Everything You Need to Start Indoor Cycling Like a Pro
When it comes to indoor cycling, it seems simple on the surface to get started. Easy, get an indoor bike, and off you go. I have found that it doesn’t always give you the best experience possible to do that, and many people have come away from spinning because of this. There are many options to step up your spinning game to Pro level, and in this article, I want to run through what extra step it will take to start you spinning from the get-go like a Pro. You can also find out what mistakes to avoid while cycling indoors.
What You Need For Cycling Indoors?
A Indoor Cycling Bike
When it comes to buying a bike, you first have to consider your budget, and once you have established that, you can start looking into what bike will be best for you. Below are some great articles which will help you choose the right bike for you at the right price.
Best Bikes $500
Best Bikes $1000
Best Bikes $2000
Always remember when it comes to indoor cycling, you get out what you out in, so the more you spend, the better experience you will have, so if you can afford to pay a little more, you will benefit from that.
A Cycling Training Application
When I used to train id just jump on the bike and work hard, there was little little structure to what I was doing and it made my training really inefficient and actually quite boring. When I started using indoor cycling applications like Peloton, JNRY, iFit and Zwift my world changed completely. I was getting pushed harder and getting stronger quicker. The structure my training needed was there and also the motivation was of the scale. Most of them do cost about $15 to $30 a month but it’s totally worth every penny. iFit individual package is one of the most affordable options at $140 per year!
best indoor cycling applications
A Set of Spinning Shoes
Although all magnetic spin bikes come with the option of using regular trainers, some bikes come with SPD clip incompatibility, and if they don’t, you can remove the pedals and replace them with SPD Compatible pedals. If you are looking for a set, see the article here below.
Best Spinning Pedals
Having the clip-in pedals will help you. The first thing is positioning. It helps to be clipped in as your foot stays in the same place the whole time, meaning you can pedal much more efficiently than using a trainer shoe. The next thing is power transfer. You waste much less energy stabilizing your foot and put that power down into the stroke instead. Providing they are set up correctly will prevent you from getting injuries and take a lot of pressure off your knees. Indoor cycling shoes are much more comfortable to cycle in than normal trainers, and we have many to recommend. You can find them here.
Heart Rate Monitor
Most bikes these days come with heart rate monitors or compatibility to link to one. They are a fantastic tool and will really up to your spinning game so much. If you don’t have a heart rate monitor and are looking for one, you can find the best here.
Training by heart rate is an excellent way to go as it can give you so much data. Once you know your maximum heart rate, you can find zones to work in. You might have heard of heart rate zones before, and they go from one through to five. This will help you make sure you are working hard enough for intervals and even soft enough for fat burning. It will also help you track yourself getting fitter, and you spin more frequently. I used to train on how I felt, and now I have used a heart rate monitor and would never go back.
Towels and Matts
When it comes to spinning, it’s challenging work, and you will build up quite a sweat. Unlike water, sweat is full of salt, and salt can be very damaging. Although spinning bikes are pretty sweat-resistant, you are going to want to avoid covering it too much. I would recommend getting a really good towel for when you’re spinning to start with and making sure that you don’t only use it while you’re spinning but also wipe your bike down afterward.
Another thing we have to protect is your floor, as we cycle indoors quite a lot we have to make sure we are not going damage when we are cycling on. A mat will ensure that the bike won’t shift and scratch your floor in those fast sprints. It will also protect your floor from sweat and salt.
A Comfortable Spinning Saddle
The more time we spend on the bike, the more we get out of it. Having a good saddle will go a long way and will make those longer sessions much easier on the behind. If you are not finding your saddle comfortable, then we have seven of the best listed here.
The bike saddle is very unique to every rider and finding what’s excellent for you can be really tough. I want to tell you that 99.9% of saddles use the same clamp size to attach to the bike, so you have a lot of variety to choose from. Don’t think because a saddle is more padded that it will make it more comfortable; it’s more about the saddle style. Some of you will sit on your sit bones. Others you will but seated in between your sit bones. Some might be padded lightly but more comfortable for you. It takes time to find the right saddle and worth exploring a few. When you get a new saddle, I would recommend giving it at least five rides before you make your mind about it. New saddles will always take a few rides to bed in to see if you like them. After you have the right saddle, the longer rides will come so easy.
Indoor Cycling Shorts
The best compliment to any saddle is indoor cycling shorts for women and men, and these will help you feel super comfortable when you are in a session smashing those personal bests. If you don’t know where to find a good pair, the article below will guide you properly.
Cycling shorts play a more significant role than most people think when it comes to spinning. Not only do they make it a little bit easier on your behind it also helps in my other ways. The first way being they are much tighter than standard shorts and stop loose clothing moving around, stopping irritation on the skin. Secondly, they are much better at keeping you cool as they are very breathable compared to other materials. Lastly, the pad also removes soaks up the sweat, so it’s much more hygienic.
A Tablet or iPad
Laptops are not ideal to keep on the spin bike but a tablet or iPad will open up so much for you when it comes to indoor cycling. It isn’t just about entertainment while on the bike it will give you the option to use it to aid your training. Firstly you could go onto youtube and do indoor cycling classes or even live classes online. Also, many spin bikes come with compatibility to link to a tablet then you can use applications such as Zwift or Peloton. It will help you stay motivated and also really open a lot of variety to your training. There’s nothing worse than sitting on your bike staring at a blank wall.
A Final Note
Indoor cycling is an entertaining way to improve health and get you fit. It doesn’t have to be boring or uncomfortable; it can be fun. We want you to be excited to get on the bike and work out after a long day. We highly recommend getting these extras because they will add to the experience so much and keep you going back to the bike to train more and more. I have also recently published a list of useful tips for indoor cycling that will help you enjoy the ride even more and reach your goal faster.
Robbie Ferri from “Riding with Robbie” has been cycling for almost ten years. In that time, he has broken World Records, Bikepacked all over the World, and also raced ultra distance at a top-level. Robbie picked up a bike and started cycling when he was about 25 years old and said it was the best thing he ever did. The experiences and the fun he’s had have given him a huge passion for helping inspire others to ride further, farther, and get fitter.
