You'll be pleased to know that you don't need any!

Why?

Personal preference
Although some studios will provide these shoes, it's not common practice (for good reason, as you'll see) - and there's a risk there's that 'bowling alley' experience where actually sliding your feet into some secondhand already-sweated-in shoes is just what you don't need after a tough day at the office when you're ready to unwind (and sweat). OK it's not as bad as borrowing someone's toothbrush (sorry), but it's not far off.

New riders
When new riders arrive, they're frequently low in confidence, and it might be years since they were last on a bike (if at all) and probably they've heard horror stories of indoor cycling (they're as prevalent as childbirth horror stories, due to low quality instruction).

This is a question we get asked a lot. And the answer isn't necessarily what you might think. We had an email from an ICI graduate and she said:
"I have a quick question regarding bike choices as I have a friend who is looking to expand their gym to include a cycling studio. 
I’ve ridden Keiser bikes but they don’t do speed and the fly wheel is quite small so you never cover much distance. Do you have any recommendations?"

I’d say that the major thing isn’t the bikes. There are a lot of studios with great bikes but the instructors have no idea what they’re doing, and so that asset is wasted (which if you bought the nice, expensive bikes, is heart-breaking!) First up, get instructors knowledgeable enough to run a proper class.

Then you have to think about budget. There’s a studio in Cornwall which has very VERY basic secondhand bikes, but their instructors are really good, and they’re now thinking of upgrading the studio to have MyZone heartrate training, which I’d say is really the next thing to think about because you can use it for all types of classes, not just indoor cycling; it’s great for keeping members engaged, great for helping them to stay motivated to get more results – and it’s trackable so personal trainers and instructors can keep in contact. And it provides an accuracy that a lot of bikes just don’t have.

Regarding bikes; there’s so much to look for, it can be a bit confusing. There are some metrics that bikes might have that aren’t that helpful – distance pedalled, speed, and time spent pedalling, and probably calorie burn are all metrics I’d like to see deleted from bikes, because they just don’t help. They’re usually all massively inaccurate, PLUS the distance travelled/speed thing usually has more to do with cadence than resistance – which means that if you have a competitive bunch of riders they’ll take all the resistance off and pedal at crazy cadences just to clock up the miles the quickest. It’s not good.

It’s best to look for bikes that have a belt rather than chain drive. This means less maintenance. Wattbikes are nice, but very high maintenace because they’re like pianos when you move them and have to be ‘tuned’ each time. If you have a good cleaning routine in the studio, then these bikes are going to be move a lot. Plus you'll need Wattbike specific servicing. Weigh up the pros and cons - they're really nice bikes.

For more on the details, we have a blog post here. It’s about secondhand bikes specifically, but it has some important bits in it.

You know that we love the BodyBikes. They’re lasting well, and the maintenance is low because all the complicated stuff is in the app. They major on measuring power, cadence and heartrate – and you can record your sessions and share them (if you’re feeling braggy) from your phone to social media. But these are at the higher price end.

BH bikes are good – you have to buy them by the pallet (I think 4 bikes at a time?) but they’re pretty reliable. The bits that go are always the console, so be prepared for that. The resistance is in gears which is really helpful for new riders, but not massively granular though, especially if you're wanting to do lots of power training.

You need to think more about geometry than individual features unfortunately, because weirdly the bike companies don't invest much in this. Stages bikes are nice, but the handlebars don’t suit those with narrow shoulders (like me) because of the way they're shaped; if you're 5'6" or below, it's difficult to be able to get a decent bike setup as the handlebars might not go low enough in relation to the saddle. On taller or longer-legged riders, this isn't a problem at all.

GymGear is at the lower price end, we tried these too, and really liked that you can get the saddle even lower than on a BodyBike (which is great for youngsters) but found that because the handlebars don’t go very far forward on their Forza model many taller or longer-backed riders will be a bit hunchy.

The best geometry we found was on BH and BodyBike. And for durability, we like BodyBike best.
 
There’s really a lot to think about – but first, it's vital to get instructors sorted so they really do know how to deliver a proper class. Next think about heartrate training because it’s not a big cost, it brings a return – and it massively improves the experience for everyone. After that, think bikes. But remember that even if the bikes are really basic, if you have good instructors and heartrate training, there’s a lot you can do with that. If you can't have accurate power on your bikes, then heartrate training is a great option - it's good to be able to have both, but if you have to choose, then go for heartrate training as it's so accessible for complete beginners and is best for improving motivation and helping riders understand more baout how they're functioning.

