Spin Classes - How far do you go...

Muffintop

Since January I've been tallying up my spin classes and I've managed 103 miles (spin classes only). I was saying to one of they guys that I usually manage 12K-14km and have even done the odd 17km on one or two occasions if the instructor is into their sprints (per half hour class). He says he does 11-17 MILES, usually in about 14 miles per half hour class, with his RPM about 135. I'm hitting 170 rpms all out my range is usually over 80 rpm, with longer sprints on 150ish rpms) over the session if the instructor is into his sprints. He's on Addidas Bikes (apparently they have gears) I'm on Livestrong ones which set by resistance to the wheel.

This can't be right surely? Doe Addidas Bikes Roll their wheel even when the pedals aren't moving? Is it an appropriate comparison? Can't decide if I need to move my @rse or if he's talking out of it.

Mx

pbt150

They're spin bikes, they're bolted to the floor. Any distance readings between two different models will be meaningless, and tbh a distance reading for a particular session probably is too.

Far better indications of the workout would be how high your heart rate is, and for how long. Or better still, some sort of power readings.

cougie

None of the classes I've ever done have been on bikes with computers.

Distance is pretty much irrelevant anyway - its p*** easy to spin away with no resistance. A bit like the lad I saw on the treadmill at the gym running at 10mph but using his arms to hold up his bodyweight off the belt.......

Do your own workout - ignore what milage the instructor is claiming - just the fact that he's talking about it doesn't inspire me with confidence.

And very pointless to compare one bike to another - even the same make has varying resistance - so from one manufacturer to another - no chance. ]

Yes HR is a good way to compare your efforts - but only your efforts. The teachers doesnt matter.

barry_kellett99

People measure mileage on a stationary bike?
Why?

waynobfc

This is something that really grates my gears!

My spinning instructor was claiming the 45 minute sessions were akin to 20 miles on the road,that was until i pointed out that i cycle regularly & it was nowhere near a 20 mile ride, not even close! Same as the people that record turbo sessions on STRAVA & such like, WHY?????

barry_kellett99

Why put anything on strava?
Its a central resource for me to record my training, for me. So I can check back and also view the pretty graphs to see if I was working as hard as it felt on those last intervals etc...

You can hide stuff on it if you want. I used to hide stuff, but people I ride with know what I am up to anyway so whats the point.

But being concerned about mileage when no mileage has been achieved is strange.

Muffintop

It wasn't the instructor but a guy at my work.

I've always taken milage notes, the distance gives me a sence of achievement, even though they don't translate to pushing the bike through air on the road. And it's not the milage per se that narked me but the fact he was saying that he did those miles at less than 135rpms.

But i think, like youse suggest, I'll ignore his milage and decide that he was talking out of his @rse.

Distance is pretty much irrelevant anyway - its p*** easy to spin away with no resistance. A bit like the lad I saw on the treadmill at the gym running at 10mph but using his arms to hold up his bodyweight off the belt.......

I think I may be doing a wee bit of this (though I'm usually on the Ds and don't hold myself up) so will start using more resistance.

Does anyone know what I should be looking at?

jgsi

When people do or say weird sh1t in Spinning classes.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuY3QSPWc8

PhilPub

Monitoring heart rate would seem the obvious way of measuring training effort objectively... that's assuming you do so when doing proper cycling, so that you've got something to gauge against. Otherwise a heavy slab of common sense and perceived effort is about as good as it gets. If you get out of breath, your thighs burn and you leave a pool of sweat on the gym floor, you've had a good work-out. If you've done the equivalent of the gym-bunny reading Hello magazine whilst pootling on the exercise bike, you haven't. I wouldn't sweat the mileage details.

fra-gy

170 rpm! for how long?
Flat out I'm struggling to do more than 115!
I'm new to this and a bit shocked that's how fast my legs need to go in the end :0O

cougie

You will get faster with practice.

fra-gy

think my legs will come off if I go that fast!

