Cycling: Ride This Bike Like You Stole It!

Photo by wellandgood.com

I’ve tried cycling classes before back home at the YMCA. I took one class that was strictly cycling and another that mixed in some weight training. As much as I wanted to enjoy the classes, I just didn’t. The instructor sort of made it seem like we were outside and racing and climbing up hills, and I’d done cycling videos before that simulated the outdoors. I got in a really good workout at those classes, but I was pretty bored. So, I was a little skeptical going into one of Penn State’s cycling classes. I’d heard good things about it, and I decided to go with friends.

I took this class in the White building, and it was a pretty small class totaling about 25 people. We started by preparing our bikes for the ride. The instructor was very willing and eager to help those who were new to class adjust their bikes. She also turned on fun lights and turned off the overhead lights. If you just picture a spin class from a movie, that’s kind of what it looked like, at least that’s what it reminded me of. For fans of The Office, the class wasn’t quite like this. \

Photo by The Ardilaun Leisure Club

We warmed up for a few minutes and then got into the workout. Throughout the entirety of the class, the instructor gave us a revolutions per minute (RPM) range to be in. Typically, we were in the 80-90 range. She also gave us guidelines for how hard we should be working. At some points, we’d be working at 40% while at other times we’d be working at 60% or 80%. I found it to be pretty hard to gauge though because my legs were burning and I was sweating for pretty much the whole time.

About halfway through the class, we rode hard for three minutes and took note of how far we’d gone. We then rested and repeated the three minutes, each time trying to meet or exceed our “three minute distance”. I really liked this part of the workout because it pushed me to meet a specific goal. I knew that I’d regret it if I didn’t give it my all, so that really pushed me to work as hard as I could.

Throughout the course of the workout, there was upbeat music that was fantastic to ride to. The instructor even mentioned something about “rhythm riders”, which are people who bop to the music while they ride. I found too that when my legs were burning the music really helped me focus in and just grind it out. The instructor was also very good at encouraging the group. She’d say things like “Ride like you just stole that bike!” and “Ride like your mama is on the back of your bike!”.

Overall, I highly recommend this class, and I plan to try to go every week. So, if you’re looking for a good leg-burning, sweaty cardio session, try a spin class! As usual, because of limited space, you must book a spot in advance!