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Status: ICI best-practice guidance
Applies to: ICI members, ICI-recognised instructors, ICI tutors, and instructors working towards ICI recognition
Also suitable for: indoor cycling instructors, studios, training providers, operators, and managers seeking best-practice guidance
Purpose: To encourage practical recording, review, and learning from incidents, near-misses, equipment concerns, and repeated safety issues in indoor cycling

Indoor cycling safety should not depend on waiting for something serious to happen.
Incidents matter, but so do near-misses. A rider losing control of the pedals, a foot coming out of a strap or cleat, a bike fault, repeated bouncing from insufficient resistance, or a rider feeling faint may all indicate a safety issue worth noting and addressing.
Serious sectors learn from near-misses. They do not wait for injury before asking what could be improved.
This guidance sets out a practical approach to incident and near-miss reporting in indoor cycling. It is intended to help instructors, studios, and operators recognise patterns, improve procedures, support rider safety, and strengthen professional practice.
It should be read alongside the Indoor Cycling Instructor Scope of Practice, ICI Safety Standards for Indoor Cycling Sessions, ICI New Rider Onboarding Standard, and ICI Guidance for Studios and Operators.

1. Why reporting matters

Incident and near-miss reporting helps instructors and studios understand what is happening in real sessions.
It can help identify:

• equipment faults;
• unclear rider induction;
• problems with bike set-up;
• unsafe riding patterns;
• late-arrival issues;
• class formats that are causing loss of control;
• riders who need additional support;
• gaps in staff procedures;
• repeated concerns that might otherwise be dismissed as isolated events.

The aim is not to create blame or unnecessary paperwork. The aim is to learn from what happens, reduce avoidable risk, and improve the way indoor cycling is delivered.
A simple record, used properly, is more useful than a complex system nobody uses.

2. What counts as an incident?

An incident is an event where something has gone wrong, or where a rider, instructor, staff member, or venue has been affected.
In indoor cycling, this may include:

• a rider falling from or around the bike;
• a rider being injured;
• a rider feeling faint, dizzy, unwell, or unable to continue;
• a rider experiencing pain during or after bike use;
• a rider losing control of the pedals;
• a foot coming out of a pedal, strap, cage, or cleat;
• a bike fault during class;
• a rider being unable to stop safely;
• a rider needing first aid or staff support;
• a collision, trip, or fall in the studio;
• a rider reporting a safety concern;
• a rider providing feedback (positive or negative feedback help to improve the experience for riders).

Incidents should be recorded according to the studio or operator’s procedure.

3. What counts as a near-miss?

A near-miss is an event where harm did not occur, but could reasonably have occurred.
Near-misses are important because they often reveal weaknesses before an injury happens.
Examples may include:

• a rider’s foot slipping from a pedal without injury;
• a rider nearly falling while getting on or off the bike;
• a rider being pulled by the pedals but managing to recover;
• a rider being unable to slow down promptly;
• a rider bouncing heavily because of insufficient resistance;
• a rider joining late and appearing unprepared for the current intensity;
• a rider misunderstanding the brake or emergency stop;
• a bike saddle or handlebar moving during class;
• a pedal, strap, cleat, or adjustment mechanism appearing faulty;
• a rider nearly colliding with another bike, wall, or object;
• a rider repeatedly riding in a way that appears unsafe;
• a rider looking faint, confused, or distressed but recovering without first aid.

Near-misses should not be ignored simply because nobody was hurt.

4. Repeated safety concerns

Some issues may not appear serious on their own, but may become important if they happen repeatedly.
Examples include:

• riders regularly bouncing at high cadence;
• riders often using too little resistance;
• new riders repeatedly arriving without being identified;
• late riders regularly joining without a proper warm-up;
• frequent confusion about bike set-up;
• frequent questions about the brake or resistance control;
• the same bike repeatedly being reported as faulty;
• riders often appearing unsure of the target intensity;
• repeated unsafe choreography or unstable riding patterns;
• instructors being unable to see or monitor riders properly.

Repeated concerns should be reviewed because they may point to a wider issue with class design, rider induction, bike maintenance, studio procedure, or instructor guidance.

5. Equipment faults

Equipment faults should be recorded and acted on.
This includes faults that occur during class and faults noticed before or after class.
Examples include:

• loose saddle;
• loose handlebars;
• faulty adjustment mechanism;
• faulty brake or emergency stop;
• faulty resistance control;
• damaged pedal;
• damaged strap, cage, or cleat;
• unstable bike;
• display not working;
• unusual noise or movement;
• bike not holding its settings;
• bike not suitable for safe use.

Where a fault affects safety, the bike should be taken out of use until it has been checked and resolved.
Instructors should know how to report a fault, and studios should have a clear process for dealing with it.

6. Bike set-up and rider control issues

Bike set-up and rider control concerns are worth recording where they cause pain, instability, loss of control, or repeated confusion.
Examples include:

• a rider reporting pain caused by bike position;
  
• a rider being unable to adjust the bike safely;
• a bike not fitting the rider adequately;
• a saddle or handlebar adjustment slipping;
• a rider appearing unstable because of poor set-up;
• a new rider not receiving set-up guidance;
• feet being pulled by the pedals;
• feet coming out of pedals, straps, cages, or cleats;
• riders being unable to slow down;
• riders bouncing excessively;
• riders riding with too little resistance;
• riders being unstable out of the saddle;
• riders struggling with high cadence;
• riders being unable to follow instructions safely.

