Spin classes
 

I was thinking about getting a gym membership for the winter and days it rains so I can take spin classes. In your opinion do they help? Im going to race next year so I want to get in the best shape as possible over the winter. Let me me know what you think about spin classes

IMHO, If you're training for racing, you're better off doing a program of structured intervals on a trainer, or even on a spin bike, rather than a spin class.

In my experience, most spin classes are run by instructors that know little about riding a bike on the road, and nothing about racing one.

And while many spin classes can be hard, they're not designed to work on particular things in a progressive fashion.

If you can find a series of spin classes that are intended for race training that would be different.

Failing that, doing some general spin classes won't hurt, and may help with motiviation, but don't let them get in the way of doing the structured work you need to do, or recovering on easy days so you can do that structured work.

Good for cardio and perhaps leg strength, plus the scenery can be nice. But not so great for all the other skills involved in riding a bike - like cornering.

+a bunch to what merlinextraligh said.

I'd rather buy fenders and rain/cold gear for the winter than pay for a gym membership, though.

If I end up having to do a spin class, I'd just do my own thing anyway. Maybe put a Sufferfest video on my phone and go along with that.

One reason they're so popular -- and not even the participants realize this -- is that nobody knows how anyone has set their resistance. Your "10" might be another person's "30" (and maybe a really strong rider's "6"). It's not like a group ride where if someone can't hang or wants to take it easy, they drop off the back. Everybody's still in the room together, spinning away, happily oblivious to whether they're pushing more or less harder than anyone else.

Spin classes are what you make of them. You control the resistance, so can get a good workout no matter what silliness the instructor would have you do. Also, I sit in the back corner so I can deviate from what the class is doing without being distracting to other class members.

this gym has Extreme classes, Hill Classes, and so called group rides. I prefer to be outside but if the new england weather stops me from doing that i'm hoping this can help keep me from getting fat and lazy

My spin class instructor is a road racer and does a good job of motivating the class. However, I just do what I want and ignor the instructor. I like that I can get more resistance from a spin bike than I can from a trainer.

I used them last year. They are not a substitute for being on your bike out riding on a structured plan, but if you get to the point where you would rather take a knee to the junk than ride another mile on your trainer, a spin class can be good to change things up and get you to do something.

I take a spin class run by a triathlon coach.

Its grueling and I did see an improvement last year by the end of the class.

What Merlin said.

For most folks who AREN'T already on a structured training plan, spin classes are great. They get you doing hard interval-like work, and you can go as hard as you want, even if the instructor is lame. WHen they say "GO" you GO! I've done a few spin classes when I was out of town at a YMCA where the average age was probably senior citizen level, but that still didn't stop me from going all out in the corner and generating a ton of sweat.

If you're on a training program with predetermined structured interval work, obviously that will be better than a spin class where you don't know what type of intervals to expect, but otherwise, any time spent on spin class is time that'll help you outdoors on the bike. Watts are watts - you crank the watts on the spin bike, you'll be cranking the watts outdoors.

I tend to avoid any strange bike motions, like the notorious 'jumps' they do (like 1 sec out on / 1 sec in saddle repeating) and any arm motions. Just focus on pushing hard when it's time to GO, and you'll be all good with spin classes. YMCA spin classes are a staple of mine when I'm out of town for more than a few days - much, much better than riding the gym stationary bikes for me.

The motivation factor is huge. I don't know too many folks who aren't die-hard serious racers who can actually adhere to a progressive interval program on indoor trainer on their own, whereas a lot of people are ok with going to a spin class.

Yeah, I don't have any idea how a spin class can help your racing. I try to spin once or twice in the middle of the week, Tuesdays and/or Thursdays to be precise. I also try and stay in the back and do my own thing most of the time (ie work on things I want to work on, like smoothness of pedal stroke, leg speed, one-legged drills, extensive out of saddle riding etc).

What I have noticed is increased out-of-saddle riding and overall stamina, leg strength and weight control. Of course, I'll rather ride outside, but since I don't ride at night, it is another arrow in my quiver for after work exercise . As somebody pointed out, it is what it is, and what you can make out of it.

Why take spin class, either ride on the trainer or get out and ride in the winter. If you race you know what you need.

I like the scenery.

Maybe this could be a sticky, as it seems to come up fairly regularly:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...highlight=spin

Watts are watts. Crank more on the spin bike, crank more outdoors. That's how it'll help your racing.

No, it's not going to do squat for your tactics, but then again, very little except actually racing helps those as well.

That's why i setup in the back of the room ;)

I did some last winter. Brutal, but did me a world of good. I was recovering from a knee injury and was having trouble getting uphill standing on the pedals, my injured knee just wouldn't make it over the top of the stroke. Spin classes helped that because the flywheel gave me a bit of inertia.

Another + for the scenery and this was actually something that made me push harder. My macho pride would not allow me to be seen giving up in a class full of women.

I'm not a racer so not being structured appropriately for training was not an issue for me as it seems to be for others. Still a darn good cardio workout and kept the legs strong.

I'm uncoachable because I can't listen to anybody tell me what to do if I don't agree or understand their reasoning. Therefore the one time I tried spin class, I really didn't dig it at all... I'd rather buy a trainer and do my own thing even if the scenery wasn't as good... ;)

It realy depends on your style to what you will get out of it. As you can see from this page so far; you have some people who say its useful, and others who say its useless.

My personal ipinion is that it helps. It helped me get back into a better rythm for gaging where my muscle fatigue was when I first started spin class, and where I could confortably keep it by the end. If anything it was a workout I was not going to be able to get because of inclimate weather.

Take it for what its worth. Try a few, if you like it stay with it, if not, don't.

Check your LBS. The shop I ride out of does such a thing during the fall and winter. They can't be the only ones.

Was pouring rain the other night so I decided to take my first spin class at the club I belong to. My pulse rate got up higher than I ever remember seeing it and at the end of the hour I was beat. Agree with the scenery also plus I have tried riding a trainer I have at home and it is brutally boring.

I agree with this for the most part. I would add the caveat that it does depend on the instructor.

Fortunately, here in Taiwan, year-round cycling is not a problem. Even still, on rainy days or days when I don't have time for a ride, a spin class is a great way to fill the gap. I don't look at it as training for biking per se...but if you bring a heart rate monitor, a great attitude, and ready to ride, I find spinning is a great way to keep stepping up my cardio level...and that has obvious transfer benefits to whatever athletic endeavor you are into!

I'm a bit late to the party here, but spin classes can work for race training.

You don't have to do what the instructor says. Just do your race training during the class.

What's the instructor going to do? Call in the National Guard and have you shot?

+1

One of the spin "instructors" in our gym does not even ride a bike outdoors.

Spin classes can be alright: IF they're run by a cyclist instead of an aerobics instructor, you follow your own requirements, you're motivated by the improvement in scenery compared with your garage.

But, a trainer in the garage offers an infinately more flexible schedule, with the addition of a few videos (sufferfest, CTS, etc) offers better strutured interval workouts that can be matched to your training requirements, etc.

Even my Mrs., who isn't in the least competative prefers our garage based sessions to the gym's spin classes.