Lesson 2

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Now that we've covered the basics of bike set up, we can begin to experience what a ride feels like.

Before Class:
Wipe your bike down; set the seat height and seat fore/aft positions and position the handlebars to your settings; get up on the bike and have a seat; put your feet in the cages; set your tension knob to a nice flat road level and start 'spinning' with your hands comfortably placed on the handlebars in position two.  If you feel a slight bounce, while you're spinning, just increase the tension (clockwise turn), until you stop bouncing.

Here's what we're going to cover in this lesson:

• Cadence -  Let's try to maintain a 50-60 rpm (rate per minute) for 15 minutes (remember, our goal is to get to 80 rpm for 45 min.);
• Position - Looking straight ahead, have your hands comfortably placed on the handlebars with your hips hinged slightly forward and your feet in the cages;
• Pedaling - The pedals are an extension of your foot.  Focus on full circle pedal stroke/ create the feeling of scraping mud off the bottom of your feet.

Here's what you should be feeling:
When you first start spinning, you'll feel like you have lots of energy, but please know that you will get bogged down and find your endurance waning rather quickly if you ride at a pace you can't maintain.  For this lesson we will get to know our own bodies a little better so that we can pace ourselves.  The old saying, 'you can't run until you learn to walk', applies here.  By finding our endurance level, we can start to stretch ourselves and start riding outside of our comfort zones...getting more physically fit with each successive ride.

• We're building endurance
• We're building muscle memory
• We're gaining confidence
• We're achieving our goals

Please think about your goals and let me know how things may have changed for you during the past week so that I can help you.

Remember:  This is your ride; take it where you want to go.

For more about beginning indoor cycling, please check out the Livestrong Web site page:  http://www.livestrong.com/article/158488-a-spinning-class-for-beginners/