Got questions? We're happy to chat indoor cycling for as long as you like!

And as always we can offer further support (lots of it!) to ICI verified studios - we help you to excel.

Got a studio or gym? Find out more about how we can help you to deliver the best indoor cycling in your area.

How do you determine what's a fair price for an indoor cycling session? Are you happy with what you're charging?

Pricing is important - get it wrong and you'll either be undervaluing your product or pricing yourself out of the market. Just like with resistance and cadence is in balance on a bike, the level of demand should be balanced by the price you're asking riders to pay. There's a sweet spot for both.

I took a call today from an ICI instructor. He wanted to know: What's a good price to charge? - he's starting to instruct at a different studio; the bikes are quite basic, there are only a handful of riders who can ride at a time, the gym is new, and they offer gym only membership.

What would you do?

You need to focus on what you're actually offering - OK the bikes weren't necessarily top of the range, but if the instructor is good (as ICI instructors are!) then they can help any rider get great results with any bike. Studios will often over-invest in bikes thinking that if they've got the latest tech the classes will be brilliant. But if the instructors don't know what they're doing, that investment's wasted.

The fact that the instructor I spoke to today is well-equipped, knowledgeable and passionate about giving riders the results they want, and that there aren't lots of bikes available in the class means riders are going to be getting a really top-drawer experience. This experience (and the gym's bottom line) could be improved by a small investment in heartrate training - perhaps with the MyZone system which provides extra motivation, retention - and a secondary income stream.

Considering that the gym is seeking to increase interest in the gym by starting to offer indoor cycling sessions but not offer the classes necessarily within the membership, this creates an excellent opportunity. The ICI instructor is contracted by the gym and is incentivised to attract more riders by having a profit share from the classes.

In this instance, it makes sense to have a core price that other offers can be compared with. For example, charging £10 per ride for a non-member, and giving members a discount on this yields two things:

• you have a benchmark - your class is worth £10 - all your offers will relate back to this and this is how riders will quantify how good your offers (and your classes) are
• you reward member loyalty - they pay 50% less (or whatever), this promotes greater loyalty and increases membership sales

By doing this, you're employing the 'First Class' principle. When you buy a first class train ticket you're paying considerably more than the person who buys a regular ticket for the same journey on the same train. Sometimes you pay more than twice as much. But does it cost the train company twice as much to provide that first class seat? Nope. But what happens is the train company is using the revenue from those who pay a higher price to subsidise those who don't. In an indoor cycling setting, those who are not members pay a lot more to ride than those who are, and this helps to provide the excellent experience that the members enjoy (but don't necessarily pay for!) and attract more riders to become members.

Another thing you can think about is selling bundles of rides. Perhaps your newish rider wants to dip their toe in a bit more, but doesn't want to commit to the terms of a membership. In this case you could offer bundles that don't give the saving of a membership, but offer a small discount from a single ride price. Be aware though that anything that's between the 'benchmark' single ride price and what you want riders to go for (loyalty with a membership!) might deter riders from making that decision.

You can also offer several-week programmes - perhaps a 'Little Black Dress' programme or a 'Winter Training Programme' - this would have riders signing up and committing to a particular session for a number of weeks. They pay upfront in one, and pay the same whether they turn up to all classes or not.

If the gym decides to go down the MyZone heartrate training route, there'll be plenty of crossover as members can use it in the fitness suite as well as all of their classes, this will mean more riders to the cycling studio, as well as more riders exploring other parts of the gym - this approach generally works well for improving member experience, building membership base, as well as that always important bottom line.

There are huge benefits to be had with installing a heartrate training system in your gym or studio. If you shop around, you'll find that not only can you set up for a reasonable price, but you'll be able to generate a decent secondary income stream as well.
 