Muffintop

JGSI wrote:

When people do or say weird sh1t in Spinning classes.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxuY3QSPWc8

Don't do the elbow thing, but I've done the press ups and squats. And I was at a class on Thursday morning where the guy had us punching the air. Bit ridiculous but if I'm ever doing the TDF and need to knock a spectator out the way Contator Style it's in my repartee.

170 rpm! for how long?
Flat out I'm struggling to do more than 115!
I'm new to this and a bit shocked that's how fast my legs need to go in the end :0O

I started off at between 60rpm and under 130rpm about 6 weeks ago. I manage to hold it for a few seconds before going down to 150-160ish and this is pretty much with just enough bite on the wheel so I have to push down. I'm not sure this is worth anything on the road except being able to push that wee bit faster going down hill. Someone quoted Lance Armstrong doing 120rpm on his bike (average or max I'm not sure) during TDF. I'm going to start upping my resistance on the wheel so I can only manage 130-140 at a spin now. I've also been doing about 4 spin classes/week most weeks.

Mx

blackhands

"Someone quoted Lance Armstrong doing 120rpm on his bike (average or max I'm not sure) during TDF."

The late Zac Carr did the fastest ever UK Medium Gear (72") 25 in 53 minutes odd at almost 117 rpm.

cougie

I'll turbo quite happily for an hour at 120 rpm but not pushing that gear !!

Press ups are pointless on a spin bike. Thrown in by instructors who worry about their class being bored.

If you don't do it in the road - don't do it indoors.

Muffintop

cougie wrote:

I'll turbo quite happily for an hour at 120 rpm but not pushing that gear !!

Press ups are pointless on a spin bike. Thrown in by instructors who worry about their class being bored.

If you don't do it in the road - don't do it indoors.

Besides the fact that they make you work harder and strengthen your back and shoulders, completely pointless.

cougie

Oh come on - how much extra effort is there in bending your arms.

It's a contra indicated move according to the guy who invented spinning.

By all means do it off the bike but don't let it distract you from a proper work out on the bike.

jgsi

Muffin, have a look at
http://www.pedal-on.com/forum.php?s=001 ... 399d306f30
the forum for indoor instructors and have a quick search for contraindications... 99% of instructors who just pedal , cannot be wrong.

Muffintop

I wouldn't consider what they do in the classes I attend 'excessive'. We do them in a controlled manner. I'm aware of leaning on my wrists since doing them and locking my elbows, as opposed to using my arms to hold myself up.

I used to go to a class where you'd be effectively punching the air with your head. THAT was undignified.

Mx

cougie

There are some awful teachers out there.

It's much safer to stick to just cycling though.
Handlebars aren't designed for pressups - and they can get slick with sweat too.

I've never once raced and thought that the only way to make it tougher would be to do pressups.
If you are trying to do them - then you're getting distracted from the real point of the class - pedalling.

Muffintop

cougie wrote:

There are some awful teachers out there.

It's much safer to stick to just cycling though.
Handlebars aren't designed for pressups - and they can get slick with sweat too.

I've never once raced and thought that the only way to make it tougher would be to do pressups.
If you are trying to do them - then you're getting distracted from the real point of the class - pedalling.

That's a great idea! I'll go round the etape doing pressups, no! Why stop there! Sit ups, with one leg stretched across the handlebars, the other peddling, one arm punching the air and the other reciting the lords prayer in semaphore!

Or mibbies I should take my sport more seriously, forget that it's not about feeling good, fit, healthy and having fun but drudgery and hard work, the constant sore thighs, heavy legs and sore back, headwins, side winds, hill climbs, with no cake, and Mikey from Rocky Balboa shouting at me 'you wanna be a bum for the rest of your life' on loop and constant and never ending peddling. Pedaling that goes on through the day, week, month, year and through the ages, eternal, like the hand of death that will eventually pedal me to hell.

Mx

cougie

Woah woah woah - there's ALWAYS time for cake.

I only train so that I can get to further flung cafes and get there faster to be at the front of the queue !

Muffintop

...I do actually quite like hill climbs....

Mx