Participant Articles
Windows
My life, I’ve realized, is like a bank of windows opened at various heights. This is not my preference. I’d like each window to be either fully opened, fully closed or decidedly in the middle. But that’s rarely, if ever, the case. Except for cycling class. After one of my classes last week, I asked…
Read MoreClarity 2020: Phone a Friend
I love the start of a new year. Everything about it (except staying up late on New Year’s Eve) aligns with my personality. I’m turned on by goal setting. I thrive on change and second chances. Completing financial spreadsheets to evaluate the year? Love it. But my favorite ritual is carving out quiet time to…
Read MoreMental Metal for Riders
What does it mean to have the right stuff, to have what it takes, or to be tough when the going gets tough? We’re bombarded with challenges, slogans, contents and ads that question how “tough” we are. But when it comes to indoor cycling, what does toughness really mean and how important is it? Let’s…
Read MoreBike Set-Up Check-Up: When and Why
When Should You Revisit Your Bike Set-Up? Often! Are you nursing an injury? Recovering from surgery? Have you lost or gained weight or mobility? Maybe you’re not making the progress you expect toward your goals. Or have you been cross-training and gained strength? All of these scenarios indicate you may benefit from re-visiting your bike…
Read MoreResistance: Tackling the Why
In our video “Finding the Right Resistance,” we address what too little, too much and “just right” resistance looks and feels like. But what about “the Why”? Why might you favor a lighter or heavier resistance than the instructor is challenging you to find? For lighter resistance, the three most common reasons I hear are:…
Read MoreWhat Does “Make this Ride Your Own” Really Mean?
You’ve probably heard your instructor say it many times: Make this ride your own! But have you ever wondered what that means, exactly? Does it mean you should ignore the profile and do your own thing whenever you don’t feel like doing what the instructor has planned? Or does it mean that if the intensity…
Read MoreIs the Instructor Talking to Me?
Hey Five Spokes riders – does this scene ring a bell? Your instructor looks out at the class and says, “Relax your shoulders and soften your elbows” and you automatically have one or more of the following thoughts: She/he isn’t talking to me. If I hear that one more time. I wonder who she/he is…
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