The benefits are:

• If you’re running it as a ‘facility’ there’s usually a one-off sign up fee (to get the receiver etc – you would need to provide whatever screens/hardware you’ll be using) and then a monthly fee, but if you select the right package and provider this should be more than covered by heartrate belt sales.
• There are still lots of studios who have not installed this yet (although this is the way things are going), and so you could quite easily be the first in your area, setting yourself apart as the expert.
• Your personal trainers and instructors will love it as they can use it with their own clients to track change. Most personal trainers STILL don’t use heartrate training, and so those of yours who do set themselves apart. (And can probably charge more as a result.)
• It's likely therefore that your instructors and trainers will be an excellent source of sales.
• It brings your cycling classes and other classes together members can see what they’re doing across all their classes.
• It’s safer - this is a vital point. Riders need to be in control – and with MyZone or other systems, they can see what’s happening as it happens. They know when they’re working too hard etc. You can’t tell outwardly. This also means you can get more people interested. There are riders we have whom we wouldn’t want riding with us without a heartrate strap. We, and they, like to know they’re safe. It also means you can work with a consultant if someone’s coming back after surgery. You can monitor it. We recently had one of those, and his surgeon allowed him to increase his effort by 2% each week afterwards. Without the tech, you just can’t offer that.
• You can set challenges and personal goals for riders within the app.
• You can design profiles with the MyZone system if you sign up as a facility. This gives riders something to watch as they work out. Similar to what we use in the studio.
• Heartrate training provides a more tailored workout for all participants at the same time, meaning they're more likely to get quicker, better results - and therefore more likely to stay with you. Heartrate training is great for member retention.
• This of course means you widen your appeal – perhaps the local hockey or netball team are interested in off-season training to improve their cardio fitness? We’ve found MyZone has been great for sports training. We’ve had hockey and football teams and even the GB gymnasts train with us for this reason. Obviously this then gives you something else to brag about on social media which then gets other people interested!
• If you’re not going to run it on big screens in the studio, you’re more than welcome to get your straps from us.
• Different systems are of course different. We recommend the MyZone system because it requires a very low initial investment, it provides a decent income stream from belt sales, and also, it can be used away from the studio as well.
• Users can keep a track of their activity, and it's gamified so it encourages and motivates to do a little bit more than they otherwise would.

Can’t stress enough, heartrate training is a GREAT way to upgrade your studio without the huge investment of new bikes. And because a lot of places still don’t have heartrate training yet, you're ahead of the curve on something really good.

Got a studio or gym? Find out more about how we can help you to deliver the best indoor cycling in your area.

Setting up an indoor cycling studio? One way to get the party started is not to invest in the newest kit, but to go secondhand if there's a local opportunity.

You'll need to weight up the opportunity on its own merit - you need to be thinking about more than just the price. There are two main things to consider:

1. If they’re in a decent condition for the price
2. If they’re going to last you.

 
Are the bikes in reasonable condition?
You really need to have a good look, and definitely do checks on all the ones you’re considering buying. The things you need to consider especially considering the price, are:

• Why the studio is considering selling them – are they upgrading? Or are they unreliable? If they're upgrading and they're local to you, well that means your competitor just got more competitive!
• How old are they?
• How much use have they had? Think of it in pedal hours – if it’s a multi-purpose gym which has run a handful of sessions each week, the bikes will have had fewer ‘pedal hours’ per year, than if they belong to a cycle specific studio where they’re being used for 4-5 hours every day. More pedal hours, more wear and tear.
• How well have they been maintained? A weekly check is best practice, and regular servicing on top of this. If they haven’t been looked at least weekly, they’re less likely to run smoothly, and you’re far more likely to get niggles with them – and far more likely to be dealing with someone who doesn’t really know much about the condition of the bikes, which I’d be wary of.
• Do a few checks on each bike you’re interested in buying:
  • Check there’s no rubbing with the flywheel (you’ll be able to hear it).
  • Check all the adjusters can be loosened and tightened and that all adjustments can be made smoothly (saddle fore and aft, up and down as well as handlebar fore and aft, and up and down).
  • Check integrity of pedals – make sure there’s no play in them, check that you can clip in and out easily with cycling shoes. Check the cages and straps.
  • Have they been moved a lot? A single use studio means bikes will only been moved for cleaning, so they’re less likely to encounter problems than those in a studio where they’re being moved daily for other types of classes etc.
  • Check for rust patches – for the most part these are cosmetic, and therefore a reasonable negotiating point, but check that the casters and especially the handlebar adjusters are not seized by rust.
  • Check that the bikes are stable – you can make adjustments by screwing in or out the little feet – make sure you can do this on all of them. They sometimes get seized by sweat and dirt if they’ve not been properly maintained.
  • Is the warranty still in place? (This is different to the maintenance warranty) If there is no maintenance warranty, you will be able to get one – we can recommend a company for you if required).
  • Is it a belt or a chain drive? Belt drives are more durable and encounter fewer problems.
  • Check pedals are dual function (have clips and cages).
  • Check the brakes work properly.

