keep the resistance real low for the entire class if it's a recovery day for me.

They have proven to be a great supplement to my real on the bike training.

Another couple of advantages of spin classes are no wear and tear on your bike and components (especially in the rain), and not having to clean your bike or nearly as much clothing after the ride.

I don't think they help with any real cycling skills but they're fun and good for cardio fitness. Go have fun.

Is that your experience or your opinion?

I teach Spin classes in Vacaville and gear them toward real cyclists. Over half my participants don't cycle but enjoy the simulation. Because I don't teach aerobics on a bike my classes are the most poorly-attended, a sad commentary on Spinning, if you ask me. :notamused:

Red Rider, now, if I were a resident of Vacaville, I'd be at your classes and boost the attendance by 1 anyway! I make do simulating the races I have on DVD or with one them dang blasted Spinervals type disks. Tomorrow is the "Uphill Grind" and if I have anything left, disk 1 of the '06 Giro.

I'm doing my best to minimize fitness loss over the rainy season (which hasn't been so rainy).

I don't think they help with any real cycling skills but they're fun and good for cardio fitness. Go have fun.



Is that your experience or your opinion?

I teach Spin classes in Vacaville and gear them toward real cyclists. Over half my participants don't cycle but enjoy the simulation. Because I don't teach aerobics on a bike my classes are the most poorly-attended, a sad commentary on Spinning, if you ask me. :notamused:

Well it was certainly not a dig! By gearing your classes to real cyclists I assume you mean that you don't do ridiculuous stuff like the rapid standing and sitting thing I recently went through (kinda fun but nothing you'd ever do on a real bike).

But the OP was about skills and I understand that to mean handling, drafting, descending long distances without blowing up your tires... that kind of thing.

Well it was certainly not a dig! By gearing your classes to real cyclists I assume you mean that you don't do ridiculuous stuff like the rapid standing and sitting thing I recently went through (kinda fun but nothing you'd ever do on a real bike).

But the OP was about skills and I understand that to mean handling, drafting, descending long distances without blowing up your tires... that kind of thing.

Sorry to be defensive; I get flack from "real" cyclists about Spinning classes for the very things you mention, which I don't do because 1.) They make no sense on any kind of bike, and 2.) the benefit/risk ratio isn't enough to make them worthwhile practicing in class.

And I see what you mean; I was reading the OP from a different perspective.

Thanks!

There used to be a fitness center in the our building and the instructor would do more cycling oriented workouts like high-tension hill climb simulations or performance building workouts like pyramid intervals. They were great until she left and an Official Spinning® instructor took over; then it was a bunch of "jumps" (rapid standing and sitting), prolonged out-of-saddle spins, and "10" intensity intervals with 30 second rest intervals. Bah. I made do by not really listening to the instructor and doing my own intervals (must have looked funny being completely out of sync with the rest of the class).

After our company leased the building with the fitness center to Youtube, I lost convenient lunch hour access to a spin class and the 24-hour fitness is too far away to get to in an "hour".

Just come up with some intervals you can do and use the spin classes as a way to get motivated to go (i.e. there's lots of nice views usually <wink><wink>.) Also, don't be afraid to turn the dial way up.

Like Pizza Man said, the spin bike is a great way to save wear and tear on your real bike and I often did the classes with thin running shorts and a sleeveless Under Armour Heat Gear compression shirt. After class, I would rinse the shorts and shirt in the shower and wring and air dry and they'd be ready by the next day (and wouldn't stink).

There is an indoor trainer cycling classes at INTEGRATE Performance Fitness in Mountain View on Thu nights at 6:30pm. The instructor gives several technique tips throughout the session that are very valuable to improved riding.