You've probably seen 'Performance Spin' on the Rumble Ride timetable and maybe asked yourself: is it right for me, will it be fun, do I have to wear Lycra, is it only for actual cyclists? As a long-standing performance cyclist, I'm here to lift the lid on what makes Performance Spin your new must-do indoor cycling session — and get you fired up about training zones, output numbers, targets and PBs.
The short answer: performance spin is a structured, goal-oriented cycling class, set to motivating music, with an animated heads-up display to show you the plan, and data to help you achieve and record your best efforts. It isn't a competitive environment with leaders and losers — it's a place where every effort is recorded, recognised and valued. Whatever you achieve, it is a RESULT!
Like any class it has climbs and sprints, endurance phases and power efforts; the difference is that your efforts are anchored in time, training zones and cadence, and our software records and analyses your efforts so you know when you're improving. Your instructor will encourage you to download an app and bring your phone to class so you can connect your bike and see your performance live, updated continually as you match the target training zones on the TV screen.
So how do we measure effort, and how hard is HARD? The answer lies in FTP — Functional Threshold Power: your maximum average output over a specific time. Finding this number requires a little testing — a short, sharp, 5-minute all-out effort. The result becomes the basis for measuring everything else; you may be asked to work at, above or below your FTP depending on the class goals.
Music is a huge part of the dynamic — expect long trance-type tracks for endurance efforts, punchy house tunes for climbs and a good dose of Drum and Bass to get you moving at speed. Come and try it — you never know, you may turn out to be a data geek and just didn't know it! See you in class. With love, always — Janine.