So that’s all stuff to work out if they’re reasonably priced. But you also need to consider how to future proof the investment you’ll be making in indoor cycling for your venue.

Future-proofing your venue

• What features do the the bikes have? Console? Power? How is it calculated?
• Dial or gear resistance? Dial resistance can be notoriously temperamental especially with bikes that have not had regular and frequent maintenance – it doesn’t take for long for each bike to take on a different personality, and then you get riders all wanting the same ‘nice’ bike and not wanting the ‘evil’ ones. Aside from this being a bit of unnecessary politics, actually it clarifies that riders really need a measurable workout – which they can’t have if all the bikes are different, or if there’s no tech on the bikes (no display for RPM, power, gearing, heartrate, etc)
• Best practice is to have a decent level of tech so riders can take better charge of their workouts, get better results, measure improvement – all of which has an effect on member retention, satisfaction and motivation. The way the industry is going, more and more studios are upgrading their bikes so they have at least RPM and power – we’ve certainly found that those who are wanting weight loss results and whoa re at the start of their fitness journey love the measurable aspect because it’s rewarding to know that what they’re doing is definitely bringing them results. They’re also more educated and knowledgeable about their bodies, and that translates to riders who stick with us for years rather than months.
• If there’s no tech on the bikes, that’s really not ideal, but all’s not lost, because there are options if your instructors really know what they’re doing, and also if you make a small investment (which provides a quick return) in heartrate training. We can talk about this – but this would have massive benefit for those members who do different types of classes with you – and it’s again great for building a supportive fitness community improving satisfaction (and therefore retention) and giving you a secondary income stream.

 
It might be that you’re thinking of just getting some bikes in just to get started, and with a view to upgrading them in the next year or so – that could be an idea.

It might be that you're considering secondhand bikes as a first step, to build your studio, and then to invest in better bikes further down the line. There’s usually a way round most things that are not ideal, we’ve found, and we’re happy to help you find the best approach for you. And also we’ve found that gimmicks definitely aren’t the way forward (there’s a reason why cycling studios don’t have bubble machines! We didn’t know this before we bought one when we first opened!)

If you'd like us to help or offer advice, get in touch. We are keen to improve the quality of indoor cycling everywhere. It's a tremendously effective activity that can benefit a great variety of people when done properly - and we want to help you make it a success where you are.

Of course the best investment you can make in your studio is ensuring your instructors are trained to a high enough standard that they are able to deliver safe, effective and effiicient classes that will boost rider motivation, results, and stickability. A good instructor will make the best of the bikes on offer - a poor instructor will struggle to create an effective class with even the best bikes on the market.

We partner with venues to constantly improve their offering - and we endorse those who meet our standards and who are providing reliably good service to their riders. Ask us for more information.

​Yes it's best not to let the weather sidetrack your riders from achieving their fitness goals. And yes, others may use the weather as an excuse. To keep maintain their progress, pass on these tips to get the most of working out in the summer heat. Click the link above for a pretty downloadable version.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. 
That means, pre-hydrate, hydrate, and post-hydrate. If you get hydration right, you'll avoid heat headaches. Get into the habit of being well hydrated every day. However it works for you - whether that's always having a bottle of water at your elbow, or having a drink with and between each meal, using a hydration app, however it works for you, build the habit. This is great for your brain, great for your skin, great for everything. And when the weather heats up, you're already on a roll. 

Over-hydration is a thing though. If you drink everything you can find, you'll be on the fast train to hyponatraemia, which happens when you pee out all that excess water (and sodium gets washed away with it). 
​
Drink to thirst during your workout - or take the hint of sipping (and definitely sip, don't glug) with each recovery section. 

Afterwards, maintain your healthy hydration habits - at least for the 24 hours after your workout, but if it's worth doing, it's worth keeping, right? Build the habit!

Wear clothes!
Yeah, not just any clothes - wear clothes that wick the moisture away from your skin, clothes that are light and loose-ish (but not flappy). 

Change your timetable
Try earlier sessions before the day heats up. Early morning sessions enable you to get your stuff done before breakfast - in the coolest part of the day. 

