Spin class
 

So my son recommend I try a spin class that run by his triathlon coach. It's geared for cyclists and is rather intense. I spoke to the coach and he said there's no problem if i dial it back. I'm bringing my own bike with trainer and i'll see if i can survive it.

Your legs will fall off.....hope not.

Bring water

and a mop.

A cycling specific trainer class is great way to develop good technique and build fitness during the off-season. The 3 month program that I attend will begin December 3.

I started working with a local organization that is 100% focused on indoor training for cyclist. I started about 2 weeks ago. It is intense, but they also adjust the trainers to a power level. The trainers are programmable and provide a variable resistance.

While we all cover the same 90 minute work-out profile, one guy will be averaging 150 watts while another will be averaging 250.

The coaches should test your power output and will use the test data to program your trainer. It will be a hard workout, but it will be set to your requirements, not to anyone else’s.

I’m using my bike with a cadence meter and I’m going to bring my heart rate monitor to the next work-out.

Your bike will need a trainer skewer on the rear wheel. This is a beefy steel skewer that is provided when you buy a home trainer.

OH, bring a towel and be sure they provide a fan, you will work.

Spinning is a great exercise to mix into any fitness program. As the others have said, water and a sweat towel are a must. You'll get out what you put in. It's up to each individual.

Here's the list my son gave me:

Wear to the class:
Bike shorts
Running Pants
Cycling socks
Any sneakers
t-shirt
jacket


Clothing to bring:
Bike Shoes
Cycling jersey
extra underwear if you want to change after class


Gear to bring:
2 Water bottles (there is a water fountain if you want to refill a bottle before or after class)
2 towels- 1 to keep the sweat off your bike, one to use to wipe the sweat off your face
Something to eat during class, and maybe a snack for the ride home
Bike
Trainer
Trainer skewer
(Pump up at least rear tire to 120 psi before class)
riser block if you have one

I bring 3 water bottles for a 60 minute spin class and drink all of it. I try to match the amount of water going in to the size of the sweat puddle on the floor. :D

If you have a jersey you save for days when it's going to be blazing hot, use that one.

If you don't, try to find one of those superlight fabrics.

These classes are the only time that I wear that oddball sleeveless Sugoi jersey that my wife gave me as a gift.

Didn't notice if anyone has mentioned it yet, but you will sweat. :lol:

Spinning classes are fine but it does take a few classes before you can work as hard as you think you should be able to.

First class and you will find the "Experts" that can do everything and you think they must be "Ultra" Fit.

By the 4th. and you will be up to their level but struggling while they do it with ease---If they find it that easy why don't they find something that will tax them

Then the day comes when you can match their distance- use the same gearing on the hills- ride out of the saddle for longer than them and you are finding it easy

That is when the big mistake comes as you feel sociable enough to ask them out for a ride- so what form of riding do they do?---Road or MTB? The only cycle they ever use is the Spin Bike and they are expert at that.

You then find out that the last time they were on a bike was years ago but they might be able to dig it out of the basement but it will need a lot of work to get it into a ridable condition.

Spin classes are addictive and can give you a good workout- but don't get hooked.

Bike riding will never be the same agin.

The "spin" classes around here feature bikes with large flywheels. They are essentially track bikes (no coasting). They turn off the lights for the class and play loud, loud music. They also change the tempo at a drop of a hat. I don't get it about the intensity. It isn't like you can be dropped. Still the spin bikes give you a good road feel except for things like balance, braking, cornering, avoid sociopathic drivers, dodging dogs, evading squirrels and avoiding road kill encounters.

I have a buddy who is a spin instructor. He was always bugging me to come take a spin class with him. I finally told him "you go mountain biking with me, I will go to one of your spin classes".

He agreed, and I took him on what I consider to be a intermediate level mountain bike ride. I had planned to go about 13 miles but about six miles in it was clear that he was running out of gas. I don't think he was quite prepared for how much harder you have to work on a mountain bike vs. a spin bike.

I held up my end of the bargain and went to his spin class. He tortured me and I ended up with the big puddle under the bike. He was sweating, but not as much as I was. It's all what you are used to...

I survived, it was 60 minutes of sweating to really bad and loud music.

I wasn't able to stay out of the saddle for as long as everyone else but i didn't give up. Glad I brought a change of cloths because they were soaking wet. Drank both bottles of water and got a refill.

I'll do it again and hopefully be stronger.

Your son said you needed "cycling socks?"
Damn. I knew I was doing it all wrong. I've been wearing hiking boot liner socks.

Most spin classes I've dropped in on were not cycling-oriented. Too much standing and not interval oriented. I'd love to try classes that were cycling oriented. Of course, I could always get a few DVDs and use my green trainer.

I'd say that half of the people there were on their road bikes. They had enough trainers there that i'll leave mine home next time.

The class was run by LITC (Long Island Tri Coach), so that's why it's cycling oriented.

There are spin classes and there are spin classes. Those attended by and taught by cyclists are legit.

I've been to the other kind as well - you can get some work in on those too, but you may need to diverge from the class now and again. For example, I REFUSE to subject my precious knees to those silly 30 cadence ultra high resistance 'hill climbs.'

I do what I want, and it does not include prolonged standing or those real hard 30 cadence spins (as mentioned above also) - it can hurt my body, especially my SI joint, gets me out of alignment, and it is mostly silly for my type of riding.