A rider losing control should not be treated as amusing, normal, or simply the rider’s fault. It may indicate a problem with resistance guidance, cadence, class design, bike set-up, rider induction, or rider understanding.

7. When a report should be made

A report should normally be made when:

• someone is injured;
• a rider feels unwell or needs assistance;
• a rider falls or nearly falls;
• a rider loses control of the pedals;
• a bike fault affects safety;
• a rider reports pain or a safety concern;
• a new rider cannot be onboarded safely;
• a late rider cannot join safely;
• a rider does not understand how to stop;
• a repeated safety concern is observed;
• the instructor or studio believes something should be reviewed.

The report does not need to be long. It should be clear enough that someone else can understand what happened and what action was taken.

8. What to record

A practical report should include:

• date and time;
• class or session name;
• instructor name;
• bike number, if relevant;
• brief description of what happened;
• whether anyone was injured or unwell;
• whether first aid or staff support was needed;
• whether equipment was involved;
• whether the rider was new or late, if relevant;
• immediate action taken;
• whether the bike was removed from use;
• whether follow-up is needed;
• name of the person completing the report.

For a near-miss, it is enough to describe what nearly happened and what could be improved.
The record should be factual and calm. Avoid blame, speculation, or unnecessary personal detail.

download form

9. What happens after a report

A report is only useful if it can lead to action where needed.
Possible follow-up actions include:

• checking or repairing a bike;
• removing a bike from use;
• reviewing rider induction;
• reviewing a late-arrival policy;
• speaking to an instructor about class design or cueing;
• adjusting cadence or resistance guidance;
• improving signage or rider information;
• reviewing a virtual class procedure;
• changing studio layout;
• reminding staff of emergency procedures;
• contacting a rider where appropriate;
• recording that no further action is needed.

Not every report requires a major response. However, reports should be reviewed enough to identify patterns and prevent avoidable recurrence.

10. Confidentiality and professionalism

Reports should be handled professionally.
Studios and instructors should avoid gossip, public discussion, or unnecessary sharing of rider information. Records should include enough detail to be useful, but not more personal information than necessary.
Where a studio has its own data protection, safeguarding, accident reporting, or health and safety procedures, those procedures should be followed.
The purpose of reporting is to support safety and learning, not to embarrass riders or blame instructors.

11. Instructor responsibilities

Instructors should know how to report incidents, near-misses, equipment faults, and rider safety concerns.
They should not ignore concerns because the class was busy, the rider seemed fine afterwards, or the issue has happened before.
Instructors should report concerns according to the studio process. Where there is no clear process, they should raise the issue with the studio or operator.
Reporting afterwards does not replace immediate action where a rider is unsafe, unwell, or out of control.

12. Studio and operator responsibilities

Studios and operators should make reporting simple.
They should provide a clear process for instructors and staff to report:

• incidents;
• near-misses;
• equipment faults;
• rider concerns;
• late-arrival issues;
• virtual session concerns;
• repeated unsafe patterns.

The process should be easy to use and understood by instructors, cover instructors, reception staff, and managers.
A reporting system that is complicated, hidden, or discouraged is unlikely to be used. Studios should create a culture in which reasonable safety reporting is welcomed rather than treated as criticism, fussiness, or disloyalty.

13. Virtual and on-demand sessions

Incident and near-miss reporting is also relevant to virtual and on-demand sessions.
Studios offering virtual sessions should have a process for recording concerns such as:

• riders not knowing how to set up the bike;
• riders not understanding the brake;
• riders appearing unsafe during a virtual class;
• lack of competent supervision;
• equipment faults;
• riders feeling unwell;
• riders joining without suitable induction;
• unclear responsibility for responding to problems.

Showing a video does not remove the need for rider care, supervision, and reporting where concerns arise.
This section should be read alongside ICI Guidance for Studios and Operators.

14. A simple reporting culture

Good reporting does not need to be dramatic.
A useful reporting culture is practical, professsional, and proportionate. It asks:

• What happened?
• Was anyone harmed?
• Could someone have been harmed?
• Was equipment involved?
• Was the rider new, late, confused, or unsupported?
• Did the instructor have enough information and support?
• Does anything need to change?
• Do we need to watch for a pattern?

This approach helps studios and instructors improve without turning every issue into a crisis.

Studios may use the Indoor Cycling Incident and Near-Miss Report Form to record incidents, near-misses, rider concerns, equipment faults, and follow-up action.

The template has two parts:

Part A: Incident or Near-Miss Report
Completed by the instructor, staff member, or person making the report.

Part B: Office / Management Review
Completed by the studio, operator, manager, or designated reviewer to consider what happened, whether action is needed, and whether a pattern should be monitored.

15. Relationship to other ICI standards

This guidance is part of the wider ICI Professional Standards Framework.
It should be read alongside:
Indoor Cycling Instructor Scope of Practice
ICI Safety Standards for Indoor Cycling Sessions
ICI Cadence and Intensity Guidance
ICI New Rider Onboarding Standard
ICI Guidance for Studios and Operators
Together, these documents support safer, clearer, and more professional indoor cycling practice.

Next in the framework
Code of Professional Conduct
Indoor Cycling Instructor Scope of Practice
Guidance for Studios and Operators
Indoor Cycling Instructor Standards Policy