Precooling
Yep, it's a thing. Have an iced drink or a cold shower just before your workout if it's a really hot, humid day. There's evidence to suggest that this will also improve your performance (and who doesn't want that?!) You'll start your workout feeling fresher and cooler, and that feeling will last you just that little bit longer. 

Don't ignore your warm up
"But I'm already warm!" Yes, you are, but one of the reasons we warm up is so that we're supplying more blood to muscles, which means they get more oxygen - and that means you can work harder and more intensely, giving you better results. You skip the warm up and you'll miss out. 

Fans are your friend
If you're going to be working out inside, make sure it's somewhere that has fans not just air conditioning. Air con is no help at all when you feel hot during a workout. It's cold when you first walk in, but as soon as you're into your workout, you lose the benefit, and then when you head for your cool down, that icy air con blast hits you right when you need it least! Head for the fans. It makes sense - they're on when you need them, and off when you don't. 

Listen carefully
Be body aware. Overheating can leave you dizzy, nauseous and clammy. It's unpleasant, and you can avoid it by turning down the intensity when your body feels like it's had enough. Sit out for a few minutes, or head for your aerobic heartrate zones - there's plenty of benefit to be had from working aerobically. Choose aerobic sessions when you're planning your week's workout. 

Cool down properly
Don't rush off immediately after the workout bit. Take the cool down leisurely. Take time to bring your heartrate down. Make sure you're recovering to your lower heartrate zones before you start stretching. If you don't, you could feel dizzy or faint when you start stretching. 

Eat!
Oh yes. Don't forget when you sweat, you loose electrolytes as well as water - and you'll need to replace these. If you don't have high blood pressure, then eating a portion of salted nuts, olives, crisps, or crackers will provide you with the sodium and carbs you body needs. 

Wee check!
Check the colour of your urine - darker urine means you're dehydrated (think 'lager'). If it looks lighter and more like sauvignon blanc, then you're probably well-hydrated. If it's super-pale , you're at risk of over-hydrating (but this isn't particularly usual). If it's got a pinkish, brownish or other unusual tinge (and you haven't been eating beetroots or vitamin tablets) you might like to go and get that checked. 
And there we are. You're equipped to smash your fitness goals even in a glorious British summer (you never know, this could be it!)

​
And of course, at ICI we're here to help. It's our thing to keep you happy, healthy, and get you even fitter than ever. Here's to summer!

​If you're an instructor or a gym manager, we can help you to deliver quality classes that are safe, effective and efficient. That's what we do.
Click below to contact us:

Endorsed venues: contact us for your co-branded guide.

We're pleased to support Tackle Prostate Cancer's Bike to the Moon event to raise funds and awareness to tackle Prostate Cancer. 

If you or your studio is running an event, click below to download our venue guide to help make sure your riders get the best experience. 

Business Insider has just published an article by Aria Bendix entitled Spinning class can lead to back pain and even damage your hearing. There are still reasons to participate.
Oh my golly gosh. Where to start... Unfortunately Aria's experience and what she writes about is still not history. It is still possible to play 'Bad Spin Bingo' in some places. So, what did Aria have on her bingo card?

• instructor failed to address her fear of falling off
• back pain
• concerned about muscle trauma
  
• she's heard it doesn't work so well for weight loss
• can it damage hearing?
• there's little evidence it's better than other routines
• ineffective workout
• indoor cycling isn't effective for improving health

If I'd had Aria's experience I'd take a lot of persuading to get back on a bike (my first experience was similar - we might talk about that...) But it's important to understand that there's a difference between indoor cycling when it's done properly, and indoor cycling when it's done horribly, like it was for Aria.

First of all, there is no excuse for riders having this experience. And secondly, a few basic tweaks to the rider experience would transform the class from Bad Spin to World Class and make the workout safe, effective and efficient - Aria's workout was none of these.

So, what should be changed?

This is a biggie. Instructors should know:

• who their riders are
• their riders' level of experience
• riders' limitations (health conditions, training schedule etc)

Riders should know:

• That the bike has a fixed wheel - when the wheel is turning, the pedals are turning; therefore the rider should always be in control of the pedals not the other way round
• Where the brake is (usually just below the handlebars) and when to use it (if the instruction is good, it's unlikely the brake will ever be used)

Every rider should be set up properly on the bike. This will enable them to be comfortable, but also use muscles correctly. This increases calorie burn, and decreases muscle ache. Everyone will need to be set up differently on the bike - you're unique, and millimetres make a huge difference. This is not about quality of bike, this is about quality of instructor.
Aria was concerned about falling off. Studios who rent out cycling shoes are putting riders at increased risk of falling off as well as increasing the risk of injuries and muscle aches. Why? Because riders are not used to clipping in (or clipping out) and so there are issues here, but also, everyone's biomechanics are different. The positioning of the cleat on the bottom of the shoe can mean the difference between injury and a comfortable workout. Everyone's different. Cycling shoes are individual - like toothbrushes, only more so. ;-)

The 'All Body Workout' complete with natty little weights that are actually lighter than the average gerbil? Ditch it.

• It's not an all body workout. It doesn't work.
• Pedalling with both hands off the handlebars and employed elsewhere - increased risk of falling off
• Cycling with proper technique will work far more muscles. Aria quotes Jimmy Minardi (quoted from Livestrong) in 2017 saying that the body has 616 muscles and indoor cycling barely uses half of them. This is true, but it's also silly. You have a bunch of muscles which are concerned with quizzically raising one eyebrow. Is it really so important to work those? Of course not. When you want to burn fat, torch your metabolism, build strength and endurance, you want to use big muscle groups. And they don't come any bigger than your quads, your glutes and your hamstrings. Other muscles are also involved, but this is where a lot of the action is - and rightly so. It's a great burn. PLUS, these muscles are in the area where a lot of us carry excess fat, and so working these muscles vastly improves our silhouette. Done properly, you'll also be working other muscles in your arms, core, shoulders and neck.
  

Well that's easily remedied - studios should have a fix on the volume level, a monitor to measure decibels, or a policy on music use. Or all three! Music adds atmosphere - but it can't do that when it's too loud, because then it's just noise.

Yes, of course if you're not sure what you're doing and you get on a bike and bob around for a bit, it's not going to be super-effective. But if you go to a well-instructed class, it flat-out works. We like tracking improvements, and we find in our public-facing studio that one of our 45 minute sessions is equal to about 70 minutes of cycling on the road in terms of calories burned. EPOC is more difficult to measure, but because we include high intensity intervals in a controlled environment (away from traffic jams, pot holes, and rest stops), this raises EPOC.
Indoor cycling improves fitness by burning fat, building muscle, improving cardiovascular endurance.
While all workouts done properly will improve health, the joy of indoor cycling (except for the banging tunes) is that you can make it harder as you get fitter. And my, can it get hard... Regarding improvements in health, we have seen riders who are diabetic reducing and coming off their diabetic meds, we've seen their cardiovascular risk shrink, their blood pressure, blood glucose (HbA1c) and cholesterol reduce, as well as their sensitivity to insulin increase. Yes. Proper indoor cycling does all these things.
Effective indoor cycling requires an instructor who knows what he/she is doing. Agreed, spinning out at low resistance doesn't burn calories, and is unsafe - and that's why no decent instructor will suggest doing that. Likewise high resistance at a low cadence equally can overload the joints, and good instructors will not suggest this either. Good instructors know how to set effective challenges with the right cadence, resistance and technique to burn LOADS of calories (for me, at 52kg, burning 450 calories in a 45 minute session is usual. Most riders will burn more than me.)
A good instructor will provide different options for riders. New riders will need more explanation, other riders may be recovering from injury, may be fatigued, or may be struggling to work hard and may need encouragement and direction to work at a lower intensity. This should be part of every session.
No decent instructor is ever going to tell riders to 'pedal as fast as they can'. This is dangerous and encourages crazy pedalling with insufficient resistance. There's just no need. An instructor who initiates this sort of challenge is putting riders at risk of rhabdomyolysis which is usually seen as a result of crush injuries (from car crashes for example). It occurs when the body starts breaking down muscle tissue. The resulting large molecules of protein are filtered out through the kidneys and left unaddressed can cause kidney damage and in extreme cases kidney failure - requiring hospitalisation. It's that serious. It's rare, but it's seen when riders are being forced to work past their capacity and not take recovery breaks. A case was brought by Kaila Cashman against Soul Cycle in 2016 for precisely this reason. And it could have been avoided by safe, effective instruction.

Using heart rate training software is best practice and keeps riders safe (we've found riders with previously undiscovered heart conditions through our use of heartrate training - some of whom went on to have surgery).
Also, running classes with different focuses enables riders to really take charge of their workouts, and get the results they want by using a combination of high intensity intervals and aerobic training. The aerobic bit will burn fat, improving power to weight ratio as well as prompting the body to develop more mitochondria which enables the body to work harder at a higher intensity whilst burning lots of fat. And that higher intensity stuff? Great for building muscular strength, anaerobic capacity, and firing the metabolism.

I'm always interested in hearing about riders' experiences of indoor cycling - especially new riders. I'd love to be able to just go around fixing things like a sweaty fairy godmother - but using feedback like this is one of the ways that we build new features into our courses and ensure that ICI courses are the most comprehensive and useful ones on the market. It helps us to support gyms who want to improve their offering, and I confess, I'm nosy. I just like to know what's going on, but it's important to remember that terrible experiences like these effect all of us. People are denied a super-effective workout and the results they deserve, instructors are denied the opportunity to change lives, and gyms are denied the opportunity to be an irreplaceable part of the health solution for many people - and if they're offering such risky classes, they're putting their riders in danger, and themselves at risk of litigation.


Read the complete Business Insider article here.

If you're an instructor or a gym manager, we can help you to deliver quality classes that are safe, effective and efficient. That's what we do.
Click below to contact us:

If you don't have a training strategy for your indoor cycling instructors, stick it on your to-do list - you're missing a massive trick.

Opening the region's first boutique cycling studio, we were immediately faced with the issue: Where are we going to get our instructors from? And for the next year or so, we recruited any instructor we thought was suitable who had already done some form of indoor cycling training. We have between 12-15 instructors at any time, there's very low turnover, and the instructors pull together as an excellent team - it wasn't always like that, but here are the reasons why having an indoor cycling training strategy helped:

This is huge. Just because someone looks OK on paper doesn't mean they're a team player. It doesn't mean they're going to care about your members as much as you do, and it doesn't mean they're going to take instructing for you seriously. You need to be able to trust your instructors to uphold your brand when you're not there. Because you can't always be there.

If you have a strategy for recognising which of your regular riders would make great instructors and empower them to go do the training, you're going to have instructors who are already signed up to uphold your brand. Why? Because they already think it's great - because they're paying you for it. Added to that, it's a huge boost for them when someone recognises the greatness within! If you're thinking "Ah, but I'll lose members if I turn them into instructors!" Well, yes, you would move that person from the member column to the instructor column - but instructors who understand and love what you're doing and want to be part of it are valuable to you - and worth more than you'll lose in membership fees.

In our public-facing studio, we do not recruit instructors from elsewhere - we always develop instructors from our member-base. It works. It cuts the risk of cliques, instructors undermining each other and bad habits brought in from elsewhere. Our instructors are good, we invest in them, and they help maintain the open, friendly and inclusive studio set-up. In return, we help to make them the best they can be.

There are certain things that we didn't want our instructors doing in class - things that are still taught in some training courses. We'd had occasions where the response was "Well they like it at xxxxx". It's important to have your studio policy updated with banned moves as some dangerous and/or ineffective moves are still doing the rounds, despite the increased risk of injury and litigation.

If you're developing your riders, you can set the training pathway. Obviously it's easy for us; our instructors-to-be go on our own course - because it's the only instructor course that reaches the quality standard we expect. If this is something you'd like to start - we're happy to work with you and provide discounts for the delegates you send to us.

If you proactively manage your recruitment and training strategy, then you'll be able to arrange easily and seamlessly the succession planning for when an instructor leaves. Having said that, when you're developing instructors from your own membership, retention is much better, so not only is it less hassle, it's something you'll rarely need to think about. And that's going to save you both time and money.

How do you ensure your instructors stay at the top of their game so that you can stay at the top of yours? Most gyms don't even consider this, so if you do, then you're a step ahead of your competition. If you've got a training strategy,

Whether you pay for the training or your instructors do, there are savings that can be made when you're buying several courses at a time. ICI offers a scheme whereby we partner with you to support you and your instructors, and as you invest in your instructors, we pass on discounts. We might still be the only training company to offer this. 

Want to bring together a cohesive team? Check out our preferred venues scheme. Click below: